Titus 1:4 To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. I. THAT MINISTERS ARE SPIRITUAL FATHERS TO BEGET CHILDREN TO GOD, appeareth in that the Hebrew phrase not only styleth them by the name of fathers. 1. Who indeed are so properly by the way of blood and natural generation? 2. Neither, only those who are in a right descending line, though never so far off. 3. Neither, only those who adopt others into the room and place of children. 4. But those also that are in the room of fathers, either generally, as all superiors, in age, place, or gifts; or more specially such as by whose counsel, wisdom, tenderness and care, we are directed as by fathers; who in these offices and not in themselves (for sometimes they be inferiors otherwise) become fathers unto us.Thus was Joseph an inferior, called a father of Pharaoh; that is, a counsellor. Job, for his tenderness and care, called a father of the poor. Scholars of the prophets, called sons of the prophets. Elisha, saith of Elijah, my father, my father; and Jubal was the father of all that play on harps. But much more properly is the minister called the father of such as he converts unto the faith, because they beget men unto God, as Paul did Onesimus in his bonds, in which regeneration the seed is that heavenly grace whereby a Divine nature is framed, the instrument by which it is conveyed, is the Word of God in the ministry of it. Now if any be desirous to carry themselves towards their ministers, as children towards their parents, they must perform unto them these duties. 1. They must give them double honour (1 Timothy 5:17), reverencing their persons, their places. 2. They must partake in all their goods, as the Levites in the law did; yea, if need be, lay down their necks for their sakes (Romans 16:4) in way of thankfulness. 3. No accusations must be received against them under two or three witnesses; a dutiful child will not hear, much less believe, evil reports of his father. 4. In doubtful cases of conscience resort unto them for counsel, as children to their father. 5. Obey them in all godly precepts, endure their severity, be guided by their godly directions, as those who have the oversight of souls committed unto them, even as the child ingeniously imitateth and obeyeth his father. II. FAITH IS ONE AND THE SAME IN ALL THE ELECT, AND IS THEREFORE CALLED THE COMMON FAITH (Ephesians 4:5), there is one faith which is true. Which grace is but one, and common to all the elect, notwithstanding there be diverse measures and degrees of it peculiar to some. Hence the apostle Peter calleth it the like precious faith. 1. In respect of the kind of it being a justifying faith, by which all that believe have power to be the sons of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26). 2. Of the object of it, which is one Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever; who dwelleth in the hearts of every believer (Ephesians 3:17), whom, although the fathers of former ages beheld Him to come, and the latter ages already come: yet both rejoice in seeing His day with the same eye of faith: the difference is, that one seeth it somewhat more clearly than the other. 3. Of the same end of it, which is salvation, common to all believers; called therefore by Jude the common salvation. (T. Taylor, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. |
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