TITUS — 2 TIMOTHY

"THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS"

Who wrote it. — To the general remarks pp. 104, 105 we may add the following notes of genuineness:—

(1) The quotation in i. 12 is in accordance with the manner of St Paul, who is the only New Testament writer that quotes heathen authors (Acts xvii. 28; 1 Cor. xv. 33). At the same time the use of the word "prophet" in this passage, as compared with "poet" in Acts xvii. 28, is against the supposition of imitation,

(2) The introduction of such unknown names as Artemas and Zenas, as well as of Nicopolis (iii. 12, 13), which are mentioned nowhere else in the New Testament, and the unique designation of the apostle himself (i. 1), are at variance with the idea of forgery.

To whom written. — "To Titus, my true child after a common faith " (i. 4). Judging from the allusions to Titus in Paul's epistles¹ he seems to have been the ablest and most reliable of all the friends and coadjutors whom the apostle had about him in his later years. As an uncircumcised Gentile who had been converted by Paul, he represented in his own person the breadth and freedom of the Gospel, for which the apostle had so zealously and successfully contended.

The conversion of Titus had taken place at ft comparatively early period in the apostle's ministry, for he accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their visit from Antioch to Jerusalem to vindicate the freedom of the Gentiles from the ceremonial law of the Jews (Gal. ii. 1-4).

From the allusion to him in the passage just cited we may infer that he was well known to the Galatians; and it is possible he may have been the labourer among them referred to in Gal. iii. 5. We find him figuring prominently at another crisis in the apostle's ministry, when the strife and confusion in the Corinthian Church threatened to destroy the apostle's influence. His remarkable success in the difficult mission then assigned to him (pp. 66, 67), which called for the exercise of combined firmness and tact, and from which Apollos appears to have shrunk (1 Cor. xvi. 12), marked him out as an able and trustworthy delegate, and explains his selection ten years later for the important and trying position which he temporarily held in Crete when this letter was addressed to him.

Of the state of the Church in Crete we know very little except what may be gathered from this epistle. In all probability the Gospel had been first brought to the island by those of its inhabitants who witnessed the outpouring of the spirit on the day of Pentecost ("Cretans," Acts ii. 11). More than thirty years had passed since then, and there were now, probably, quite a number of congregations in the island, which was 140 miles long and was famous for its hundred cities.

Paul had been there once before, on his way from Caesarea to Rome; but being a prisoner at the time he could have had little or no opportunity of preaching. It may have been on that occasion, however, that he saw the necessity for organising the various congregations, as he was now seeking to do through the instrumentality of Titus. It was a difficult task, for the Cretans bore a bad character. "Liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons," was the description given of them by "one of themselves" (Epimenides. 600 B.C.) — a testimony confirmed by several other ancient writers. They were a mixed population of Greeks and Asiatics, with a considerable infusion of Jews. To the influence of these latter, acting on native superstition, the corruption of Christian doctrine, of which we hear in the epistle, appears to have been largely due (i. lo, 14; iii. 9).²

Where and when written. — The strikmg resemblance of this epistle to i Tim. justifies us in assigning it to the same year (say 67 A.D.) It may have been written in Asia Minor when the apostle was on his way to Nicopolis.

Its Character and Contents. — Although addressed to a friend, this letter, like 1 Tim., has to a certain extent an official character. This is evident from the greeting: "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. . . . " (i- 1-4). It was intended to furnish Titus, as the apostle's representative in Crete, with the same assistance in his work as had already been rendered to Timothy. From i. 5 it would appear that the apostle had heard of opposition being offered to Titus, and desired to strengthen his hands for his arduous undertaking. With this view he gives him directions for the appointment of properly - qualified presbyters in every city, who should be able and willing to teach "the sound doctrine," and to counteract the useless and unwarrantable speculations of a semi-Jewish character, involving endless controversy, which were propagated by dishonest self-seeking teachers. He also reminds Titus of suitable exhortations to be addressed to the various classes in the Church, for the promotion of that practical godliness which ought to accompany sound doctrine. Titus himself is admonished to show himself in all things "an ensample of good works."

The epistle contains a number of memorable sayings, including several of the most comprehensive statements of Christian truth to be found in the New Testament (ii. 11-14; iii. 4-7). In ii. 11-14 we have an excellent illustration of that "doctrine which is according to godliness," that sober-minded union of faith and practice, which is the ripest fruit of Christianity, and which forms. the chief burden of this most salutary letter.

The epistle concludes with some allusions to personal Matters (iii. 12-15), in the course of which Paul bids Titus come to him at Nicopolis as soon as Artemas or Tychicus has arrived to relieve him. This is an arrangement scarcely consistent with the view of some Episcopalian writers that Titus held a permanent official position in the island.

"THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY"

Who wrote it. — In several passages this epistle bears the stamp of genuineness as a writing of St. Paul's, notably at i. 5-18 and iv. 9-22. In particular the opening thanksgiving (i. 3) is characteristic of Paul, eight of his ten other epistles having a similar commencement. At the same time this is not such a prominent feature as to lead to imitation; and, as a matter of fact, it is not found in the two other pastoral epistles.

A strong proof of genuineness is afforded by the proper names in the epistle. They are twenty-three in number, Including ten mentioned elsewhere. In connection with several of these ten, remarks are made which a forger would have been very unlikely to invent. E.g. "Demas forsook me, having loved this present world" (iv. 10, cf. Col. iv. 14), is a record more like what we should have expected to find concerning Mark, in view of his former desertion of Paul (Acts xiii 13); whereas we find favourable mention of him in this epistle (iv. 11). Dalmatia is also a strange place to have invented as a destination for Titus (iv. 10). considering that he had been written to so recently at Crete. A striking argument has been derived from the occurrence of the name Linus in iv. 21. The argument is based on the fact that Linus, Cletus, and Clement are the names of the first three "bishops" of the Church of Rome, preserved in her Eucharistic Service, dating from the second century. If the epistle had been written in the post-apostolic age, Linus, it is held, would have been sure to receive a more prominent place in the list of salutations, and his name would have been accompanied with that of Cletus, or at all events with that of Clement, as the latter was believed to have been an immediate disciple of Paul.

These marks of genuineness are so numerous and strikmg that this epistle is accepted by many critics who reject the two others. But as the main objections to the latter, on the score of their novel language and teaching, and their want of correspondence with the Book of Acts, apply equally to 2 Tim., it is generally admitted that the three epistles must stand or fall together. Hence any argument for the Pauline authorship of this epistle has a reflex influence on that of the two others.

To whom written.— "To Timothy, my beloved child" (i. 2), see p. 107.

Where and when written.— From i. 8, 16-18, it is evident that this epistle was written by Paul while a prisoner at Rome. That it was a different imprisonment from that mentioned in Acts xxviii. may be inferred not only from the general considerations adduced on p. 104, but more particularly from the apostle's anticipation of a fatal result (iv. 6-8) as compared with his expectation of release in Phil. ii. 24 and Philemon, ver. 22.³

Moreover, the difference between Paul's position during his first imprisonment (Acts xxviii. 30-31; Phil. i. 12-14) and at the time when he wrote this epistle (ii. 9; i. 15-17; iv. 16) leads us to the same conclusion. Such a second imprisonment was in itself not at all unlikely after the great fire in 64 A.D., when the Christian religion was put under the ban; and we know the apostle had no lack of enemies to give information against him. If we are right in dating the first epistle 67 A.D., we may assign this one to 67-68 A.D.

Its Character and Contents. — We hare here the apostle's last will and testament in favour of the Church, in the form of a farewell charge to his beloved child Timothy. He still hoped to see him once again, and repeatedly urges him to do his best to come to him shortly — " before winter," while navigation is still practicable (iv. 9, 21). His yearning for Timothy's society in his lonely prison reminds us of our Lord's desire for the sympathy and prayers of His disciples on the eve of His Passion; and in this epistle, as in our Lord's teaching during the week preceding His death, there b blended with a sublime confidence in the speaker's own future, dark foreboding of approaching trial and temptation for the Church. He warns Timothy of the "grievous times" to come (iii. 1), and exhorts him to adhere steadfastly to the teaching he had received from the apostle on the foundation of the Scripture *' inspired of God," and to take security for such teaching being continued by " faithful men who shall be able to teach others also " — bidding Timothy emulate his own example in the endurance of hardship and in the practice of self-denial for the sake of the Gospel

A peculiarity of this as of the other pastoral epistles is the introduction of short and weighty sayings with the words, "Faithful is the saying." In ii. 11-13 we have what is probably part of a Christian hymn, expressing the faith in which the apostle would have Timothy to meet his trials. 

1) In the Book of Acts Titus is never mentioned.

2) In the subsequent history of the island, Titus has figured prominently as the patron-saint of the community.

3) The tame conclusion may be drawn from the fact that Timothy was now at a distance from the apostle (i. 2), whereas he had been with him when he (the apostle) wrote Philippians (i. 1), Colossians (i. 1), and Philemon (ver. 1); as well as from the absence of Demas and Mark (iv. 10-11) who had sent salutations from Rome in Col. iv. 10 14. In this inference we are further confirmed by iv. 20, "Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick." On his last journey to Jerusalem, before his imprisonment at Rome, Paul was accompanied by Trophimus from Miletus to Jerusalem (Acts xx. 4, 15; xxi. 29); and as Timothy was with Paul during his visit to Corinth, narrated in the same chapter, he could not have required to be informed that Erastus had abode in that city, if it were the same occasion that was referred to.