holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
Parallel Translations
-
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
-
and suche as cleveth vnto the true worde of doctryne that he maye be able to exhorte with wholsom learnynge and to improve them that saye agaynst it.
-
Holding fast that faithfull worde according to doctrine, that he also may bee able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and conuince them that say against it.
Cross-references (23)
Passages linked to Titus 1:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter.
- 2 Timothy 1:13 Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,
- 1 Timothy 1:10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,
- 1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
- Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
- Revelation 3:11 I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.
- Job 2:3 Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”
- Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
- Acts 18:28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 14:24 But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
- 1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.
- 2 Timothy 2:2 The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
- 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts,
- Titus 1:11 whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.
- Titus 2:1 But say the things which fit sound doctrine,
- Titus 2:7-8 In all things be showing yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, be showing integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility, and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.
- Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
- Job 27:6 I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.
- 1 Timothy 1:19 holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith,
- 2 Timothy 2:25 in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
- Revelation 2:25 Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 9. Holding fast the faithful word This is the…
9. Holding fast the faithful word This is the chief gift in a bishop, who is elected principally for the sake of teaching; for the Church cannot be governed in any other way than by the word. “The faithful word” is the appellation which he gives to that doctrine which is pure, and which has proceeded from the mouth of God. He wishes that a bishop should hold it fast, so as not only to be well instructed in it, but to be constant in maintaining it. There are some fickle persons who easily suffer themselves to be carried away to various kinds of doctrine; while others are cast down by fear, or moved by any occurrence to forsake the defense of the truth. Paul therefore enjoins that those persons shall be chosen who, having cordially embraced the truth of God, and holding it firmly, never allow it to be wrested from them, or can be torn from it. And, indeed, nothing is more dangerous than that fickleness of which I have spoken, when a pastor does not stedfastly adhere to that doctrine of which he ought to be the unshaken defender. In short, in a pastor there is demanded not only learning, but such zeal for pure doctrine as never to depart from it.
But what is meant by according to instruction or doctrine? The meaning is, that it is useful for the edification of the Church; for Paul is not wont to give the name of “doctrine” to anything that is learned and known without promoting any advancement of godliness; but, on the contrary, he condemns as vain and unprofitable all the speculations which yield no advantage, however ingenious they may be in other respects. Thus, “He that teacheth, let him do it in doctrine;” that is, let him labor to do good to the hearers. (Romans 12:7.) In short, the first thing required in a pastor is, that he be well instructed in the knowledge of sound doctrine; the second is, that, with unwavering firmness of courage, he hold by the confession of it to the last; and the third is, that he make his manner of teaching tend to edification, and do not, through motives of ambition, fly about through the subtleties of frivolous curiosity, but seek only the solid advantage of the Church.
Read full note →
That he may be able The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both; for he who is deeply skilled in it will be able both to govern those who are teachable, and to refute the enemies of the truth. This twofold use of Scripture Paul describes when he says, That he may be able to exhort and to convince adversaries And hence let us learn, first, what is the true knowledge of a bishop, and, next, to what purpose it ought to be applied. That bishop is truly wise, who holds the right faith; and he makes a proper use of his knowledge, when he applies it to the edification of the people.
This is remarkable applause bestowed on the word of God, when it is pronounced to be sufficient, not only for governing the teachable, but for subduing the obstinacy of enemies. And, indeed, the power of truth revealed by the Lord is such that it easily vanquishes all falsehoods. Let the Popish bishops now go and boast of being the successors of the apostles, seeing that the greater part of them are so ignorant of all doctrine, as to reckon ignorance to be no small part of their dignity.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The fourth admonition: To apply the knowledge of true…
The fourth admonition: To apply the knowledge of true doctrine unto use, which consisteth in two things, to wit, in governing them which show themselves apt to learn, and confuting the obstinate.
The third admonition: The Pastor must hold fast that doctrine, which the Apostles delivered, and pertaineth to salvation, leaving all curious and vain matters.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath…
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Ver. 9. Holding fast, &c.] αντεχομενον. As with tooth and nail, against those gainsayers that would snatch it from us.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been…
Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught; no airy, uncertain man, that is of that opinion which his company is of, or his age favours, but holding steady the word of faith, as he hath learned it from me, and the rest of the apostles.
That he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort, his work is to persuade others to the faith,
Read full note →
and to convince the gainsayers; by sound arguments to convince those that speak contrary to it; and if he himself be ignorant of, or uncertain, as to that, how can he ever discharge this employment?
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Holding fast the faithful word,.... The doctrine of the…
Holding fast the faithful word,.... The doctrine of the Gospel, so called because it is true, and to be believed; it is the word of truth, and truth itself, and contains nothing but truth; and because it never deceived any, that gave credit to its doctrines, and its promises; and because it is pure, unmixed, and unadulterated, and is the sincere milk of the word; and because in it is a glorious display of the faithfulness of God to his perfections, to his holiness and justice, to his law, and to his covenant, word, and oath; and of the faithfulness of Christ, to him that appointed him and to his covenant engagements, and which has appeared in the discharge of his various offices: and this is not only to be held forth by the elder, but to be held fast, and tenaciously abode by; in opposition to all wavering about it, departure from it, dropping or concealing any part of it, and pusillanimity concerning it; whatever temptations there may be to the contrary, through popular applause on the one hand, and reproaches and persecutions on the other; and though there may be many that may endeavour to wring it out of his hands; see Ti2 1:13,
as he hath been taught; or "according to doctrine": that is, according to the doctrine of the Scriptures, Christ, and his apostles; according to the doctrine that lies in the Scriptures that was delivered by Christ, and preached by his apostles; whatever is according to that should be held fast:
Read full note →
or which is for doctrine, which tends to teach, instruct, and edify the minds of men, that ought to be constantly abode by: or as the elder himself has been taught, not by men, in a theoretical way, as logic, rhetoric, and other arts and sciences are taught; for such who are only taught the faithful word in this way, are not likely to hold it fast, in a time of temptation; but as he has been taught it experimentally by the Spirit of God; and such an one, who has not only the knowledge of it in his head, but the experience of it in his heart, will hold it, and hold it fast against all opposition:
that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers; sound doctrine is the faithful word, the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, which being retained, qualify an elder to discharge the following branches of his office; to "exhort" the members of churches to their duty, according to their age, sex, state, and condition, as in chapter 2 to which the doctrines of grace influence and engage; or to comfort them, as the word also signifies, and the Alexandrian copy reads, "to comfort them in all tribulation"; and this is one considerable part of the elder's work, to comfort souls under affliction, whether of body or mind; and sound doctrines, or the doctrines of the Gospel, are wonderfully suited to such a purpose: and the other part of his work is, "to convince gainsayers"; such who resist the truth, oppose themselves to it, cavil at it, and object against it; these are to be refitted, and convinced by the Scriptures, and arguments taken from them, as the Jews were by Apollos, Act 18:28 and nothing is so powerful to do it as sound doctrine, and holding fast the faithful word.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain As he hath been taught - Perhaps it might…
As he hath been taught - Perhaps it might be more literally rendered, according to the teaching, or doctrine, of the apostles; alluding to Acts ii, 42.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. Holding fast the faithful word] Conscientiously retaining,…
Verse 9. Holding fast the faithful word] Conscientiously retaining, and zealously maintaining, the true Christian doctrine, κατα την διδαχην, according to the instructions, or according to the institutions, form of sound doctrine, or confession of faith, which I have delivered to thee.
That he may be able by sound doctrine] If the doctrine be not sound, vain is the profession of it, and vain its influence. It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing; but zeal for what is not of God will do no good to the souls of men, how sincere soever that zeal may be.
Read full note →
To exhort] Them to hold the faith, that they may persevere.
And to convince] Refute the objections, confound the sophistry, and convert the gainsayers; and thus defend the truth.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Holding fast the faithful word - That is, the…
Holding fast the faithful word - That is, the true doctrines of the gospel. This means that he is to hold this fast, in opposition to one who would wrest it away, and in opposition to all false teachers, and to all systems of false philosophy. He must be a man who is firm in his belief of the doctrines of the Christian faith, and a man who can be relied on to maintain and defend those doctrines in all circumstances; compare notes, 2Th 2:15.
As he hath been taught - Margin, “in teaching.” Greek “According to the teaching.” The sense is, according to that doctrine as taught by the inspired teachers of religion. It does not mean as he had individually been taught; but he was to hold the faith as it was delivered by those whom the Saviour had appointed to make it known to mankind. The phrase “the doctrine,” or “the teaching,” had a sort of technical meaning, denoting the gospel as that which had been communicated to mankind, not by human reason, but by teaching.
Read full note →
That he may be able by sound doctrine - By sound teaching, or instruction; Notes, 1Ti 1:10; 1Ti 4:16. He was not to dictate, or to denounce; but to seek to convince by the statement of the truth; see the notes at 2Ti 2:25.
Both to exhort and to convince - To persuade them, or to bring them over to your views by kind exhortation, and by the instruction which shall convince. The former method is to be used where men know the truth, but need encouragement to follow it; the latter, where they are ignorant, or are opposed to it. Both exhortation and argument are to be used by the ministers of religion.
The gainsayers - Opposers Literally, those who speak against; that is, against the truth; Notes, Rom 10:21.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Holding fast--Holding firmly to (compare Mat 6:24; Luk 16:13).
Holding fast--Holding firmly to (compare Mat 6:24; Luk 16:13).
the faithful--true and trustworthy (Ti1 1:15).
Read full note →
word as he has been taught--literally, "the word (which is) according to the teaching" which he has received (compare Ti1 4:6, end; Ti2 3:14).
by--Translate as Greek, "to exhort in doctrine (instruction) which is sound"; sound doctrine or instruction is the element IN which his exhorting is to have place . . . On "sound" (peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles), see Ti1 1:10; Ti1 6:3.
convince--rather, "reprove" [ALFORD], (Tit 1:13).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 9. Holding fast—Passing from his moral qualities to his…
9. Holding fast—Passing from his moral qualities to his doctrinal firmness and abilities.
Faithful word—Comp. 1Ti_1:15.
Read full note →
Taught—From Christ through his apostles.
Able—The elder must be a sound theologian, and a competent public defender of truth and corrector of error. The elder is thus the spokesman and preacher of his Church.
Exhort—Encourage believers, inquirers, and all willing auditors.
Convince—Refute, and produce conviction if possible.
Gainsayers—Contradictors, whether in the Church or in the circle of listeners and attendants upon the congregation. As possessor of the truth of Christ, he was to judge, refute, and condemn all opposing heresy.
Counter Portraiture of the Cretan Errorists, 10-16, 10. Ample are the reasons for such ability, for opposers are many.
Unruly—Repudiating the apostolic authority and doctrine, and setting up their own invented dogmas.
Vain talkers—Utterers of the vain jangling of 1Ti_1:6, where see note.
Deceivers—Mind-deluders, who cheat men’s brains with fancy dogmas.
Circumcision—Here, as at Ephesus, the main errorists were Jews. See note on 1Ti_1:4.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. holding fast the faithful word] Or, the faithful…
9. holding fast the faithful word] Or, the faithful saying, keeping the connexion with the technical phrase of these Epistles, 1Ti_1:15. ‘Though no one “faithful saying” is quoted, yet it may be used comprehensively of them all, and is here guaranteed by “the teaching” of the Apostle himself.’ Dr Reynolds.
as he hath been taught] The grammar requires, as R.V., which is according to the teaching. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is the title of a newly discovered manuscript of very early days placed by Bp Lightfoot ‘somewhere between a.d. 80–110.’ But its title is not intended to suggest its authorship. We may accept it as the private venture of someone who desires to set forth his views on moral conduct and Church order, believing them to represent the mind of the Apostles. See Introduction, pp. 22, 23. Similarly then ‘the teaching’ here meant is the oral Gospel and Instruction of St Paul.
Read full note →
able by sound doctrine both to exhort] Accurately with R.V. (the position of the verb in the clause being noted) able both to exhort in the sound doctrine. ‘Exhort’ has nothing to do with ‘gainsayers’ but refers to the building up by exhortation and comfort of believers. Compare 1Ti_5:1, where see note. The ‘Pastoral’ phrase ‘the sound doctrine’ is examined 1Ti_5:10, where ‘the doctrine’ is seen to be the equivalent English word, as it is passing into technical use. Didachê on the other hand remains untechnical, ‘teaching.’
and to convince the gainsayers] R.V. convict. See note 1Ti_5:20.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9) Holding fast the faithful word as he hath…
(9) Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught.—More literally, according to the teaching; but the English version gives the sense clearly and exactly. The elder must, St. Paul says, hold fast the faithful word or saying; or, in other words, must steadily adhere to that Christian doctrine taught by St. Paul and his brother Apostles. So St. Paul pressed on Timothy, the chief presbyter of Ephesus, “to hold the pattern of sound words which thou heardest from me” (2Ti_1:13); and again, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2Ti_3:14). Here “the faithful saying,” that formulary so common in the Epistles to Timothy and to Titus, and which we have generally explained as including the great Christian watchwords of the faith, echoes probably of sayings of Christ, taken up and expanded by His chosen servants, and then adopted in the various churches and woven into the tapestry of the earliest liturgies—now, possibly, after a form like the “comfortable words” of our Communion Service, now into a creed, now into a hymn, but in one shape or other thoroughly well known and loved in the different congregations—here the faithful word or saying seems to include all the faithful sayings, and denotes generally the teaching of St. Paul and the Apostles.
To exhort and to convince the gainsayers.—Two special purposes are specified for which the “sound doctrine” which the elder will acquire by steadfast application may be used. The first, with the sound, healthy teaching—sound, healthy, practical, compared with that sickly, morbid, and unpractical teaching of those gainsayers of whom he is going to speak—he is to exhort the adversaries; secondly, with the same true words he is to confute their arguments. Chrysostom well remarks “that he who knows not how to contend with adversaries, and is not able to demolish their arguments, is far from the teacher’s chair.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Holding to for holding fast, A.V; which is according…
Holding to for holding fast, A.V; which is according to the teaching for as he hath been taught, A.V; both to exhort in the sound doctrine for by sound doctrine, both to exhort, A.V; convict for convince, A.V Holding to (antecomenov). Holding fast is a better and more forcible rendering than holding to. It answers to the Latin adherere, to cling to. The faithful word which is according to the teaching is awkwardly expressed. HH didash is "the Christian truth" as taught by the apostles, and "the faithful" or "sure word" to which Titus is to cleave is described as being" according to that truth". (comp. Tit_1:1, alhyeiav thv kat eusebeian) The A.V gives substantially the apostle"s meaning. The result of this adhesion to the faithful word is that he will be able to comfort and encourage believers by (en) his wholesome teaching, and also to convict the opposers of the truth. The gainsayers; or, contradictors (tougontav); such as those Jews described in Act_13:45 and Act_28:19 as "contradicting and blaspheming.
The bishop"s qualification as to doctrine.
Read full note →
The apostle reserves to the last place the most important of all the qualifications needed by elders.
I THE DUTY OF ADHERING TO THE TRUTH. "Holding fast the faithful Word which is according to the teaching.
1. The doctrine of the gospel is the faithful word:
a. Because it contains nothing but the truth.
b. Because it never deceived any that trusted in it.
c. Because it truly displays the faithfulness of God.
2. It is no mere subjective opinion of the preacher, but is based upon or in agreement with the teaching of the apostles. "Which is according to the teaching." The truth is not to be discovered by the preacher, but delivered to him.
3. It is to be steadfastly maintained. The preacher is not to allow it to be wrested from his grasp by false teachers. The apostle was always emphatic as to the importance of this duty. "Hold fast the form of sound doctrine, which thou heardest from me"; (2Ti_1:13) "Continue thou in the things thou hast learned". (2Ti_3:14) It was a powerful lever in his hands for moving the hearts of men.
II THE DESIGN OF THIS QUALIFICATION. "That he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine and to convince the gainsayers.
1. The preacher must be qualified for exhortation in the sphere of a sound, healthy, practical teaching. This implies that men had some knowledge of the truth, but they need to be persuaded to follow it rather than a morbid and unpractical teaching that can in no way minister to edification.
2. He must be qualified to refute the arguments of false teachers. And nothing is so powerfully conducive to this end as sound doctrine firmly held and wisely applied. T.C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 9. Holding fast the faithful word. Sound in the…
9. Holding fast the faithful word. Sound in the gospel doctrine, and able to teach it to others, as well as to refute opposers.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 1:9 The elders had a leading role in teaching…
1:9 The elders had a leading role in teaching the community. This may have been necessary in dealing with the immediate threat to these particular communities (as also in Ephesus; see 1 Tim 3:1). • Only with a strong belief in the Good News would an elder be able to provide wholesome teaching. Paul’s specific concerns are addressed in Titus 2:1–3:11, in light of the problems mentioned in 1:10-16 and 3:9-11 (see also 1 Tim 1:10). • Titus had a similar role (cp. Titus 1:13; 2:15; 3:10-11). The local leadership would carry on where Paul and his delegates left off. • Those who oppose it are described in 1:10-16.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.