and gentle
in their deportment. With these counsels the apostle interweaves, as in
the first epistle to Timothy, exhortations to Titus of a personal
character, and animating notices of God's grace in the gospel and of the
second coming of our Lord.

Respecting the founding of the Cretan churches we have no
information in the Acts of the Apostles. The only time mentioned
by Luke when Paul touched at Crete was on his voyage to Rome as
a prisoner (Acts 27:8); and then he had neither time nor liberty
for the work of preaching the gospel in that island. Crete
contained many Jews, some of whom were present at Jerusalem on
the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11). The apostle's visit to Crete
referred to in this epistle we assume to have taken place
between his first and second imprisonment at Rome. Whether the
churches of the island were then founded for the first time or
had previously existed, it is certain that Paul left them in an
imperfect state of organization. For this reason he requested
Titus to remain, that he might set in order the things that were
wanting, and ordain elders in every city. Chap. 1:5.

It is remarkable that we have no notice of Titus in the Acts of
the Apostles. From the epistles of Paul we learn that he was his
companion in travel, and intrusted by him at different times
with missions to the churches. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas
to the so-called Council of the Apostles and Elders at
Jerusalem, where, being a Greek, he was exempted from the
necessity of circumcision. Gal. 2:1, 3. For other notices of him
see 2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13, 14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18. His stay in
Crete was not to be permanent; for the apostle directs that upon
the arrival from him of Artemas or Tychicus he should rejoin him
at Nicopolis--probably Nicopolis in Epirus. Chap. 3:12.

41. SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.--The first epistle to Timothy and that to
Titus are in a certain sense official; that is, they are largely
occupied with apostolic counsels and directions to these two men
respecting the administration of the churches which Paul had committed
to their care. The present epistle is of a more private and personal
character. It was written from Rome when Paul was a prisoner there
(chaps. 1:8, 16, 17; 2:9), and expecting soon to seal his testimony with
his blood (chap. 4:6). In his extremity, when fidelity to him could be
shown on