TITUS, EPISTLE TO

their favour (Ac 15"- "). The case of Titus thus seems to have been the test case in this controversy. From this time we may suppose that Titus continued with St. Paul as one of his missionary companions and assistants, but we have no distinct reference to him until some 10 years after the Council at Jerusalem, namely, when the Apostle wrote 2 Corinthians. In this Epistle Titus is mentioned nine times, and from it we gather that he visited Corinth as the Apostle's delegate — probably three times. On the first occasion, which was a year before 2 Cor. was written (2 Co 8'°), he came with an unnamed 'brother' (12>a), and on his arrival set on foot the necessary organization to secure the local contributions towards the collection for the poor Christians of Judaea which the Apostle had in-augurated (1 Co 161- 2). After his departure from Corinth serious trouble vexed the Church there, and he was a second time sent to reduce matters to order. Probably on this occasion he was the bearer of the letter referred to in 2 Co 2^- T^-. St. Paul anxiously awaited at Troas the return of Titus (2 Co 2"); but the journey tools longer than was expected; and so the Apostle moved on into Macedonia, with a view to meeting him the sooner on his road. Here Titus ulti-mately reached him, and bringing good news from Corinth refreshed his spirit (v."). Titus was then despatched a third time to Corinth, bearing the 2nd Epistle (8"-^), and was charged to complete 'the collection' — the organization for which he had commenced the year before (8i»).

After these events we do not hear of Titus until St. Paul addressed to him the Pastoral Epistle. From it we gather that he had accompanied the Apostle, after his release from his Roman imprisonment, on a visit to Crete, and had been left there by him 'to set in order things that were wanting' and to 'ordain elders in every city' (Tit 1'). He is charged to maintain sound doctrine (2'), to avoid unprofitable discussions (39), and duly to assert his authority (2'5). The Apostle tells him of his intention to send Artemas or Tychicus to him, and bids him, when this occurs, to join him in Nicopolis, where he hopes to winter (3"). Whether these plans were ever realized we know not. St. Paul may have been re-arrested before reaching Nicopolis; but we learn from 2 Ti 4i° that Titus was with the Apostle during part of his second imprisonment in Rome, though at the time of the writing of that Epistle he had left for Dalmatia.

Titus and Timothy share the honour of being the most trusted and efficient helpers of St. Paul, and the fact that the former was chosen to deal with so sharp a crisis as presented itself at Corinth shows that prudence, tact, and firmness marlced his Christian character.

Charles T. P. Gkierson.

TITUS, EPISTLE TO.— This Epistle was written by St. Paul (11) to Titus while the latter was acting as his delegate in Crete (1"). It may have been a reply to a request from Titus for guidance, or may have been written by the Apostle on his own initiative, to assist his delegate in the difficulties that faced him. St. Paul had come to Crete in company with Titus (1^), but, having to leave before he could complete his work there, he left Titus behind to ' set in order things that were wanting.'

As far as our records tell us, this waa the first missionary visit of St. Paul to the island. No doubt on his journey as prisoner from Csesarea to Rome he was windbound under its iee, sheltering from unfavourable winds at Fair Havens (Ac 27'- '); but we are not told that he landed on this occasion, and it is probable that, as a change of wind was being anxiously waited for, he was unable to leave the ship. In any case there was no opportunity then granted him of prosecuting any effective evangelization.

It has been thought possible that the visit alluded to in our Epistle might have taken place during the Apostle's lengthened sojourn at Corinth (Ac 18") or atEphesus(19'J'). Such a visit is possi&Ze, but we have no record of it; while

TIZITE

the general literary style of the Epistle marks it distinctly as belonging to the same group as 1 and 2 Timothy, which group on strong grounds must be held to belong to tliat period of St. Paul's Ufe which intervened between his two Roman imprisonments (see Timothy [Epistles to]).

From the Epistle it is evident that, though the Cretan Church was lacking in organization, yet it was of some years' standing. We read of several cities having con-gregations in need of supervision (1'), and of elders to be chosen from among those who were fathers of 'believing' (i.e. Christian) families (v."); while the heresies dealt with are those that are in opposition to true doctrine, rather than such as might occur in a young Church through ignorance of truth.

The Cretan character was not high. Ancient writers describe their avarice, ferocity, fraud, and mendacity, and the Apostle himself quotes (l'^) Epimenides, one of their own poets, as saying 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.' Christianity, without the discipline of a firm organization, springing up in such soil, would naturally be weakened and corrupted by the national vices. We are not surprised, then, to find the Apostle in this Epistle laying the chief em-phasis on the importance of personal holiness of char-acter, and insisting that right belief must issue in useful, fruitful life (l'«- '« 2 passim 3»- "). The chief errorists mentioned by him are unruly men, vain talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who led men astray for filthy lucre's sake (l'»- "), men who professed that they knew God but denied Him in their lives (1"), and men who were 'heretical' (RVm 'factious,' 3»"). The type of error to be resisted is also seen in tlie caution given to Titus to avoid foolish questions, genealogies {i.e. Jewish legendary history), and strifes and fightings about the Law, as unprofitable and vain (3').

These dangers to the Christian faith are very similar to those opposed in 1 Timothy; with, however, this difference, that none of those mentioned here seems to have its origin in the incipient Gnosticism which in a measure affected the Church in Ephesus, where Timothy was in charge. The false doctrines in Crete are pre-dominantly, if not exclusively, Jewish in origin, and it is known that Jews abounded in Crete.

The ecclesiastical organization, entrusted to Titus for establishment, is of the simplest kind, merely the ordination of elders (1^; spoken of as 'bishops' V.') — oHlcers which it had been the custom of the Apostle from the first to appoint in the Churches he established (Ac 14^'). The appointment of presbyters was left entirely in the hands of Titus; but while this was so, it is evident that it would he necessary for him to consult the congregations over whom the elders were to be appointed, for he is charged to select only those whose reputation should be ' blameless ' in the eyes of their fellow-Christians. Further, the presbyter is spoken of as ' God's steward,' so that the authority committed to him by Titus was ultimately derived from God and not from man. No mention is made in this Epistle of deacons, deaconesses, or widows — a, fact which so far distinguishes it from 1 Timothy.

The Epistle claims to be written by St. Paul (1'); and its authenticity is established by the same con-siderations as establish that of 1 and 2 Timothy, with which Epistles it is closely allied in general situation, external attestation, and literary style. For a dis-cussion of the questions involved in this connexion the reader is referred to art. Timothy [Epistles to].

The Epistle was probably brought to Titus by the hands of Zenas and Apollos (3'=).

Charles T. P. Grierbon.

TITUS JUSTUS.— See Justus, No. 2. TITUS MANIUS.— See Manius.

TIZITE. — A designation, whose origin is unknown, applied to Joha, one of David's heroes (1 Ch 11«).

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