Titus 2:8

sound speech For the -Pastoral" word -sound" cf. 1 Timothy 1:10; 1Ti 6:3; 1 Timothy 1:13. From the union in this counsel of -speech" and -doctrine" we must understand -sound speech" to be part of the public teaching function of Titus. -That cannot be condemned," Vulg. -irreprehensibile"; cf. 1 Timothy 6:14 for the similar formation and sense -that cannot be laid hold of."

may be ashamed The active is -to shame," 1 Corinthians 4:14 (present). Cf. the subst. -to your shame," 1 Corinthians 6:5. The middle pres. and imperf. with 2 fut. pass, are -to shame myself at," -to take shame at"; Luke 18:4, -regard not man;" Hebrews 12:9, -gave them reverence"; Matthew 21:37, -they will reverence my son." The 2 aor. pass., which occurs here and 2 Thessalonians 3:14 without an object, should be classed with these, rather than be regarded (as by Bp Ellicott) as a passive -be shamed." His quotation from Psalms 35:26 is quite inconclusive; for the aor. pass, of the verb, with which our tense is there coupled, has clearly a middle sense in 1 John 2:28, where Bp Westcott renders -that we may not shrink with shame." Be ashamed is therefore correct, as A.V. and R.V.

having no evilthing to say of you i.e. -since he has, and finds that he has." The reading -us" for -you" should be adopted with the best mss. St Paul identifies himself with Titus and all Church teachers and workers. So St John with his -children" 1 John 2:1, -we have an advocate"; 1 John 2:28, -that we may have boldness." The word for -evil" is not common in N.T.; twice in St John's Gospel, R.V. -doeth ill," -they that have done ill"; twice in St Paul besides, R.V. -good or bad"; once in St James, R.V. -confusion and every vile deed." -Worthlessness is the central notion," Trench, N.T. Syn. § 84, -nequam," -naughty," originally -light" and -slight." Contrasted is the -positively evil" or -mischief working," -deliver us from the evil," Matthew 6:13. The point of the word is here then -he should have nothing mean, contemptible, good for nothing, to taunt us with." The -good" above and the -evil" here find (as does the thought) apt illustration in Shakespeare's

-So shinesa gooddeed in a naughtyworld."