St. Jerome's Commentaries on Galatians, Titus, and Philemon

Commentary on Titus

1. Cf. 1 Tm 5.12. 2. See p. 56, n. 47 above. 3. See p. 70, n. 135 above. Commentary on Titus o n e b o o k o f t h e c o m m e n t a r y o n t h e e p i s t l e t o t i t u s b y s o p h r o n i u s e u s e b i u s j e r o m e , p r i e s t o f s t r i d o n Preface Although those who have nullified their first faith1 are not worthy of the faith—I am speaking of Marcion,2 Basilides,3 and all the heretics, who tear the Old Testament to pieces—nevertheless, we should endure them to some extent, at least if they keep their hands on the New and do not dare to do violence to the evangelists or apostles of Christ, “the Son of the good God” (as they boast). But now, since they have both demolished his Gospels and made the epistles of the apostles to be not of Christ’s apostles but have made them their own, I marvel at how they dare to lay claim to the name of Christians for themselves. For to 277 278 St. Jerome’s Commentaries on Galatians, Titus, and Philemon 4. Tatian is mentioned by Irenaeus, Adv Haer 3.36–37, as a hearer of Justin Martyr, who became a heretic who denied Adam’s salvation and declared all marriage to be fornication. Harnack, Der kirchengeschichtliche Ertrag, p. 166, remarks that this mention of Tatian confirms that Jerome’s preface is based on Origen. 5. See p. 55, n. 42 above. 6. Paula and Eustochium came from this region. 7. Cf. Ti 3.12. 8. 2 Cor 11.28. 9. Cf. Rom 15.19. say nothing of the other epistles, from which they erased anything they had seen that was opposed to their own doctrine, they have believed that some of them deserved to be rejected in their entirety, namely, those to Timothy, to the Hebrews, and to Titus, which even now we are endeavoring to expound. And indeed if they were to offer reasons why they do not think that they are the apostle’s, we would attempt to answer something in response, and perhaps give satisfaction to the reader. But let them now declare with heretical authority and say, “This epistle is Paul’s; that one is not.” By this authority let them understand that they are refuted on behalf of the truth by which they are not ashamed to feign false things. But Tatian,4 patriarch of the Ebionites,5 who also himself repudiated some of Paul’s letters, believed that this one, especially the one to Titus, had to be declared to be the apostle’s. He cares little for the claim of Marcion and of the others who agree with him in this respect. Well then, O Paula and Eustochium, the apostle is writing from Nicopolis, which is located on the coastline at Actium; now indeed it is the greatest part of your possession.6 And he writes to his disciple and son in Christ, Titus, whom he had left in Crete to instruct the churches. And he commanded him to come to Nicopolis himself, when one of the two, Artemas or Tychicus, had landed at Crete.7 For it was just that the one who had said, “my anxiety for all the churches,”8 and who, having set out from Jerusalem, had established the gospel of Christ all the way to Illyricum,9 would not allow the Cretans to be abandoned due to the absence of himself and Titus. The seeds of idolatry first sprouted from Commentary on Titus 279 10. Rom 1.1. 11. Cf. Jn 10.30. 12. A textual variant adds “of sons.” 13. Rom 8.15. 14. Ps 116.16. 15. Lk 1.38. 16. Heb. Joshua. I preserve the Latin form to keep the link to Jesus (Christ) before the reader’s eyes. 17. Jos 1.2. 18. Dt 34.5. 19. Cf. Rom 8.15. the Cretans; but he would send to them Artemas or Tychicus in place of himself and Titus, whose teaching and solace would be greatly cherished. The book begins here. 1.1. Paul, a...