The church in Crete was full of new converts in a culture where conduct was very crude. Paul, the aged missionary, demonstrates a mature finesse in applying the Good News to the spiritual condition and circumstances of these believers in Crete as the church was beginning to grow. Setting A group from Crete had been in Jerusalem during Pentecost at the birth of the Christian church (Acts 2:11). …
1Pablo, siervo de Dios y apóstol de Jesucristo, conforme a la fe de los escogidos de Dios y el conocimiento de la verdad que es según la piedad,
2en la esperanza de la vida eterna, la cual Dios, que no miente, prometió desde antes del principio de los siglos,
3y a su debido tiempo manifestó su palabra por medio de la predicación que me fue encomendada por mandato de Dios nuestro Salvador,
4a Tito, verdadero hijo en la común fe: Gracia, misericordia y paz, de Dios Padre y del Señor Jesucristo nuestro Salvador.
5Por esta causa te dejé en Creta, para que corrigieses lo deficiente, y establecieses ancianos en cada ciudad, así como yo te mandé;
6el que fuere irreprensible, marido de una sola mujer, y tenga hijos creyentes que no estén acusados de disolución ni de rebeldía.
7Porque es necesario que el obispo sea irreprensible, como administrador de Dios; no soberbio, no iracundo, no dado al vino, no pendenciero, no codicioso de ganancias deshonestas,
8sino hospedador, amante de lo bueno, sobrio, justo, santo, dueño de sí mismo,
9retenedor de la palabra fiel tal como ha sido enseñada, para que también pueda exhortar con sana enseñanza y convencer a los que contradicen.
10Porque hay aún muchos contumaces, habladores de vanidades y engañadores, mayormente los de la circuncisión,
11a los cuales es preciso tapar la boca; que trastornan casas enteras, enseñando por ganancia deshonesta lo que no conviene.
12Uno de ellos, su propio profeta, dijo: Los cretenses, siempre mentirosos, malas bestias, glotones ociosos.
13Este testimonio es verdadero; por tanto, repréndelos duramente, para que sean sanos en la fe,
14no atendiendo a fábulas judaicas, ni a mandamientos de hombres que se apartan de la verdad.
15Todas las cosas son puras para los puros, mas para los corrompidos e incrédulos nada les es puro; pues hasta su mente y su conciencia están corrompidas.
16Profesan conocer a Dios, pero con los hechos lo niegan, siendo abominables y rebeldes, reprobados en cuanto a toda buena obra.
TYNDALE OPEN STUDY NOTES
I
Versículo 1
I. 1:1-4 The opening of Titus, like that of 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:1-2), establishes Paul’s authority fo…
1:1-4 The opening of Titus, like that of 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:1-2), establishes Paul’s authority for his delegate.
1:1 and to teach . . . godly lives: See 2:11-14; 1 Tim 6:3.
II
Versículo 2
II. 1:2 The confidence that they have eternal life enables God’s people to live in the present in lig…
1:2 The confidence that they have eternal life enables God’s people to live in the present in light of the future (see 2:11-14; 3:7-8). • God—who does not lie: The true God contrasts with popular Cretan conceptions (see study note on 1:12). This statement also underlines God’s plan of salvation as unchanging (1:1): God can be trusted to fulfill his promises (see Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Rom 3:3-4).
III
Versículo 3
III. 1:3 at just the right time: The initiative is entirely with God, who carries out his plan on his …
1:3 at just the right time: The initiative is entirely with God, who carries out his plan on his own timetable by his own will (see 3:5; 1 Tim 2:6; 2 Tim 1:10). • God our Savior: In Titus 1:4, Jesus is also called “our Savior,” identifying Jesus with God (see 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6).
IV
Versículo 4
IV. 1:4 Titus was Paul’s delegate in dealing with the church in Crete. • my true son: The wording aut…
1:4 Titus was Paul’s delegate in dealing with the church in Crete. • my true son: The wording authorizes the delegate (as in 1 Tim 1:2).
V
Versículo 5
V. 1:5-16 Strong, faithful leadership was needed in the churches of Crete to address the danger of f…
1:5-16 Strong, faithful leadership was needed in the churches of Crete to address the danger of false teachers (1:10-16). This part of Titus’s task dovetails with the larger concern of the letter: to shape a community that bears witness to Christ by embodying God’s grace in its conduct. Cp. 1 Tim 3:1-7.
1:5-9 Titus was directed to appoint leaders in order to complete our work there—i.e., to establish the church (cp. 1 Tim 3:1-13). Deacons are not mentioned, possibly because these were new, small churches. • These leadership qualities might be an accommodation to the newness of these converts and the roughness of their culture. It is assumed that the elders will be male (see 1 Tim 3:4-5).
1:5 Crete was located in the Mediterranean, south of the Aegean Sea. It was an important location for travel and trade by sea, so it had a mix of influences, including a Jewish population. Some from Crete had been at Pentecost (Acts 2:11), but this letter seems to deal with an infant church. • elders in each town: There may have been more than one house church in a given town and possibly more than one elder in a given house church. Clearly, there were churches in at least two towns and the leadership was specific to each town.
VI
Versículo 6
VI. 1:6 must be faithful to his wife: See study note on 1 Tim 3:2. • wild or rebellious: This probabl…
1:6 must be faithful to his wife: See study note on 1 Tim 3:2. • wild or rebellious: This probably reflects Cretan culture with its low moral standards (Titus 1:12).
VII
Versículo 7
VII. 1:7 A church leader (or An overseer, or A bishop) is a manager of God’s household: See 1:11; 2:2-…
1:7 A church leader (or An overseer, or A bishop) is a manager of God’s household: See 1:11; 2:2-10; 1 Tim 1:4; 3:4-5, 12, 15; 2 Tim 2:20-21. • These qualities indicate that an elder should not be running with the Cretan masses (see Titus 1:12).
VIII
Versículo 9
VIII. 1:9 The elders had a leading role in teaching the community. This may have been necessary in deal…
1:9 The elders had a leading role in teaching the community. This may have been necessary in dealing with the immediate threat to these particular communities (as also in Ephesus; see 1 Tim 3:1). • Only with a strong belief in the Good News would an elder be able to provide wholesome teaching. Paul’s specific concerns are addressed in Titus 2:1–3:11, in light of the problems mentioned in 1:10-16 and 3:9-11 (see also 1 Tim 1:10). • Titus had a similar role (cp. Titus 1:13; 2:15; 3:10-11). The local leadership would carry on where Paul and his delegates left off. • Those who oppose it are described in 1:10-16.
IX
Versículo 10
IX. 1:10-16 In a native population of troublemakers, Titus would need to exercise a firm hand to rid …
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.
X
Versículo 11
X. 1:11 turning whole families away: This also happened in Ephesus (cp. 1 Tim 4:3; 2 Tim 2:18; 3:6).…
1:11 turning whole families away: This also happened in Ephesus (cp. 1 Tim 4:3; 2 Tim 2:18; 3:6). • only for money: Elders must not have this characteristic (Titus 1:7; see also 1 Tim 6:5-10; 2 Cor 2:17; 1 Pet 5:2).
XI
Versículo 12
XI. 1:12 one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said: This quotation is from Epimenides of K…
1:12 one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said: This quotation is from Epimenides of Knossos, a philosopher who lived on Crete around the 500s BC. • all liars: This charge was directed specifically at the Cretan claim to have Zeus’s tomb on the island. According to Cretan mythology, the god Zeus was once a mere human who lived and died on Crete (his tomb was said to be there) but who had achieved godhood through his patronage (i.e., gifts and benefits) to humans. Some Greek moralists opposed this legend and characterized it as a lie. A quote from Alexandria in the 200s BC reads: “Cretans are always liars. For a tomb, O Lord, Cretans build for you; but you do not die, for you are forever.” One of Crete’s own prophets (Epimenides) had the same assessment, and Paul cites his voice of conscience approvingly (1:13; see Acts 17:28), for the God who does not lie (Titus 1:2) stands in opposition to the lies of such myths. • liars . . . animals . . . gluttons: It was believed that Cretan immorality resulted from their belief about Zeus; religious lies had given rise to moral corruption. Paul later counters these vices by presenting the contrasting virtues (2:12). He calls the Cretans to reach ethical ideals that are extolled in human society generally but were absent on Crete, as bemoaned by their own prophet. They would reach these ideals only through the gospel of Jesus Christ (2:11-14). • lazy gluttons: Cretans were known to do anything for a little cash. They were famous as mercenaries and as insatiate consumers. They reputedly saw no shame in greed (see Phil 3:19). • Paul applies the quotation more directly to the current false teachers than to Cretan culture generally; the false teachers carried on this Cretan tradition of immorality built on falsehood.
XII
Versículo 13
XII. 1:13 This is true: See study note on 1:12. • Being strong in the faith is here defined as rejecti…
1:13 This is true: See study note on 1:12. • Being strong in the faith is here defined as rejecting false teachings (cp. 1:9).
XIII
Versículo 14
XIII. 1:14 Jewish myths: See 3:9; 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4. • have turned away from the truth: This wa…
1:14 Jewish myths: See 3:9; 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4. • have turned away from the truth: This was apostasy, not mere unbelief. See 1 Tim 1:6-7.
XIV
Versículo 15
XIV. 1:15-16 These two verses comment on the people of 1:14 and their commands, while transitioning to…
1:15-16 These two verses comment on the people of 1:14 and their commands, while transitioning to a discussion of wholesome teaching (2:1–3:11).
1:15 Cp. 1 Tim 4:3-5.
XV
Versículo 16
XV. 1:16 Sound teaching and godliness are always linked together in the letters to Timothy and Titus …
1:16 Sound teaching and godliness are always linked together in the letters to Timothy and Titus (see 1 Tim 1:7-11; 3:15-16; 5:24-25; 2 Tim 3:5, 9). Similarly, the ungodly way they live is connected with false teaching. • anything good: This contrasts with Titus 3:1.
Nuevo Testamento
Titus — Capítulo 1
The church in Crete was full of new converts in a culture where conduct was very crude. Paul, the aged missionary, demonstrates a mature finesse in applying the Good News to the spiritual condition and circumstances of these believers in Crete as the church was beginning to grow. Setting A group from Crete had been in Jerusalem during Pentecost at the birth of the Christian church (Acts 2:11). …
Texto — Reina-Valera 1960
1Pablo, siervo de Dios y apóstol de Jesucristo, conforme a la fe de los escogidos de Dios y el conocimiento de la verdad que es según la piedad,
2en la esperanza de la vida eterna, la cual Dios, que no miente, prometió desde antes del principio de los siglos,
3y a su debido tiempo manifestó su palabra por medio de la predicación que me fue encomendada por mandato de Dios nuestro Salvador,
4a Tito, verdadero hijo en la común fe: Gracia, misericordia y paz, de Dios Padre y del Señor Jesucristo nuestro Salvador.
5Por esta causa te dejé en Creta, para que corrigieses lo deficiente, y establecieses ancianos en cada ciudad, así como yo te mandé;
6el que fuere irreprensible, marido de una sola mujer, y tenga hijos creyentes que no estén acusados de disolución ni de rebeldía.
7Porque es necesario que el obispo sea irreprensible, como administrador de Dios; no soberbio, no iracundo, no dado al vino, no pendenciero, no codicioso de ganancias deshonestas,
8sino hospedador, amante de lo bueno, sobrio, justo, santo, dueño de sí mismo,
9retenedor de la palabra fiel tal como ha sido enseñada, para que también pueda exhortar con sana enseñanza y convencer a los que contradicen.
10Porque hay aún muchos contumaces, habladores de vanidades y engañadores, mayormente los de la circuncisión,
11a los cuales es preciso tapar la boca; que trastornan casas enteras, enseñando por ganancia deshonesta lo que no conviene.
12Uno de ellos, su propio profeta, dijo: Los cretenses, siempre mentirosos, malas bestias, glotones ociosos.
13Este testimonio es verdadero; por tanto, repréndelos duramente, para que sean sanos en la fe,
14no atendiendo a fábulas judaicas, ni a mandamientos de hombres que se apartan de la verdad.
15Todas las cosas son puras para los puros, mas para los corrompidos e incrédulos nada les es puro; pues hasta su mente y su conciencia están corrompidas.
16Profesan conocer a Dios, pero con los hechos lo niegan, siendo abominables y rebeldes, reprobados en cuanto a toda buena obra.
TYNDALE OPEN STUDY NOTES
Versículo 1
I. 1:1-4 The opening of Titus, like that of 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:1-2), establishes Paul’s authority fo…
Versículo 2
II. 1:2 The confidence that they have eternal life enables God’s people to live in the present in lig…
Versículo 3
III. 1:3 at just the right time: The initiative is entirely with God, who carries out his plan on his …
Versículo 4
IV. 1:4 Titus was Paul’s delegate in dealing with the church in Crete. • my true son: The wording aut…
Versículo 5
V. 1:5-16 Strong, faithful leadership was needed in the churches of Crete to address the danger of f…
Versículo 6
VI. 1:6 must be faithful to his wife: See study note on 1 Tim 3:2. • wild or rebellious: This probabl…
Versículo 7
VII. 1:7 A church leader (or An overseer, or A bishop) is a manager of God’s household: See 1:11; 2:2-…
Versículo 9
VIII. 1:9 The elders had a leading role in teaching the community. This may have been necessary in deal…
Versículo 10
IX. 1:10-16 In a native population of troublemakers, Titus would need to exercise a firm hand to rid …
Versículo 11
X. 1:11 turning whole families away: This also happened in Ephesus (cp. 1 Tim 4:3; 2 Tim 2:18; 3:6).…
Versículo 12
XI. 1:12 one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said: This quotation is from Epimenides of K…
Versículo 13
XII. 1:13 This is true: See study note on 1:12. • Being strong in the faith is here defined as rejecti…
Versículo 14
XIII. 1:14 Jewish myths: See 3:9; 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4. • have turned away from the truth: This wa…
Versículo 15
XIV. 1:15-16 These two verses comment on the people of 1:14 and their commands, while transitioning to…
Versículo 16
XV. 1:16 Sound teaching and godliness are always linked together in the letters to Timothy and Titus …