---
title: "Wesley"
description: "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/titus/1"
---

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;
*Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ* — Titles suitable to the person of Paul, and the office he was assigning to Titus.
*According to the faith* — The propagating of which is the proper business of an apostle.
*A servant of God* — According to the faith of the elect.
*An apostle of Jesus Christ* — According to the knowledge of the truth. We serve God according to the measure of our faith: we fulfil our public office according to the measure of our knowledge.
*The truth that is after godliness* — Which in every point runs parallel with and supports the vital, spiritual worship of God; and, indeed, has no other end or scope. These two verses contain the sum of Christianity, which Titus was always to have in his eye.
*Of the elect of God* — Of all real Christians

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
*In hope of eternal life* — The grand motive and encouragement of every apostle and every servant of God.
*Which God promised before the world began* — To Christ, our Head.

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
*And he hath in his own times* — At sundry times; and his own times are fittest for his own work. What creature dares ask, "Why no sooner?" Manifested his word - Containing that promise, and the whole "truth which is after godliness." Through the preaching wherewith I am intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour - And who dares exercise this office on any less authority?

To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
*My own son* — Begot in the same image of God, and repaying a paternal with a filial affection.
*The common faith* — Common to me and all my spiritual children.

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:
*The things which are wanting* — Which I had not time to settle myself.
*Ordain elders* — Appoint the most faithful, zealous men to watch over the rest. Their character follows, [Titus 1:6-9](../../../kjv/titus/1/6-9). These were the elders, or bishops, that Paul approved of;-men that had living faith, a pure conscience, a blameless life.

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
*The husband of one wife* — Surely the Holy Ghost, by repeating this so often, designed to leave the Romanists without excuse.

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;
*As the steward of God* — To whom he intrusts immortal souls.
*Not selfwilled* — Literally, pleasing himself; but all men "for their good to edification." Not passionate - But mild, yielding, tender.

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.
*As he hath been taught* — Perhaps it might be more literally rendered, according to the teaching, or doctrine, of the apostles; alluding to [Acts 2:42](../../../kjv/acts/2/42).

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
*They of the circumcision* — The Jewish converts.

Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
*Stopped* — The word properly means, to put a bit into the mouth of an unruly horse.

One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
*A prophet* — So all poets were anciently called; but, besides, Diogenes Laertius says that Epimenides, the Cretan poet, foretold many things.
*Evil wild beasts* — Fierce and savage.

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
*Commandments of men* — The Jewish or other teachers, whoever they were that turned 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.
*To the pure* — Those whose hearts are purified by faith this we allow.
*All things are pure* — All kinds of meat; the Mosaic distinction between clean and unclean meats being now taken away.
*But to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure* — The apostle joins defiled and unbelieving, to intimate that nothing can be clean without a true faith: for both the understanding and conscience, those leading powers of the soul, are polluted; consequently, so is the man and all he does.

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