7 For the overseer must be free from all charge [against him] as God's steward; not headstrong, not passionate, not disorderly through wine, not a striker, not seeking gain by base means;
and specially those who walk after the flesh in [the] lust of uncleanness, and despise lordship. Bold [are they], self-willed; they do not fear speaking injuriously of dignities:
shepherd the flock of God which [is] among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily;
each according as he has received a gift, ministering it to one another, as good stewards of [the] various grace of God.
And be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are they gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are overpowered by wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they have erred in vision, they have stumbled [in] judgment.
Thou shalt not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, and thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, lest ye die -- [it is] an everlasting statute throughout your generations,
The word [is] faithful: if any one aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work. The overseer then must be irreproachable, husband of one wife, sober, discreet, decorous, hospitable, apt to teach; not given to excesses from wine, not a striker, but mild, not addicted to contention, not fond of money, conducting his own house well, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity; (but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?) not a novice, that he may not, being inflated, fall into [the] fault of the devil. But it is necessary that he should have also a good testimony from those without, that he may fall not into reproach and [the] snare of the devil. Ministers, in like manner, grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not seeking gain by base means, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these be first proved, then let them minister, being without charge [against them]. [The] women in like manner grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let [the] ministers be husbands of one wife, conducting [their] children and their own houses well: for those who shall have ministered well obtain for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in faith which [is] in Christ Jesus.
that the elder women in like manner be in deportment as becoming those who have to say to sacred things, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is right;
For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou mightest go on to set right what remained [unordered], and establish elders in each city, as *I* had ordered thee:
My soul, come not into their council; Mine honour, be not united with their assembly; For in their anger they slew men, And in their wantonness houghed oxen.
Paul and Timotheus, bondmen of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with [the] overseers and ministers;
Who then is the faithful and prudent bondman whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in season?
Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court.
His watchmen are all of them blind, they are without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs that cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber: and the dogs are greedy, they know not to be satisfied, and these are shepherds that know not how to discern: they all turn to their own way, every one for his gain, even to the last of them: Come, [say they,] I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, [and] much more abundant.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink? -- lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Titus 1
Commentary on Titus 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have,
Tts 1:1-4
Here is the preface to the epistle, showing,
Thus far is the preface to the epistle; then follows the entrance into the matter, by signifying the end of Titus's being left in Crete.
Tts 1:5
Here is the end expressed,
Tts 1:6-16
The apostle here gives Titus directions about ordination, showing whom he should ordain, and whom not.
Objection. But are not these judaizers (as you call them) men who profess religion, and speak well of God, and Christ, and righteousness of life, and should they be so severely taxed? Answer, They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate, v. 16. There are many who in word and tongue profess to know God, and yet in their lives and conversations deny and reject him; their practice is a contradiction to their profession. They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness, Eze. 33:31. Being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. The apostle, instructing Titus to rebuke sharply, does himself rebuke sharply; he gives them very hard words, yet doubtless no harder than their case warranted and their need required. Being abominable-bdelyktoi, deserving that God and good men should turn away their eyes from them as nauseous and offensive. And disobedient-apeitheis, unpersuadable and unbelieving. They might do divers things; but it was not the obedience of faith, nor what was commanded, or short of the command. To every good work reprobate, without skill or judgment to do any thing aright. See the miserable condition of hypocrites, such as have a form of godliness, but without the power; yet let us not be so ready to fix this charge on others as careful that it agree not to ourselves, that there be not in us an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God; but that we be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God, Phil. 1:10, 11.