Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Titus 1:10

"For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision," — Titus 1:10 (ASV)

“There are many rebellious people” is a general statement of the external danger facing the Cretan churches. These false teachers, most likely Cretans by birth, are apparently gnosticizing Judaists who as professed Christians seek to infiltrate the churches with their misguided teaching. They try to fasten onto Christianity various aspects of Judaism and to present the hybrid as a teaching containing higher philosophical insights.

Three terms describe these “many” false teachers: They are (1) “rebellious” (GK 538), refusing to subordinate themselves to any authority and rejecting the demands of the Gospel on them; (2) “mere talkers” (GK 3468), fluent and impressive in speech that accomplishes nothing constructive; and (3) “deceivers” (GK 5855), those whose glib tongues exercise a fascination over the minds of their dupes and lead them astray. “Those of the circumcision group” were the most active offenders.