The Apostolical History, Chapter 6 · Section 8 – Section 9
SECT. VIII.
APollos being unwilling for the preſent (as we have heard, Sect. 7.) to go to Corinth, but chuſing rather, as it ſeems, to go to Crete, (now call'd Candia), Paul thought good by him and Zenas, (a Doctor of the Law) to write an Epiſtle to Titus, whom he had left in that Iſland, further to propagate the Goſpel, to ordain Elders in every City where the Goſpel was propagated, and to finiſh what was lacking, and conducing to the good of that people, which the Apoſtle himſelf had not time to do. And underſtanding that many in that Iſland ambitiouſly aſpir'd to the Paſtoral charge; and that ſeveral falſe Teachers, erroneous in judgment, and ſcandalous in life, had already crept in, to the great hurt of the Church; he writes this Epiſtle to Titus (which is of like argument with the Firſt and Second to Timothy) to direct him how to carry himſelf in reference to that people, and the work he was to do there.
Epiſtle to Titus.In this Epiſtle there are three parts,
1. A Preface.
2. The Subſtance or matter of the Epiſtle.
3. The Concluſion.
1. THE Preface is contained in the four firſt Verſes; wherein we may obſerve, 1. The Perſon writing this Epiſtle, who is deſcribed by his office, A Servant of God, and an Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, for the propagating the Faith (a)v. 1. foreign] Miſſus ad enunciandum eam fidem quam habent qui electi ſunt à Deo. Vatabl.of Gods Elect, (namely, Faith in Chriſt), and the knowledg of the truth which tends to godlineſs, and this in hope of eternal life to be attained thereby, which the Righteous God promiſed long ago(b)foreign, ante tempora ſecularia, h. e. ante multa ſecula; jam inde à primis mundi temporibus, in the Firſt Ages of the World, [viz. Gen. 3.15.], but now hath more clearly manifeſted by the preaching of the Word(c)ante foreign ſubaudi foreign, q. d. Manifeſtavit autem proprio tempore per verbum ſuum in praedicatione quae mihi concredita eſt., which was committed to him, among others, by the command of God, who gives us Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt, [See 1 Tim. 1.1.]. 2. The Perſon written to, viz. Titus, deſcribed by his ſpiritual relation to Paul, who converted him to the Faith, which is the common means of Salvation, both to Jews and Gentiles. 3. The Salutation it ſelf, wherein are the Bleſſings prayed for in Titus's behalf; viz. Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God. From Ver. 1. to 5.
2. He comes then to the Body of the Epiſtle; wherein, 1. He tells Titus, for what end he left him in Crete, namely, to ſet in order the things that were wanting in thoſe new planted Churches, to ordain Elders in every City, as he had appointed him, v. 5. 2. That he might not err in the choice of fit men, he tells him, how they ſhould be qualified. The Qualifications of an Elder, which he ſets down, may be reduced to three Heads:
1. Oeconomical.
1. That he be blameleſs.
2. The Husband of one Wife, and not guilty of Polygamy.
3. That his Children be brought up in the Faith, and in good order, and obedience.
4. That he be a Lover of Hoſpitality, and be ready to receive and entertain Strangers, and the baniſhed Servants of God. ver. 8.
2. Moral, ſet down
1. Negatively.
1. Not ſelf-will'd.
2. Not ſoon angry.
3. Not given to Wine.
4. No ſtriker.
5. Not given to filthy lucre, v. 7.
2. Affirmatively.
1. A lover of good men.
2. Sober.
3. Juſt.
4. Holy.
5. Temperate, v. 8.
3. Eccleſiaſtical.
1. That nothing be found in him unworthy of the Steward of God, who ought to be ſo much the more blameleſs, by how much his office is more holy.
2. That he be ſtudious to know the truth, and tenacious of the truth, when known, and that for a double end:
1. That he may be able to feed the Flock with right knowledg, and vigorouſly to exhort them to the performance of their ſeveral duties.
2. To convince gain-ſayers, and to ſtop their mouths.
And he ſhews, that great care ſhould be taken, that Perſons ſo qualified ſhould be choſen, and that both in reſpect of the falſe Teachers, that did at that time abound in their Iſland, as alſo in reſpect of the people of Crete themſelves. The falſe Teachers he deſcribes by their evil manners, declaring them to be unruly, vain-talkers, deceivers, eſpecially thoſe of the Circumciſion, viz. the Jewiſh Doctors, who taught things they ought not; and ſubverted whole houſes for filthy lucre's ſake. Ver. 10, 11.
As for the people of Crete; he ſhews, that one of their own Poets, viz. Epimenides (held by them for a Prophet) hath ſet forth the diſpoſition of that Nation, viz. that they are lyars, given to idleneſs, ſerving their own intemperance; which Character he acknowledges to be too true, (namely, as to the generality of them), and thence inferrs, that the falſe Teachers that were among them, (and others alſo who were miſled by them) muſt not be handled too mildly, but reproved, and rebuked ſharply (d)Ita tractandi ſunt Cretenſes prout Cretenſes tractari par eſt, adeòque liberè redarguendi., that they may ſubmit themſelves ſound in the Faith, and to the Doctrine of the Goſpel, and may not give heed to Jewiſh Fables, and the Commandments and Traditions of men, which turn many from the truth; of which ſort he inſtances in one, viz. the diſtinction of meats, as clean and unclean; which he ſhews is againſt the liberty which Chriſt hath purchaſed, and allows to all that truly believe in him. For, unto the pure all things are pure; that is, to true Believers, whoſe hearts are purified by Faith, all kinds of meats are lawful; but to the impure and unbeli…vers 'tis quite otherwiſe; nothing can be uſed purely by them, their minds and conſciences being defiled with ſin, and not purged from their guilt by Faith in Chriſt. And he further tells them, that though ſome of theſe falſe Teachers may ſeem to be religious, and profeſs to know God, yet in their works they plainly deny him: being abominable hypocrites, rebels againſt the truth of God, and unmeet for the performance of any good work which he requires. From Ver. 5. to the end.
Chap. 2 3ly. He proceeds to direct Titus, touching the faithful diſcharge of his Miniſterial office: injoining him,
1. More generally, That he ſpeak the things that become ſound Doctrine.
2. More particularly, he directs him how to accommodate himſelf to ſeveral ſorts of perſons.
1. To teach old men to be ſober, grave, temperate, ſound in faith, charitable and patient.
2. To teach ancient women to be in all their behaviour and deportment as becometh perſons that profeſs holineſs; not falſe accuſers, not given to drinking or tippling, but teachers of good things, and that they be exemplary to the younger women, and teach them their duties, viz. to be ſober, to love their Husbands, to love their children; and to be diſcreet, chaſt, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own Husbands, that the Name of God be not blaſphemed, nor the Chriſtian Religion be thought to infuſe any thing into them contrary to moral vertue.
3. To teach young men to be ſober-minded. And upon occaſion of this direction, he gives Titus himſelf (who probably was now young as Timothy was) his leſſons, exhorting him to be exemplary in his life and converſation, (in all things ſhewing himſelf a pattern of good works), and in his publick Doctrine or preaching, to ſhew incorruptneſs, gravity, ſincerity; and in his private diſcourſes, ſound ſpeech, that cannot be condemned; to the ſhaming and ſilencing of oppoſers. Ver. 7, 8.
4. To teach Servants to be obedient to their own Maſters, to pleaſe them w…ll in all lawful things, not anſwering again, nor murmuring or repining at their juſt commands, reproofs, or corrections; not purloining or ſtealing, but ſhewing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour by a conſcientious diſcharge of their duties. Ver. 9.10.
And he adds a further reaſon, why all ſorts of perſons ſhould labour to diſcharge their reſpective duties faithfully, becauſe the grace of God manifeſted in the Goſpel, bringing and offering Salvation, hath now appeared to all ſorts of perſons, (which before was only manifeſted to the Jews) teaching them to deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godlily in this preſent world, expecting eternal Salvation and bliſs, (the bleſſing which all good Chriſtians hope for) and the glorious Coming of Jeſus Chriſt to judgment, (who is here called the great God), who gave himſelf for us that he might redeem us from the guilt of all our iniquities, and ſo juſtifie us, and purifie us unto himſelf, and make us a peculiar people, zealous of good works, and ſo ſanctifie us. Theſe things he commands Titus to preſs with all authority, that none may have any juſt cauſe to deſpiſe him. From Ver. 11. to the end.
Chap. 3 4ly. He directs him to exhort all ſorts of Chriſtians to theſe duties; 1. To be ſubject to civil Powers and Magiſtrates(a)Spontè nempe non coactè.. 2. To be ready to every good work. 3. Not to revile any man. 4. To be no Brawlers. 5. To be gentle towards all, even the worſt of men; and the reaſon he gives for it, is this, Becauſe *Cum dicit Paulus foreign, non tam ſe intelligit quam eos qui ex Gentibus vocati erant, per foreign ſatis ipſi familiarem, neque nimium obtortam, cum Chriſtiani omnes unius corporis membra ſunt. Grot.we (ſays he) before our converſion were ſuch as others now are; in which carnal ſtate whilſt we lived, we were fooliſh, diſobedient, deceived, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, living in malice and envy, and would not have thought our ſelves well dealt with, to have been imperiouſly and roughly handled: what therefore, we would not that men ſhould have done to us, when we were ſuch; let not us do to others, that now are, as we then were. But when the tranſcendent mercy and loving-kindneſs of God towards loſt ſinners, was effectually manifeſted to us by the preaching of the Goſpel, then there was a bleſſed change wrought in us. Yet the cauſe of this change was not any thing in us, or any works of righteouſneſs done by us, but meerly the free grace of God, which mov'd him to reſcue us out of that wretched miſerable eſtate, and to work a work of regeneration in us, whereof Baptiſm is the outward viſible ſign, and the Holy Ghoſt the inward inviſible worker; whom Chriſt hath obtained of the Father, that he ſhould be ſent down and imparted unto us, and ſhould dwell in us, (not eſſentially but energetically) abundantly illuminating, guiding, ſtrengthning, and comforting of us. And the end of God herein is, that being juſtified by his grace, that is, by Faith in his Son, we ſhould be made heirs of eternal life, according to the hope which the Promiſes of God have given us thereof. From Ver. 1. to 8.
5ly. He directs Titus to inculcate this into his Hearers, with firm and ſolid reaſons, That true Believers ought eſpecially to be careful to employ themſelves in good works, and to go*v. 8. foreign, i. e. bonorum operum ſingularem curam gerere, ut facere tenentur qui negotio alicui praefecti ſunt. Metaph. Piſc. before others in the practice of them; becauſe theſe things are profitable not only to others, but eſpecially to themſelves, ſeeing God of his grace will reward them for them. 2. That they ſhould avoid fooliſh queſtions and diſputes about genealogies, and contentions about the various interpretations of certain places in the Law; becauſe theſe things are unprofitable. 3. That they ſhould reject, that is, avoid, ſhun, and refuſe communion with an Heretick, who does pertinaciouſly perſiſt in great and dangerous errors, and labours to draw Diſciples after him, (ſee Act. 20.30.), after they have once and again admoniſhed him; concluding that ſuch an one is perverted, and ſinneth grievouſly(c)Adeò ut culpa non tam in intellectu ſita ſit quam in voluntate., inflicting that puniſhment on himſelf, which the Church is wont to inflict on thoſe that are guilty of great miſdemeanours, that is, cutting himſelf off from the Church, of which he is a Member. Ver. 10, 11.
6ly. In the Concluſion of the Epiſtle, he ſpeaks of private buſineſs; he orders Titus that when he ſhall ſend Artemas or Tychicus to ſupply his abſence there, he ſhould make haſte to come to him to Nicopolis, where he did intend to winter. That he ſhould bring Z…nas and Apollos on in their way (who were coming to him), and ſupply them with moneys and other neceſſaries for their journey. And he orders, that not only the faithful among the people, but that the Preachers *v. 14. Noſtri, i. e. Noſtri Ordinis homines, Miniſterio, ſcil. fungentes, ne ſeſe immunes cenſento ab Eleemoſynarum collatione. Beza. Alii per nostros intelligunt ſolum fideles in Cretâ.themſelves, and thoſe of the Paſtoral Order ſhould look to it that their Faith be accompanied with Charity and good works, and that they excell therein upon all neceſſary occaſions. Such (among others) are, friendly to entertain and diſmiſs ſtrangers, eſpecially thoſe that labour in the Goſpel; leſt whilſt they exhorts others to good works, and to bring forth the fruits of Faith, they themſelves ſhould be found unfruitful. Laſtly, with ſalutation ſent to Titus from the Brethren with him, and deſiring him to ſalute all the Chriſtians in Crete who loved him, and the Brethren with him, for the common Faiths ſake, and with ſuch a love as the Chriſtian Faith requires. He concludes all with his Apoſtolical Benediction. From Ver. 8. to the end.
SECT. IX.
THE Apoſtle by his Epiſtle had ordered Titus to meet him at Nicopolis, (a City in Thracia, not far from Philippi in Macedonia, where he intended to winter), but afterwards upon ſome reaſons having altered his mind, he now ſends for him to come to Epheſus; and from thence not long after ſent him to Corinth, that he might by him know the ſtate of the Corinthians, and what effect his firſt Epiſtle had had among them.