TITUS, EPISTLE TO.
(1) Genuineness. The genuineness of this epistle is attested by a large body of evidence, and seems never to have been questioned, except by the heretic Marcion, and that upon the most frivolous grounds (Tertullian, Adv. Marcial. v, 21), until, in recent times, it was attacked by Eichhorn and De Wette. It is manifestly quoted by Clement of Rome (Ep. ad Cor. cap. 2); and it is referred to as the production of Paul by Iremeus (iii, 3. sec. 4) ; as part of the Divine Word by Theophilus (Ad. Antol. iii, sec. 14) ; as Paul's, by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. lib. i, p. 299, and in many other places) ; by Tertullian (De Praser. c. 6) ; and by Origen, in many places (Lardner, Works, vol. ii, 8vo). The ob jections of the German critics are founded chiefly upon the difficulty of ascertaining the proper date of this epistle, and upon minute peculiarities in its style and sentiments. The latter class of ob jections are so much identical with those already considered in reference to the Epistle to Timothy, that it is unnecessary to enter upon any examina tion of them here. To the former the best reply will be furnished by ascertaining, if possible, when and where the epistle was written; but even should we fail in this, it would he strange were we to relinquish our conviction of the authentic ity of an ancient writing simply because, pos sessing very imperfect information as to many parts of the alleged author's history, we were un able to say with certainty when he was in circum stances to compose it.
(2) Time of Writing. It is evident from the epistle itself that at the time it was written Paul had recently visited Crete (ch. i, 5) ; that he was about to spend the winter in Nicopolis (ch. iii, 12) ; and that Apollos was about to visit Crete, on his way to some other place (ch. iii, 13). These points may serve, in some measure, if not as in dices to the exact time when this epistle was writ ten, at least as criteria by which to test the truth of any hypothesis that may be suggested on this subject.
We learn from the Acts of the Apostle that Paul visited Crete on his voyage to Rome (ch. xxvii:
7) ; but the shortness of his visit at that time, the circumstances under which it was made, and the improbability of his expecting to spend the ensu ing winter at Nicopolis. place it out of the ques tion to suppose that it was to this visit he refers in this epistle. As this is, however, the only visit recorded by Luke, in rejecting it we are forced to suppose another visit, and to find sonic period in the Apostle's life when it was probable that such a visit was paid.
It has been suggested by Hug that the period referred to in Acts xviii:18, 19 admits of our placing this visit to Crete within it. Paul at that time, was on his journey from Corinth to Pales tine, but on some account or other landed at Ephe sus. This leads to the suggestion that the Apos tle must either voluntarily have departed from the usual course in order to visit some place lying between Corinth and Ephesus; or that he must have been driven by stress of weather from the course he meant to pursue. In either case the probability of his visiting Crete at that time is strong. We find, from the mention made by Paul in this epistle of Apollos, that he, on his way from Ephesus to Corinth (Acts xviii:24; xix:r), was to touch at Crete; which renders it not im probable that it was customary for ships sailing between these two ports to call at Crete by the way; and Paul may have availed himself of this practice in order to visit Crete before going to Palestine. Or he may have sailed in a ship bound directly from Corinth to Palestine, and have been driven out of his course, shipwrecked on Crete, and obliged to sail thence to Ephesus as his only remaining method of getting to his original des tination—a supposition which will not appear very improbable when we remember that Paul must have suffered several shipwrecks of which Luke gives no account (2 Cor. xi :23, 26) ; and that his getting to Ephesus on his way from Corinth to Palestine is a fact for which, in some way or other, we are bound to account.