SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:5
¶ Por esta causa te dej en Creta, para que corrigieses lo que falta, y pusieses ancianos por las villas, así como yo te mand;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Titus 1:5
Verse 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete] That St. Paul had been in Crete, though nowhere else intimated, is clear from this passage. That he could not have made such an important visit, and evangelized an island of the first consequence, without its being mentioned by his historian, Luke, had it happened during the period embraced in the Acts of the Apostles, must be evident. That the journey, therefore, must have been performed after the time in which St. Luke ends his history, that is, after St. Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, seems almost certain. Set in order the things that are wanting] It appears from this that the apostle did not spend much time in Crete, and that he was obliged to leave it before he had got the Church properly organized. The supplying of this defect, he tells Titus, he had confided to him as one whose spiritual views coincided entirely with his own.
Ordain elders in every city] That thou mightest appoint, katasthshv, elders - persons well instructed in Divine things, who should be able to instruct others, and observe and enforce the discipline of the Church. It appears that those who are called elders in this place are the same as those termed bishops in Titus i. 7. We have many proofs that bishops and elders were of the same order in the apostolic Church, though afterwards they became distinct. Lord Peter King, in his view of the primitive Church, has written well on this subject.
In every city. - kata polin. This seems to intimate that the apostle had gone over the whole of the hecatompolis or hundred cities for which this island was celebrated. Indeed it is not likely that he would leave one in which he had not preached Christ crucified.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete , etc.] Not in his voyage to Rome, ( Acts 27:7) but rather when he came from Macedonia into Greece, ( Acts 20:2). Crete is an island in the Mediterranean sea, now called Candy; (see Gill on Acts 2:11). Here Paul preached the Gospel to the conversion of many; but not having time to finish what he begun, left Titus here for that purpose: that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting ; that is, form the young converts into Gospel order, into a regular Gospel church state; settle a proper discipline among them; instruct them more largely into the doctrines of the Gospel; and correct their manners, and direct them in everything, both with respect to faith and practice: and ordain elders in every city : for this island, though it was not above fifty miles in breadth, and two hundred and seventy in length, yet had an hundred cities in it ; and it seems as if the Gospel had been preached in most, if not all of them, and churches were formed: however, in as many of them as there were churches, the apostle would have Titus see to it, and take care that they had proper officers fixed in them, particularly elders, pastors, or overseers, to preach the Gospel, and administer the ordinances to them, to watch over them in the Lord, and put the laws of Christ's house in execution, and keep up a strict discipline in it, according to the will of God. What Titus was to do in this affair, was to put the churches upon looking out, and choosing from among themselves proper persons for such service, and to direct, assist, and preside at the elections and ordinations of them: for we are not to suppose, that the ordination of elders was the sole act of Titus, or alone resided in him; but in like manner as Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every church, by the suffrages of the people, signified by the stretching out of their hands; in which they directed, presided, and also assisted in prayer, with fasting, ( Acts 14:23) as I had appointed thee ; when he left him at Crete; when he gave him orders and instructions, both with respect to the persons, and their qualifications, whom he would have ordained, and with respect to the manner in which it should be done: the former of these he repeats in the following verses. From all which it clearly appears, that there were churches in Crete, and pastors placed over those churches; very probably the Cretes, who were at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, ( Acts 2:11), and heard Peter's sermon, and were converted by him, some of them returning to their own country, might first bring the Gospel to this island, and lay the foundation of a Gospel church state here. It seems by what is said in this text, that the Apostle Paul was in this island himself, and preached the Gospel, and after him Titus, whom he left behind; and if any credit is to be given to the subscription of this epistle, he was the first bishop of the church in it: and it is certain, that in the second century there were churches in this island, particularly at Gortyna, and other places, to whom Dionysius , bishop of Corinth, wrote letters, in which he greatly extols Philip their bishop; and in another letter of his to the Gnossians, or to the church at Gnossus, another city in Crete, he makes mention of Pinytus as their bishop, and whom he commends for his orthodox faith, great knowledge of divine things, and care of his flock; and both these lived in the times of the Emperors Antoninus Verus and Commodus ; which churches, no doubt, continued in the third century, since in the fourth we read of bishops sent from Crete to the synod at Sardica: and in the fifth century, a bishop of Gortyna in Crete is reckoned among the bishops in the council of Chalcedon: and in the sixth century, Theodorus, bishop of the same place, subscribed in the fifth synod at Constantinople: and in the seventh century, Paul archbishop of Crete, Basil bishop of Gortyna, with several other bishops of churches in the island, were present at the sixth synod at Constantinople: and in the eighth century, as appears from the acts of the Nicene synod, Helias was bishop of Crete, Anastasius bishop of Gnossus, a city in it, and Melito, Leontins, and Galatas, bishops of other places in the same island: and in the ninth century, a bishop of Gortyna, in defence of the cause of Christ, became a martyr ; so far churches, and bishops, bearing the Christian name, are to be traced in this island.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-9 - The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders an bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being suc bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them, and God' stewards to take care of the affairs of his household, there is grea 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 her are described the spirit and practice becoming such as should be examples of good works.
Greek Textus Receptus
τουτου 5127 χαριν 5484 κατελιπον 2641 5627 σε 4571 εν 1722 κρητη 2914 ινα 2443 τα 3588 λειποντα 3007 5723 επιδιορθωση 1930 5672 και 2532 καταστησης 2525 5661 κατα 2596 πολιν 4172 πρεσβυτερους 4245 ως 5613 εγω 1473 σοι 4671 διεταξαμην 1299 5668
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. In Crete. Crete is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean. By the mythological writers it was called Aeria, Doliche, Idaea, Telchinia. According to tradition, Minos first gave laws to the Cretans, conquered the Aegean pirates, and established a navy. After the Trojan war the principal cities of the island formed themselves into several republics, mostly independent. The chief cities were Cnossus, Cydonia, Gortyna, and Lyctus. Crete was annexed to the Romans Empire B.C. 67. About Paul's visiting the island we have no information whatever beyond the hints in this Epistle. There is no absolute proof that Paul was ever there before the voyage to Rome. Although on that voyage some time appears to have been spent at Crete, there is no notice of Paul having received any greeting from the members of the Christian churches there. According to this Epistle, Paul and Titus had worked there together. Paul went away, and left Titus to organize the churches founded by himself. He sent this letter by Zenas and Apollos (iii. 13), and announced in it the coming of Artemas or of Tychicus. On their arrival Titus was to join Paul at Nicopolis, where Paul was proposing to winter.
Shouldst set in order (epidiorqwsh). N.T.o . Lit. to set straight besides or farther; that is, should arrange what remained to be set in order after Paul's departure. Used by medical writers of setting broken limbs or straightening crooked ones. Diorqwsiv reformation, Hebrews. ix. 10: diorqwma correction, Acts xxiv. 3.
Ordain elders (katasthshv presbuterouv). Kaqistanai appoint or constitute. In Paul only Rom. v. 19. For the sense here comp. Matthew xxiv. 45, 47; Luke xii. 14; Acts vi. 3. The meaning of the injunction is, that Titus should appoint, out of the number of elderly men of approved Christian reputation, certain ones to be overseers (episkopoi) of the churches in the several cities. The eldership was not a distinct church office. See on 1 Tim. v. 1.
I had appointed (dietaxamhn). Better, I gave thee charge. Mostly in Luke and Acts.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:5 {For this cause} (toutou carin). In N.T. only here and #Eph 3:1,14. Paul may be supplementing oral instruction as in Timothy's case and may even be replying to a letter from Titus (Zahn). {Left I thee in Crete} (apeleipon se en kretei). this is the imperfect active of apoleipw, though MSS. give the aorist active also (apelipon) and some read kateleipon or katelipon. Both are common verbs, though Paul uses kataleipw only in #1Th 3:1 except two quotations (#Ro 11:4; Eph 5:31) and apoleipw only here and #2Ti 4:13,20. Perhaps apoleipw suggests a more temporary stay than kataleipw. Paul had apparently stopped in Crete on his return from Spain about A.D. 65. {That thou shouldest set in order} (hina epidiorth"si). Late and rare double compound (inscriptions, here only in N.T.), first aorist middle subjunctive (final clause with hina) of epidiorqow, to set straight (ortho") thoroughly (dia) in addition (epi), a clean job of it. {The things that were wanting} (ta leiponta). "The things that remain." See #3:13; Lu 18:22. Either things left undone or things that survive. In both senses the new pastor faces problems after the tornado has passed. Parry takes it "of present defects" in Cretan character. {And appoint} (kai katastsis). Final clause still and first aorist active subjunctive of kaqistemi, the word used in #Ac 6:13 about the deacons. The word does not preclude the choice by the churches (in every city, kata polin, distributive use of kata). this is a chief point in the epidorth"sis (White). {Elders} (presbuterous). See #1Ti 3:2; 4:17. {As I gave thee charge} (h"s eg" soi dietaxamn). First aorist (constative) middle imperative of diatassw, clear reference to previous personal details given to Titus on previous occasions.
