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1: Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus
Christ - Titles suitable to the person of Paul, and the office
he was assigning to Titus. According to the faith - The
propagating of which is the proper business of an apostle. A
servant of God - According to the faith of the elect. An apostle
of Jesus Christ - According to the knowledge of the truth. We
serve God according to the measure of our faith: we fulfil our
public office according to the measure of our knowledge. The
truth that is after godliness - Which in every point runs parallel
with and supports the vital, spiritual worship of God; and,
indeed, has no other end or scope. These two verses contain
the sum of Christianity, which Titus was always to have in his
eye. Of the elect of God - Of all real Christians
2: In hope of eternal life - The grand motive and
encouragement of every apostle and every servant of God. Which
God promised before the world began - To Christ, our Head.
3: And he hath in his own times - At sundry times; and his
own times are fittest for his own work. What creature dares
ask, "Why no sooner?" Manifested his word - Containing that
promise, and the whole "truth which is after godliness."
Through the preaching wherewith I am intrusted according to the
commandment of God our Saviour - And who dares exercise this
office on any less authority?
4: My own son - Begot in the same image of God, and
repaying a paternal with a filial affection. The common
faith - Common to me and all my spiritual children.
5: The things which are wanting - Which I had not time
to settle myself. Ordain elders - Appoint the most faithful,
zealous men to watch over the rest. Their character follows,(Tit 1:6-9).
These were the elders, or bishops, that Paul approved of; - men
that had living faith, a pure conscience, a blameless life.
6: The husband of one wife - Surely the Holy Ghost, by
repeating this so often, designed to leave the Romanists
without excuse.
7: As the steward of God - To whom he intrusts immortal
souls. Not selfwilled - Literally, pleasing himself; but all
men "for their good to edification." Not passionate - But mild,
yielding, tender.
9: As he hath been taught - Perhaps it might be more
literally rendered, according to the teaching, or doctrine,
of the apostles; alluding to (Ac 2:42).
10: They of the circumcision - The Jewish converts.
11: Stopped - The word properly means, to put a bit into
the mouth of an unruly horse.
12: A prophet - So all poets were anciently called; but,
besides, Diogenes Laertius says that Epimenides, the Cretan
poet, foretold many things. Evil wild beasts - Fierce and savage.
14: Commandments of men - The Jewish or other teachers,
whoever they were that turned from the truth.
15: To the pure - Those whose hearts are purified by faith
this we allow. All things are pure - All kinds of meat; the
Mosaic distinction between clean and unclean meats being now
taken away. But to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is
pure - The apostle joins defiled and unbelieving, to intimate
that nothing can be clean without a true faith: for both the
understanding and conscience, those leading powers of the soul,
are polluted; consequently, so is the man and all he does.
