Titus 1:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having divided the whole world among themselves as though it were one house, they administered everything and cared for everything. One took one part upon himself, and another another.

"For this cause," he says, "I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that remain unfinished." He does not demand this from him in a commanding manner.

"That you should set in order," he says.

Do you see how his soul was pure from all envy? Do you see how he always sought the benefit of those being taught, without considering whether it would be achieved by himself or by someone else?

Where there was danger and great difficulty, he corrected everything himself by his personal presence. But what brought more honor or glory he entrusted to his disciple.

This was the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed some correction, or, so to speak, greater arrangement.

Tell me, then, what are you saying? That he should correct your actions? And do you not consider this humiliating and shameful for yourself?

Not at all, he says, for I have in view only the common benefit. Whether it is done by me or by another is all the same to me.

Such must the ruler of the Church be: seeking not his own honor, but the common benefit.

"And appoint," he says, "presbyters in every city." Here he means bishops, as we have said elsewhere.

"In every city," he says. He did not want the whole island to be entrusted to one person, but for each to have his own portion in his care and oversight.

In this way the labor is lightened for him, and those subject to him receive greater oversight.

This is so if the teacher is not distracted by presiding over many Churches, but attends to one alone and sets it in good order.

I mean the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed greater ordering.

"And appoint presbyters in every city, as I commanded you." Here, as in the Epistle to Timothy, he calls bishops presbyters.

"In every city," he says. He did not wish the whole island to be entrusted to one person, but for each city to have its own shepherd.

In this way the labor would be lighter and the oversight more careful.

For in Alexandria, from the time of Mark the Evangelist until the bishops Heraclas and Dionysius, the presbyters always chose one from among themselves.

Having set him on the highest rank, they called him bishop, just as an army chooses an emperor.

It is therefore natural to suppose that this practice is based on oral tradition, whose beginning goes back to the Apostles themselves.

In the present case, we see that the Apostle's written instruction was preceded by an oral commission.

If Paul then writes a special Epistle to Titus, it is not so much for Titus himself as for the Cretan Christians. From the Apostle's Epistle they had to be convinced of Titus's rights.

This can be seen from the Apostle's final greeting, which is addressed not to Titus alone, but to all the believers.

Second, the Apostle here mentions presbyters, whom he evidently distinguishes from bishops.

Although most interpreters, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Jerome, and others, understand bishops here under the name of presbyters, as the Apostle himself calls them below (7), and as they were called in the Apostolic Church, the following is worthy of attention.

The pastors of the Church, whether presbyters or bishops, were to be appointed by Titus, not by election of the lower ranks of the Church, as the Lutherans assert.

They were appointed by virtue of the authority handed down to him from the Apostle.

Thus, as the Apostles themselves received from the Lord the authority to appoint bishops and presbyters, so they also transmitted this authority to their successors.

Concerning bishops, it is known only that, although the Apostles themselves appointed bishops individually, they commanded their successors that a bishop be appointed by two or three bishops.

This is observed in the Eastern Church to this day (First Canon of the Holy Apostles).

The Apostles, possessing a weak and mortal nature, could not complete what was laid upon them by the Lord, who said to them: "Teach all nations" (Mt 28:19).

Within the limits of a short life and limited space they could only fulfill this commandment of Christ. Then they had to hand on their ministry, together with the Lord's commandments, to others: "as I commanded you."

Presbyters had to be in every city, and in the wording of the book of Acts, "in every church" (14:23).

Common presbyters were not appointed for many cities and churches. Rather, each presbyter was to know his own city or village, his own church, his own separate parish.

At the same time, according to verse 7, he was "God's steward."

But the Apostle Paul does not entrust the Cretan community with choosing presbyters. He entrusts this to one man authorized by himself, his ordained disciple Titus, who had received a special consecration from the Apostle.

The presbyters also prove to be specially consecrated persons, receiving their rank through a special symbolic act of consecration by ordination.

The Apostle Paul speaks clearly of this also to another disciple and ordained minister of his, Timothy (1 Tim 5:22).

Blamelessness in a presbyter must of course be understood not in the sense of perfect and virginal purity, for example by a secret vow, though this is sometimes expressed by the name blamelessness.

It should be understood in the broader sense of "irreproachable and unobjectionable conduct, and not only immediately before election, but throughout the whole previous life" (Jerome).

"The husband of one wife," that is, not a man married twice.

But is every man married once therefore better than one married twice? "No," answers Blessed Jerome. "It is said to show that one who teaches more by his own example can more easily incline others to single marriage and continence."

Saint Chrysostom says: "Why does the Apostle present such a man, that is, one who is married but once? He stops the mouths of heretics who condemned marriage.

He shows that this matter is in no way blameworthy, but so honorable that, while married, one may even ascend the sacred throne.

At the same time he rebukes the incontinent, not allowing one who has entered a second marriage to receive this authority."

"Having faithful children," that is, believing Christians, not pagans or unbelieving atheists.

"Not accused of dissipation," in the Russian, not reproached for debauchery, "or insubordinate," that is, not unruly and disobedient.

Although the guilt of children does not make innocent parents guilty before God, the depravity of priests' children can constrain and cut off freedom of speech in their fathers.

"For with what freedom," Blessed Jerome reasons on this point, "can we rebuke the sons of others and teach them right paths, when the one rebuked can answer us, 'First teach your own!'"

All this lays great responsibility upon presbyters' children and should move them to guard themselves in purity, faith, and good obedience.

On the other hand, the apostolic rule lays on sacred ministers the indispensable duty of raising their children in strict rules of Christian piety.

"He who does not care for his own children," Saint Chrysostom notes, "how can he care for those of others?"

Where there was danger and great difficulty, he corrected everything himself by personal presence. But what brought more honor or glory he entrusted to his disciple.

This was the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed some correction, or, so to speak, greater ordering.

Such must the ruler be: seeking not his own honor, but the common benefit."

Concerning single marriage he says: "The Apostle stops the mouths of heretics who condemned marriage. He shows that it was so honorable that, while married, one can even ascend the sacred throne.

At the same time he rebukes the incontinent, not permitting one who has entered a second marriage to receive this authority.

The Apostle wishes the one in authority to give those under him no occasion for reproach.

If he could not raise his own children, he is worthy of great condemnation for negligence.

Therefore, he who does not care for his own children, how can he care for those of others?

How can one teach others to restrain anger, if he has not taught this to himself?

Authority places a man in many circumstances that make even a very meek man burdensome and severe, giving many occasions for anger.

Therefore, if he has not taken care beforehand to tame this passion, he will be extremely burdensome. He will damage and destroy many things in his administration.

A bishop must always act by exhortation, not by censure and insult.

The teacher is a physician of souls. A physician does not strike blows, but corrects and heals the one who strikes blows."

"In a bishop every acquisitiveness is shameful" (Blessed Theophylact).

The rules for guidance are the subject of the Epistle. It is supposed that Saint Paul, after receiving freedom from his bonds, was making his way from Rome to Asia Minor.

The route passed by Crete, where ships would stop. The ship on which Saint Paul was sailing also stopped there. Saint Paul did not let this stop pass in vain.

Seeing that there was an appropriate field there for no small application of apostolic activity, he remained with them for some time. It has already been shown in the introduction that there were many believers on the island.

Yet they lacked completeness and proper church order. This is what Saint Paul was then doing especially, while also further spreading the faith.

But he did not have time to finish everything. Therefore, having done what he could, he left Saint Titus in Crete for the final ordering of all things, while he himself hastened to Asia Minor.

Saint Chrysostom marvels at such tirelessness and says, "Among the men of old, all life was active and filled with struggles. With us it is not so, but filled with sloth.

They knew that they had been born into the world precisely to labor according to the will of the One who gave them being. But we, as though born to eat, drink, and be merry, think of nothing spiritual.

I say this not only about the Apostles, but also about those who came after them. As you see, they went everywhere, as though considering this their only task.

They spent their whole life in foreign lands, as though they had no native city on earth. Hear what the blessed Paul says: 'For this reason I left you in Crete.'

Having divided the whole inhabited world among themselves as though it were one house, they governed all and cared for all, one taking one part upon himself and another taking another."

"I left you" shows that Saint Paul had both the intention and the need to take Saint Titus with him and keep him beside him. But it shows nothing about what had happened with Titus before that.

One may think that Saint Paul found him there and at first wished to take him with him. But after learning and seeing the needs of the believers, he left him there for a time longer.

One may also think that Titus arrived in Crete together with Saint Paul and was left there because of the needs of the Christians there.

That Saint Titus is not seen with Saint Paul in Rome, and that no mention is made of him in the Epistles written by Saint Paul from his first imprisonment, could have happened because Saint Titus, being in Crete, arrived in Rome before Saint Paul's departure from there.

But whichever way one thinks about this, it has little significance for understanding the Epistle.

"That you should set in order what was unfinished." "What was unfinished," λειποντα, means what was lacking, the deficiencies.

Since Christianity had begun and grown on the island by itself, without an authoritative establishment of order among the believers according to a definite norm, there is nothing surprising if some things were lacking among them.

Nor is it surprising if some things were not conducted as they ought to have been. Perhaps in Christian concepts there was not only incompleteness, but also distortion.

Saint Paul himself at once began to correct and complete all this. But since he needed to hasten to other Churches, while something still remained that required correction, he left Saint Titus on the island to finish correcting what remained uncorrected.

Therefore he said, "that you should set in order," επιδιορθωση, that is, correct further. You will add the needed corrections on top of what has been corrected and bring them to completion.

Blessed Jerome writes, "Saint Paul, hastening to other lands, left Saint Titus in Crete to correct what was uncorrected and what was lacking.

By saying, 'that you should set in order what was unfinished,' he shows that the Cretans had not yet reached full knowledge of the truth. Although some things among them had been corrected by the Apostle, others still remained needing correction, as uncorrected and imperfect.

This is also indicated by the preposition added to the verb, επιδιορθωση. It does not mean the same as διορθωση, 'that you should correct,' but, as one might say, 'that you should correct further.'

That is: what I began to correct, but did not bring to the measure required by the truth, you should finish correcting, so that everything among them may receive its proper form."

"And appoint presbyters in every city." This was not the only thing needing correction. Rather, among other deficiencies, this also had to be corrected.

The Apostle mentioned it separately because of the special importance of the sacred order in the Church. Without it, neither teaching, nor the mysteries, nor all the other orders in the Church can be properly fulfilled.

He speaks as though saying: especially, or chiefly, take care to appoint sound presbyters. Where there is a sound presbyter, everything will be sound.

The word "appoint" means the same as "ordain." Saint Paul himself acted this way everywhere.

Having founded a Church, he did not leave it to itself. He ordained worthy men and entrusted them with the edification and governance of the believers.

We see this from how he acted on his first apostolic journey. Together with Barnabas, he founded Churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia.

They did not depart from there until they had ordained presbyters in all the Churches (see Acts 14:23).

One may allow that in Crete Saint Paul himself ordained some presbyters, but not everywhere. Where presbyters were still needed, he entrusted Saint Titus to ordain them.

By presbyters all our interpreters understand bishops, as elders over priests. "In every city." Even now in the East the custom remains that every city, as far as possible, should have its own bishop.

"The Apostle did not want the whole island to be subject to one person. Rather, each should have his own part under his care and supervision.

In this way the labor would be made easier for him, and those subject would receive greater oversight. The teacher would not be distracted by presiding over many Churches, but would be occupied with one only and would order it" (Saint Chrysostom).

"As I commanded you." This commandment, of course, embraced everything. The Apostle himself precisely determined what was to be corrected and how.

From the example of what had been commanded, one could see how to correct even what had not been indicated verbally.

Perhaps, however, "as I commanded you" refers chiefly or exclusively to the election and ordination of presbyters. In that case the following words, "if anyone," and so forth, indicate what exactly, or especially, had been commanded.

Then it may be read: "as I commanded you," that is, "if anyone," and so forth.

Seeing how Saint Paul yields his authority and privileges to Saint Titus, Saint Chrysostom says, "Do you see how his soul is pure of every envy?

Do you see how he always sought the benefit of those being taught, without asking whether it would be achieved by himself or by someone else?

Where there was danger and great difficulty, he managed everything himself by his personal presence. But what brought more honor or glory he entrusted to his disciple.

These were the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed some correction or, so to speak, fuller ordering.

But tell me, what are you saying? He will correct your works? And you do not count this humiliating and shameful for yourself?

Not at all, he says, for I have in view only the common benefit. Whether it is done by me or by another makes no difference to me.

Such should the presider of the Church be. He should seek not his own honor, but the common benefit."