`And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be

turned unto fables' (2 Tim. 4:4).

There is an element of poetic justice here.  `Jewish fables' were at

the beginning of the apostasy (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; Titus 1:14), and unto

`fables' at the last they shall turn.  The Greek word here for `fable' is

muthos `myth' and it is surely something to note with deep concern, that many

modern commentators on the Bible are very free in their use of `myth'

especially when dealing with the foundation of the faith, the book of

Genesis.  The alternative, as indicated in Titus, is to hold fast the

faithful Word (Titus 1:9); to employ sound doctrine when dealing with

gainsayers, and to be careful, not only to speak sound doctrine, but to

`adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things' (Titus 2:10), for,

alas, it is only too easy to `profess' that we know God, but in works to

`deny' Him (Titus 1:16).

Three quotations from the Greek classics are attributed to the apostle

`Evil communications corrupt good manners' is supposed to be a citation

by Menander (a writer of Comedy born at Athens, 342 b.c.), from the lost

tragedy of Euripides, born in the island of Salamis 480 b.c. (1 Cor. 15:33).

`Certain also of your poets have said, For we are also His offspring'

(Acts 17:28).  These words are found in two separate ancient writings, a hymn

to Zeus by Callimachus, a Greek poet and historian, and the Phaenomena of

Aratus, a Cilician poet and astronomer born about 300 b.c.

With these quotations we have no immediate concern.

The third

quotation is found in the epistle to Titus.

`One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are

alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies' (Titus 1:12).

It is usual for commentators to refer this quotation

to the writings of a Cretian poet who lived in the

sixth century before Christ, named Epimenides.  The Companion Bible has the

guarded note `it is supposed that the reference is to Epimenides'.  He was

thought to have been called in by Solon to aid in the formation of his famous

laws.  If we are content to accept without verification the testimony of the

commentators, we shall probably feel satisfied that Paul is actually quoting

from Epimenides, and that any scholar can easily turn to this ancient Greek

writing and put his finger on the actual passage quoted by the apostle.  As a

matter of fact this is not the case.  The Universal Encyclopaedia says

`Epimenides, Greek legendary priest and miracle worker ... .  Some regard him

as an entirely mythical character', which could scarcely be said in any

soberness if a line of Epimenides was in existence.

Eubulides, a disciple of Euclid, propounded the syllogistic puzzle:

Epimenides said that the Cretians were liars;

But Epimenides was a Cretian;

Therefore Epimenides was a liar;

Therefore the Cretians were not liars;

Therefore Epimenides was not a liar, etc. etc.'.