rd

Titus 1

5 He advertiseth Titus touching the government of the Church. 7 The ordinance and office of ministers. 12 The nature of the Cretians, and of them which sow abroad Jewish fables and inventions of men.
1.Paul a ^servant of God, and an Apostle of JESUS CHRIST, according to the afaith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness,
2.Under the hope of eternal life, which God that can not lie, hath bpromised before the *world began:
3.But hath made his word manifest in due time through the preaching, which is *committed unto me, according to the commandment of God our cSaviour:
4.To Titus my natural dson according to the common faith, Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5.For this cause left I thee in Creta, that thou shuldest continue to redress the things that remain, and shuldest ordeine Elders in every city, as I appointed thee,
6.*If any ebe unreproveable, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.
7.For a bishop must be unreproveable, as fGod’s steward, not ^forward, not angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre,
8.But harberous, one that loveth ^goodness, wise, grighteous, hholie, temperate,
9.Holding fast the faithful word according to doctrine, that he also may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and improve them that say against it.
10.For there are many disobedient and vain talkers and deceivers of minds, chiefly they of the iCircumcision,
11.Whose mouths must be stopped, which subvert whole houses, teaching things, which they ought not, for filthy lucres’ sake.
12.One of them selves, even one of their own kprophets said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13.This witness is true: wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14.And no taking heed to *Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15.Unto the pure *are all things pure, but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure, but even their minds and consciences are defiled.
16.They profess that they know God, but by lworks they deny him, and are abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Notes

1-^.
Or, minister.
1-a.
That is, to preach the faith, to increase their knowledge, to teach them to live godly that at length they may obtain eternal life.
2-*.
Rom. 16.25, Eph. 3.9, Col. 1.26, 2 Tim. 1.10,1 Pet. 1.20.
2-b.
Hath willingly, and of his mere liberality promised without foreseeing our faith or works as a cause to move him to this free mercy.
3-*.
Gal. 1.1.
3-c.
Who both gives life, and preserves life.
4-d.
In respect of faith which was common to them both, so that hereby they are brethren: but in respect of the ministry Paul begate him as his son in faith.
6-*.
1 Tim. 3.2.
6-e.
That is, without all infamy whereby his authority might be diminished.
7-^.
Or, self-willed.
7-f.
Who has the dispensation of his gifts.
8-^.
Or, good men.
8-g.
Toward men.
8-h.
Towards God.
10-i.
Which were not only the Jews, but also the Hebionites, and Cherinthian’s heretics, which taught that the Law must be joined with Christ.
12-k.
He calls Epimenides the Philosopher, or Poet, whose verse he here recites, a Prophet, because the Cretians so esteemed him: and as Laertius writes, they sacrificed unto him as to a God, forasmuch as he had a marvelous gift to understand things to come: which thing Satan by the permission of God has opened to the infidels from time to time, but it turns to their greater condemnation.
14-*.
1 Tim. 1.4.
15-*.
Rom. 14.20.
16-l.
Forasmuch as they stay at things of nothing, and pass not for them, that are of importance, and so give themselves to all wickedness.