Titus 1

Titus 1:3:
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our saviour

A case for the vocation of preaching.

Titus 1:5:
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Although churches had been formed, the situation was still incomplete. The form was not yet full because elders had not yet been appointed or ordained. So Titus is to take care of what has been left undone: he is to bring the church up to the level of the form that the New Testament church should have.

Titus 1:9:
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

John Piper

"To the emerging church that would like to minimize doctrine, Athanasius would say, 'Our young people in Alexandria die for doctrine about Christ. What do your young people die for?' Athanasius would have grieved over statements like 'It is Christ who unites us; it is doctrine that divides.' He would have grieved because he knew this is the very tactic used by Arian bishops to cover the councils with fog so that the word Christ could mean anything. They think they have done something profound and fresh, when they call us away from doctrine. In fact, they have done something very old and worn and deadly."
--John Piper. From a sermon by Mark Connelly, The Deity of Christ, 8/24/11

Titus 1:10-16:
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Gabriel Hughes

Titus 1:10-16:
10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.
There’s a contrast between the sound teacher described for us in verses 5-9 and these false teachers Paul warns about in verses 10-16.
In verses 10-11, he says, “There are many rebellious men… empty talkers and deceivers.” And because they go unchallenged, “they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.” The next part in verses 12-14, Paul says what the people are like where Titus has been sent to minister. And because they are like this, here’s what they need: “Reprove them severely,” he says, “so that they may be sound in the faith.”
The last part in verses 15-16, Paul again contrasts the sound with the unsound, but more than that, he connects doctrine with life. “To the pure, all things are pure,” he says. “But to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.” We’re being shown here that a person’s doctrine and his behavior go hand in hand. Your doctrine affects your living and living affects your doctrine.
- Gabriel Hughes; Pastor Gabe; DOCTRINE AND LIFE (A SERMON FROM TITUS 1:10-16) 7.11.23

Titus 1:15:
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. Often one who sees everything as corrupt is making more of a judgment about themselves….they themselves are corrupt.

“They alone are pure who are justified from all sin by Christ’s righteousness, and are clean through the word or sentence of absolution spoken by him; and who are washed from their sins in his blood, and have that sprinkled upon their consciences,a by which they are purged and cleansed from all sin; and have the clean water of sanctifying grace spinkled upon them, and have clean hearts and right spirits created in them; and whose hearts are purfied by faith, and have pure principles of grace and holiness formed in them” --John Gill

all things--external, "are pure" in themselves; the distinction of pure and impure is not in the things, but in the disposition of him who uses them; in opposition to "the commandments of men" (Tit 1:14), which forbade certain things as if impure intrinsically. "To the pure" inwardly, that is, those purified in heart by faith (Ac 15:9; Ro 14:20; 1Ti 4:3), all outward things are pure; all are open to, their use. Sin alone touches and defiles the soul (Mt 23:26; Lu 11:41).
nothing pure--either within or without (Ro 14:23).
mind--their mental sense and intelligence.
conscience--their moral consciousness of the conformity or discrepancy between their motives and acts on the one hand, and God's law on the other. A conscience and a mind defiled are represented as the source of the errors opposed in the Pastoral Epistles (1Ti 1:19; 3:9; 6:5). --Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown