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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadGreater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 689. His Ministry in Crete
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His Ministry in Crete
Crete is a large island in the Greek seas with a range of high hills running through its entire length from east to west, from which fertile valleys open upon a continuous strip of flat shore round the coast line. On the north it possesses good natural harbours. In its palmy days these served as outlets for the abundant crops of wheat, wine, and oil which it then yielded to the industry of a dense population. Descended from an ancient Greek stock, its early inhabitants were employed partly as cultivators in the interior, partly as seamen on the coast. They were a somewhat rude, turbulent, and independent race, among whom the usual defects of the Greek character in its less cultured condition were very strongly marked. Of these defects, falsehood, both in the form of over-reaching and in that of treachery, has always been the foremost. To this vice there were joined, in St. Paul's time, gross forms of licentiousness and a readiness to swift insolent brawling such as has never been quite cured among the maritime Greeks of the Archipelago.
The untrustworthy character of the Cretans (Act_2:11 A.V. Cretes, Tit_1:12 A.V. Cretians) was proverbial. St. Paul quotes from one of their own poets, Epimenides (Tit_1:12), who lived about 600 b.c., and is called by Plato “a divine man,” that “they were always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.” Witness to their avarice is also borne by Livy (xliv. 45) and Plutarch Æmilius (§ 23), “the Cretans are as eager for riches as bees for honey”: to their ferocity and fraud by Polybius and Strabo; and to their mendacity by Callimachus, Hymn in Jov. 8, who begins a line with the same words as Epimenides.1 [Note: W. Lock, in Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible, i. 520.]
2. Such a population did not offer very hopeful soil for the gospel; nor had Christianity been introduced into Crete, or propagated there, under the most favourable auspices. In its seaports, as in other business centres of the Mediterranean, numbers of Hebrews were at that period to be found. It is probable that a good share of the export trade of the island was in their hands. Some of these Jews of Crete had been among the motley and polyglot audience which listened to St. Peter's first Christian sermon at the memorable Pentecost. It is a fair presumption that, having accepted the new gospel of the Messiah of Nazareth, some of them would carry back the tidings to the island of their adoption. But how it was propagated from one coast town to another, we do not know; nor how far it succeeded in penetrating the interior and winning converts among the farmers, shepherds, and peasants, who lay more remote from Hebrew and foreign influences. When St. Paul paid his hurried visit to the island in the year 66 or so, it is certain that he found congregations already existing in most of the chief seats of population; nor were these congregations of recent origin, since he anticipated no difficulty in selecting for office in the Church men whose families had been trained in the Christian Faith. “Ordain elders,” he writes, “in every city”; men “having faithful” (that is, believing or Christian) “children” (Tit_1:5-6). St. Paul's brief sojourn in the island with Titus was probably the first serious effort to consolidate the young, struggling, and imperilled churches; and we can easily imagine that it was the necessity of completing an anxious work that compelled the Apostle reluctantly to leave his companion behind him.
3. Titus was by this time no novice in the management of difficult affairs. Eight or nine years had elapsed since St. Paul entrusted him with a mission to the most unmanageable of churches-that in Corinth-at a moment when that Church was in its most distracted condition. Ever since then, it can hardly be doubted, Titus must have been acquiring similar experience. None of the band of missionaries who took their inspiration and their guidance from the great Apostle stood higher than he for energy, tact, and ability. Hence, although he could be ill spared, St. Paul left him behind for a time to finish the task he had begun of organizing the Cretan congregations.
The materials with which Titus had to build up the Cretan Church were of the most rugged kind.
Moreover, when we consider that he was isolated and unsupported in this position, we feel how much need there was of a strong character for such a post. Here was a conspicuous token indeed of the deep confidence reposed in him by his master; which implies to us much hardness endured with cheerful patience; tells of much diligence under most disheartening labours; of faith well and truly tried by works of love; of the dedication of the whole man in body, soul, and spirit to a service which he thankfully accepted from God, and executed in the true mind of Christ. We see how much is condensed into the brief expression used by the Apostle of Titus: “He is my partner and fellow-helper” (2Co_8:23). We cannot doubt that he rose to the standard set before him: “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned” (Tit_2:7-8)-and we can well understand how the last words of St. Paul concerning him are an expression of sorrowful regret at Rome (as formerly at Troas) for the absence of his friend: “Titus is departed unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2Ti_4:10-11).
We have to learn to be the servants of each other, to be “true yoke-fellows” willing to give and take, and to bear and forbear; if necessary, to speak a painful truth faithfully and in love, but always to be able to hear one so spoken in a sisterly spirit.1 [Note: W. Bradfield, The Life of Thomas Bowman Stephenson, 185.]
Yet deem not, on such parting sad
Shall dawn no welcome dear and glad:
Divided in their earthly race,
Together at the glorious goal,
Each leading many a rescued soul,
The faithful champions shall embrace.
For even as those mysterious Four,
Who the bright whirling wheels upbore
By Chebar in the fiery blast,
So, on their tasks of love and praise
The saints of God their several ways
Right onward speed, yet join at last.
Companion of the saints! 'twas thine
To taste that drop of peace divine,
When the great soldier of thy Lord
Call'd thee to take his last farewell,
Teaching the Church with joy to tell
The story of your love restored.
O then the glory and the bliss,
When all that pain'd or seem'd amiss
Shall melt with earth and sin away!
When saints beneath their Saviour's eye,
Fill'd with each other's company,
Shall spend in love th' eternal day!1 [Note: J. Keble, The Christian Year.]