Titus 1:9

1:5-9 The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders and bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his household, there is great reason that they should be blameless. What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as servants of Christ, and able ministers of the letter and practice of the gospel. And here are described the spirit and practice becoming such as should be examples of good works.

Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught; no airy, uncertain man, that is of that opinion which his company is of, or his age favours, but holding steady the word of faith, as he hath learned it from me, and the rest of the apostles. That he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort, his work is to persuade others to the faith, and to convince the gainsayers; by sound arguments to convince those that speak contrary to it; and if he himself be ignorant of, or uncertain, as to that, how can he ever discharge this employment?

Titus 1:9 . Ἀντεχόμενον ) one who will hold fast , defend, zealously urge. By this word the LXX. mostly translate the Hebrew verb הזק .— κατὰ ) ὁ κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν λόγος [Engl. Vers. the word as he has been taught], the word appertaining to doctrine.— πιστὸς , firm, sure [lit. to be relied on], from which exhortation and power to convict ( παρακαλεῖν , ἐλέγχειν ) receive their strength.— καὶ — καὶ ) both—and.

{8} Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, {9} that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (8) The third admonition: the pastor must hold fast that doctrine which the apostles delivered, and pertains to salvation, leaving behind all curious and vain matters. (9) The fourth admonition: to apply the knowledge of true doctrine to use, which consists in two things, that is, in governing those who show themselves able to learn, and confuting the obstinate.

Holding fast (ἀντεχόμενον) Only here in Pastorals. In Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (note). The faithful word (τοῦ πιστοῦ λόγου) The trustworthy, reliable word. Comp. 1 Timothy 1:15 (note). As he hath been taught (κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν) Lit. according to the teaching. Const. with word. Agreeing with the apostolic teaching. For διδαχή teaching see on 2 Timothy 4:2. May be able by sound doctrine both to exhort (δυνατὸς ῇ καὶ παρακαλεῖν ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῇ ὐγιαινούσῃ) Rend. "may be able both to exhort in the sound teaching." For δυνατὸς able or powerful, see on 2 Timothy 1:12. Used by Paul in the phrase εἰ δυνατόν if it be possible, Romans 12:18; Galatians 4:15 : τὸ δυνατόν that which is possible, Romans 9:22 : of God, Romans 4:21; Romans 11:23 : of men, in the ethical sense, Romans 15:1; 2 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Corinthians 13:9. Convince (ἐλέγχειν) Better, convict. See on John 3:20, and see on ἐλεγμὸν, 2 Timothy 3:16. The gainsayers (τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας) In Pastorals only here and Titus 2:9. Once in Paul, Romans 10:21, cit. Mostly in Luke and Acts. Gainsay, Angl. Sax. gegn (Germ. gegen) "against," and "say." Wiclif, Luke 21:15 : For I schal gyue to you mouth and wysdom, to whiche alle youre aduersaries schulen not mowe agenstonde, and agenseye."

Titus 1:9 . ἀντεχόμενον : holding firmly to . ἀντέχομαι is stronger than ἔχειν , as used in a similar connexion, 1 Timothy 1:19 , etc., etc. The R.V. holding to correctly suggests the notion of withstanding opposition, which is not so clearly felt in the A.V. holding fast . “Having care of it, making it his business” (Chrys.). δυνατός : See note on 2 Timothy 2:2 . τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν πιστοῦ λόγου : the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching . It is indicative of the weakening of the phrase πιστὸς λόγος that St. Paul strengthens and defines it here by κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν . It was noted on 1 Timothy 1:15 that πιστὸς λόγος here means the totality of the revelation given in Christ; and ἡ διδαχή is to be taken passively, as equivalent to ἡ διδασκαλία , as employed in these epistles. It is tautological to take it actively, the word which is faithful as regards the teaching of others ; for that is expressed in what follows. παρακαλεῖν — ἐλέγχειν : Cf. 2 Timothy 4:2 for this combination. The shepherd must be able to tend the sheep, and to drive away wolves. ὑγιαινούσῃ : See on 1 Timothy 1:10 . διδασκαλία here, as frequently, is a body of doctrine. So R.V., in the sound doctrine . The A.V., by sound doctrine , would refer to the faith as applied in its various parts to particular needs. τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας : It is only a coincidence that where this word occurs in Acts it is in reference to Jewish opponents of the Gospel.

9. Holding fast—Holding firmly to (compare Mt 6:24; Lu 16:13). the faithful—true and trustworthy (1Ti 1:15). word as he has been taught—literally, "the word (which is) according to the teaching" which he has received (compare 1Ti 4:6, end; 2Ti 3:14). by—Translate as Greek, "to exhort in doctrine (instruction) which is sound"; sound doctrine or instruction is the element IN which his exhorting is to have place … On "sound" (peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles), see 1Ti 1:10; 6:3. convince—rather, "reprove" [Alford], (Tit 1:13).

Verse 9. - Holding to for holding fast , A.V.; which is according to the teaching for as he hath been taught , A.V.; both to exhort in the sound doctrine for by sound doctrine, both to exhort , A.V.; convict for convince , A.V. Holding to ( ἀντεχόμενος ) . Holding fast is a better and more forcible rendering than holding to. It answers to the Latin adherere , to cling to. The faithful word which is according to the teaching is awkwardly expressed. Ἠ διδαςή is "the Christian truth" as taught by the apostles, and "the faithful" or "sure word" to which Titus is to cleave is described as being" according to that truth" (comp. Titus 1:1 , ἀληθείας τῆς κατ εὐσέβειαν ). The A.V. gives substantially the apostle's meaning. The result of this adhesion to the faithful word is that he will be able to comfort and encourage believers by ( ἐν ) his wholesome teaching, and also to convict the opposers of the truth. The gainsayers ; or, contradictors ( τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ); such as those Jews described in Acts 13:45 and Acts 28:19 as "contradicting and blaspheming." Titus 1:9

Holding fast the faithful word - That is, the true doctrines of the gospel. This means that he is to hold this fast, in opposition to one who would wrest it away, and in opposition to all false teachers, and to all systems of false philosophy. He must be a man who is firm in his belief of the doctrines of the Christian faith, and a man who can be relied on to maintain and defend those doctrines in all circumstances; compare notes, 2 Thessalonians 2:15 . As he hath been taught - Margin, "in teaching." Greek "According to the teaching." The sense is, according to that doctrine as taught by the inspired teachers of religion. It does not mean as he had individually been taught; but he was to hold the faith as it was delivered by those whom the Saviour had appointed to make it known to mankind. The phrase "the doctrine," or "the teaching," had a sort of technical meaning, denoting the gospel as that which had been communicated to mankind, not by human reason, but by teaching. That he may be able by sound doctrine - By sound teaching, or instruction; Notes, 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 4:16. He was not to dictate, or to denounce; but to seek to convince by the statement of the truth; see the notes at 2 Timothy 2:25. Both to exhort and to convince - To persuade them, or to bring them over to your views by kind exhortation, and by the instruction which shall convince.

The former method is to be used where men know the truth, but need encouragement to follow it; the latter, where they are ignorant, or are opposed to it. Both exhortation and argument are to be used by the ministers of religion. The gainsayers - Opposers Literally, those who speak against; that is, against the truth; Notes, Romans 10:21.

Titus 1:9 . To these requisites, somewhat general in nature, Paul adds another with special bearing on the official duties of a bishop: ἀντεχόμενον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν πιστοῦ λόγου ] The exposition given by most of the compound idea τοῦ … λόγου is inaccurate and confused. Heydenreich divides the expression into two parts: (1) ὁ πιστὸς λόγος , “the true doctrine of the gospel;” and (2) ὁ λόγος κατὰ τὴν διδαχήν , “the doctrine in which the bishop is instructed,” and gives the following translation: “holding firmly, as instructed, by the word which is certain (to reliable doctrine).” But manifestly this translation arbitrarily inverts the meaning. The words κατὰ τὴν διδαχήν are not dependent on πιστοῦ , but on λόγου , defined by πιστοῦ , so that τοῦ κ . τ . διδ . πιστοῦ λόγ . is equivalent to τοῦ πιστοῦ λόγου , τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διδαχήν . Ὁ πιστὸς λόγος does not occur elsewhere in our epistles, but there is no doubt that Paul means thereby the pure, wholesome word ( λόγοι ὑγιαίνοντες , 1 Timothy 6:3 ; οἱ λόγοι τῆς πίστεως , 1 Timothy 4:6 ) of the gospel, in contrast to the false doctrine of the heretics. He uses the epithet πιστός because it is not treacherous, it can be relied on: “ the sure, reliable word .” This sure word is defined more precisely by κατὰ τὴν διδαχήν ] διδαχή is not active (Luther: “that which can teach”), but means, as it often does in the N.

T., “ doctrine .” Here it denotes “the Christian doctrine,” which is none other than that preached by Christ Himself and by His apostles; so Matthies, Wiesinger, Plitt, Hofmann. It is less appropriate to explain διδαχή to be “the instruction imparted” (so van Oosterzee, and formerly in this commentary); comp. 1 Timothy 4:6 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:15 . ἀντέχεσθαι (in Matthew 6:24 , synonymous with ἀγαπᾷν , opposed to καταφρονεῖν ; used in a similar sense, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ) occurs often in Polybius (see Raphelius on the passage) in the sense of: adhaerere, studiosum esse ( ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς ἀληθείας ). Here, too, it has this meaning, as in Php 2:16 : ἐπέχειν ; 2 Thessalonians 2:15 : κρατεῖν , “ adhere to .” Luther: “he holds by the word.” Heydenreich rightly remarks that this does not indicate the zeal the teacher was to show in speaking of divine doctrine, but his own internal adherence, etc. ἵνα κ . τ . λ .] This adherence to the word is necessary for the bishop that he may discharge the duties of his office. It is further defined more precisely in two ways: ἵνα δυνατὸς ᾖ καὶ … καί : “both … and.” The first is: παρακαλεῖν ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ , which refers to believers. παρακαλεῖν ] encourage, exhort ; viz. to remain in the way on which they have entered, and to advance ever further in it, ἐν being here instrumental: “through, by means of.” Matthies is incorrect: “to edify in sound doctrine;” comp. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 . ἡ διδασκ . ἡ ὑγιαιν .] see 1 Timothy 1:10 .