Here we are given yet another clue as to the heresy that Titus is confronted with in Crete, and that has to do with confusing moral purity with ritual purity, and teaching that moral purity can be achieved through strict adherence to rules, particularly concerning food. In contrast to this, Paul stresses that ritual purity is dependent on moral purity and not the other way around. The situation being described here is once again similar to that of 1 Timothy; in fact the present passage has some similarities with 1 Tim 4.1-5.

For pure see 1 Tim 1.5. The first pure (in the pure) is used here in a moral sense, whereas the second pure (in all things are pure) is used in a ritual sense; in other words, all things are ritually pure to those who are morally pure. All things may be understood in a general way to include everything; it is possible, however, that what is in focus here is food (compare 1 Tim 4.3-4, where “all things” is also used in connection with food). Another translation model for To the pure all things are pure is “For those people who have a heart (or, mind) that has no sinful thoughts, all things are ritually pure.”

Corrupt translates a participle that means “defiled” either morally or ritually; in the present context moral defilement is in focus. The verb at the end of the verse, are corrupted, is in the perfect tense, which means that the defilement happened sometime in the past, but its effects are still apparent up to the present, so much so that the person affected is in a state of moral filthiness. In many languages one may express the corrupt as “people with dirty (or, filthy) minds.”

For unbelieving see 1 Tim 5.8. Nothing is ritually pure to people who are not Christians and to people who live morally filthy lives, whether they are Christians or not. On the other hand, everything is ritually pure to those who are morally pure.

The last part of the verse describes further the corrupt situation of the heretical teachers and at the same time explains why to them nothing is ritually pure, and that is, because both their minds and their consciences have been defiled as well. For minds see 1 Tim 6.5. For consciences see 1 Tim 1.5. These two elements refer both to the thinking process and moral standards of these heretical teachers; since these have been defiled, that is, made impure and filthy by sin, their very lives are adversely affected as well. Another translation model is:

• “For what has been defiled (or, become completely dirty) for such a person is both the mind and the heart, which distinguishes between right and wrong.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• For those people who have a heart (or, mind) that has no sinful thoughts, everything is ritually pure. But for those people who have dirty minds and do not believe in Christ, both their minds and their hearts that distinguish between right and wrong (or, consciences) have become completely filthy.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Titus. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .