Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Titus 1:5

"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;" — Titus 1:5 (ASV)

“I left you in Crete” asserts the joint labors of Paul and Titus on that island for a brief time. Paul’s labors there cannot be fitted into Ac 27:7–9 or before. The alternatives are to reject Pauline authorship of the Pastorals or to accept that the reference is to a time following his Ac 28 imprisonment. The latter alternative is probable scripturally and is asserted by tradition.

“Left” (GK 657) implies that Titus was deliberately left behind in Crete to carry out a specific assignment. Before Paul’s departure, the commission was orally delivered; now it is restated concisely in writing. Titus’s task was comprehensive: to “straighten out what was left unfinished.” “Straighten out” (GK 2114) denotes that his task was personally to set things in order. “What was left unfinished” points to several serious defects that still needed Titus’s attention. Organization was lacking (1:5), false teachers were unchecked (1:10– 11; 3:10–11), and instruction in doctrine and conduct was needed (2:1–10; 3:1– 2). Paul had observed and had begun to correct these matters; Titus must now complete the work.

An initial duty was to “appoint elders” in each place where there was a group of believers. Such a plural leadership in the local congregation continued Paul’s own earlier practice (Acts 14:23). Probably the congregation chose the elders with the encouragement of Titus, who in turn had the responsibility of formally appointing them to office. “As I directed you” recalls that this was in accord with his previous orders. In this way, Titus would carry out Paul’s ideal for these congregations.