When the soul is unclean, it thinks all things unclean. Therefore scrupulous observances are no mark of purity, but it is the part of purity to be bold in all things. . . . What then is unclean? Sin, malice, covetousness, wickedness.

These are elders in age only, though some have taken the position that the women held an office analogous to that of male presbyters.

Therefore, he wants those for whom the Lord is their portion to be sober, to fast, to be vigilant at all times, but especially when they are present at the altar to pray to the Lord and to offer sacrifices in his presence. These commands preserve their force. They ought to be maintained in strict observance. The apostle confirms these as laws of the new covenant. In the same way, setting up the rules of life for the priests or the chief priests to this, he tells them that they ought not to be enslaved to much wine but to be sober.^[1] Sobriety is the mother of virtues, drunkenness the mother of vices.

The women are, like the older men, to be honest, sober, chaste, strong in faith and charity and patience. They are also to bear themselves in a way proper for their sex, to maintain a holy manner in bodily movements, facial expressions, words, silence, and whatever tends to the dignity of a holy decorum.

The women are to be decently adorned, reverent and dignified.

This is the chief point of all that is good in a household: that a man and his wife agree together.^[1] For where this exists, there will be nothing that is unpleasant. For where the head is in harmony with the body and there is no disagreement between them, how shall not all the other members be at peace?

Finally, Paul instructed Titus, whom he addresses directly about attaining perfection in the practice of the true religion, in this admonition: Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. This teacher of the Gentiles and the chosen leader of the church, conscious of Christ who spoke and dwelt within him, knew that the plague of a deadly eloquence would rise up against him. . . . For this reason, he wished the bishop to possess learning, the consciousness of the faith and the knowledge of argument that would withstand godless lying and insane objections.

As far as we are concerned, our consciences are all that matters. As far as you are concerned, our reputation among you ought not to be tarnished but influential for good. Mark what I’ve said, and make the distinction. There are two things, conscience and reputation; conscience for yourself, reputation for your neighbor. Those who, being clear in their consciences, neglect their reputations, are being cruel; especially if they find themselves in this position. The apostle writes about this to his disciple: Showing yourself to all around you as an example of good works.

Therefore, O man, do not cease to recommend and to teach the things that are holy down to the last soul entrusted to you. And present yourself as an example of good works. Be especially careful not to love one and hate another. Show an equal attitude to all, lest the one whom you love God might hate, and the one whom you hate God might love.

For if you serve your master with good will, yet the occasion of this service proceeds from your fear of God, and he who with so great fear renders him service, shall receive the greater reward. For if he restrains not his hand or his unruly tongue, how shall the Gentile admire the doctrine that is among us? But if they see their slave, who has been taught the philosophy of Christ, displaying more self-command than their own philosophers and serving with all meekness and good will, he will in every way admire the power of the gospel. For the Greeks judge not of doctrines by the doctrine itself but make the life and the conduct the test of the doctrines.

A bishopric necessarily pertains to him who is the head of the household. It is a superintendence of the faith of the members of the household, lest any fall into heresy. It extends to the wife, to a son or a daughter; it extends also to a slave, for he has also been redeemed at so great a price. The apostolic teaching assumes the placement of the master above the slave and the slave beneath the master,^[1] but Christ has given the same price for each of them. Do not neglect even the lowliest among your household.

We say, therefore, that he came forth from a woman, and in the likeness of sinful flesh, he who for our sake be-came as we are and yet is above us insofar as he is understood as God. . . . The same was at once God and man. I cannot understand how these people pillage this wonderful and noble economy of the Only-Begotten. They connect a man to him in terms of a relationship adorned with external honors and radiant in a glory which is not his, for then he is not truly God. They treat him as someone who has fellowship and participation with God, and is thus a falsely-named son, a saved savior, a redeemed redeemer; all of which contradicts what the blessed Paul wrote.

For Paul has also shown us that there are these two comings, in his epistle to Titus where he says, The grace of God our Savior has appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. You note how he acknowledges with thanksgiving the first coming and that we look for a second. . . . So our Lord Jesus Christ comes from heaven and comes with glory at the last day to bring this world to its close.

He speaks here of two appearings: the first of grace, the second of retribution and justice.

Who does not know that the deceit of demons filled every corner of the world and held sway over human life by the madness of idolatry? Who does not realize that every people on earth was accustomed to worship demons under the form of idols, by sacrificing living victims and making foul offerings on their altars? But as the apostle says, from the moment that God’s saving grace appeared among men and dwelt in human nature, all this vanished into nothing, like smoke.

It is, therefore, with an unmistakable tenderness that so great a wealth of divine goodness has been poured out on us, dearly beloved. Not only has the usefulness of foregoing examples served for calling us to eternity, but the Truth himself has even appeared in a visible body. We ought, then, to celebrate this day of the Lord’s birth with no listless and worldly joy.

You hear that the prophets foretold and predicted that men will no longer be bound to come from all over the earth to offer sacrifice in one city or in one place but that each one will sit in his own home and pay service and honor to God. What time other than the present could you mention as fulfilling these prophecies? At any rate listen to how the Gospels and the apostle Paul agree with Zephaniah. The prophet said: The Lord shall appear;^[1] Paul said: The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people. Zephaniah said: To all nations; Paul said: To all people. Zephaniah said: He will make their gods waste away; Paul said: training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world.

Worldly passions are directed toward things that perish with the present life. Let us then have nothing to do with these.

But there is a great and general fasting, which is perfect fasting, to abstain from the iniquities and illicit pleasures of the world: that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we may live soberly and justly and godly in this world. What reward does the apostle add to this fasting? He continues and says, Looking for that blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of the blessed God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, in this world we celebrate, so to speak, a Lent of abstinence when we live well, when we abstain from iniquities and illicit pleasures. But because this abstinence will not be without a wage, we look for that blessed hope. In that hope, when reality shall have come to pass from hope, we shall receive a denarius as a wage.^[1]

Paul must receive, embrace and observe, without any reserve, those commandments of the law which help to form the character of the faithful, such as that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and justly and godly in this world and Thou shalt not covet, chosen by the apostle as the part of the law worthy of the greatest commendation; and also the commandments about loving God and our neighbor, as set forth in the law without any figure or mystery. . . . But whatever progress he makes in them he must not attribute it to himself but to the grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The apostle Paul exclaims in a similar way: Be imitators of God as his dear children.^[1] What will we reply to these words, brethren, or what excuse will we be able to have? If someone tells you that you should imitate the powers which our Lord exercised, there is a reasonable excuse for you, because not everyone is given the grace to exercise those powers and to work miracles. But to live piously and chastely, to preserve charity with all men,^[2] with God’s help is possible for everyone.

Therefore, the common Director of our lives, the great Teacher, the Spirit of truth, wisely and cleverly set forth the rewards, in order that, rising above the present labors, we might press on in spirit to the enjoyment of eternal blessings. Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly.^[1] What is most truly good, therefore, is principally and primarily the most blessed. And that is God. So Paul also, when about to make mention of Christ, said: ac-cording to the manifestation of our blessed God and Savior Jesus Christ. For, truly blessed is Goodness itself toward which all things look, which all things desire, an unchangeable nature, lordly dignity, calm existence; a happy way of life, in which there is no alteration, which no change touches; a flowing fount, abundant grace, inexhaustible treasure.

In fact, the life of virginity seems to be an actual refraction of the blessedness in the world to come, showing as it does in itself so many signs of the presence of those expected blessings which are reserved for us there. That the truth of this statement may be grasped we will verify in this way: It is so, first, because a man who has thus died once for all to sin lives for the future to God. This man brings forth no more fruit unto death. Having so far as in him lies made an end of this life according to the flesh, he awaits the expected blessing of the manifestation of the great God. He refrains from putting any distance between himself and this coming of God by an intervening posterity. The second reason is that he enjoys even in this present life a certain exquisite glory of all the blessed results of our resurrection. For the Lord has announced that the life after our resurrection shall be as that of the angels.

And Paul said: from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all things, God blessed forever, Amen.^[1] And again: No fornicator or covetous one has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.^[2] And still again: through the appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. And John calls him by the same name of God when he says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.^[3]

Here he says that he who according to the flesh derived his descent from the Jews is eternal God and is praised by the right minded as Lord of all created things. The same teaching is given us in the apostle’s words to the excellent Titus: Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Here he calls the same one both Savior and great God and Jesus Christ.

How could he have given himself if he had not worn flesh? He offered his flesh and gave himself for us, in order that undergoing death in it, He might bring to nothing the one who held the power of death, that is, the devil.^[1] For this reason we continually give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. We do not bring to nothing the grace which came to us through him. For the coming of the Savior in the flesh has been the ransom and salvation of all creation.

That he might purify unto himself a people of his own. Considering the desperate condition of human nature and the ineffably tender solicitude of Christ, in what he delivered us from and what he freely gave us, and kindled by the yearning of affection towards him, this is a remarkably tender expression. Thus the prophets often appropriate to themselves him who is God of all, as in the words, O God, you are my God, early will I seek you.^[1] Moreover, this language teaches that each individual justly owes a great debt of gratitude to Christ, as if he had come for that person’s sake alone. For he would not have grudged this his condescension even if it were only for one person. The measure of his love to each is as great as to the whole world.

The faithful who are holy and good may be few in comparison with the larger number of the wicked, but . . . many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^[1] God shows to himself a numerous people, zealous for good works. . . . Even when sometimes darkened and, as it were, clouded over by a great number of scandals . . . still this people shines forth in her strongest members.

He gave himself for us that he might make a periousion people (for thus is the term in Greek for peculiar) and that he might make them the emulator of good works. Though I have often pondered this term periousion and have sought after clues to its meaning in secular writers, I have come up with nothing. Thus, I have come to see that the apostle’s reference is primarily to the Old Testament. . . . It carries the meaning of emulator of good works through the special status conferred by the blood of Christ.

Where the manners of this people were more stubborn, he orders them to be admonished more roughly, and with all authority. For there are some sins which ought to be prevented by command. We may with persuasion advise men to despise riches, to be meek and the like. But the adulterer, the fornicator, the defrauder ought to be brought to a better course by command.