The life and work of St. Paul

662 THE UFH AND WORK OV ST. PAU*.
in the faith, ceasing to heed Jewish myths and the commandments of men
who turn away from the truth. 1 Among these commandments there seem to
have been many distinctions between things clean and unclean, all of which
the Apostle sweeps aside in his clear decisive manner by the deep truth that
whereas nothing is or can be pure to men of
to the pure all things are pure ;
defiled mind and conscience, such as these, who, professing knowledge of God,
in deeds denied Him, being detestable, and disobedient, and to every good
2
deed reprobate.
"
But speak thou the things which become the healthy teaching." The
keynote of this wholesome teaching is sober-mindedness. Aged -men are to be
temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in love, in faith, in endurance. Aged
woinen are to show a sacred decorum in demeanour, free from slander and
intemperance, 3 teachers of what is fair, that they may train the younger
women, too, to be sober-minded, ennobling the estimate of their Christian
profession by humble, diligent, submissive performance of their home duties.
Titus must also exhort young men to be sober-minded, and in all respects he
is to set them a pure example of dignity, and faithfulness to the truth. Slaves
are to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," by silent
obedience and cheerful honesty.
"For God's grace was manifested bringing salvation to all men, training us to
the end that once for all rejecting impiety and all worldly desires, we should live', in
the present age soberly, and righteously, and godly, expecting the blessed hope and
manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus 4
Christ, who gave
Himself for us, that He might ransom us from all lawlessness, and purify for
Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and rebuke
and exhort with all authority. Let no man despise thee." s
After this swift and perfect summary of the Christian life, alike in its
earthly and spiritual aspects, he reverts to necessary subjects for practical
exhortation. Naturally turbulent, the Cretans are to be constantly reminded
of the duty of submission in all things right and good. Naturally ferocious,
they are to be exhorted to meekness of word and deed towards all men.
even so God showed gentleness to us when we were living in foolish
For
and
disobedient error, the slaves of various passions, in a bitter atmosphere of
1
Possibly Titus had tried to regard these " myths " as harmlesc.
a L 10-16.
J 1L 3, "Not enslaved by much wine." On the proverbial intemperance of women
among the ancients, see Antholoy, ri. 298 ; Aristoph. Thetur. 735 and f-assim ; Athen.
x. 57.
4 The question as to whether these words should be rendered as in the text, or
"
our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ," is simply a critical question. The analogy
of other passages throughout these and other Epistles (1 Tim. i. 1 v. 21 ; ; vi. 13 ; and,
above all, ii. 35 ; 2 Peter i. 1 ; 2 Thess. L 12 ; Jude 4, &c.), and the certainty that this
translation is aot required either by the anarthrous Somjp, or by the word cn-e^an), show
that the view taken by our English Version, and the majority of Protestant and other
versions, as well as by many of tha ancient versions, is correct.
Which of ail the Fathers of tha ant or second century was in the smallest degree
capable of writing so masterly a formula of Christian doctrine and practice as these
verses (ii. 11 14), or the perfectly independent yet no less memorable presentation of
Qospel truth with a compleieaoM only ceo muy-ided for sects and parties in UL