Titus 1:12-14 (NIV)
One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.
In Titus 1:12, Paul is quoting a line from a poem by the Cretan poet and philosopher Empienides, who lived in Crete 600 years earlier.1 This quote is known as the Epimenides Paradox. According to Merriam-Webster a paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory and yet is perhaps true.
The paradox is that Epimenides himself was a Cretan. If all Cretans are liars, then Epimenides is also a liar. If Epiminedes is a liar, then the statement that “all Cretans are liars” must be a lie, which would mean all Cretans tell the truth, which means Epimenides tells the truth, which means the statement “all Cretans are liars” is both true and false.3
What we need to understand from this phrase is Epimenides and Paul’s intent behind its use. Epimenides used a literary technique called hyperbole (an over-exaggeration) when he wrote “all Cretans are liars” to make a point that the Cretan society was generally dishonest. It would be like saying “Chinese are atheist.” Clearly, not all Chinese are atheist. However, China’s government officially espouses state atheism.3
In quoting the philosopher, Paul is not passing judgment on the Cretans but reaffirming the statement about Cretan society. He also used the phrase to point out how much Titus’ ministry and leadership were needed. Taking it a step further, he notates certain sins that the Cretans must learn to overcome. Which is why Paul continues on saying that the Cretans were to be rebuked sharply because they needed to live according to sound doctrine and to cast away mythological teachings and human traditions that denied the teachings of Jesus (Titus 1:13–14).
Like Titus, we live in a society where false religion and distortions of the truth are promoted. For example, society today would have us believe that same-sex marriage and homosexuality are permissible under God’s law. The Bible clearly states, that if a man has sexual relations with a man, they have done what is detestable (Leviticus 20:13). Some false doctrines state that Jesus was just a man. However, the Bible says in John 1:1 (NIV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Undoubtedly, Jesus was fully God and fully man (John 1:14, Hebrews 4:15).
Let us take Paul’s encouragement to heart by continuing the fight against false doctrine and other distortions of the truth. We must stand firm on the infallible Word of God.
Sources:
- NLT Life Application Study Bible
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox
- https://www.gotquestions.org/Epimenides-Paradox.html
- Photo by Charles Etoroma on Unsplash
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