Fathers

Titus 1

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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; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 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. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

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What the Fathers say

Titus 1:5

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"For this cause left I thee in Crete." As if the whole world had been one house, they divided it among themselves, administering its affairs everywhere, each taking care of his several portion of it. "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are [R. V. were] wanting." He does not command this in an imperious manner; "that thou shouldest set in order," he says. …

Homily on Titus 2 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Just as in a household among those appointed for service one does one thing and another does another, so too they divided the whole world among themselves by regions, and all labored. This is precisely what is indicated here by the words "I left you in Crete," because he himself evidently departed for another place to labor there. See how he is not embarrassed to write to his disciple to finish what he himself had left incomplete. He was concerned with the common benefit, not with his own honor. …

Commentary on Titus ↗

Oecumenius

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might put in order what was left unfinished, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. You see them as distributing the inhabited world like one house, and each doing something; but look at the athlete of Christ. Where there was danger, Paul himself was present; but when some honor was about to come, he sent the disciples. For Paul had left Titus to appoint bishops in each city, since he had first made him a bishop. …

Commentary On Titus ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

"For this reason, I left you in Crete, so that you would correct what was lacking." It is the dignity of the apostolic Church to lay the foundation, which no one can lay except the architect. And the foundation is none other than Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). Those who are lesser artisans can build houses upon the foundation. …

Commentary on Titus ↗

Thomas Aquinas

He comes now to the message and, as has been said, he aims at defending the Church against heretics: first, he admonishes Titus to instruct others to resist heretics; second, he teaches how they are to be resisted, at but speak the things (Titus 2:1). In regard to the first, he does two things: first, he advises Titus to ordain bishops to resist the heretics; second, why this is necessary, at for there are also many (Titus 1:10). …

Commentary on Titus ↗