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NOVEMBER 2

1:12 a prophet. Epimenides, the highly 1:14 fables and commandments of men.
esteemed sixth century B.C.Greek poet and Paul reemphasized (v.10,“those of the circum-
native of Crete,had characterized his own peo- cision”) that most of the false teachers were
ple as the dregs of Greek culture. Elsewhere, Jewish.They taught the same kind of external-
Paul also quoted pagan sayings (Acts 17:28; ism and unscriptural laws and traditions that
1Cor. 15:33).This quote is directed at the false both Isaiah and Jesus railed against (Is. 29:13;
teachers’character. Matt. 15:1–9; Mark 7:5–13).

1:15 defiled.The outwardly despicable things
be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jew- that those men practiced (vv. 10–12) were
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ish fables and commandments of men who simply reflections of their inner corruption.
turn from the truth. To the pure all things are mind and conscience. If the mind is defiled,it
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pure, but to those who are defiled and unbe- cannot accurately inform the conscience, so
lieving nothing is pure; but even their mind conscience cannot warn the person. When
and conscience are defiled. They profess to conscience is accurately and fully infused with
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know God, but in works they deny Him, being God’s truth,it functions as the warning system
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for God designed.
every good work.
DAY 1:Who was Titus, and what was his role in the church?
Although Luke did not mention Titus by name in the Book of Acts,it seems probable that Titus,
a Gentile (Gal.2:3),met and may have been led to faith in Christ by Paul (Titus 1:4) before or during
the apostle’s first missionary journey. Later, Titus ministered for a period of time with Paul on the
Island of Crete and was left behind to continue and strengthen the work (1:5). After Artemas or
Tychicus (3:12) arrived to direct the ministry there, Paul wanted Titus to join him in the city of
Nicopolis, in the province of Achaia in Greece, and stay through the winter (3:12).
Because of his involvement with the church at Corinth during Paul’s third missionary journey,
Titus is mentioned 9 times in 2 Corinthians, where Paul refers to him as “my brother”(2:13) and “my
partner and fellow worker”(8:23).The young elder was already familiar with Judaizers, false teach-
ers in the church, who among other things insisted that all Christians, Gentile as well as Jew, were
bound by the Mosaic Law.Titus had accompanied Paul and Barnabas years earlier to the Council of
Jerusalem where that heresy was the subject (Acts 15; Gal. 2:1–5).
Crete, one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring 160 miles long by 35
miles at its widest, lying south of the Aegean Sea, had been briefly visited by Paul on his voyage to
Rome (Acts 27).He returned there for ministry and later left Titus to continue the work,much as he
left Timothy at Ephesus (1 Tim.1:3),while he went on to Macedonia.He most likely wrote to Titus in
response to a letter from Titus or a report from Crete.

3 Against her let the archer bend his bow,
November 2 And lift himself up against her
in his armor.
Do not spare her young men;
Jeremiah 51:1–52:34 Utterly destroy all her army.
4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of
51 Thus says the LORD: the Chaldeans,
“Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, And those thrust through in her
streets.
Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, 5
A destroying wind. For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah,
And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Though their land was filled with sin
2 By his God, the LORD of hosts,
Who shall winnow her and empty against the Holy One of Israel.”
her land.
For in the day of doom 6 Flee from the midst of Babylon,
They shall be against her all around. And every one save his life!

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