Whether Epimenides or Callimachus (as Jerome seems to have suggested)

was the writer of the passage quoted by Paul, we cannot be sure, but that the

charge against the Cretians had become proverbial is certain.  `The writer

known as the pseudo -Ambrose who often shows himself well informed, ignores

both Epimenides and Callimachus, and suggests that "Some Cretian, improved by

the discipline of the Lord, had thus expressed a true judgment on the

uninstructed Cretians"` (G. G. Findlay).

Jerome when he refers to this quotation seems to be relying upon

hearsay, `this verse is said to be found in the Oracles of Epimenides, a

Cretian poet'.  Chrysostom ascribes these lines to Callimachus and

embarrasses himself not a little in the process.

We return for a moment to the epistle to Titus.  The passage as it

stands seems out of place as coming from a writer so courteous, so tolerant,

so ready to thank God for the smallest appearance of grace.  The Church at

Corinth was split into harmful factions and as a consequence of their early

pagan upbringing, were guilty of condoning very base immorality, yet in the

opening sentences of his epistle to them, the apostle could call them

`saints' and could thank God for the grace that had been given to them.

We observe that the passage we are considering is found in a context

dealing with heretical teachers, whose doctrine is subversive of the truth.

Had we today never heard of Epimenides, we should naturally refer the words

`a prophet of their own' not to the Cretians at large, but to those false

teachers whose mouths must be stopped, who taught what they did `for filthy

lucre's sake'.  It is hard to believe that Paul either as an apostle, or as a

Pharisee, would call a pagan poet `a prophet'.  `What is more likely', says

G. G. Findlay, `than that a professedly Christian sect, containing a strong

Jewish element, and revolting against orthodox doctrine and apostolic

authority, would have a prophet of its own?'  When the apostle endorses this

proverbial utterance, saying `this witness is true; wherefore rebuke them

sharply, that they may be sound in the faith' he has this heretical party in

view, not the whole of the population of Crete, nor the whole Cretian

`The violent indictment of his Cretian fellow countrymen brought by

this "prophet" is a self accusation, a just description of his own

party, and a true testimony to what the apostle has affirmed respecting

them.  So the would -be prophet is "judged out of his own mouth", the

engineer is "hoist with his own petard"` (G. G. Findlay).

Whether the suggestion here ventilated is valid, or whether further

research will condemn or commend it we do not know; we felt that there was so

great a weight put by commentators as to the one side of the scale, that a

word or two calling the reader to `search and see' if these things are `so'

would not be amiss.