To the pure, all things are pure;This phrase emphasizes the transformative power of purity in the believer's life. In biblical context, purity often refers to moral and spiritual cleanliness. Jesus taught that purity comes from within (
Matthew 5:8), and Paul echoes this by suggesting that those who are pure in heart see the world through a lens of purity. This aligns with the Jewish understanding of purity laws, which were not just about external cleanliness but also about internal holiness (Leviticus 11). The pure-hearted are those who have been cleansed by faith in Christ, and thus, they perceive and interact with the world in a way that reflects their inner transformation.
but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.
Here, Paul contrasts the pure with those who are defiled and unbelieving. In the cultural context of Crete, where Titus was ministering, there were many who were influenced by false teachings and pagan practices. The defiled are those who have not accepted the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice. Their unbelief taints their perception, making it impossible for them to see purity in anything. This reflects the biblical principle that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and without a renewed mind, one cannot discern spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
This statement underscores the comprehensive nature of defilement in those who reject the truth. The mind, in biblical terms, is often associated with understanding and reasoning (Romans 12:2), while the conscience is the inner sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:15). When both are defiled, it indicates a deep-seated corruption that affects one's ability to discern and choose rightly. This defilement is a result of sin and unbelief, which blinds individuals to the truth of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). The defiled conscience is seared and unable to respond to God's moral law, leading to a life that is out of alignment with God's will.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
TitusA trusted companion of the Apostle Paul, Titus was a Greek believer who played a significant role in the early church. Paul left him in Crete to organize the church and appoint elders.
2.
PaulThe Apostle Paul wrote the letter to Titus, providing guidance on church leadership and Christian living.
3.
CreteAn island in the Mediterranean Sea where Titus was stationed to oversee the church. Known for its moral challenges, Crete was a difficult mission field.
4.
CretansThe inhabitants of Crete, who were known for their reputation of being "liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons" (
Titus 1:12).
5.
EldersChurch leaders whom Titus was instructed to appoint in every town, ensuring they were men of integrity and sound doctrine.
Teaching Points
Purity of HeartTrue purity begins in the heart and mind. A pure heart perceives purity in all things, while a defiled heart sees impurity everywhere.
Conscience and BeliefOur beliefs shape our conscience. A defiled conscience results from unbelief and leads to moral and spiritual corruption.
Discernment in LeadershipChurch leaders must possess purity of heart and sound doctrine to guide others effectively. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the church.
Impact of Inner Life on Outer ActionsOur internal state influences our external actions. A pure mind leads to pure actions, while a defiled mind results in defiled actions.
Guarding Against DefilementBelievers must guard their hearts and minds against influences that can defile their conscience and lead them away from truth.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Titus 1:15?
2.How does Titus 1:15 define purity for believers in daily life?
3.What does "to the pure, all things are pure" mean practically?
4.How can Titus 1:15 guide us in discerning good from evil today?
5.Connect Titus 1:15 with other scriptures on purity and conscience.
6.How can we apply Titus 1:15 to maintain a pure heart and mind?
7.How does Titus 1:15 define purity in the context of faith and conscience?
8.What does Titus 1:15 imply about the nature of belief and perception?
9.How does Titus 1:15 challenge the concept of inherent goodness in humanity?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Titus 1?
11.Are all things pure to the pure?
12.Titus 1:15 – How can “all things be pure” to those who are pure, yet still align with other scriptures’ dietary and moral restrictions?
13.Are all things pure to the pure?
14.Does your conscience align with God's teachings?What Does Titus 1:15 Mean
To the pure, all things are purePurity in Scripture always begins with the cleansing work of God. When Paul says “the pure,” he is speaking of people who have been washed by the blood of Christ and are now set apart for Him.
• Christ-centered purity
– “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
– “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
• A sanctified outlook
– Because God has declared them clean, everyday matters—food, relationships, vocations—can be approached with gratitude and freedom. “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).
– Peter heard the same lesson on the rooftop in Joppa: “What God has made clean, you must not call impure” (Acts 10:15).
• Living out that purity
– The pure heart seeks to honor God in all circumstances (1 Corinthians 10:31).
– When motives are right, believers can use created things properly without fear of contamination (Romans 14:14).
But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is purePaul now contrasts those outside of Christ whose hearts remain stained by sin and hardened in unbelief.
• The root problem—unbelief
– “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God” (Romans 8:7).
– Unbelief twists perception so that even good gifts appear suspect or are misused (John 3:19-20).
• Defilement that spreads
– Sin affects every arena: words, relationships, and even worship rituals (Isaiah 1:13-15).
– “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18-19).
• Nothing is pure for them
– Because the inner person is corrupt, external practices cannot make them clean (Mark 7:20-23).
– They label holy things as common and common things as holy, reflectingProverbs 17:20: “One with a perverse heart finds no good.”
Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiledPaul drills deeper: the seat of thought (mind) and the moral compass (conscience) are both polluted.
• A blinded mind
– “God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28).
– They “cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
• A seared conscience
– “Their consciences are seared as with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2).
– What once pricked now lies dull; they justify what God condemns (Jeremiah 17:9).
• The inevitable outcome
– Teaching, worship, and daily choices become corrupted, leading others astray (Matthew 15:14).
– Only a new heart can reverse the condition (Ezekiel 36:26).
summaryTitus 1:15 draws a sharp line between those cleansed by Christ and those still stained by sin. The pure, redeemed by grace, can approach God’s gifts with confident gratitude, using them in ways that honor Him. The defiled and unbelieving, however, view everything through a lens darkened by sin; their thoughts and moral judgments are twisted, leaving them incapable of true purity. The verse reminds believers of the transforming power of salvation and the need to guard both heart and conscience as they live in the freedom Christ provides.
(15)
Unto the pure all things are pure.--The spirit of this famous saying of St. Paul, occurring almost in the same language in the Roman Letter (
Romans 14:20), was the groundwork of much of the Gentile Apostle's teaching. The words of the Lord Jesus above referred to (
Matthew 15:2;
Matthew 15:11) contain the same grand truth. "All things" include much besides mere food--in a word, include all acts connected with every-day life which in themselves are neither right nor wrong, neither good nor evil, but which derive their colouring of good or evil solely from the doer of the act. Bengel well sums this up in his "omnia externa eis, qui intus sunt mundi, munda sunt."
But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure.--Here, as so often in these Pastoral Epistles, the last utterance, so to speak, of that grand life of St. Paul's, purity and sound doctrine are inseparable. Here "the defiled," "the polluted," we are told, are the unbelieving; and to these, the Apostle says, nothing is pure. Yet there is nothing in God's creation impure or evil--the evil and impurity are in the mind and heart of men; these may, and often do, defile and make impure the choicest gifts of God's creation. One word is still left to be said on the teaching of this memorable verse.Who are the pure to whom all things are pure? Only those in this world who have sought cleansing by faith in the precious blood of Christ.
But even their mind and conscience is defiled.--Here St. Paul defines exactly the sphere over which the moral defilement of these hapless ones, who belong to the Christian company, alas, only in name, extends--the mind and conscience. The first of these--the mind--is the willing as well as the thinking part of man, as it has been well defined the human spirit (pneuma) in one of its aspects, not simplyquatenus cogitat et intelligit,but alsoquatenus vult. Defilement of this mind (nous) means that the thoughts, wishes, purposes, activities, are all stained and debased. The second of these--the conscience (suneid?sis)--is the moral consciousness within, that which is ever bringing up the memory of the past, with its omissions and commissions, its errors, its cruel, heartless unkindness, its selfish disregard of others. Whenthis is defiled, then this last safeguard of the soul is broken down. The man and woman of the defiled conscience isself-satisfied,hard, impenitent to the last.
Verse 15.- To for
unto, A.V. (twice);
nothing is for
is nothing, A.V.;
both for
even, A.V.;
their conscience for
conscience, A.V.;
are for
is, A.V.
To the pure, etc. This allusion shows dearly that the "commandments of men," here condemned, are of the same kind as those referred to in the above-quoted passage in the Colossians. We learn also from
Romans 14;
1 Corinthians 8; and elsewhere, what were the kind of questions which agitated the Judaizing Christians. But St. Paul in a few wise words shows the utter worthlessness of such controversies. "To the pure all things are pure." "There is nothing from without a man," said our Lord, "that entering into him can defile him" (
Mark 7:15); "Neither if we cat are we the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse" (
1 Corinthians 8:8); "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (
Romans 14:17). But unto those that are defiled by what comes from within them, and have no faith (
Romans 14:23), nothing is pure. Their mind and conscience, being defiled, defile everything they do. The words
καθαρόν and
μιαίνω are the proper words for ceremonial "cleanness" and "defilement" respectively.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
To theτοῖς(tois)Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.pure,καθαροῖς(katharois)Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2513:Clean.all things [are]Πάντα(Panta)Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956:All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.pure;καθαρὰ(kathara)Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2513:Clean.butδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.to theτοῖς(tois)Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.defiledμεμιαμμένοις(memiammenois)Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3392:To stain, pollute, defile, corrupt. Perhaps a primary verb; to sully or taint, i.e. Contaminate.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.unbelieving,ἀπίστοις(apistois)Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 571:(passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing).nothingοὐδὲν(ouden)Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3762:No one, none, nothing.[is] pure.καθαρόν(katharon)Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2513:Clean.Indeed,ἀλλὰ(alla)Conjunction
Strong's 235:But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.bothκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.theirαὐτῶν(autōn)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.mindsνοῦς(nous)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3563:Probably from the base of ginosko; the intellect, i.e. Mind; by implication, meaning.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.[their]ἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.consciencesσυνείδησις(syneidēsis)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4893:The conscience, a persisting notion. From a prolonged form of suneido; co-perception, i.e. Moral consciousness.are defiled.μεμίανται(memiantai)Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3392:To stain, pollute, defile, corrupt. Perhaps a primary verb; to sully or taint, i.e. Contaminate.
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NT Letters: Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure (Ti. Tt.) 
