5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;
6 if any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate— 7 for it behoveth the overseer to be blameless, as God's steward, not self-pleased, nor irascible, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 but a lover of strangers, a lover of good men, sober-minded, righteous, kind, self-controlled, 9 holding—according to the teaching—to the stedfast word, that he may be able also to exhort in the sound teaching, and the gainsayers to convict; 10 for there are many both insubordinate, vain-talkers, and mind-deceivers—especially they of the circumcision— 11 whose mouth it behoveth to stop, who whole households do overturn, teaching what things it behoveth not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 A certain one of them, a prophet of their own, said—'Cretans! always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies!' 13 this testimony is true; for which cause convict them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commands of men, turning themselves away from the truth; 15 all things, indeed, 'are' pure to the pure, and to the defiled and unstedfast 'is' nothing pure, but of them defiled 'are' even the mind and the conscience; 16 God they profess to know, and in the works they deny 'Him', being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work disapproved.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Titus 1:5-16
Commentary on Titus 1:5-9
(Read Titus 1:5-9)
The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders and bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his household, there is great reason that they should be blameless. What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as servants of Christ, and able ministers of the letter and practice of the gospel. And here are described the spirit and practice becoming such as should be examples of good works.
Commentary on Titus 1:10-16
(Read Titus 1:10-16)
False teachers are described. Faithful ministers must oppose such in good time, that their folly being made manifest, they may go no further They had a base end in what they did; serving a worldly interest under pretence of religion: for the love of money is the root of all evil. Such should be resisted, and put to shame, by sound doctrine from the Scriptures. Shameful actions, the reproach of heathens, should be far from Christians; falsehood and lying, envious craft and cruelty, brutal and sensual practices, and idleness and sloth, are sins condemned even by the light of nature. But Christian meekness is as far from cowardly passing over sin and error, as from anger and impatience. And though there may be national differences of character, yet the heart of man in every age and place is deceitful and desperately wicked. But the sharpest reproofs must aim at the good of the reproved; and soundness in the faith is most desirable and necessary. To those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; they abuse, and turn things lawful and good into sin. Many profess to know God, yet in their lives deny and reject him. See the miserable state of hypocrites, such as have a form of godliness, but are without the power; yet let us not be so ready to fix this charge on others, as careful that it does not apply to ourselves.