What does Titus 1:15 mean?
Following Paul's commands against false teachers, he notes, "To the pure, all things are pure." These words echo Paul's thoughts elsewhere in his letters (1 Timothy 4:1–5). Purity was of great importance in the Torah, and strongly emphasized in worship of God. "Pure gold" was used in the construction of items in the tabernacle, for example, with those approaching God doing so only in a state of ritual purity.In contrast, "to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure." Paul has the false teachers of Crete in mind here, spoken of throughout verses 10–16. At first read, this could possibly refer to both true believers—the defiled—and unbelievers. However, verse 16 seems to clearly indicate Paul had unbelievers in mind. In either case, those teaching false information about God are not pure. In fact, they are impure in both their mind, and their conscience—they are completely unclean. In the Jewish mindset, those who were unclean could not worship God. They had to be made clean (holy) before coming to God in worship. Paul emphasizes their true nature in the following verse.
Titus 1:10–16 explains the proper way to deal with false teachers. On the island of Crete, some men taught that circumcision was required for Christians, which caused entire families to fall apart in argument. Titus is commanded to counter these claims strongly—to “rebuke them sharply.” The purpose of this response was to lead people to correct doctrine.
Chapter 1 introduces the letter from Paul to Titus. Paul describes the requirements for being appointed a church leader, such as an elder or pastor. The text then transitions into a description of how to “rebuke” false teachers. These are the requirements Paul expects Titus to follow when selecting leaders for the local churches of Crete.
