Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
•Then follows the direction that at the end of three years all the tithe of that year is to be gathered
and laid up “within the gates” and that a festival is to be held of which the stranger, the fatherless
and the widow together with the Levite, are to partake. Ibid. (5:28,29)
•Lastly it is ordered that after taking the tithe in each third year, “which is the year of tithing,” an
exculpatory declaration is to be made by every Israelite that he has done his best to fulfill the
divine command, (26:12-14) From all this we gather— (1) That one tenth of the whole produce
of the soil was to be assigned for the maintenance of the Levites. (2) That out of this the Levites
were to dedicate a tenth to God for the use of the high priest. (3) That a tithe, in all probability a
second tithe, was to be applied to festival purposes. (4) That in every third year, either this festival
tithe or a third tenth was to be eaten in company with the poor and the Levites. (These tithes in
early times took the place of our modern taxes, us well as of gifts for the support of religious
institutions.—ED.)
Titus
Our materials for the biography of this companion of St. Paul must be drawn entirely from the
notices of him in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the Galatians, and to Titus himself, combined
with the Second Epistle to Timothy. He is not mentioned in the Acts at all. Taking the passages in
the epistles in the chronological order of the events referred to, we turn first to (Galatians 2:1,3)
We conceive the journey mentioned here to be identical with that (recorded in Acts 15) in which
Paul and Barnabas went from Antioch to Jerusalem to the conference which was to decide the
question of the necessity of circumcision to the Gentiles. Here we see Titus in close association
with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch. He goes with them to Jerusalem. His circumcision was either
not insisted on at Jerusalem, or, if demanded, was firmly resisted. He is very emphatically spoken
of as a Gentile by which is most probably meant that both his parents were Gentiles. Titus would
seem on the occasion of the council to have been specially a representative of the church of the
uncircumcision. It is to our purpose to remark that, in the passage cited above, Titus is so mentioned
as apparently to imply that he had become personally known to the Galatian Christians. After
leaving Galatia., (Acts 18:23) and spending a long time at Ephesus, (Acts 19:1; 20:1) the apostle
proceeded to Macedonia by way of Troas. Here he expected to meet Titus, (2 Corinthians 2:13)
who had been sent on a mission to Corinth. In this hope he was disappointed, but in Macedonia
Titus joined him. (2 Corinthians 7:6,7,13-15) The mission to Corinth had reference to the
immoralities rebuked in the First Epistle, and to the collection at that time in progress, for the poor
Christians of Judea. (2 Corinthians 8:6) Thus we are prepared for what the apostle now proceeds
to do after his encouraging conversations with Titus regarding the Corinthian church. He sends
him back from Macedonia to Corinth, in company with two other trustworthy Christians, bearing
the Second Epistle, and with an earnest request, ibid. (2 Corinthians 8:6,17) that he would see to
the completion of the collection. ch. (2 Corinthians 8:6) A considerable interval now elapses before
we come upon the next notices of this disciple. St. Paul’s first imprisonment is concluded, and his
last trial is impending. In the interval between the two, he and Titus were together in Crete. (Titus
1:5) We see Titus remaining in the island when St. Paul left it and receiving there a letter written
to him by the apostle. From this letter we gather the following biographical details. In the first place
we learn that he was originally converted through St. Paul’s instrumentality. (Titus 1:4) Next we
learn the various particulars of the responsible duties which he had to discharge. In Crete, he is to
complete what St. Paul had been obliged to leave unfinished, ch. (Titus 1:5) and he is to organize
the church throughout the island by appointing presbytery in every city. Next he is to control and
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William Smith