Titus-' Attitude to False Teachers. Loyalty to sound doctrine is needful for silencing many deceitful teachers not outside the Church (Hort), but self-constituted instructors within its borders, who reject its discipline (unruly = insubordinate). These men, exemplifying Epimenides-' judgment (600 B.C.) of the Cretan character, teach error for monetary profit (cf. 1 Timothy 6:5). Chiefly, and therefore not wholly, of Jewish origin (Titus 1:10), they base their empty talking on Jewish legends (1 Timothy 1:3-11 *) and mere human traditions which foster asceticism. Their asceticism is manifestly false, since pure men can make a pure use of everything (1 Timothy 4:1-5 *), while those who are impure and unbelieving can use nothing purely, their whole mind being contaminated and their conduct denying their profession (Titus 1:14-16). All such errorists Titus must summarily refute.
Titus 1:11. lucre: Cretans were notorious lovers of money.
Titus 1:12. With this quotation cf. those from Aratus (Acts 17:28) and Menander (1 Corinthians 15:33). The view that Paul enjoyed a liberal education is probably true, but cannot be inferred solely from these citations. liars: to speak like a Cretan was synonymous with lying. For the allusion and its significance see Rendel Harris in Exp., Oct. 1906, April 1907, Oct. 1912, Jan. 1915.
Titus 1:15. Rather for the pure (cƒ. Romans 14:20).
Titus 1:16. profess: better, confess. Far too mild a term for the second-century Gnostic!