Titus is another of those short letters from Paul to a protege. This time, it's sent to Titus, who was dispatched to Crete to care for the flock there.
It's a nice letter, although it's not (IMHO) all that memorable. I think I've heard some church-speak phrase about Titus 2 discipling for women. That would be following Paul's instruction to get older women to instruct younger women "to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:4-5).
On reading Titus this time, I had to chuckle at chapter one, where Paul gives his thoughts about Titus' flock, the Cretans. First, he tells Titus to appoint some elders to assist with the work, and gives some character traits to demand among those worthies.
Apparently, though, Paul had no high regard for these people. He has very harsh words in 1:10-16. Here's my favorite part: "Even one of their own prophets has said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true." (1:12-13.) He winds up the passage with, "They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good" (1:16). In fairness, Paul probably was thinking of a small group of bad apples. But still...
By the way, Cretans are inhabitants of the island of Crete. They should not be confused with cretins, unfortunate individuals who suffer cretinism. Cretinism is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones (congenital hypothyroidism) usually due to maternal hypothyroidism. (Thanks,Wikipedia).
And of course, "cretin" is a slang, pejorative term for a moron. No doubt Paul would have loved the play on words.
I guess the "theological" take on the harsh words Paul inflicts would be that Christians need to be wary, discerning and, evidently, blunt with people who willingly and aggressively pervert the word of God.
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