Titus 1:10

Tit_1:10-11

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers--The conjunction for showeth that the words following contain a reason of the matter preceding, viz.

, why the minister should be a man so qualified with able parts, both to maintain the truth and censure the falsehood. The reason is drawn from the description

1. Of teachers, in these two verses; and

2. Of hearers, in the twelfth.

The teachers are described by three arguments.

1. From their indefinite number, there are many, not two or three, who are easily set down, but many.

2. By their adjuncts, which are two.

1. They are disobedient or refractory, such as will not submit themselves to the true doctrine and discipline of the Church.

2. They are vain talkers; that is, such as being given to ostentation and vanity, contemn the study and delivery of sound and profitable doctrine, and search out words and matters of wit and applause, both of them of more sweetness unto the flesh than soundness unto the soul and spirit.

3. By their most dangerous effects, and these also are two.

1. Their deceiving of minds; for which ungodly practice he especially brandeth them of the circumcision; that is, either by metonymy, the Jews themselves circumcised, or else Gentiles Judaising, embracing Jewish opinions, mixing the law and gospel, Moses and Christ, circumcision and baptism together, making indeed an hotchpotch of religion by confounding things that can never stand together. The second effect of them is their subversion of whole houses; that is, they poison and infect whole houses, yea, and where the grounds and foundation of religion hath been laid they overturn and overthrow all. This last effect is declared by two arguments.

1. From the instrumental cause of it, and that is by their false doctrine, teaching things which they ought not.

2. From the final cause of it, that is, covetousness, for filthy lucre sake. Now these teachers being so many, so dangerous and hurtful, their mouths must needs be stopped. Which is a common conclusion set between the two verses, as having reference unto them both, as a common remedy against all the mischief which anyway may be let in by them, and therefore those that are to be admitted into the ministry must be of ability to stop their mouths. (T. Taylor, D. D.)

Hindrances to religion

I. The chief hindrances to religion are often in the church itself. The persons alluded to were members and professed teachers.

1. Words without sincerity are vain.

2. Great attention may be paid to the letter of the law, while its spirit is violated--they of the circumcision.

3. The distinction between good and bad preachers--the former live to preach, while the latter preach to live.

II. Hindrances in the church must be removed. Whose mouths must be stopped.

1. Discipline must be exercised in love.

2. The prosperity of the Church of God must be considered before that of individuals.

3. Every age has its own obstructions to the truth--intemperance, covetousness, selfishness, the chief hindrances of the present.

III. Communities are affected by the conduct of individuals. The characters of men are transferred to their country; here the Cretians became a byword. So, drunken Englishmen abroad, compromise the character of their fellow countrymen. Four vices

1. Untruthfulness.

2. Passion--evil beasts.

3. Sensuality.

4. Slothfulness. (F. Wagstaff.)

The characteristics of false teachers

1. In that the first thing taxed in these false teachers by the apostle is disobedience, we learn that disobedience commonly is the ground of false doctrine. For

1. It is just with God to give up those to errors and delusion that receive not the truth in the love of it, for wheresoever it is received in love obedience cannot but be yielded unto it.

2. The nature of sin is ever to be excusing itself, and is loath to be crossed, although never so justly, but studieth how to defend itself as long as it can, even by wresting the Scriptures, and by taking up one error for the maintenance of another.

3. The tenor of Scripture joineth these two together (2Pe_2:1; 2Pe_2:10; 2Pe_2:12; Act_13:8; Act_13:10; 3Jn_1:9).

II. Preachers who themselves are disobedient unto the word, for most part become in their ministry no better than vain talkers.

1. In regard of themselves, being vain glorious persons, affect applause rather than godly edifying, which is a most vain thing.

2. In respect of their labour, which is all in vain, never attaining the end and right scope of the preaching of the gospel unto salvation; for he that soweth vanity what else can he look to reap?

3. In regard of the hearers, who also spend their pains in vain: they hear a great noise and pomp of words, and a glorious show of human wisdom, which may wrap the simple into admiration, but they are left without reformation; their ear is perhaps a little tickled, but their hearts remain untouched; neither are their souls soundly instructed nor fed with knowledge, but they go away as wise as they came.

These Paul calleth vain talkers and vain janglers (1Ti_1:6), and again, profane and vain babblers, and that justly.

1. Because their puffed discourses proceed from the profanity of their hearts.

2. They are as strange fire from the Lords altar, opposed to that which the Lord hath sanctified to the salvation of His people.

3. They are so far from the edifying of the Church that they cause men to increase unto more ungodliness and profaneness.

III. How did these false teachers deceive mens minds?

1. By suppressing the truth; for by their vain jangling and speaking, liker poets, philosophers, historians, than prophets, apostles, or any successors of theirs, they made a cleanly conveyance of the light from the people, and, withholding the truth and light, they led them from Christ, from the right knowledge of the Scriptures, from sound godliness and religion in judgment and practice, and so they remained as dark in their understanding, as erroneous in their judgments, as froward in their affections, and as wicked in their lives as ever before.

2. By flattery; for they would not deal directly against the sins of the age, as godly ministers do, but deceitfully, that they might not displease; herein imitating Satan himself, who was wont of old to answer in riddles, as he answered Cresus, that if he would transport himself over the river Halys he should overthrow a most mighty kingdom, namely, his own. But Micaiah will not deceive nor flatter with Ahab, although it stand upon his life.

3. By letting men see their estate in false glasses, so as they never see the truth of it, for people taught by fables and novelties think, and are borne in hand, that they are in heavens highway; their souls are brought on sleep, and coming from such frothy discourses, they sit down and please themselves in that they have done their task required, especially if they can bring home a jest or some witty sentence, when perhaps they scarce heard a word of Christ, of their justification, of their mortification, or of their glory.

4. By placing religion in bodily exercises, not in matters of spirit and truth (Col_2:20); thus did the Pharisees in their times, the Papists in these, and whosoever urge the decrees of men more than the commandments of God.

IV. But whose minds are deceived.

1. First their own and then others, for they are blind leaders of the blind, deceiving, and being deceived, and although our apostle expresseth not here who they be that are deceived, yet elsewhere he doth, as Rom_16:18, they deceive the hearts of the simple, and 2Ti_3:6, they lead captive simple women, and 2Pe_2:14, they beguile unstable souls, whence we see that ignorant, inconstant, and unsettled souls, which hand over head receive any doctrine without examination or trial, whose simplicity disableth them to judge between truth and falsehood, and whose levity makes them like shaken reeds, these are the carouses on which such vultures do seize. (T. Taylor, D. D.)

Danger from false teachers

Herodotus tells of a Scythian river having marvellous sweetness till a little bitter mingles with it, and gives it ever after an uncommon bitterness. So evil counsel, in some emergencies of the soul, will poison the whole current of its existence. You may poison a well from which a neighbourhood drinks, and yet be less guilty than to contaminate the flow of eternal thought. There are times when the greatest trust which one human being can repose in another is the confidence of wise direction. Confiding in the integrity of others, men sometimes commit their credit, their wives and children, to their keeping, and are guided by them through fiery coursers over the land, or by steam vessels over the seas; but when a man goes with his soul, and trusts that to what a fellow being may direct, the trust is as momentous as eternity itself. Yet this is done, for as by man came death, so by man comes life. Oh, ye who watch for souls, as every Christian should, see to it that you ask of God that which is profitable to direct, before you point out the way for a deathless mind to travel in. Example is said to speak louder than words. Whose mouths must be stopped

Faithful teachers must oppose seducers

The duty of every faithful minister is, when occasion is offered, timely to oppose himself against seducers, and stop the mouths of false teachers, wherein also the Church ought to back and strengthen him. For

1. The example of Christ must be our precedent, who most bodily and freely vindicated the law from the corrupt glosses and expositions of the Pharisees, and that in His first sermon.

2. In regard of the particular members of the Church, that they may be preserved in soundness from starting away and forsaking of the truth. And this is made one end of the precept; the madness of the false apostles must be made manifest, that they may prevail no longer.

3. In regard of the false teachers themselves; fools, saith Solomon, must be answered, lest they be wise in their own conceit; neither shall the labour be wholly lost upon them, for it shall be a means either to convert them and bring them to the knowledge of the truth, or else so to convince them as they shall be made excuseless. And further, the Church must strengthen every ministers hands in this contending for the faith, and so manifest herself to be the ground and pillar of truth, which is committed to her trust and safe keeping, against all gainsayers. This ministerial duty requireth a great measure of knowledge, and a man furnished with gifts of variety of reading and soundness of judgment.

(1) He must be well read and skilful in the Scriptures, that by them in the first place he may be able to shut the mouth of the adversary.

(2) To all this knowledge is required a sound judgment, that he may be able to infer good and necessary consequence upon the granting of the truth he standeth for, and on the contrary, the absurdities and inconveniences which necessarily follow his adversaries false positions. (T. Taylor, D. D.)

The silencing of evil talkers

Whose mouths must be stopped, does not mean that you are to throw them into an inquisition and gag their mouths, as was, and is, the practice of the Papacy. The heathen persecutors adopted the same method of dealing with the faithful martyrs of the Lord; for, in order to prevent them speaking of His grace, they cut out their tongues. The Moslems have the same bloody principle from their Koran; so that the Pope, the heathen, the grand Turk, are, on principle, persecutors. This is neither taught in our text, nor in any other part of the New Testament. On the contrary, the saints are persecuted, but they never persecute; they are to follow their Lord and Master to the cross, not the example of those who crucified Him. But their mouths must be stopped in a quite different manner from gagging; they must be opposed by reason, faithfulness, and love; their influence must be destroyed by the faithful preaching of the gospel; and if they be members of the Church, they must be silenced by discipline, and if still refractory, cast out of the communion of the faithful. (W. Graham, D. D.)

Stopping foolish speech

The heights and recesses of Mount Taurus are said to be much infested with eagles, who are never better pleased than when they pick the bones of a crane. Cranes are prone to cackle and make a noise (Isa_38:14), and particularly so while they are flying. The sound of their voices arouses the eagles, who spring up at the signal and often make the talkative travellers pay dearly for their impudent chattering. The older and more experienced cranes, sensible of their besetting foible and the peril to which it exposes them, take care before venturing on the wing to pick up a stone large enough to fill the cavity of their mouths, and consequently to impose unavoidable silence on their tongues, and thus they escape the danger. Persons troubled with unruly tongues may learn a lesson from the elder cranes. All Christians ought to bridle their tongues by watchfulness and prayer. The Psalmist formed a noble resolution: I said, I will take heed to my way, that I sin not with my tongue.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tit 1:10-11. For there are many unruly — Subject to no order; and vain talkers — Ματαιολογοι, persons who utter a multitude of foolish and trifling things, especially concerning genealogies and fables; and deceivers — Φρεναπαται, deceived in their own minds, or deceivers of the minds of others; who delude their disciples with false opinions, in order to reconcile their consciences to wicked practices; specially they of the circumcision — Namely, the Jewish teachers, who, though converted to Christianity, taught the necessity of observing the Jewish law, together with faith in Christ, Act 21:20. Whose mouths must be stopped — Namely, by conviction from reason and Scripture; who subvert whole houses — Overthrow the faith of whole families by their false doctrine, and as he seems to mean, carry them over to Judaism; teaching things which they ought not — Which are most false and mischievous; for filthy lucre’s sake — For the sordid purpose of drawing money from their disciples.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES

Tit_1:10. Vain talkers.—Men of aimless speech, which is devoid of any good result. Men whose speech tendeth to poverty. Deceivers.—The word, which is peculiar to St. Paul, and perhaps coined by him (see Gal_6:3), brings out the idea of subjective fancies (Lightfoot).

Tit_1:11. Whose mouths must be stopped.—The verb means “something must be put on their mouths”—they must be muzzled; but it afterwards came to mean, “to check speech.”

Tit_1:12. A prophet of their own.—Epimenides, the poet alluded to, was a contemporary of the seven wise men, and by some was reckoned as one of them. He was born in the sixth century B.C. The saying quoted by St. Paul is from a lost work. The Cretians are alway liars.—Chrysostom refers the words chiefly to the pretence that Jupiter lay buried amongst the Cretans; but in ancient times they were notorious for falsehood, so that “to Cretise” was equivalent to, “to lie and deceive.”

Tit_1:13. This witness is true.—Not only does a competent person attest it, but it agrees with fact. Rebuke them sharply.—With a sharply cut style, curtly, with thorough-going Sternness (Meyer).

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Tit_1:10-14

The Mischief of Reckless Speech.

I. Reckless speech occasions great disorder.—“For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers … who subvert whole houses” (Tit_1:10-11). Excessive speech is always foolish, and is the index to a mind too full of conceit to have any room for wisdom. Churches and families are led into quarrels and divisions by reckless talkers. They indulge in unkind and calumnious words, perverse meanings are given to the sayings of those they dislike, bitter and provoking things are said of our neighbours’ characters, and, above all, they utter those evil, corrupt words that do the devil’s work, enticing others on to sin. Such vain talkers exult in the confusion and uproar they themselves create.

II. Reckless speech is morally degrading.—

1. Has no regard for the true gospel. “Specially they of the circumcision” (Tit_1:10). “Giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Tit_1:14). Josephus tells us there were many Jews in Crete. The Jewish leaven remained in them after conversion, and they would become an easy prey to the advocates of a corrupted Judaism and an emasculated Christianity. The voluble Jewish talkers made sad havoc of the gospel.

2. Will say anything for gain. “Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake” (Tit_1:11). They talked for a living, and were utterly unscrupulous as to what they said, so long as they got the money. Their chief object was gain, not profitable instruction.

3. Degenerates into lying and sensuality. “The Cretians are always liars.… This witness is true” (Tit_1:12-13). The quotation is from the Cretan writer Epimenides. He was sent for to purify Athens from its pollutions occasioned by Cylon, and was regarded as a diviner and prophet. “To Cretanise” was proverbial for “to lie,” as “to Corinthianise” was for “to be dissolute.” Lying and sensuality go together. Some people lie for the love of lying, and become almost incapable of speaking the truth. “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin” (Pro_10:19).

III. Reckless speech should be emphatically condemned.—“Whose mouths must be stopped” (Tit_1:11). “Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Tit_1:13). The inveterate talker is not easily cured. Gentle methods are of no avail in dealing with him: his perversity must be boldly attacked and sharply rebuked. If he is not silenced, others he has led astray may be reclaimed.

“Words are mighty, words are living,

Serpents with their venomous stings;

Or bright angels crowding round us,

With heaven’s light upon their wings.

“Every word has its own spirit,

True or false, that never dies;

Every word man’s lips have uttered

Echoes in God’s skies.”

Lessons.—Reckless speech—

1. Is a sign of pitiable ignorance.

2. Is mischievous both to speaker and listener.

3. Will meet with its just punishment.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES

Tit_1:10-12. The Vice of Aimless Talk.

I. The chief hindrances to religion are often in the Church itself.

II. Hindrances in the Church must be removed.—

1. Discipline must be exercised in love.

2. The prosperity of the Church must be considered before that of individuals.

3. Every age has its own obstructions to the truth.

III. Communities are affected by the conduct of individuals.—Aimless talk leads to—

1. Untruthfulness.

2. Sensuality.

3. Sloth.

Tit_1:13. Christian Reproof—

I. Should always be based on a certain conviction.

II. Should be thorough and effective.

III. Should be for the sinner’s good.

Tit_1:14. The Perverting Power of Trivialities.

I. By distracting attention from the essentials of religion.

II. By dissipating the strength of the mind.

III. By attributing to the human an authority belonging only to the Divine.—F. W.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:10-16 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).

1:10 rebellious people: The same Greek word is used of children in 1:6. • 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 and 3:9.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Tit 1:10. Ματαιολόγοι καὶ φρεναπάται, vain-talkers and deceivers) Two nouns, of which the epithet is ἀνυπότακτοι, unruly. As to who are vain-talkers, see 1Ti 1:6-7. φρεναπάται, those who deceive men’s minds: ἀνυπότακτοι, unruly; like horses, that hold the bit with their teeth, they are unwilling to submit to the obedience of the faith.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tit_1:10. Εἰσὶ γάρ] γάρ shows that this verse serves to explain the preceding words.

πολλοὶ [καὶ] ἀνυπότακτοι] If καί be read, the phrase should be explained by the usage common in Greek of joining πολλοί with an adjective following it (see Matthiae, § 444, 4, p. 830), and ἀνυπότακτοι taken as an adjective. If καί be omitted, ἀνυπότακτοι may be taken as a substantive. The heretics are so named because they set themselves in opposition to the gospel and refuse obedience to it; the word is found also in 1Ti_1:9; Tit_1:6.

The heretics are further styled ματαιόλογοι] see 1Ti_1:6, and φρεναπάται (ἅπ. λεγ.; the verb in Gal_6:3), misleaders, almost synonymous with γόητες, 2Ti_3:13.

μάλιστα οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς] A name for the Jewish-Christians, as in Gal_2:12.

μάλιστα indicates that the preachers of heresy in Crete were chiefly Jewish Christians, but that they had also found followers among the Gentile Christians. These appended words do not compel us to take ἀνυπότακτοι as the predicate, and the Christians of Crete as the unexpressed subject of εἰσίν (in opposition to Hofmann). Of course Paul by εἰσὶν γὰρ κ.τ.λ. means to say that Crete is the place where such chatterers are to be found.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tit 1:10-16 . I have just mentioned rebuke as a necessary element in a presbyter’s teaching. This is especially needful in dealing with Cretan heretics, in whom the Jewish strain is disagreeably prominent. Alike in their new-fangled philosophy of purity, and in their pretensions to orthodoxy, they ring false. Purity of life can only spring from a pure mind; and knowledge is alleged in vain, if it is contradicted by practice.

Tit 1:10 . The persons spoken of here were Christian Jews. οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς (without τῆς , see crit. note) has this meaning in reff. (in Act 10:45 it is qualified by the addition of πιστοί ). Rom 4:12 , is not really an instance of the phrase. That they were at least nominally Christians is also implied by the epithet ἀνυπότακτοι . We cannot call those persons unruly on whose obedience we have no claim.

ματαιολόγοι : ματαιολογία occurs in 1Ti 1:6 .

φρεναπάται : seductores . The verb occurs in Gal 6:3 .

μάλιστα : it is probable that there were very few false teachers who were not “of the circumcision”.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An applying of the general proposition to a particular: The Cretans above all others need sharp reprehensions: both because their minds are naturally given to lies and slothfulness, and also because of certain covetous Jews, which under a color of godliness joined partly certain vain traditions, and partly old ceremonies with the Gospel.

Of the Jews, or rather of those Jews, which went about to join Christ and the Law together.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

unruly--"insubordinate."

and--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. "There are many unruly persons, vain talkers, and deceivers"; "unruly" being predicated of both vain talkers and deceivers.

vain talkers--opposed to "holding fast the faithful word" (Tit 1:9). "Vain jangling" (Ti1 1:6); "foolish questions, unprofitable and vain" (Tit 3:9). The source of the evil was corrupted Judaism (Tit 1:14). Many Jews were then living in Crete, according to JOSEPHUS; so the Jewish leaven remained in some of them after conversion.

deceivers--literally, "deceivers of the minds of others" (Greek, Gal 6:3).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. There are many unruly] Persons who will not receive the sound doctrine, nor come under wholesome discipline.

Vain talkers] Empty boasters of knowledge, rights, and particular privileges; all noise, empty parade, and no work.

Deceivers] Of the souls of men by their specious pretensions.

They of the circumcision] The Judaizing teachers, who maintained the necessity of circumcision, and of observing the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic law, in order to the perfecting of the Gospel.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10 For there are many unruly. After having laid down a general rule, which ought to be everywhere observed, in order that Titus may be more attentive to adhere to it, he holds out to him the urgent necessity which ought to excite him more than all things else. He warns him that he has to deal with many obstinate and incorrigible persons, that many are puffed up with vanity and idle talk, that many are deceivers; and that therefore they ought to choose, on the other hand, such leaders as are qualified and well prepared to oppose them. For, if the children of this world, when dangers arise, increase their solicitude and watchfulness, it would be disgraceful for us, when Satan is using his utmost efforts to remain careless and inactive, as if we were in a state of peace.

Unruly Instead of (inobedientes) disobedient, which is the rendering in the old translation for ἀνυπότακτοι Erasmus translates it (intractabiles) incorrigible. He means those who cannot endure to be brought to obey, and who throw off the yoke of subjection. He gives the appellation of vain talkers, not only to the authors of false doctrines, but to those who, addicted to ambitious display, occupy themselves with nothing but useless subtleties. Ματαιολογία (vain talking) is contrasted with useful and solid doctrine, and therefore includes all trivial and frivolous speculations, which contain nothing but empty bombast, because they contribute nothing to piety and the fear of God. And such is all the scholastic theology that is found, in the present day, in Popery. Yet he calls the same persons deceivers of minds. It may be thought preferable to view this as relating to a different class of persons; but, for my own part, I think that it means the same class; for the teachers of such trifles entice and fascinate the minds of men, so as no longer to receive sound doctrine.

Chiefly they who are of the circumcision. He says that they are chiefly of the Jews; for it is highly requisite that such plagues shall be known by all. We ought not to listen to those who plead that we should spare the reputation of this or that individual, when the matter in question is the great danger of the whole Church. And so much the greater danger was to be apprehended from that nation, because it claimed superiority above others on account of the sacredness of its lineage. This is therefore the reason why Paul reproves the Jews more sharply, in order to take from them the power of doing injury.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(10) For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers.—Nominally in the congregations of Christians, but in reality refusing all obedience, acting for themselves, factious, insubordinate. Titus would, alas, discover many such; these often would be found to be possessed of the gift of fluent and deceptive speech, and would deceive many. Professor Reynolds characterises such restless, uneasy spirits as loquacious, restless talkers, “who must say something, and who have broken the peace of many a home and shattered the prosperity of many a church; the multitude of teachers who have nothing true to say is the curse of the kingdom of God.”

Specially they of the circumcision.—Here St. Paul points out to Titus where he must look for the origin of this hostility. These unhappy men evidently did not belong to the stern and rigid Jewish party who hated with a bitter hate all the followers of the Nazarene, but were of the number of those sleepless opponents of St. Paul and his school—the Judaising Christians.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10–16. The unruly rival teachers are to be repressed

10. many unruly] Add men, leaving the pair of attributes to go together, as in the Pauline usage, empty talkers and deceivers of the mind. Both compounds occur only here in N.T.; but the substantive, meaning vaniloquentia, has occurred 1Ti_1:6, where the meaning is defined in what follows, ‘though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm;’ and the verb, meaning seducit, is used Gal_6:3 and defined by the context ‘if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing.’ Peile translates ‘self-deceivers,’ i.e. visionary enthusiasts, comparing Isa_44:20 and Jas_1:26.

specially they of the circumcision] Judaizing Christians. Jews from Crete are named among the visitors to Jerusalem Act_2:11, and the Christianising of the island cannot have been quite recent, even from Tit_1:6, ‘having faithful children.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there are many unruly,.... Persons who are not subject to the law of God, or Gospel of Christ; whose spirits are not subject to the prophets; and who will not submit themselves to them that have the rule over them, nor attend to the admonitions of the church, nor be brought into any regularity and order; and there were many of this sort, who were not sent forth by Christ, or his churches, but went forth of themselves, and were corrupters of the word; and therefore Christ's ministers ought to hold fast the faithful word, and convince such opposers by sound doctrine;

and vain talkers; who deliver out in their discourses empty, trifling, superficial, and frivolous things; which have no solidity and substance in them, nor do they tend to edification; only great swelling words of vanity, vain jangling and babbling about things to no profit.

And deceivers; both of themselves and others; who lie in wait to deceive, and are deceitful workers; and by their good words, and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple; and so are dangerous persons, and of pernicious consequence:

especially they of the circumcision; or "of the Jews", as the Ethiopic version renders it; that is, not the unbelieving Jews, but such as professed Christianity, judaizing Christians, who joined Moses and Christ and blended the law and Gospel together; who taught that circumcision, and the observance of other ceremonies of the law, were necessary to justification and salvation; and hereby did a great deal of mischief among the churches.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Ver. 10. For there are many unruly] Lawless, yokeless, masterless men, untractable, untameable, that refuse to be reformed, hate to be healed. God will hamper these Belialists, 2Sa 23:6.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers - There are many persons who are indisposed to submit to authority (see the word unruly in Tit 1:6); many who are vain talkers - who are more given to talk than to the duties of practical religion (see the character of “Talkative,” in the Pilgrim’s Progress); and many who live to deceive others under the mask of religion. They make great pretensions to piety; they are fluent in argument, and they urge their views in a plausible manner.

Specially they of the circumcision - Jews, spoken of here as “of the circumcision” particularly, because they urged the necessity of circumcision in order that men might be saved; Notes, Act 15:1. This proves that there were not a few Jews in the island of Crete.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For there are also many. St. Paul here alludes principally to the Jews, who were of the circumcision, from whom St. Paul suffered much during the greater part of his life. They constantly enforced the necessity of the new converted Gentiles observing the law of Moses, and of their being circumcised, if they wished to be saved. There were many Jews of this description in Crete; to resist whom, St. Paul here tells Titus he ought to appoint bishops remarkable for their zeal and learning. (Josephus; Socrates, lib. ii. chap. 38. Hist. Eccles.) --- Especially they who are of the circumcision; which shews who were chiefly the false teachers. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For there are many unruly and vain takers: we have had both of these words before; the first signifieth stubborn, unruly men; the second, idle, foolish, vain talkers: the apostle saith, that in that age there were many of these.

And deceivers; and such who were deceivers of other men’s souls, or had their own souls deceived.

Specially they of the circumcision; especially (he saith) the Jews, who mixed the law with the gospel; pressed the necessary observance of their ceremonies, and taught that all the Jews should be saved: of these there were many in Crete, they at this time being scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unruly men for unruly and, A.V and T.R. Unruly (anupotaktoi); see ver. 6. Vain talkers (mataiologoi); only here in the New Testament, not found in the LXX, and rare in classical Greek. (see mataiologia , 1Ti_1:6) Kenologov and kenologia are used in the same sense of "vain, empty, talking." Deceivers (frenapatai); here only in the New Testament, not found in the LXX or in classical Greek literally, soul-deceivers, or, as some take St, self-deceivers (compare frenapataw , Gal_6:3, and for the sense Jam_1:26; but in both these instances the idea of self-deceiving is imported by the context, eauto and kardian autou) Here the word means "deceivers," whoso character is described in 2Pe_2:14 as "beguiling unstable souls." They of the circumcision; Judaizing Christians, the most obstinate and difficult adversaries with whom St. Paul had to cope. (see Galatians passim; Php_3:2, 3, etc.)

Vers. 10-13. The character of the adversaries at Crete.

They were within the communion of the Christian Church. It was, therefore, all the more necessary that the ministers should be holy, laborious, and uncorrupt.

I THE MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE ADVERSARIES. "For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision.

1. They were refractory. Though standing in Church relationships, they refused all obedience, and pursued purely factious and divisive courses, that led to the subversion of discipline and the distraction of families. Such persons mar the prosperity of many a Church.

2. They were vain talkers. Corruption quickly makes its way from the heart to the lips, and flows forth in glib and empty babbling.

(1) There is no allusion here to heresy, for the vain talking is merely opposed to useful and solid doctrine. The teachers were fluent and superficial, speaking, perhaps, great swelling words of vanity, which were of no profit to the hearers.

(2) The tongue was made for speaking, but it is the Lord"s will that it should always he used for iris glory. It ought to be the utterer of the "wisdom that is from above," which is "first pure, then peaceable.

(3) Vain talkers are the pest of Churches and families, sowing the seeds of distrust and turning men"s minds against the gospel.

1. They were deceivers. They deceived others by their good words and fair speeches, their vain speculations and their dexterous arguments, and thus became very dangerous persons.

2. They were of the circumcision" party in the Church.

(1) They were members of the Church, and therefore in a position to do much mischief.

(2) They were Judaizing Christians, who blended the Law and the gospel, teaching that circumcision was necessary to salvation.

(3) They were the persistent enemies of the Apostle Paul through his whole life, and thwarted him in his labors in every part of Asia and Europe.

II THE EFFECT OF THEIR SEDUCTION. "Subverting whole houses." They pursued a process of sapping and mining, subverting the faith, (2Ti_2:18) and bringing whole families to disorder and ruin. It was not a case of mischief done to a few isolated individuals. Thus they undermined the peace and stability of the Church itself.

III THE MOTIVE OF THEIR TEACHING. "Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre"s sake." The real root of the evil is laid bare by the apostle. It was a sordid love of gain. Therefore the teaching was such as would accommodate itself to the prejudices of men. These men had no regard for God"s honor, for the interest of Christ, or for the welfare of souls; they only sought to increase their worldly substance by gaining popular applause.

1. Money in itself is no evil, for it has no moral character. It is only a blessing or a curse according to the use that is made of it.

2. The love of money is the root of all evil? It leads men to dishonor God, to ignore the claims of truth, to sacrifice the peace of the Church. The Pharisees in our Lord"s time devoured widows" houses. How many people still sacrifice religion so far as they imagine it to conflict with their worldly advancement!

3. The motive of these Cretan adversaries was baser than if it had been mere fanaticism or the love of proselytism. (Mat_23:15)

IV THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE APOSTLE"S STRONG LANGUAGE CONCERNING THEM. "One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons." This testimony is true. These words refer not to "those of the circumcision," but to the inhabitants of Crete, who had generally welcomed the injurious teaching referred to.

1. The apostles quotation of a heathen poet, Epimenides, shows that it is not improper for Christians to study the literature of heathen nations. Classical studies were once, on moral grounds, discouraged by the Church. Calvin says that nothing learned ought to be rejected, even though it should proceed from "the godless.

2. The quotation is the unbiased judgment of a Cretan poet, held in high honor for so-called prophetical gifts. It represents the character of the Cretans in the darkest light, as if to justify a heathen proverb, "The three worst C"s in the world are Cappadocia, Crete, and Cilicia.

(1) "Cretans are always liars." This estimate is fully borne out by profane writers, as well as by the proverb that makes "Cretizing" synonymous with "deception.

(2) They were evil beasts. In allusion to their fierceness, their wildness, their cruelty.

(3) They were "idle gluttons." They were sensual and slothful, corpulent and idle, and therefore fit disciples of teachers whose "god was their belly," and were content to eat the bread of others without working.

3. The apostle endorses this heathen testimony, showing that the Cretans had not changed their national character in six hundred years.

V THE TRUE METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE CRETAN ADVERSARIES. "Whose mouths must be stopped.

1. This does not warrant civil persecution.

2. It warrants the use of cogent arguments to silence gainsayers, such as those by which our Lord silenced the Sadducees and the Pharisees, as well as the use of faithful and stringent discipline to repress ecclesiastical and moral disorders. The adversaries were to be opposed by reason, faithfulness, and love, above all, by the faithful preaching of the gospel in its positive as well as its negative aspects. T.C.

Vers. 10-14. The sins of the sect and the sins of the tribe.

"For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision," etc. In the preceding verses Paul stated one purpose for which he left Titus in Crete, viz. to set in order "the things that are wanting," and to ordain elders in every city. He recognized at once, not only the importance of order in the new community, but also the importance of appointing men who, intellectually and morally, were qualified for its establishment and continuance., In these verses he gives Titus directions as to his aggressive work in Crete. He was to do battle with sin. "For there are many unruly men and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre"s sake." The great work of the gospel minister is to do battle with sin. In the text, sin is referred to as appearing in two aspects, in religious sect and in national character.

I IN RELIGIOUS SECT. "Specially they of the circumcision." These, undoubtedly, are Judaizing Christians, men who pretended to be converted to Christianity, men who sought not only to mingle Judaic elements with the new religion, but to inculcate and disseminate it in that form. Observe the description of sin as it appeared in this religious sect these men of the circumcision. Here is:

1. Factiousness. "Unruly." Not only would they not bow to the established order of the Church, but not to the spirit and principles of the new religion. They would not yield to the masterhood of Christ, the Author and Substance of the gospel; they were stir-willed. They would have a sect of their own.

2. Ostentation. "Vain talkers." Vain, not merely in the sense of proud, but in the sense of emptiness. In truth, as a rule, the emptiest men, intellectually, are at once the most conceited and loquacious. They talk, not for the edification of others, but for the gratification of themselves. Their fluency, whilst it wins the admiration of fools, deludes the ignorant, and disgusts the thoughtful.

3. Falsehood. "Deceivers." All merely nominal Christians are deceivers. They practically misrepresent the doctrines they profess to hold.

4. Mischievousness. "Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert overthrow whole houses." "The translation should ran, "seeing they subvert," etc. There was, indeed, grave cause why these men should be put to silence: the mischief they were doing in Crete to the Christian cause was incalculable. It was no longer individuals that their poisonous teaching affected, but they were undermining the faith of whole families. For an example how Titus and his presbyters were to stop the mouths of these teachers of what was false, comp. Mat_22:34-46, where the Lord, by his wise, powerful, yet gentle words, first put the Sadducees to silence, and then so answered the Pharisees " that neither durst any man from that day ask him any more questions (Dr. Ellicott).

5. Greed. "Teaching things which they ought not, ton filthy lucre"s sake." All the speeches they made, all the influence they exerted, sprang from sordid motives. Sin has a thousand branches and but one root, and that root is selfishness. How many, in what we call the religious world, are found teaching things which they ought not, for "filthy lucre"s sake things that gratify popular taste, that agree with popular prejudice, chime in with the popular thought! All this to fill their pews and to enrich their coffers. Now, these sins which are discovered, in the religious sect are prevalent outside of all religions; but they receive a peculiar color, shape, enormity, and mischievousness when we find them in the religious realm. The devil is less hideous amongst his fellows in hell than he is amongst the sons of God. Hence, to do battle with sin in these religious forms is the grand work of a true preacher; and truly, in this age, and here in England, he will find these sins on every hand. He will see factiousness building up sects, and little sects within sects; ostentation vain speaking, braggardism, sometimes cooing and sometimes bawling, everywhere; falsehood rogues robing themselves in the garb of sainthood, wolves in sheep"s clothing; mischievousness by their empty words and pernicious example subverting whole houses," filling the domestic air with poisonous cant; greed the gospel itself made a trade, and vested interests created in connection with doctrines and doings antagonistic to the life and spirit of him whom they call Master. Ah me! conventional religion is a calumny on the religion of Christ. Never was a Luther wanted in Christendom more than now. He is wanted to substitute the pure gospel of Christ for the denominationalized gospel.

II IN NATIONAL CHARACTER. "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies idle gluttons." There are three sins mentioned here which seem to have prevailed amongst the Cretans as a race.

1. Lying. "The Cretans are always liars." Who made this charge against the Cretans? Paul says, "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own." The quotation is from a poem on "Oracles," by Epimenides, of Phoestus, who flourished B.C. 600, lived to the age of a hundred and fifty, and was supposed to have been a sleeper in a cave for fifty-seven years. He appears to have deserved the title prophet in the fullest sense. Plato speaks of him as a Divine man. The Cretans were characterized by the sin of lying liars." This expression was quoted by Callimachus in his " Hymn to Zeus," and well known in antiquity. "The very word "to Cretize" (Kretizein), or to play the part of a Cretan, was invented as a word synonymous with "to deceive," "to utter a lie; "just as Corinthiazein, "to play the part of a Corinthian," signified "to commit a still darker moral offence." Some writers suggest that this despicable vice of lying was received as a bequest from the early Phoenician colonists.

2. Sensuality. "Evil beasts." Not only liars, but gross and sensual, living in animalism and for it. All men may be called "beasts" who attend to their animal appetites as means of gratification rather than of relief. He who seeks happiness from his senses rather than from his soul is a beast; he who seeks it from without rather than from within is not better than a beast. The happiness of a true man cannot stream into him from without; it must well up from the depths of his own high thinkings and pure affections. Gluttony. "Slow bellies idle gluttons." Their gluttony made them dull, heavy, and indolent. Such are what may be called tribal or national sins. They were not confined to the Cretans, but for them the Cretans were notorious. These are national. But are these sins extinct in England? Have we no lying here? Our social air is impregnated with falsehood. Have we no sensuality and gluttony? Yes, alas! tens of thousands are every day pampering themselves with luxuries, whilst millions are being starved to death. Here, then, are common sins with which the preacher has to do battle. He has to "rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.

CONCLUSION. A true preacher, then, has no easy task. He has to wage fierce battle with the sins that are around him the sins of the sect and. the sins of the tribe. He is not to pander to men"s tastes, nor to battle with mere opinions and theories, but with sins; he must "resist unto blood, striving against sin." "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. D.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They of the circumcision - The Jewish converts.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Vers. 10, 11. The apostle now, taking occasion from the last clause in the preceding verse, proceeds to discourse of the peculiar character of the adversaries whom the infant church in Crete had to contend against: For there are many unruly vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision. It would appear, from various incidental notices, that many Jews had settled in Crete; but it is sad to learn that the most noted for troublesome wranglings and practices of deceit were of that class. Perhaps it is not meant that they were absolutely the worst in Crete, but the worst only of those with whom the Christian church came into contact; for, the most depraved portions of the people would as yet be but little touched by the apostolic movements around them. I should, however, hesitate to say that “those of the circumcision” were (as many expositors hold) not simply Jews, but rather Jewish Christians. They must have been, one would suppose, more or less favourably disposed toward the Christian cause; but as yet scarcely won over to its side. It is by no means probable, considering what Jewish converts had everywhere to encounter, that at so early a period after the introduction of Christianity into the island of Crete there should have been great numbers of the more reprobate class of Jews, who were ready to brave the risk, and, for any considerations likely to be appreciated by them, should have actually pressed into the Christian fold. Some better evidence would be required for this than the present passage affords. For the characters here described are introduced simply as a specific portion of the opponents or gainsayers mentioned in Tit 1:9, and the most insidious and pestilent section of them. The more probable supposition regarding them is, that they did, indeed, somehow place themselves alongside the Christian communities,—feigned, perhaps, a measure of sympathy and goodwill toward them, but mainly for the purpose of insinuating their objections to the truth of the gospel, ventilating their own frivolous and fanciful conceits, and prosecuting with advantage their selfish aims. Their whole spirit and conduct, as depicted by the apostle, ran counter to a genuine, or even credible, profession of Christianity: instead of children of peace, they were sowers of strife and discord; sedulous pliers of the arts of seduction, not lovers of truth and righteousness; and so intent on worldly pelf, that for the sake of base gain they subverted whole houses, teaching things which they ought not. As it was by word of mouth that they sought to compass their ungodly ends—by teaching things which they ought not—the subverting ascribed to them must be taken in a spiritual sense: they perverted the views, overthrew the faith—and that of whole houses or families (comp. 2Ti 2:18). The precise form of representation differs from what we find in 1Ti 1:4 sq.; but the relation in which the respective parties stood to the law on the one side, and to the gospel on the other, appears to have been much the same; and so, in both places alike, the apostle charges his evangelists to see that an uncompromising opposition be given to them: there, they were to be testified against and shunned; here, where the evil apparently was more rampant, their mouths must be stopt—they must be reduced to silence.

Patrick Fairbairn — An Exposition of Ezekiel (1851), Jonah (1849), and The Pastoral Epistles (1874) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The False Teachers Characterized and the Question of How to Deal with Them Discussed.

v. 10. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,

v. 11. whose mouths must be stopped; who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

v. 12. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

v. 13. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith,

v. 14. not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

v. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

v. 16. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate.

The term "objectors" or "gainsayers" used by the apostle in the previous paragraph was not a general term, which might cover almost any form of heresy that Titus chose to connect with it, but Paul wanted it applied to a certain class of people, who, indeed, bore the distinguishing characteristics common to the heretics of all times. He writes: For there are many insubordinate people, vain talkers, and seducers, for the most part they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped. There were difficulties to battle with in Crete which resembled those that were troubling Timothy in Ephesus, 1Ti 1:4-7. There were certain Judaistic teachers that professed adherence to the Christian religion and therefore had little difficulty in entering the congregations. Their number was by no means small, and that fact probably accounts for the boldness which they displayed. They were disobedient, insubordinate, to their Pharisaic minds the simple truths of the Gospel were not sufficiently strict, they refused to acknowledge the authority of the apostolic doctrine. This conviction of theirs they, moreover, did not keep for themselves, but took every opportunity to spread it by loose and vain talk, by empty arguments, with a great show of wisdom. In doing so, they displayed the dangerous ability of presenting falsehood in the garb and guise of truth, a proceeding which naturally resulted in their deceiving many people that did not penetrate the disguise. Very likely these men claimed to have just as much right to teach as Paul himself, and their efforts to introduce Jewish rites and ceremonies into the Christian congregations could well arouse apprehension in the mind of the apostle. He therefore insists upon using only one method of dealing with them, namely, that of stopping their mouths, of continuing the rebuke of their false position so long until they no longer were able to answer and would keep the peace for the sake of their own peace of mind. The same method ought to be applied in similar cases also in our days, lest the pernicious activity of such disturbers of the peace harm the work of the Lord.

The apostle now substantiates his recommendation of such a radical suggestion: Who are subverting entire households, since they teach what they ought not, for the sake of gain. If these false teachers, who made a specialty of insinuating themselves into individual families, would continue in their pernicious activity unmolested, the omission of proper reproof would soon result in a most deplorable condition. For entire households had given car to their seductive talk, dissension had been eon-n in the midst of families, and the end promised to be still worse. This situation was the result of their teaching such doctrines as should not be taught at any time. They pretended that their empty tall; was sound Gospel-truth. What made the entire matter SO extremely sordid and disgusting was the fact that they were active along the lines just indicated only for the sake of filthy gain; their avowed object was to make money. Note: Even today people will become the ready dupes of similar enthusiasts, readily paying the false teachers great sums of money, as the history of various recent sects shows, while the Church of the pure confession is almost invariably battling with financial difficulties.

Since the false teachers of whom Paul speaks were Jews by descent, but Cretans by nationality, St. Paul adds a sentence for their benefit: There said one of them, their own prophet: Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. The apostle here places deceivers and deceived into one category, reminding them of the saying of one of their own poets, Epimenides, of the sixth century before Christ, who was regarded by the Cretans themselves as a prophet. The Cretans as a people are represented as liars, as men who deliberately made use of hypocritical, shady methods. Like evil beasts they are, that lie in wait to pounce upon unsuspecting men. Lazy gluttons they are, that shun the work and yet want to live profligate lives. It was not vindictiveness which caused Paul to quote this remark, which certainly is anything but flattering, but the desire to work a consciousness and knowledge of their national weaknesses in the Cretans, and thus probably lay the foundation for the proper remedy.

For the Holy Spirit here confirms the judgment contained in the ancient verse: This testimony is true. The divine inspiration declares that the remark agrees with the situation. For that reason Paul urges his young coworker: On this account rebuke them sharply, that they may show wholesomeness in the faith. No consideration should induce them to identify themselves with the morbid methods of the errorists. With the most emphatic sharpness Titus was to impress upon the Christians the need of wholesome saneness in all matters of faith. They had accepted the Word of Reconciliation, but they were not yet steadfast and certain in their faith. They were like a convalescent person, who is on the way to recovery, but is still in danger of a relapse.

The apostle points out the specific danger and the manner in which faith should overcome it: Not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth. Both the Jewish traditions and fables concerning genealogies and the Jewish precepts taken from the ceremonial law mere doctrines of men which could under no circumstances be coordinated with the Gospel-teaching. Just as today many people find it extremely interesting to speculate about many things concerning which the Bible is silent, as, for instance, the youth of Christ, so the Judaizing teachers, following the lead of the rabbinical doctors, placed their empty speculations above the Word of God and in its stead. They still wanted to be regarded as members of the Christian congregations, but had, as a matter of fact, already turned from the sound and wholesome truth of the Gospel to their own foolish ideas.

The apostle continues to characterize the false teachers by adding: All is pure to the pure: But for the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are polluted. As with the Pharisees, so with these false teachers all the thoughts of men revolved about the terms "pure" and "impure. " Mat 15:1-11; Mat 18:23; Mat 16:1-28; Mat 17:1-27; Mat 18:1-35; Mat 19:1-30; Mat 20:1-34; Mat 21:1-46; Mat 22:1-46; Mat 23:1-39; Mat 24:1-51; Mat 25:1-46; Mat 26:1-75; Mat 27:1-66; Mat 28:1-20. But in the New Testament this distinction is no longer valid. The purity of the soul and of the body does not depend upon eating or rejecting certain foods, but the condition of the heart in the sight of God is the deciding factor. He that comes into contact with, and makes use of, God’s creatures with a heart purified by faith, is free from all legal prejudice and sees in all things only pure creatures of Almighty God. But the opposite is true in the case of the polluted and unbelievers. The very people that insist most loudly upon the fulfillment of the Ceremonial Law and of many other precepts that men have devised, are often suffering with impurity of heart and mind. Their unbelief will not permit them to accept the true purity of the heart. They cannot get rid of their evil conscience, because they reject the purifying power of the Gospel. Even things that are in themselves pure and holy are contaminated by the attitude of these people. They are conscious always of acting under false pretenses, and therefore they always pollute their mind and their conscience anew.

The most objectionable feature of their behavior, however, is this, that they have the temerity to insist upon being considered teachers: They profess to know God, but with their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work. They confess boldly, with a deceitful pretense that they know God. Their declaration of loyalty to Christ was intentionally brief and general, lest someone might hold them to a clear statement. At the same time such people deny the Lord with their works: their works mark their words as lies. It is not necessary to think of flagrant transgressions and crimes, for it is altogether sufficient to know that they sow dissension in the congregations. Detestable such people are: they are an abomination in the eyes of God; they deserve that God and men should turn from them as nauseous and offensive. Disobedient they are: they refuse to yield to the truth, they do not want to fulfill the will of God. And so they are finally unfit for any good work, they are of no use in the Christian congregation. Nothing that they do flows from the fear and love of God. Therefore the warning contained in these words, bidding Christian congregations be very careful about receiving members that are not fully approved, is altogether timely, also in our days.

Summary

After the salutation and address the apostle gives instructions regarding the qualifications of bishops, adding a few hints regarding the treatment of false teachers and their followers.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A reason is here subjoined by our apostle, why Titus should take such special care to fill the church with able guides, namely, because there was a multitude of false teachers dispersed abroad, and scattered up and down everywhere, particularly the judaizing doctors, those of the circumcision, mentioned Act 15:1 who would make Christianity nothing more that a supplement to the law of Moses. These he tells Titus must have their mouths stopped, not by force, for Titus had no power of the sword, but by confutation; he must take care to ordain such as might silence them, though not satisfy them. For mark the efficacy of error, and the power of seduction, they subvert whole houses, they make proselytes without number.

Learn hence, That such is the strength of error, and the weakness and unsteadiness of many Christians, that whole households may be subverted by the most gross deceivers. If the apostle’s converts were thus easily and universally misled, no wonder if ours be so.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10–13. There are many unruly and vain talkers. The last sentence suggests to Paul to speak of the Cretan errorists. The allusions to the false teachers show that the Epistle belongs to the closing years of the apostle's life. Of the circumcision. Jews, perhaps Judaizing Christians who had so troubled the Gentile churches. See the Galatian letter.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Because of those that would oppose God's word, Paul gives Titus reasons to preach God's word and warns him about false teachers.

rebellious people

These are rebellious people who oppose Paul's gospel message.

empty talkers and deceivers

This phrase describes the rebellious people mentioned in the previous phrase. Here "empty" is a metaphor for useless, and "empty talkers" are people who say useless or foolish things. AT: "people who say useless things and deceive others" (See: Metaphor)

those of the circumcision

This refers to the Christian Jews who taught that men must be circumcised in order to follow Christ. (See: Metonymy)

It is necessary to stop them

"They must be prevented from spreading their teachings" or "They must be stopped from influencing others by their words"

what they should not teach

These are things that are not proper to teach regarding Christ and the Law because they are not true.

for shameful profit

This refers to profit that people make by doing things that are not honorable.

are upsetting whole families

"are ruining whole families." The issue was that they were upsetting families by destroying their faith. This may have caused the members of the families to argue with one another.

translationWords

circumcise

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

10–16. THE HERETICAL TEACHERS AND TITUS’ DUTY IN REGARD TO THEM

10. πολλοί. The rec. text inserts καὶ after πολλοί with D2EGKL d e f g; but it is unnecessary for the sense and must be omitted as not found in אACIP, the Syriac or the Bohairic versions.

ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς. So אCD2*I, but the rec. text, following the remaining uncials, omits τῆς, perhaps through a reminiscence of ἐκ περιτομῆς (without the article) at Rom 4:12; Gal 2:12; Col 4:11.

10. εἰσὶν γὰρ πολλοὶ ἀνυπότακτοι. For (in reference to the precept τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐλέγχειν) there are many insubordinate persons, sc. among the ἀντιλέγοντες. For ἀνυπότακτος see on 1Ti 1:9. See the critical note.

ματαιολόγοι καὶ φρεναπάται, vain talkers and deceivers. The word ματαιολόγος does not occur again in the Greek Bible; cp. the note on ματαιολογία at 1Ti 1:6. In like manner φρεναπάτης is ἄπ. λεγ., but we have φρεναπατᾷν, Gal 6:3.

μάλιστα οἱ ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς, specially they of the circumcision, sc. the Judaizing Christians in Crete. μάλιστα shews that the heretical troublers of Titus were not all from among these Judaizers, but that it was from them that he was to expect the most serious opposition. Titus, being an uncircumcised Greek, would probably be personally unwelcome to Jews, of whom there were large numbers in Crete (see Josephus Ant. XVII. 12. 1, Philo ad Caium 36); but quite apart from that, we have seen already (Introd. p. xlviii.) that the forms of heresy contemplated in the Pastoral Epistles had their roots in Judaism, and that therefore the ἀντιλέγοντες would naturally be ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς. See crit. note.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10-16.] By occasion of the last clause, the Apostle goes on to describe the nature of the adversaries to whom he alludes, especially with reference to Crete.

10.] For (explains τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας of ver. 9) there are many [and] insubordinate (ver. 6 above. The joining πολύς with another adjective by καί is a common idiom. So Herod. viii. 61, πολλά τε καὶ κακὰ ἔλεγε: Aristoph. Lys. 1159, πολλῶν κἀγαθῶν: Plato, Rep. x. p. 325, πολλά τε καὶ ἀνόσια εἰργασμένος: Xen. Mem. ii. 9. 6, συνειδὼς αὑτῷ πολλὰ καὶ πονηρά. Matthiæ, § 444) vain talkers (see 1Ti 1:6, and ch. 3:9) and deceivers (see Gal 6:3 deceivers of men’s minds), chiefly (not only—there were some such of the Gentile converts) they of the circumcision (i.e. not Jews, but Jewish Christians: for he is speaking of seducers within the Church: cf. ver. 11. On the Jews in Crete, see Jos. Antt. xvii. 12. 1: B. J. ii. 7. 1: Philo, Leg. ad Cai. § 36, vol. ii. p. 587), whose mouths (ἐλέγχειν σφοδρῶς, ὥστε ἀποκλείειν αὐτοῖς τὰ στό ματα, Thl.) it is necessary to stop (we hardly need introduce here the figure of a bit and bridle, seeing that ἐπιστομίζειν is so often used literally of ‘stopping the mouth,’ without any allusion to that figure: e.g. Aristoph., Eq. 841, ἐμοὶ γάρ ἐστʼ εἰργασμένον τοιοῦτον ἔργον ὥστε | ἁπαξάπαντας τοὺς ὲμοὺς ὲχθροὺς ἐπιστομίζειν: Plato, Gorg., p. 329 d,—αὐτὸς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐμποδισθεὶς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἐπεστομίσθη αἰσχυνθεὶς ἃ ἐννοεῖ εἰπεῖν: and see other examples in Wetst. And Plut., Alcib. 2, speaks of τὸν αὐλὸν ἐπιστομίζειν καὶ ἀποφράττειν. Cf. Palm and Rost’s Lex.): such men as (“inasmuch as they,” Ellic.: which perhaps is logically better) overturn (ref. 1 Tim.: so, literally, Plato, Rep. v. p. 471 b, οὔτε τὴν γῆν ἐθελήσουσι κείρειν αὐτῶν, … οὔτε οἰκίας ἀνατρέπειν: and fig., Demosth. 778. 22, ἀνατρέψειν οἴει τὰ κοινὰ δίκαια, and so often) whole houses (cf. Juv. Sat. x. 5: “evertere domos totas optantibus ipsis | Di faciles.” Here it will mean, “pervert whole families.” Thl. says, μοχλοὶ γάρ εἰσι τοῦ διαβόλου, διʼ ὧν καθαιρεῖ τοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ οἴκους), teaching things which are not fitting (on the use of ἃ οὐ δεῖ (things which are definitely improper or forbidden), and ἃ μὴ δεῖ (things which are so either in the mind of the describer, or which, as here, derive a seeming contingency from the mode in which the subject is presented), see Ellic.’s note here and his references to Herm. on Viger, 267, and Krüger, Sprachlehre, § 67. 4. 3) for the sake of base gain (cf. 1Ti 6:5).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10-16. Necessity for such qualifications: the character of the false teachers at Crete and the substance of their teaching.

paraphrase. They will need this qualification for there are many at Crete who are unwilling to submit to any control, teachers of worthless doctrine, clever enough to impose upon the minds of others—this is especially true of those of them who have been Jews—and all these must have their mouths stopped; forasmuch as they upset whole households, teaching things which they know they have no right to teach, merely to make gains of which they ought to be ashamed. It was one of their own islanders, one whom they themselves regard as a prophet, who said:

“Cretans are always liars, very Minotaurs, gluttonous, idlers.”

This testimony is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in their faith, and not devote themselves to Jewish legends and commandments, which are only commandments of men, aye, and of men who are turning their backs upon the truth. It is ture that “ All things are ;pure to the pureminded”;but to those who have been defiled and have no true faith, nothing is pure; nay, for them both mind anhd conscience hage been defiled. And that is the case with them: God, indeed, they acknopwledgte in their creed, but in their lives they belie such knowledge, being abominable, and disobedient, and with a view to every good work, unable to stand the test.

Note. —These teachers are not heathen; they are professing Christians (16), mainly but not wholly Jewish Christians (10), who pander in their teaching to curiosity and dwell upon Jewish legends of the patriarchs, and add to the Christian life a number of external duties which can claim no divine authority, and which deal with the distinction between things clean and unclean (15), and spring out of the Jewish law (3:9). There is no reference to the enforcement of circumcision; so that they do not correspond to the Pharisaic Jewish Christians denounced in Gal., but more to the opponents at Colossæ, Jews of the dispersion trying to represent certain sides of the Jewish life as a higher philosophy (cf. Hort, Judaistic Christianity, pp. 116-46). Such Jewish teaching would find natural support in incipient tendencies to Gnosticism, with its belief in the evil of matter, and that may be subordinately alluded to in 15, 16.

The writer deals with this teaching in two ways: (1) it is sharply denounced as profitless for all moral purpose; it does not raise the moral life or fit men for service; (2) appeal is made to great Christian principles. True purity is purity of heart; true faith must issue in good works.

10. γάρ] gives primarily the reason for the last qualification (cf. ἐλέγχειν 9, ἔλεγχε 13), but also for the whole section (5-9).

ἀνυπότακτοι] cf. 6 (which was leading up to this) and 3:1 note.

ματαιολόγοι] here only in N.T.; cf. ματαιολοίαν 1Ti 1:6. μάταιος was the favourite Jewish term of scorn for heathen idols and worship: this thought may be present here. Their teaching, so far from being on a higher level, is as worthless as that of heathenism; cf. βδελυκτοί 16.

φρεναπάται] here only in N.T., but φρεναπατᾶν Gal 6:3, Scarcely (as Lightfoot, ad loc.) = φρενὶ ἀπατᾶν, to deceive by fancies, cf. φρενοτέκτων; but = φρένα ἀπατᾶν, “mentiumdecep tores” (Jerome); cf. φρενογηθής, φρενοθελγής, φρενοκλόπος.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vain talkers [ματαιολογοι] . N. T. o. o LXX, o Class. See on vain jangling, 1Ti 1:6.

Deceivers [φρεναπαται] . N. T. o. o LXX, o Class. See on frenapatan to deceive, Gal 6:3.

They of the circumcision [οι εκ της περιτομης] . The phrase only here in Pastorals. Oi ejk peritomhv Act 10:45; Act 11:2; Rom 4:12; Gal 2:12; Col 4:11. There can be no doubt of the presence of Jews in Crete. Tacitus (Hist. 5 2) even makes the absurd statement that the Jews were Cretan exiles; and that from their residence in the vicinity of the Cretan Mount Ida they were called Idaei, whence Judaei. There appears to have been some confusion between the Palestinians and the Philistines - the Cherethim or Cherethites, who, in Eze 25:16; Zep 2:5 are called in LXX Krhtev Jews were in the island in considerable numbers between the death of Alexander and the final destruction of Jerusalem. In 1 Macc. 14 23 the Cretan city of Gortyna is mentioned among the places to which letters were written by Lucius, the Rom. consul, on behalf of the Jews when Simon Maccabaeus renewed the treaty which his brother Judas had made with Rome. Josephus (Ant. 17 12, 1; Bell. Jud 2:7, 1) says that Herod 's pseudo - son Alexander imposed on the Cretan Jews on his way to Italy. Philo (Leg. ad Cai. 36) makes the Jewish envoys say to Caligula that all the principal islands of the Mediterranean, including Crete, were full of Jews.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.