Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;. Moreover, the only proof of the whole of religion is — the unchangeable truth of God.
T ITUS 1:5-6
The reason why this rule is laid down — has been explained by us in the Commentary on the First Epistle to Timothy. First, he demands that the children shall be “believers;” whence it is obvious that they have been educated in the sound doctrine of godliness, and in the fear of the Lord.
T ITUS 1:7-9
That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.”. If they refuse to be admonished, if they reject good advices, they will immediately fall headlong to the grievous injury of the Church.
T ITUS 1:10-12
He says that they are chiefly of the Jews; for it is highly requisite that such plagues shall be known by all. I have no doubt that he who is here spoken of is Epimenides, who was a native of Crete; for, when the Apostle says that this author was “one of themselves,” and was “a prophet of their own,” he undoubtedly means that he belonged to the nation of the Cretans.
T ITUS 1:13-16
And he calls those men enemies of the truth who, not satisfied with the pure doctrine of Christ, mix up with them their own fooleries; for all that men of themselves contrive ought to be accounted. He attributes this vice chiefly to the Jews, because, under the presence of the divine lew, they introduced superstitious ceremonies. For the same reason it is evident, that they do wrong, who impose religious scruples on consciences in this matter; for this is not a doctrine intended for a single age, but an eternal oracle of the Holy Spirit, which cannot lawfully be set aside by any new law.
The mind denotes the understanding, and the conscience relates rather to the affections of the heart.
T ITUS 2:1-5
He begins with particular duties, that the discourse may be better adapted to the instruction of the people. He next corrects other two vices, to which they are often addicted, when he forbids them to be slanderers and slaves to much wine. And, indeed, it is probable that he demands such strictness of life as not to bring the gospel into the contempt of the public by their vices.
As to the other parts of the verse, the reader will find them explained in the Commentary on the First Epistle to Timothy.
T ITUS 2:6-10
Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded
Accordingly, when he enjoins servants to please their masters in all things, this desire of pleasing must be limited to those things which are proper; as is evident from other passages of a similar nature, in which an exception is expressly added, to the effect that nothing should be done but according to the will of God. With good reason he does this, for nothing is more contrary to the natural disposition of man than subjection, and there was danger lest they should take the gospel as a pretext for becoming more refractory, as reckoning it. Thus prudence requires that we make our instructions apply to the morals of each individual.
And if the life of those men is an ornament to the Christian name, much more let those who are in honor take care that they do not stain it by their baseness.
T ITUS 2:11-15
Who gave himself for us This is another argument of exhortation, drawn from the design or effect of the death of Christ, who offered himself
A peculiar people, zealous of good works; by which he means that, so far as concerns us, the fruit of redemption is lost, if we are still entangled by the sinful desires of the world. And in order to express more fully, that we have been consecrated to good works by the death of Christ, he makes use of the word purify; for it would be truly base in us to be again polluted by the same filth from which the Son of God hath washed us by his blood. This conclusion is of the same meaning as if he enjoined Titus to dwell continually on that doctrine of edification, and never to grow weary, because it cannot be too much inculcated.
Others think that Titus is instructed to gain the ear of men, and their respect for him, by the integrity of his life; and.
T ITUS 3:1-3
And from what follows it is evident that this is the meaning; for he points out the remedies for the evil, when he enjoins them to be kind, and to shew all meekness towards all men; for “kindness” is contrasted with the utmost rigor of law, and “meekness” with bitterness. Besides, seeing that here Paul describes briefly the natural disposition of men, such as it is before it is renewed by the Spirit of God, we may behold, in this description, how wretched we are while we are out of Christ. Next, he calls them disobedient, because, as it is faith alone that truly obeys God, so unbelief is always wayward and rebellious; although we might translate ajpeiqei~v unbelieving, so as to describe the kind of “foolishness.” Thirdly, he says that unbelievers go astray; for Christ alone is “the way” and the “light of the world.” (<430812> . John All who are estranged from God must therefore wander and go astray during their whole life.
It is true that each person is not equally chargeable with every vice; but, seeing that all are the slaves of wicked desires, although some are carried away by one and others by another desire, Paul embraces in a general statement f47 all the fruits that are anywhere produced by unbelief This subject is explained towards the chose of the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.
T ITUS 3:4-7
Paul treats of the exhibition of the grace of God, which, we have said, has been made by faith. Some read the word “renewing,” in the accusative case, thus: — “through the washing of regeneration and (through) the renewing of the Holy. Spirit.”, But the other reading — “through the washing of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Spirit” — is, in my opinion, preferable.
But because he had spoken of the vices of unbelievers, it would have been improper to leave out the grace of regeneration, which is the medicine for curing them.
T ITUS 3:8-9
A faithful saying. He employs this mode of expression, when he wishes to make a solemn assertion as we have seen in both of the Epistles to
What if we should say, — ”Let them strive as those who have the pre-eminence?” That is also one meaning of the word. Whatever may be the ambiguity of the expression, the meaning of Paul is sufficiently clear, that the design of Christian doctrine is, that believers should exercise themselves in good works. In short, what the schools of the Sorbonne account worthy of the highest praise — is here condemned by Paul; for the whole theology of the Papists is nothing else than a labyrinth of questions.
He gives this disdainful appellation to those debates which were raised by the Jews under the presence of the law; not that the law of itself produces them, but because the Jews, pretending to defend the law, disturbed the peace of the Church by their absurd.
T ITUS 3:10-15
Knowing that he who is such is ruined. He declares that man to be
The metaphor is taken from a building, which is not merely decayed in some part, but completely demolished, so that it is incapable of being repaired. He next points out the sign of this ruin — an evil conscience, when he says, that they who do not yield to admonitions are condemned by themselves; for, since they obstinately reject the truth, it is certain that. It is uncertain whether “Zenas”, was a Doctor of the Civil Law or of the Law of Moses; but as we may learn from Paul’s words that he was a poor man and needed the help of others, it is probable that he belonged to the same rank with Apollo, that is, an expounder of the Law of God among the Jews.
Whether, therefore, he enjoins them to excel in good works, or to assign the highest rank to good works, he means that it is useful for them to have an opportunity afforded for exercising liberality, that they may not “be unfruitful” on this ground, that there is no opportunity, or that it is not demanded by necessity.
END OF CALVIN’S COMMENTARY ON TITUS
At the same time, we learn from Paul’s words that we must not rashly or at random pronounce any man to be a heretic; for he says, “Knowing that he who is such is ruined.” Let the bishop therefore beware lest, by. It more frequently happens that such persons are in want of the necessaries of life than those who conduct causes in civil courts. I have said that Zenas’s poverty may be inferred from the words of Paul, because the expression, conduct him, means here to supply him with the means of accomplishing his journey, as is evident from what follows.
TRANSLATION OF CALVIN’S VERSION
EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS
13 This testimony is true; wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,. 10 Not thievish, but strewing all good faith, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. 13 Be careful to help forward Zenas the lawyer, and Apollo, that they may not be in want of anything.
14 And let ours also learn to excel in good works (or, as formerly, to assign to them the highest rank, that they may excel,) for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.
FOOTNOTES
It is the hope of eternal life which God, that cannot lie, hath promised to me. The word may be taken, as it is observed, either actively or passively, and so may signify not only to be. And that is the reason why it is called ‘sound,’ for in this consists the health of our souls.
It is as certain as any word the mouth of God hath spoken, that ‘there is no peace to the wicked,’.
TRANSLATION
