In expectation of that infinite reward which God long since promised obscurely to Abraham, and will certainly perform to all his true children, that is, to all believers; [b] before the world began] Of the word αἰών, that it signifies an age or long space of time, see note [p] on Luke i, by analogy with which αἰώνιος signifies ancient or long ago, but not always eternal; and χρόνοι αἰώνιοι here being spoken not of a decree, but of a promise of God's, and such as cannot be broken without lying, (which must therefore signify such a promise which was made to somebody, and not only his secret unrevealed purpose,) cannot well be interpreted of eternity, but of some long time ago, under the times of the Old Testament, such as was made to Abraham, Gen. xv. 1. And thus the phrase πρὸ αἰωνίων χρόνων is all one with ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων, from ancient generations, Acts xv. 21, speaking of Moses's time. And accordingly αἰώνιον is oft used in the Old Testament, either for that which is likely to last long, or whose beginning is long ago. So Prov. xxii. 28, αἰώνιον for ancient, Esa. lviii. 12, and lxi. 4, αἰώνιον, old: Ezech. xxxvi. 2, αἰώνια, ancient. And so 2 Tim. i. 9, though the scope of the place will allow it to signify eternity, God's mercy being decreed to us in Christ before all time, yet the phrase of itself signifies no more than before ancient times, long while ago. And hath in that season which he thought fit to design for it, most clearly now revealed by the preaching of the gospel, that which was committed to me as an apostle by Christ's immediate appointment, To Titus, whom I first converted to the faith, preaching it according to Christ's appointment, to Gentiles (such was he) as well as Jews: Grace— In our passage through Crete, I constituted thee bishop there, that thou mightest dispose and settle those things there which I, by the shortness of my stay, omitted to settle, and to ordain bishops in each city of that island (see note [b] Acts xi, and note [b] ch. xiv.) according to the directions which I then mentioned to thee how they should be qualified. To wit, that thou shouldst ordain none but such as should be approved by testimony of the church (see note [b] Acts vi.) to be under no scandalous sin, which live not with a second wife after putting away the first, (see note [b] 1 Tim. iii.) whose children, if they have any, have all received the faith, (for if he bring not up his own children to be Christian, what hope is there that he will be fit to convert others, and to rule in the church?) and live temperately and regularly. as becomes one that hath the government of God's family intrusted to him; not selfwilled— Holding fast that doctrine which is agreeable to that which from Christ and us you have been taught and seen exemplified, viz. that the truth of God must be confessed, though with the greatest hazards and losses, contrary to what is now infused by the new Gnostic teachers; that so he may be able to instruct all in the truth, or to comfort those that for their constancy to the faith are under any pressure, and convince the heretics of the falseness of their popular, grateful, carnal doctrine. For there are already many unruly persons, that resist our doctrine, and vent idle fancies of their own, and seduce and corrupt others from the truth to their corrupt ways, which will be the ruining of them: and these are those especially that stand up as advocates for the observation of the Jewish law. And these are not to be permitted to vent their deceits; for they seduce, where they come, whole families at once, and infuse abominable doctrines into them, and thereby make advantage to themselves. And these are such kind of men as those which Epimenides, a Cretian poet and learned man, (see note [n] Luke i.) said that island was wont to be full of, liars, bestial, luxurious people. [c] prophet of their own] Of Epimenides the author of this verse, it is known that he took upon him to teach men how the judgments of heaven, when at any time they fell on a city, pestilence, famine, &c., were to be averted. A story of this is notorious in Diogenes Laërtius, and is set down note [g] on Acts xvii. And so saith Theophylact of him, that as he was one of the wisest men among the Grecians, so he was θειασμοῖς καὶ ἀποτροπιασμοῖς προσέχων, "one that set himself to find out and teach others what ceremonies were to be used to avert the anger of the gods," (which they that did are called among the heathens priests and diviners, 1 Sam. vi. 1, 2.) He further saith of him, that he did seem μαντικὴν κατορθοῦν, to rectify divination, and accordingly, saith Laertius, θεοφιλέστατος, one very much in the favour of the gods; but this, as it is elsewhere shewn at large, (note [n] on Luke i.) not referring only to prediction of things to come, but directing them in their duty for present actions. This gives an account of the reason why he is here called a prophet of their own, one so deemed by them. And as most such were among them, so was he, a poet also. Of him saith Chrysostom and Theophylact, that seeing the Cretians build a sepulchral monument to Jupiter, and worship him as one that was or had been but a man, ζηλώσας, in zeal and jealousy and rage for that god of his, he writes these verses to Jupiter, beginning. Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεύσται, which Chrysostom makes up into a distich, καὶ γὰρ τάφον, ὦ ἄνα, σείο Κρῆτες ἐτεκτήραντο, σὺδ' οὐ θάνες, ἐστὶ γὰρ αἰεί. "The Cretans are always liars, for they have built thee a tomb, but thou hast never died, but shalt continue for ever." But it must here be observed, that these verses are in Callimachus's hymn πρὸς Δία, which that they are the very lines here referred to in Epimenides doth no way appear but by Chrysostom's conjecture; nay, the contrary must be concluded by the κακὰ θηρία that here follows, but not in [d] slow bellies] What is here meant by γαστέρες ἀργαὶ is matter of some question. Phavorinus seems to have read it γαστέρας ἀργοί, and renders it γαστρίμαργοι, great eaters; and so indeed that word, proverbially used for gluttons, seems to be made of γαστήρ, belly, and ἀργός, not in the notion of βραδύς, slow or idle, but of ταχύς, swift, (so saith Hesychius, ἀργούς, ταχείς, and in Homer κύνες ἀργοί are swift, eager dogs,) and so signifies greedy devourers. And to this sense hath Guil. Canterus with full confidence interpreted the phrase, Nov. Lect. I. 1. c. 15. But that which to me seems more facile, is to render γαστέρες bellies, as Hesychius doth, τροφῆς μονας ἐπιμελούμενοι, they that take no care but for food: and so the word bellies will be proverbially taken for gluttonous persons, as in Hesiod's Theogonia, from whence the latter part of this verse seems to be imitated and lightly changed, Ποιμένες ἀγραυλοί, κακ' ἐλέγχει γαστέρες οἷον. And then ἀργαί, idle, annexed to it, will signify all those sins of uncleanness consequent to gluttony, which are also proverbially expressed by idleness, as in Sodom, Ezech. xvi. 49, and so seem to signify here among the Gnostic heretics in Crete. [e] Unto the pure—] The meaning of this verse will be discerned by considering the doctrine of the Gnostics, (which here, and through this whole Epistle, he arms them against,) that talked much of Christian liberty, and extended it to the partaking of idol feasts, and to all the filthiness of the flesh, calling themselves the spiritual and perfect, to whom all these things were lawful and indifferent or free. These are they that pervert the truth, ver. 14, teach things which are not lawful, ver. 11, and are μεμιασμένοι, polluted, in the latter end of this verse. Now the notion of lawful or indifferent is here expressed by pure, that is, that hath no impurity or turpitude in it, defileth not the conscience. Of which sort of things the apostle here pronounceth that to them that live pure lives, and unspotted from the pollutions of the flesh, these indifferent things may thus freely be used. And this But let thy preaching be of those things which agree perfectly with that doctrine which thou hast heard from me: (see ch. i. 9.) And for the deacons, or other officers of the church beside the bishops, ch. i. 7, they must be free from all manner of intemperance or excesses, of a reverend behaviour, discreet, orthodox, and such as have not been guilty of the Gnostic heresy, who have so much love to Christ as to persevere in that profession in time of persecution: (see note [b] Rev. ii.) [a] aged men] It is not certain here what is meant by πρεσβύται. The word may denote the ancienter sort of men, and no more: but the context seems to incline it to church officers. For this Epistle being written to Titus a bishop, who was to ordain such, and that which is here said being the enumerating the qualifications of such, it is evident that it refers to some such order, unto which, upon choice and approbation of their qualifications, some were to be received, and not others. Whereas of the νεώτεροι or juniors, that is, the ordinary Christians assumed to no office, the style is altered no more than this, that he should admonish them to be sober, ver. 6. Thus the Commentaries under St. Hierome's name, Senes ætate et ordine possunt intelligi, "Those ancient men may be here understood that are such both for age and order." But what order is here noted is uncertain still. The word πρεσβύτης may seem to be that which is turned into the Latin presbyter, the σ being ordinarily turned into r, as μαρτύς, martyr, λιγύς, ligur, κίλης, celer, and the like; and so the Commentaries under St. Hierome's name interpret it, ecclesiæ seniores, "the elders of the church." But it is much more likely that it is the order of deacon; first, because the comparing of the instructions which are here given to Titus for his province with those to Timothy for his, 1 Tim. iii. 1, doth infer this. There the qualifications of a bishop are first set down, that he should be blameless, the husband of one wife, &c., and so here, ch. i. 6-9, almost in the same words: both after the example of Jethro's direction to Moses for the choosing of rulers over the Israelites, Exod. xviii. 21. And proportionably as after the bishops the apostle gives Timothy directions for deacons, the deacons likewise must be grave, &c., ver. 8; so here the directions are given for πρεσβύται, that they be sober, grave, &c. By which it may reasonably be concluded, that the πρεσβύται here are the deacons there. And accordingly they that are here called πρεσβύτιδες in the feminine, but to Timothy γυναῖκες, women, only, are generally in the ancient church called διακονίσσαι, deaconesses. Secondly, it is formerly cleared, note [a] on Phil. i, that at the first in every city the apostles and apostolical men instituted none but a bishop and So for the deaconesses, that they behave themselves as becometh those that are received into holy orders for the service of God in the church, not back-biters, not accustomed to intemperate drinking of wine, such as by words and examples may teach good, not ill lessons unto others. [b] in behaviour] Κατάστημα, the noun, cometh from the verb καταστῆσαι, which we find used ch. i. 5, and Acts vi. 3, for ordination or consecration of church-officers, according to that which grammarians have observed; καταστὰς (perhaps it should be κατασταθεῖς) προχειρισθεῖς, in Suidas, noting office or function committed to any. And therefore in all reason it must signify the rank of those who are thus constituted officers of the church, in the same manner as from καταλέγειν, used for choosing officers of the church, the ecclesiastical word κατάλογος, the catalogue, and ἱερὰς κατάλογος, the sacred catalogue, doth frequently signify the list of ecclesiastical persons. This is that which in aftertimes was called κανὼν, when οἱ ἐν κανόνι, they in the rule, is the style of the officers of the church. Thus it may first appear by the context here. St. Paul giving directions to Titus for the ordaining of bishops, ch. i. 5, passes orderly to the next degree of church-officers, ch. ii. 2, under the name of πρεσβύται and then after those succeeds πρεσβύτιδες, as several sorts of church-officers under one another. Secondly, by the qualifications which are here set down both for the πρεσβύται and πρεσβύτιδες, (in like manner as for the διάκονοι and γυναῖκες, that is, saith Theophylact, the deaconesses, 1 Tim. iii.) which sure cannot be applied to them under the notion of aged men or women, but only as such as Titus was to ordain in each city. Whereas the younger women are mentioned in another manner, thus, vv. 4, 5, the πρεσβύτιδες must σωφρονίζειν τὰς νέας, discipline the young women to be sober, &c., which is again an intimation of a part of the function of the πρεσβύτιδες, to be as σωφρονισταί among the Athenians, (of which see note [c].) Thirdly, by the word ἱεροπρεπεῖς, compounded of ἱερὰς, which is the word peculiar for sacred, whether persons or things, that is, for those which are set apart to the service of God, (as ἱερομάρτυρες are peculiarly the clergy martyrs; see note [c] on Rev. iii.) and so signifies such as having taken a sacred habit upon them, (ἐν τῷ σχήματι ἐξεταζομίαι, Concil. Nic. cap. 19.) behave themselves worthy of it. Fourthly, by the nature of the word, which denotes dignity as well as age, and differs little from the word presbyteræ, by which the deaconesses are expressed by Baronius, out of some of the ancients. Thus do the Commentaries under S. Ambrose's name understand it, Anus in statu religione digno, reading it in the Greek ἱεροπρεπεῖ, where religio signifies those that are in some sacred function. And those under St. Jerome's name, on 1 Tim. iii. 11. Similiter eas ut diaconos eligi jubet, unde intelligitur quod de his dicat quas adhuc hodie in Oriente diaconissas appellant, "He commands them to be chosen in like manner as the deacons, from whence it is to be understood that he speaks of those which now in the East they call deaconesses." And the words are clear in the eleventh Canon of the Council Careful of instructing and advising of the younger women in all Christian duties, ² understanding, ὁ νοῦς. ¹ ancient. ² ancient women likewise, that are in the list, that they behave themselves as becometh sacred persons. ³ enslaved, βεβουλωμένας. ⁴ bring up. [c] teach the young women to be sober—] There were in Athens some chosen persons to whom the education of youth was intrusted, and these are called σωφρονισταί: Ἄρχοντές τινες χειροτονητοί (saith Phavorinus) δέκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑκάστης φυλῆς, ἐπεμελοῦντο δὲ τῆς τῶν ἐφήβων Οὐχ Ἱερατεύειν οὐδὲ τι ἐπιχείρειν ἐπιτρέπει, Hær. 79. [d] keepers at home] Οἰκουρεῖν, to keep at home, is the office of wives. See Artemidorus Ὄνειροκ. l. 1. ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ οἰκουροῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες, “wives for the most part keep at home.” This Phidias expressed by the tortoise that carries her house about with her, Pausan. Eliac. 2. See Faber’s Semestria, p. 29. And therefore Plutarch in his Γαμ. παραγγελμ. saith it was the custom for women among the Egyptians to use no shoes, ὅπως ἐν οἴκῳ διηρεμεύσωσι, that they might live quietly at home. Thus the dogs being called οἰκουροί, which are used ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ κτημάτων, to keep our goods, do, saith Artemidorus, signify women, in the Oneirocritics, or the interpreting of dreams. So in Euripides in Oreste οἰκουρήματα signifies wives, εἴτ’ ἕνδον οἰκουρήμαθ’ οἱ λελειμμένοι φθείρονσιν, “they that are left within doors corrupt their wives.” Under this word οἰκουρεῖν are contained two things, both staying at home and taking care of the family, as in Naumachius, Σοὶ δ’ οἰκωφελίη μελέτω, οἶκόν τε φυλάσσειν, “Thou art to take care of the profit of the house, and to look to the family.” So Hector to Andromache in Homer, Ἰλιαδ. ζ’. Ἀλλ’ εἰς οἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σαύτῆς ἔργα κόμιζε, Ἰστόντ’ ἠλακάτηντ’—— “Go home, and fall to thine own works;”—on which saith Eustathius, Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ οἰκεῖον εἶναι γυναιξὶ τὴν οἰκουρίαν γνωματεύει ὁ ποιητής, “The poet in those words delivers a moral sentence, that it is the proper employment for women to keep home, and follow their domestic affairs.” Contrary to these are the περιερχόμεναι τὰς οἰκίας, they that go about to houses, 1 Tim. v. 13. Likewise for the men, all those that are under authority, (see note [d] Luke xxii,) advise them to take care that they be humble and temperate. True doctrine, and coming with so much clearness of expression and conviction, that it is not liable to the censures of any, but that they that do not like, but oppose the Christian profession, may have nothing to lay to your charge, and so be ashamed that they oppose such excellent persons. b but approving themselves the most truly faithful servants that can be, that by their actions the Christian religion may be well spoken of by all men in this as well as other respects. For the gospel (see note [d] Heb. xiii,) hath been made known and published to Gentiles as well as Jews: (see note [b] Luke iii.) And the summary doctrines of that are, to oblige us Christians to renounce and forsake all impious, licentious practices, and perform all sorts of duties, reducible to three heads, toward ourselves, toward our brethren, toward God, sobriety, justice, and piety, all the time of our living here; The truth of this his censure now appears; and therefore do thou examine and inquire narrowly into them; and such as thou shalt find to be such, inflict the censures of the church upon them, that thou mayest reduce and reform them by that means; With patience and perseverance in well doing, attending God's good time of performing his blessed promise to us, on which all our hopes are fastened, That they may no longer hearken to those mystical cabalistical explications of the Old Testament, which the Gnostics use, and to false doctrines of those which, under pretence of Christian liberty, corrupt seducible persons, and pervert them from the gospel. [e] peculiar people] The notion of περιούσιος is set down by the glossaries: περιούσιος λαός, ὁ ἔγκτητος, saith Phavorinus, ὡς τὸ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς περιουσιασμὸν ἑαυτῷ, ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰς κτῆμα, it signifies “acquired or purchased, as, Israel for an acquisition, that is, a possession to himself.” So περιούσιος, περιποίητος, saith Hesychius, a purchased people; but especially as that referreth to the richness, plentifulness, excellency of the possession, περιουσία, πορισμός, πλῆθος, it denotes wealth, plenty, and περιουσιασμοῦ, πλήθους, multitude, and περιούσιον, πολὺ περισσὸν, abundant, and περιούσιος, πλούσιος, πολὺς, rich, much, all in Hesychius. The full notion of it must be fetched from the Hebrew כגלה, from whence כגלה signifies peculium, proprium, thesaurus, facultates, res chara, that which is a man’s own, his treasure, his estate, any thing dear unto him: and so כגלה, which is generally rendered λαὸς περιούσιος, Exod. xix. 5, Deut. vii. 6, and xxvi. 18, is xiv. 2, and xxvi. 18, rendered by the Targum חביב, dilectus, “beloved,” and so in Exodus also; and accordingly here it signifies a beloved, precious, excellent people, (for which Symmachus puts ἐξαίρετοι,) as Mal. iii. 17, כגלה is rendered by us jewels, and by Aquila περιούσιος. d l. 2. p. 95. HAMMOND ANNOTT. VOL. II. Y To a Christian, that doth all things with a pure conscience, all kinds of meats, &c. are lawful; but to impure, unchristian Gnostics, every thing they do (though it were in itself lawful) would become a matter of sin to them, their wicked life hath so blinded their judgment that they cannot judge aright what is lawful, what not.