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The inscription and greeting in this Epistle are somewhat common compared to what they usually are in other Epistles, just as is the case in the Epistles to the Galatians and to the Romans. They are similar to the latter both in thought and expression. The reason why this was done here, as in those Epistles, is that, due to the importance of the subject of the Epistle, Saint Paul considered it necessary to direct the thoughts of those reading to him from the very first lines of the Epistle. Titus 1:1. Paul is a servant of God, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the mind of the truth, even according to piety. In other Epistles, Saint Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ, and here - a servant of God, which makes it clear that whether to say: “servant of God” - or: “servant of Jesus Christ” - is one and the same thing. For the Son of God, even after becoming incarnate, did not leave the bosom of the Father, but remains invariably one with the Father and is the ever-present God. Saint Chrysostom says: “Do you see how indifferently he uses these expressions, sometimes calling himself a servant of God and an Apostle of Christ, and sometimes a servant of Christ: “Paul the servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1)? So he did not believe there was any difference between the Father and the Son.” All our other interpreters do the same guidance (reflection). Blessed Theodoret adds: “Paul indifferently calls himself a servant - sometimes Christ’s, sometimes God’s; for he knows that the dominion is common.” Let us continue this explanation with the words of Blessed Jerome (Stridonsky): “The Father and the Son are one; why whoever believes in the Son also believes in the Father. And the slavery of the Apostle Paul is one, whether to relate him to the Father or to the Son.” Why: “the same” - in the word: “The Apostle” - does not mean any opposition, but stands in the meaning: “and”. “Servant of God” is an Old Testament designation for people who fear God, who are God-pleasing, who walk in the will of God and take no care of themselves, who love the truth and turn away from lies, and therefore can be relied upon in everything. Having said this, the Apostle gave both himself and Titus great authority and disposed them to obediently listen to his words. It must be borne in mind that although the Epistle was written to Titus, it was intended for reading by the entire Christian community in Crete. “Apostle of Christ” is the same for Christians as the Prophet is for the Old Testament. Prophets were sent to proclaim to people the salvation that was to come; and the Apostles proclaimed the salvation accomplished and given in the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed Jerome writes: “to say: “Apostle of Jesus Christ” - it seems to me that it was the same for believers then, as someone would say in a worldly way: prefect of the praetorium of Augustus Caesar, military leader of Tiberius the Emperor. Having said this, Saint Paul obliged the believers to obey him, accepting his word as the word of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.” "According to the faith of God's elect". The thought is not this: since I believed, as the elect believe, I was made an Apostle, and that one: an Apostle of Jesus Christ in the work of faith, sent by Jesus Christ to lead the elect to faith, teach them the faith and keep them in the order required by faith. “The Apostle said to this that he was appointed for this purpose, so that those worthy of election would believe” (Blessed Theodoret). “He expresses that God’s chosen ones have been entrusted to him... for them I became an Apostle, as in another place he says: “all your essence: whether Paul or Apollos” (1 Cor. 3, 21-22)” (St. Chrysostom). But who are the “chosen ones” here? Ancient Israel was chosen to be the people of God from all languages, that is, one people from all nations, the people as a whole. The New Israel is not composed of one people separated from others; but from all nations, not excluding the Jews, worthy persons are chosen one by one and, combining together, they form this new Israel - “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy tongue, a people of renewal” (1 Pet. 2:9). They are chosen through a call to faith. He who has accepted faith becomes the chosen one, is sanctified by the grace-filled sacraments and receives the obligation to be holy and blameless, so that in himself “they will proclaim the virtues of Him who called him out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). In this sense, the elect are the same as the called, that is, all Christians who profess the true faith of Christ. All Christians should really be such as St. Peter portrays them, so that not by name, but by deed they may be the chosen people. But just as in the midst of ancient Israel, not everyone turned out to be worthy of election, because neither in deeds nor in character did they withstand what the people were chosen for: so in the new - not everyone stands up to what they were called for, do not show in themselves the kind of persons who should be called to faith in the Lord Savior and who received grace in the sacraments. Hence the division between the called and the chosen. Only those who behave as they should behave when called to the Lord are chosen; and those who do not behave in this way remain only called. And the Savior often said: “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16, 22:14). In what sense does the Apostle use the word “elect” in the present place? In both, without distinction. The Apostle called everyone to faith, but having called them, he did not leave them to their own devices, but, on the contrary, all the more increased his concern for them, so that they would appear worthy of the calling in everything, true children of faith and grace in everything. I, he says, am an Apostle, to call everyone to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but not in such a way as to give them only a name, but in such a way as to show them perfect and in life according to the spirit of faith, not only called to do, but also chosen (Blessed Jerome). By saying this, he had the idea of ​​reminding this to those who, as can be seen from the Epistle, did nothing but invent various questions about the objects of faith and thereby gave rise to endless disputes and competitions, not leading to the creation of good morals, but, on the contrary, upsetting Christian society, sowing discord and division. But even more to this point is the following expression: “And the understanding of truth, even according to piety. – Reason”, επιγνωσιν, – understanding, recognition, clear consciousness, experienced conviction. As in the word: “by faith” - of course not the Apostle’s faith, but the faith of those to whom he preached the Gospel, or leading to faith, so in this word it is not meant the Apostle’s understanding of the truth, but those who followed the word of his preaching. I, he says, am an Apostle, appointed to preach the Gospel to lead to faith and, by faith, to the understanding of the truth. Faith initially gives only a general outline of the truth; its most precise appearance, with tactile features and application to particulars, is accepted and comprehended later in the continuation of life in the spirit of faith. By faith everything is accepted on faith; and then experience proves that everything is as it was first believed. Jerome writes: “God’s chosen one does not immediately possess faith to the extent of election, or the understanding of the truth to the extent of faith. Why did the Savior say to the Jews who believed in Him: “If you continue in My word, you will understand the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). The Evangelist testifies that the Lord said this to those who believed, but who have not yet understood the truth, which they can comprehend if they remain in His word.” St. Chrysostom has the same thought: “First we were known, and then we knew; first we were comprehended, and then we comprehended (1 Cor. 13:12; Phil. 3:12).” – This is what the Apostolic Sermon was directed towards, and all the works of the Apostles were directed towards this. Why didn’t Saint Paul simply say: I am appointed to bring the truth to understanding, but added: “even according to piety.” Piety embraces all the labors and efforts of active pleasing to God. Regarding faith, you can ask a lot of questions and present solutions to these questions that, although they will not be lies, will not concern the essence of the matter of faith, but will occupy only idle inquisitiveness, without bringing any benefit to life by faith. The Apostle says: I touch nothing of this kind and am not appointed to touch it; my business is to present the truths of faith in this way and to introduce them into your hearts in those ways, with which they are powerful to excite, strengthen and lead you to piety, or to remain in a living union with God, in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit: for this is the essence of Christian piety. Everything extraneous and alien to such a direction is alien to me, by my very purpose and Apostolic duty. “There is truth not based on piety, for example: knowledge of agriculture, knowledge of the arts is true knowledge; but that truth (which I proclaim) is the truth according to piety (that is, according to the matter of establishing piety in hearts)” (St. Chrysostom). “The question is why, having said: “according to the faith of God’s elect and the mind of truth,” the Apostle added: “even according to godliness”? Is there really any truth that is not according to piety, and now, in contrast to it, we are talking about the knowledge of “the truth that is according to piety”? There is truth that is not directly related to piety: who, for example, knows grammar or dialectics, so that he knows how to speak correctly and correctly distinguish truth from lies; geometry with arithmetic and music also have truth in their knowledge. But all such knowledge is not knowledge of piety. Knowledge of “the truth according to godliness” means knowing the law, understanding the Prophets, believing the Gospel, and not being ignorant of the Apostles. And there are many who are very knowledgeable in the matter of piety, the same knowledge that I mentioned is completely alien” (Blessed Jerome). Titus 1:2. About the hope of eternal life, even the promise of the unfaithful God before eternal years. This completes the composition of the sermon, which is entrusted to the Apostle and to which he is assigned. It is not difficult for the reader of the Epistles of Saint Paul to notice that in each Epistle he repeatedly and variously mentions eternal life, the final end of the economy of salvation and the final goal of those who have sought salvation in the Lord. And her desire, according to him, for the spiritual dispensation of believers is so urgent that he did not hesitate to assert: “our life is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). “And even if in this life we have confidence in Christ, we are the most wretched of all men” (1 Cor. 15:19). This is how the Savior Himself laid down the law, saying: “Where I am, my servant also will be” (John 12:26). Christianity is in the spirit and begins with renunciation of everything temporary and striving for the eternal. Then By the trustful contemplation of this eternal Christian is inspired and strengthened throughout his difficult journey following Christ the Lord. The strength of the martyrs and ascetics was mainly strengthened on this. The taste of our true and essential good in following Christ the Savior comes later; but it does not remove the hope of the eternally blessed life, but elevates it, completely transferring the one who trusts into this age. Why did the Apostle say: επ ` ελπιδι - on hope, in it indicating the basis for faith, and for life in the spirit of faith, or for piety. “I am, he says, an Apostle, and this is what I am assigned to do: to instill faith, to instill true piety, inclining to this and that and inspiring with the hope of eternal life - all-blessed. Blessed Theodoret briefly combines all this in the following words: “The Apostle said that he was appointed for this purpose, so that those worthy of election would believe, know the truth of piety and receive the hope of eternal life.” The hope of eternal life is so essential in the economy (economy) of salvation that Saint Paul, despite the fact that he speaks about this as if in passing, did not consider it superfluous to confirm it with indisputable arguments - the truth of God and the fact that this is included in the eternal plans of God, saying: “God is not a false promise before the eternal years.” Saint Chrysostom says: “If God is false, then what He promised will undoubtedly be fulfilled; if He is false, then there should be no doubt, even if this was fulfilled after death. - And with the words: “before eternal years” - the Apostle also proves the reliability of the promise. So, he says, it was predetermined from ancient times. Not now for our repentance, but from ancient times this was predetermined. The Apostle says the same thing in other places, for example: “those whom you foreknew, you also ordained” (Rom. 8:29), meaning our nobility - that not now, but from ancient times God loved us; and to be beloved from ancient times and from the beginning is not unimportant.” And all our interpreters by the words: “before eternal years” mean the pre-eternal determination of God. It seems to others that it is better to understand by this the times preceding the coming of Christ, in which such a promise was spoken through the Prophets, starting from the time of the fall of the first parents. But these promises were not spoken again, but because it was so determined before all time in the Eternal Councils of God about the existence of creatures. The material world has no purpose in itself. He is the field and place in which rational creatures are supposed to be formed for eternal life. Man was created for this life; for her and is recreated in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how it has been established in the Council of God from eternity. The visible world is transitory. It will pass away as a means when what it mediates has been achieved. When spiritual creatures perceive their beauty, then he too will be transformed in accordance with them, and will throw away his present, rough and corruptible state. Thus, eternal life stands in the Councils of God, as the initial beginning and final goal of the existence of all created things. Just as it is impossible to lie to the Eternal Council of God, so it is impossible not to fulfill the promise of eternal life. So strong is the foundation of her hope! Titus 1:3. Reveal your word in your time by preaching, which I was entrusted to do quickly by command of our Savior God. The promise of eternal life was true and immutable, but for a time hidden in God. Although the prophets announced it, they also did so in secret, allowing those who were able to see it as if through some shadow. But it could not remain in such secrecy and secrecy forever; because it had to be accepted by clear faith and assimilated by exact fulfillment of the conditions for participation in it. However, it was necessary to remain in this form for a certain time, so that people, through the providential actions of God, would be sufficiently prepared to accept it. “Why such delay? - asks Saint Chrysostom and answers: - Out of concern for us and in order to do this (the manifestation of the hidden) at the right time. This is what the Apostle expressed with the words: “Reveal in your time. In its own way,” that is, in a decent, proper, conformable manner, just as the Prophet says: “It is time for the Lord to create (Ps. 119:126).” With God there is a time for everything. The time has come to reveal Your hidden Councils, and He did. But He holds these times in His power (Acts 1:7), as well as the very course of events. And they have been determined from eternity and are therefore God’s. “Reveal” - he declared in a clear, undisguised word, and in fact arranged everything necessary to receive participation in this promise. Why does this word point to the entire economy of salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom is the eternal life itself. “His Word” is the word with which he spoke and with which he sealed the promise in the Eternal Council. The word, τον λογον, is this word, that is, the word of promise, as it is usually said: gave a word, meaning some kind of promise. Blessed Theophylact writes: “what is “revealed”? “the word,” he says, “His,” - that is, the Gospel: for the Gospel embraces everything, both what is given to us at the present time, such as piety, faith, truth, and what is promised in the future age, that is, eternal life. The Trinitarian God was pleased to ordain that for our salvation the Son of God would become incarnate and, having suffered in the flesh and suffer death on the cross, would rise and ascend into heaven, so that, sitting at the right hand of the Father, he would forever intercede for us, and to bring about the salvation of everyone he would send the Holy Spirit, by whose grace we are saved, being partakers of eternal life. God has now revealed this, which has been laid down since time immemorial, both in word and in deed. Saint Paul writes about this in more detail below in the same Epistle. We were, he says, indecent and destructive: “when the grace and love for mankind appeared of our Savior God... saved us by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit... that having been justified by His grace, we may be heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4 – 5, 7; Titus 2:11–13). The eternal life in the future is accepted in perfection; but it begins and matures here according to the laws of embodied economy. Why is the appearance of the word of promise a proclamation of the incarnate economy, the acceptance of which with full faith and with appropriate labors is the guarantee of eternal life. The Apostle expressed this by pointing out the manner in which the word of promise was revealed. "Preaching". The Lord Jesus Christ, having completed and arranged everything necessary to receive eternal life, sent the Apostles into the world with high preaching - to call everyone to receive this life. A special part in this work was allocated to the share of St. Paul, so that he would go to the pagans and call them to participate in the inheritance of the promise. This order was given to him by the Lord Himself, personally appearing to him on the way to Damascus and then in the temple in Jerusalem. The Apostle expressed all this here: “by preaching, which I was entrusted with the command of our Savior God.” He considered it necessary to expose this in order to dispose the Cretans to humbly listen to his words and carry out his orders: for they did not know him completely. Saint Chrysostom makes the following instructions when he says: “reveal Your word by preaching” - that is, openly, with boldness; This is the meaning of the word: “preaching”. Just as a herald at a spectacle proclaims in the presence of everyone, so we proclaim (out of confidence in the truth) - and we do not add anything, but we say what we ourselves have heard. The virtue of the herald is to tell everyone what really happened, without adding or subtracting anything. - With the expressions: “I was entrusted to be” - and: “at the command of the Savior” - the Apostle shows his trustworthiness, so that no one resists, refuses, or is upset. I, he says, received a command; why I have no power (to cancel or change). - I carry out the command; and the commands are not in our power, but it is necessary either to fulfill them, or to be punished for non-compliance. The Apostle expresses the same thing in another place when he says: “There is a need for me; “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).” The words: “God our Savior” - in the present place refer to the Lord Jesus Christ; for Saint Paul personally received the command from Him to preach. A similar expression in other places directly points to the Lord Jesus, as: “waiting for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). And in others the words: “God Savior” are used by Saint Paul also about God the Father. Titus 1:4. To Titus, the ever-child of the common faith: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. This is a benevolent word of greeting, usual to St. Paul. He calls Titus a “native” (γνησιος; – genuine, real, true) “child” both because this latter was confirmed by him in the faith and was born through him by the grace of the Holy Spirit in holy baptism, and because, once having been taught the faith and life in its spirit, he invariably kept himself completely in agreement with Saint Paul in this regard, whether it was his personal concerned either the believers led by him. Just as works are recognized as the genuine creations of famous writers when they exactly correspond to the spirit of those writers to whom they are attributed: so Titus pointed to St. Paul as his spiritual parent, in that he was completely identical with him both in teaching and in the manner of action. Blessed Jerome writes: “the word, wisdom and teaching with which Titus edified the Churches of Christ represented him as his own son of the Apostle Paul.” “But it is possible,” Ecumenius counters, “for another to be his child, having been enlightened and baptized by him, but cease to be a true child, having begun to sin.” “For,” explains Theophylact, “in this case he became unworthy to be called the child of such a father.” “Therefore,” concludes Theodoret, “what is said: “to the natural child,” makes it possible to see the virtue of blessed Titus.” Let us embellish all these speeches with the words of St. Chrysostom: “to the everlasting” – to the true – “child,” he says; for there may not be true sons, like, for example, the one about whom he says: “If a certain brother is called a fornicator, or a covetous, or an idolater, or a troublemaker, or a drunkard, with such one is below the table” (1 Cor. 5:11). Here is also a son, but not a true one; he is a son because he once accepted grace and was reborn, but not a true one, because he is unworthy of his father and voluntarily betrayed himself to another ruler. For carnal children, truth and untruth depend on the one giving birth and the one giving birth; but here it is not so, but from arbitrariness. Here it is possible for one who was a true son not to remain true, and for someone who is not true to become true; because this does not consist in natural necessity, but in free will, from which frequent changes occur.” In the same sense, that is, to show the unity of Titov’s spirit with his own, the Apostle added the words: “according to common faith.” They also show that Titus is a child not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit - “by faith”; but mainly they make it clear that by faith, or by the spirit of faith, Titus has nothing special against Saint Paul: everything is common to them; what St. Paul has, Titus also has; nothing is hidden from him, and nothing given to him is rejected or changed by him. This is the main proof that he is a natural child. “That you are my child,” the Apostle seems to say, the reason and proof of this is common faith. He praises Titus, saying that he himself has nothing more than him in the matter of faith” (Ecumenius). Unity of blood indicates carnal sonship; and the unity of faith is for the spiritual. Here Saint Paul mentioned the close relationship of Saint Titus with himself, in order to inspire Titus to continue to live and act in the same spirit, and to the Cretans to obey him as Saint Paul himself. “Finally, this preface to the Epistle and the Apostle’s greeting to Titus ends with such goodwill: “grace” and so on” (Blessed Jerome). The Apostle desires the same thing in his greetings to all believers, as can be seen from his other Epistles. But if these gifts of God are necessary for believers, then how much more necessary are they for establishing proper order among the believers and leading them along the path of salvation—what was the situation in which Saint Titus was then! “He, like every bishop, needs God’s grace-filled power more than others, as one who bears heavy burdens; he needs mercy, as one who finds it difficult to avoid guilt before God in many ways (for the souls of all will be exacted from his hands); external, both visible and invisible. Saint Chrysostom says: “See how he wishes for the teacher the same thing that he wishes for the disciples and the people; because the teacher himself, like them, has a need for such benefits, and even more so, the more enemies he has and the more opportunities he has to anger God. The higher the dignity of one who holds the priesthood, the greater the dangers he faces; for even one correct passage of the episcopate can lead one to heaven, and one failure in this matter can plunge one into Gehenna itself... Thus, the teacher especially has a need for “the grace of God (mercy) and peace.” If he governs the people without them, he will lose and destroy everything, not having a helm. Even if he was experienced in management, if he does not have these helms - “grace (mercy) and peace” - from God, he will sink the ship and those sailing.” "From God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior". Saint Paul wishes these blessings and gifts to Titus either because they are sent down both from God the Father and from Christ Jesus the Lord and that therefore in a grateful confession one can attribute them all to both One and the other; or because grace relates to the Father, and peace to the Son” (Blessed Jerome, who read only: “grace and peace”). Following this example (taking the reading: “grace, mercy and peace”) one can offer these gifts to all the Persons of the Holy Trinity: grace to the Father, mercy to the Son, peace to the Holy Spirit; confessing, however, that they are sent down by the inseparable action of the Trinitarian God. In other Epistles this part usually takes up several verses. Here it is combined in one verse. This is because he alone speaks a lot - concisely: for he brings to mind the whole history of St. Paul’s stay in Crete, what he did and what he did not complete. If I were to write all this, it would take more than a dozen verses. But there was no urgent need for this; because Titus, to whom the Epistle is written, knew all this as a co-worker. It was enough to hint at that, and, moreover, only so as not to suddenly (ex abrupto) begin the Message itself. This is what St. Paul does. I, he says, left you in Crete to finish what was unfinished and correct what was faulty. So work hard. Here are the rules for your guide. The rules in the manual are the subject of the Message. Titus 1:5. For this reason, I left you in Crete, and corrected the unfinished situation, and set up presbyters throughout the city, as I commanded you. Saint Paul, it is assumed, upon receiving freedom from bonds, headed from Rome to Asia Minor. The path went past Crete, where the ships stopped. They also stopped the ship on which Saint Paul was sailing. Saint Paul did not miss this stop in vain, but, noticing that no small application of Apostolic activity was appropriate here, he stayed with them for some time. The introduction has already shown that there were many believers on the island; but they lacked completeness and real church structure. This is what Saint Paul now primarily did, together with the further spread of the faith. But he didn’t have enough time to finish everything; why, having done what he could, for the final arrangement of everything, he left Saint Titus in Crete, and he himself hurried to Asia Minor. Saint Chrysostom is surprised at such tirelessness and says: “The ancient men had their whole lives active and full of exploits; but with us it’s not like that, but full of laziness. They knew that they were born into the world for this purpose, in order to work in accordance with the will of the One who gave them existence; and we, as if born to eat, drink and have fun, do not think about anything spiritual. I say this not only about the Apostles, but also about those who came after them. They, as you see, went everywhere, as if considering this their only business, and spent their whole lives in foreign countries, as if they had no (native) city on earth. Listen to what Blessed Paul says: “For this reason I have left you in Crete.” Having divided the universe among themselves, as if one house, they ruled everything and took care of everyone, taking upon themselves one part, and the other another.” “I left you” - they make it clear that Saint Paul had the intention and need to take Saint Titus with him and have him with him; but they give no clue about what happened to Titus before that. One might think that Saint Paul found him there and at first wanted to take him with him, but, having inquired and seen the needs of the believers, he left him there for a while. But one might think that he arrived in Crete along with Saint Paul and was left there for the needs of the Christians there. That in Rome under Saint Paul Saint Titus is not visible and in the Epistles written by Saint Paul from the first bonds there is no mention of him, this could happen because Saint Titus, who was in Crete, arrived in Rome before Saint Paul left there. But thinking about it one way or another does not make much difference to understanding the Message. “Yes, fix the unfinished one. Unfinished”, λειποντα, - missing, shortcomings. Since Christianity began and grew on the island by itself, without an authoritative establishment of order among believers according to a certain norm, there is nothing marvelous that they lacked other things, that other things were not conducted as they should be - perhaps in Christian concepts there was not only incompleteness, but also crookedness. Saint Paul himself immediately began to correct and replenish all this. But since he needed to hurry to other Churches, and meanwhile there was still something that needed correction, he left on the island of St. Titus to “add corrections” to what remained uncorrected. Why did he say: “yes... correct it” - επιδιορθωση - correct it, add the necessary corrections on top of what was corrected and bring them to the end. Blessed Jerome writes: “St. Paul, hastening to other countries, left St. Titus in Crete to correct what was faulty and what was missing. Saying: “let the unfinished thing be corrected,” he shows that the Cretans had not yet reached the full knowledge of the truth, and, although some things were corrected by the Apostle, others still remained in need of correction, as faulty and imperfect. This is also indicated by the preposition attached to the verb: επιδιορθωση, - which does not mean the same thing as: διορθωση, - “yes, you will correct”, - but, as if to say: “yes, you will correct”, - that is: yes, the correction of which I have begun, but not brought to the extent required by the truth, correct it further so that everything takes on its real form.” “And you will appoint elders throughout the city.” This was not the only thing that had to be corrected; and among other shortcomings, correct this one too. The Apostle especially mentioned him because of the special importance of the sacred rank in the Church. Without it, neither the teaching, nor the sacraments, nor all other orders in the Church can be properly carried out. He seems to be saying: especially or mainly, take care to install serviceable presbyters. Where there is a serviceable presbyter, everything will be in order. The word: “ordain” means the same thing as: “ordain.” This is how Saint Paul himself acted everywhere. Having founded the Church, he did not leave it to itself, but ordained those worthy and entrusted them with the edification and government of the believers, as we see from how he acted on his first Apostolic journey, when, together with Barnabas, having founded the Churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch (Pisidian), they did not leave there before they had ordained elders in all the Churches (Acts 14:23 ). It can be assumed that in Crete Saint Paul himself ordained other elders, but not everywhere. Where they were still needed, he instructed Saint Titus to ordain them. By presbyters, all our interpreters mean bishops, as elders over priests. - “All over the city.” And to this day in the East there is a custom for every city, if possible, to have its own bishop. “The Apostle did not want the whole island to be subject to one person, but that everyone should have their own part in their care and supervision; for in this way the work will be easier for himself, and there will be more supervision over his subordinates, if the teacher does not amuse himself by presiding over many Churches, but will be concerned only with one and establishing it” (St. Chrysostom). “As I commanded you.” This command was finite and embraced everything: what and how to correct, the Apostle himself precisely determined. Following the example of the commanded one, one could see how to correct what was not indicated in words. But it may be: “as I commanded” - primarily or exclusively refers to the election and ordination of elders, so that the following words: “if anyone” and so on seem to indicate what exactly or especially was commanded. In this case, you can read: “as I commanded you,” that is: “if anyone,” and so on. Looking at how Saint Paul cedes his power and his advantages to Saint Titus, Saint Chrysostom says: “Do you see how his soul is pure from all envy, how he always sought the benefit of those taught, without considering whether it would be achieved by himself or someone else? Where there was danger and great difficulty, he handled everything himself with his personal presence; and what brought more honor or glory is entrusted to the student, namely: the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed some correction or, so to speak, greater organization. But what, tell me, are you saying? Will he correct your affairs? And you don’t consider this humiliating and shameful for yourself? Not at all, he says, for I only have in mind the general benefit, whether it is done by me or by others is all the same to me. This is how a primate (of the Church) should be—to seek not his own honor, but the common good.” You might be interested in: