Tit 1:5-16 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Titus 1:5-16: 1:5-16 Strong, faithful leadership was needed in the churches of Crete to address the danger of false teachers (1:10-16 ). This part of Titus’s task dovetails with the larger concern of the letter: to shape a community that bears witness to Christ by embodying God’s grace in its conduct. Cp. 1 Tim 3:1-7 . Summary for Titus 1:5-9: 1:5-9 Titus was directed to appoint leaders in order to complete our work there —i.e., to establish the church (cp. 1 Tim 3:1-13 ). Deacons are not mentioned, possibly because these were new, small churches. • These leadership qualities might be an accommodation to the newness of these converts and the roughness of their culture. It is assumed that the elders will be male (see 1 Tim 3:4-5 ). 1:5 Crete was located in the Mediterranean, south of the Aegean Sea. It was an important location for travel and trade by sea, so it had a mix of influences, including a Jewish population. Some from Crete had been at Pentecost (Acts 2:11 ), but this letter seems to deal with an infant church. • elders in each town: There may have been more than one house church in a given town and possibly more than one elder in a given house church. Clearly, there were churches in at least two towns and the leadership was specific to each town.

Summary for Titus 1:5-16: 1:5-16 ^a Strong, faithful leadership was needed in the churches of Crete to address the danger of false teachers (1:10-16 ^b). This part of Titus’s task dovetails with the larger concern of the letter: to shape a community that bears witness to Christ by embodying God’s grace in its conduct. Cp. 1 Tim 3:1-7 ^c.
Summary for Titus 1:5-9: 1:5-9 ^d Titus was directed to appoint leaders in order to complete our work there—i.e., to establish the church (cp. 1 Tim 3:1-13 ^e). Deacons are not mentioned, possibly because these were new, small churches.

• These leadership qualities might be an accommodation to the newness of these converts and the roughness of their culture. It is assumed that the elders will be male (see 1 Tim 3:4-5 ^f). 1:5 ^g Crete was located in the Mediterranean, south of the Aegean Sea. It was an important location for travel and trade by sea, so it had a mix of influences, including a Jewish population. Some from Crete had been at Pentecost (Acts 2:11 ^h), but this letter seems to deal with an infant church.

• elders in each town: There may have been more than one house church in a given town and possibly more than one elder in a given house church. Clearly, there were churches in at least two towns and the leadership was specific to each town.
1:6 ⁱ must be faithful to his wife: See study note on 1 Tim 3:2.

• wild or rebellious: This probably reflects Cretan culture with its low moral standards (Titus 1:12 ^j).
1:7 ^k A church leader (or An overseer, or A bishop) is a manager of God’s household: See 1:11 ^l; 2:2-10 ^m; 1 Tim 1:4 ⁿ; 3:4-5 ^o, 12 ^p, 15 ^q; 2 Tim 2:20-21 ^r.

• These qualities indicate that an elder should not be running with the Cretan masses (see Titus 1:12 ^s).
1:9 ^t The elders had a leading role in teaching the community. This may have been necessary in dealing with the immediate threat to these particular communities (as also in Ephesus; see 1 Tim 3:1 ^u).

• Only with a strong belief in the Good News would an elder be able to provide wholesome teaching. Paul’s specific concerns are addressed in Titus 2:1–3:11 ^v, in light of the problems mentioned in 1:10-16 ^w and 3:9-11 ^x (see also 1 Tim 1:10 ^y).

• Titus had a similar role (cp. Titus 1:13 ^z; 2:15 ^aa; 3:10-11 ^ab). The local leadership would carry on where Paul and his delegates left off.

• Those who oppose it are described in 1:10-16 ^ac.
Summary for Titus 1:10-16: 1:10-16 ^ad In a native population of troublemakers, Titus would need to exercise a firm hand to rid these Christian communities of corruption and make them healthy in the faith (1:13-16 ^ae). 1:10 ^af rebellious people: The same Greek word is used of children in 1:6 ^ag.

• those who insist on circumcision for salvation (literally those of the circumcision): This probably refers to Jewish Christians; the Greek phrase leaves open whether or not they required circumcision of Gentiles. The Jewish flavor of this false teaching is suggested in 1:14-15 ^ah and 3:9 ^ai.
1:11 ^aj turning whole families away: This also happened in Ephesus (cp. 1 Tim 4:3 ^ak; 2 Tim 2:18 ^al; 3:6 ^am).

• only for money: Elders must not have this characteristic (Titus 1:7 ^an; see also 1 Tim 6:5-10 ^ao; 2 Cor 2:17 ^ap; 1 Pet 5:2 ^aq).
1:12 ^ar one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said: This quotation is from Epimenides of Knossos, a philosopher who lived on Crete around the 500s BC.

• all liars: This charge was directed specifically at the Cretan claim to have Zeus’s tomb on the island. According to Cretan mythology, the god Zeus was once a mere human who lived and died on Crete (his tomb was said to be there) but who had achieved godhood through his patronage (i.e., gifts and benefits) to humans. Some Greek moralists opposed this legend and characterized it as a lie. A quote from Alexandria in the 200s BC reads: “Cretans are always liars. For a tomb, O Lord, Cretans build for you; but you do not die, for you are forever.” One of Crete’s own prophets (Epimenides) had the same assessment, and Paul cites his voice of conscience approvingly (1:13 ^as; see Acts 17:28 ^at), for the God who does not lie (Titus 1:2 ^au) stands in opposition to the lies of such myths.

• liars ... animals ... gluttons: It was believed that Cretan immorality resulted from their belief about Zeus; religious lies had given rise to moral corruption. Paul later counters these vices by presenting the contrasting virtues (2:12 ^av). He calls the Cretans to reach ethical ideals that are extolled in human society generally but were absent on Crete, as bemoaned by their own prophet. They would reach these ideals only through the gospel of Jesus Christ (2:11-14 ^aw).

• lazy gluttons: Cretans were known to do anything for a little cash. They were famous as mercenaries and as insatiate consumers. They reputedly saw no shame in greed (see Phil 3:19 ^ax).

• Paul applies the quotation more directly to the current false teachers than to Cretan culture generally; the false teachers carried on this Cretan tradition of immorality built on falsehood.
1:13 ^ay This is true: See study note on 1:12.

• Being strong in the faith is here defined as rejecting false teachings (cp. 1:9 ^az).
1:14 ^ba Jewish myths: See 3:9 ^bb; 1 Tim 1:4 ^bc; 4:7 ^bd; 2 Tim 4:4 ^be.

• have turned away from the truth: This was apostasy, not mere unbelief. See 1 Tim 1:6-7 ^bf.
Summary for Titus 1:15-16: 1:15-16 ^bg These two verses comment on the people of 1:14 ^bh and their commands, while transitioning to a discussion of wholesome teaching (2:1–3:11 ^bi). 1:15 ^bj Cp. 1 Tim 4:3-5 ^bk.
1:16 ^bl Sound teaching and godliness are always linked together in the letters to Timothy and Titus (see 1 Tim 1:7-11 ^bm; 3:15-16 ^bn; 5:24-25 ^bo; 2 Tim 3:5 ^bp, 9 ^bq). Similarly, the ungodly way they live is connected with false teaching.

• anything good: This contrasts with Titus 3:1 ^br.