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 chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you, if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him. For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

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What the Fathers say

Titus 1:15

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Ver. 15. "Unto the pure," he says, "all things are pure." Thou seest that this is said to a particular purpose. "But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure." Things then are not clean or unclean from their own nature, but from the disposition of him who partakes of them. "But even their mind and conscience is defiled." The swine therefore is clean. Why then was it forbidden as unclean? …

Homily on Titus 3 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

So then, foods are not clean or unclean by their own nature, but by the disposition of those who partake of them. The latter, being clean and pious, know that all things are clean, as the creation of God, and that only sin is unclean. For even if the law considered certain things unclean, this was not without purpose, but for the restraint of intemperance, knowing that the Jews would not have obeyed it without compulsion, being gluttons. …

Commentary on Titus ↗

Oecumenius

Things are always pure to the pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled. — [OECUMENIUS] What then was the law given to the Jews concerning uncleanness? And we say, not because they were unclean did God legislate accordingly, but by this law cutting off much luxury and indifference among the Jews. For what is clean and unclean depends chiefly on the character of those receiving it. …

Commentary On Titus ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

Those likewise are to be detested who deny that our Lord Jesus Christ had Mary as his mother on earth. That dispensation did honor to both sexes male and female and showed that both had a part in God's care; not only that which he assumed but that also through which he assumed it, being a man born of a woman.… Nor should our faith be lessened by any reference to "a woman's internal organs," as if it might appear that we must reject any such generation of our Lord because sordid people think that sordid. …

On Faith and the Creed 4.9-10 ↗

Jerome

"All things are clean to the clean, but to the unclean and unbelieving nothing is clean; instead, both their mind and their conscience are corrupted." For he had said earlier: "For there are many rebellious people who deceive others with their empty talk and false teaching. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. …

Commentary on Titus ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

For, as in the old Testament outward acts were attended to, so in the New Testament it is not so much what is done outwardly as what is thought inwardly that is regarded with close attention, that it may be punished with searching judgment. For while the law forbids the eating of many things. …

Register of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 64 ↗