the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Titus Epistle to
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or The genuineness of this Epistle is attested by a large body of evidence, and seems never to have been questioned, except by the heretic Marcion, and that upon the most frivolous grounds, until, in recent times, it was attacked by Eichborn and De Wette. But their objections are of such a nature that it is unnecessary to enter upon any examination of them here.
It has been supposed, on apparently good grounds, that the apostle wrote this epistle at Ephesus shortly after he had visited Crete (), and when he was about to spend the winter in Nicopolis (). From the close resemblance between this epistle and the first epistle to Timothy, we are naturally led to conclude that both must have been written while the same leading ideas and forms of expression were occupying the apostle's mind.
The task which Paul had committed to Titus, when he left him in Crete, was one of no small difficulty. The character of the people was unsteady, insincere, and quarrelsome; they were given to greediness, licentiousness, falsehood, and drunkenness, in no ordinary degree; and the Jews who had settled among them appear to have even gone beyond the natives in immorality. Among such a people it was no easy office which Titus had to sustain when commissioned to carry forward the work Paul had begun, and to set in order the affairs of the churches which had arisen there, especially as heretical teachers had already crept in among them. Hence Paul addressed to him this Epistle, the main design of which is to direct him how to discharge with success the duties to which he had been appointed. For this purpose the apostle dilates upon the qualifications of elders, and points out the vices from which such should be free (Titus 1).
He then describes the virtues most becoming in aged persons, in the female sex, in the young, in servants, and in Christians generally (Titus 2). From this he proceeds to enjoin obedience to civil rulers moderation, gentleness, and the avoidance of all idle and unprofitable speculations (). He then invites Titus to join him at Nicopolis, commends to him certain brethren who were about to visit Crete, and concludes with the apostolic benediction ().
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Titus Epistle to'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/t/titus-epistle-to.html.
