Titus 1:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore the property of purity is not abstention from everything, but the bold reception of everything. The one pure by nature dares all things, but the defiled one dares nothing. This may also be said against Marcion.

Do you see that the sign of purity is to be above every defilement, while touching nothing is a sign of impurity? So it is also with God. If He took flesh, this is a sign of His purity. If He had not taken it out of fear of being defiled, this would have been a sign of His impurity.

Whoever does not eat what seems unclean is impure and weak. Whoever eats is not such. Therefore let us not call such people pure. They are impure. But whoever dares all things is pure.

This pious discernment must be shown toward what defiles the soul. This is truly impurity, this is defilement, and all the rest is not. Those whose taste is corrupted think that what is offered them is unclean, but this comes from their disease.

Therefore one must know firmly what is pure by nature and what is unclean.

If someone, sitting as it were at the summit of a theater, looked upon the whole world, or rather, if you wish, let us for now limit ourselves to our own city. If someone, sitting on a high place, could survey all human affairs, consider how much folly he would see, how many tears he would shed, with what laughter he would laugh, and how much hatred he would feel.

Indeed, we act in such a way that our deeds are laughable, foolish, pitiable, and hateful. One man feeds dogs in order to hunt wild beasts, while he himself falls into brutality. Another feeds donkeys and oxen in order to haul stones, while he despises people wasting away from hunger.

He spends an abyss of gold to construct stone men, while he neglects real men who have become like stone through calamity. Another gathers precious stones and, with great labor, adorns walls with them, yet when he sees the naked limbs of the poor, he is not moved at all.

Some invent garments in addition to garments, while others have nothing with which to cover even their naked body. Again, in the courts one devours another. One squanders everything on prostitutes and parasites, another on actors and dancers, another on splendid buildings and the purchase of fields and houses.

Again, one calculates interest, another interest upon interest. Another composes documents filled with many murders, and even at night he has no rest, keeping sleepless watch for the ruin of others.

Scarcely has day dawned when one runs to unjust gain, another to dissolute spending, and others to embezzlement. In general, there is much concern for what is excessive and forbidden, and no thought for what is necessary.

Those who sit in the courts truly bear the name of judges, but they act like robbers and murderers. If one examines lawsuits or wills, there too he will find a multitude of evils: deceit, theft, and evil designs.

All concern is for these things, and there is no thought for the spiritual. Everyone comes to church only to look around. But this is not what is required from us. We need deeds and a pure soul.

If you spend the whole day in covetousness, and then come to church and say a few words, you will not propitiate God. You will anger Him still more. If you wish to incline your Lord to mercy, show deeds.

Recognize the multitude of every kind of distress. Look upon the naked, the hungry, and the wronged. God has opened to you a thousand paths to love for mankind.

Therefore let us not deceive ourselves, living vainly and to no purpose. Let us not be negligent because we are now healthy. We have already more than once fallen into illness, and, having reached the final degree of weakness, we died from fear and expectation of the future.

Thinking on this, let us consider that we may again be subjected to the same thing. Let us acquire that same fear and become better, for our present deeds are worthy of a thousand condemnations.

Those who sit in the courts are like lions and dogs, and those trading in the marketplaces are like foxes. Even those who live without engaging in any business do not use freedom from business as they should. They ruin all their leisure on theaters and the evil deeds that arise from them.

There is no one who rebukes all this, but there are many who emulate it and are grieved that they cannot do the same as others. Yet these too will be punished, even if they do no evil, because “they not only do them, but approve those who do them” (Rom 1:32).

Their inclinations are equally corrupt. From the Apostle’s words it is evident that punishment will also come for the disposition of the heart.

I say this every day and will not cease saying it. If anyone listens, it is good. If no one pays attention, you will still hear this then, when it will be of no benefit to you. You will begin to reproach yourselves, and I will be clear of blame.

But may God forbid that I should have only this justification. No, I would desire that you also be my praise before the judgment seat of Christ, so that together we may enjoy the heavenly good things, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

For example, you confess that God exists, and you speak well, because He truly exists. Yet this word is of no importance if it is not borne witness to by deed. If, while confessing that God exists, you act as only one who thinks there is no God could act, does not your deed refute your word? Does not your way of life refute what you affirm? Therefore confess by what you do that God exists, so that both your word and your manner of life may proclaim it. Then those who hear will be convinced. But if you stand upon the word and neglect what must be done, I will not agree that this word can persuade hearers unless you act as you ought.

John Chrysostom says: "If those who observe rules about foods are not healthy, but sick, for concerning such men the Apostle says, 'Receive the one weak in faith, not for disputes over opinions' (Rom 14:1). Then what should be said about those Cretans who fast and keep the Sabbath with the Jews, or go to places regarded as sacred by the pagans, such as the place in Cilicia called that of Cronus? Thus one must obey neither pagans nor Jews. Why do you submit to such men? Or do you not hope in the faith?" Blessed Theodoret writes: "The Apostle called Jewish fables not the Law, but the interpretation of the Law offered by the Jews. They strive to show that they honor God in every way, yet they act contrary to what pleases Him. God limited the Law to a definite time. They did not fulfill it during that time, but when the time ended, they cling firmly to the Law." Concerning the distinction of foods, St. John Chrysostom says: "God created nothing unclean, and nothing is unclean except sin. They themselves are unclean, says the Apostle, and so are their mind and conscience. One must be discriminating concerning what defiles the soul. And what is unclean? Sin, malice, deceit, greed, wickedness. 'Wash yourselves and be clean; remove evils from your souls' (Is 1:16). Let us flee this and abstain from this. In the Old Testament certain foods were forbidden, not because they were unclean, but to restrain love of the flesh. Bodily things are nearer to us, and therefore God first turned them away from these. But now one must accept the truth and hold to it."

For, the Apostle adds to explain his instruction to Titus, these commandments are worthless. To those clean in conscience all things are clean. But to those unclean in conscience, and to those who have evil thoughts and convictions, everything is unclean. Every object produces unclean desires in their soul. Such precisely are the Cretan false teachers in the Apostle's eyes. In word they know God, but in deed they utterly deny Him.

It is true that teachers of the truth may stumble in the works of life. Yet it is also beyond doubt that nothing repels people from teaching as much as the bad life of teachers.

Saint Paul’s aim was to turn people away from false teaching. Since the false teachers presented him with their weak side, namely, disorder in life and character, he made use of it. If this had not existed, he would not have touched on it, but would have indicated something else in the false teachers that could expose the falsity of their teaching.

He had already indicated their shameful pursuit of gain (see Tit 1:11). Now he indicates something greater, hypocrisy: “They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him.” This form of expression shows that the Apostle strikes chiefly at those of the circumcision.

Ambrosiaster writes: “Although these words may be applied to all heretics, here the Apostle speaks of the Jews, who insisted about themselves that they alone knew the God of Abraham. They know Him, but only with the tongue. By their works they deny Him, as the Lord also rebuked them: ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham’ (Jn 8:39).”

Blessed Theodoret brings this back to the subject of the Apostle’s discourse: “They strive to show that they honor the God of all, but they act directly contrary to what pleases Him. God limited the law to a definite time. Yet at that time they did not fulfill the law, and when the time had ended, they stood firmly for the law.”

Do not listen to them. They do not honor God. God is only on their tongue, while in their heart there is something quite different.

Blessed Jerome writes: “Those whose mind and conscience are defiled ‘profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him,’ according to the word of Isaiah the Prophet: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me’ (cf. Is 29:13).

“Therefore, just as one person honors with the lips while standing far away in heart, so another professes God in word while denying Him by works. But whoever denies God by works while professing Him with the mouth is abominable before God. Since he is not persuaded by any grounds of truth, he is rightly called disobedient and unbelieving.

“From this it also follows that he is unfit for every good work. Even what he does that is good, being drawn by natural goodness, is not good, because it is defiled by the corruption of his mind.

“Some think that only he denies God who, during persecution, when seized by pagans, denies that he is a Christian. But behold, the Apostle affirms that God is denied by everything perverse that anyone does.

“Christ is wisdom, righteousness, truth, holiness, and courage. He is denied as wisdom by folly, as righteousness by unrighteousness, as truth by falsehood, as holiness by vice, and as courage by faintheartedness.

“In general, as many times as we are overcome by passions and sins, so many times do we deny God. By contrast, every time we do something good, we confess God.

“One must not think that on the day of judgment the Son of God will deny only those who denied Him during martyrdom. In all deeds, words, and thoughts Christ is either denied and will deny, or confessed and will confess. Thus by all good words and deeds it is witnessed that the soul is devoted to Christ.”