I chose to analyze the reason behind the tough break the
Cretans caught as they were labeled “the scum of the Earth”. The Bible
describes the Cretans as, “… liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons” (Titus
1:12). Immediately upon reading this verse a strong sense of curiosity peaked
in my brain and I wanted to know what they had done that was so bad. The word
Cretan has different meanings when it is used as both a noun and an adjective,
and together these definitions change drastically once the Cretans are converted.
Plus, we can’t ignore the fact that the statement about the Crete people is one
big contradiction in itself.
Okay, so we
will jump right into addressing the proverbial elephant in the room concerning
the comment that was made about the Crete people. Titus 1:12 says, “One of the
Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts,
lazy gluttons.” The beginning of the verse is what raises some concerns for
most people. This obvious inconsistency with the scripture raises an important
question, “Here’s a
question for you: when someone who is a liar says all people are liars, is he
telling the truth? This has been called the “liar paradox.” Basically, we
as readers are supposed to believe what a prophet from Crete is saying about
the Cretan peoples’ character, when it also applies to him. He says that they
are all liars, evil, and lazy, and in the same breath he wants us to believe
that what he is saying is true. I guess they aren’t all horrible, terrible
liars because this prophet seems to be the exception to the rule.
The
description of how the Cretans were could also be the prophet from Crete taking
a jab at the Crete people. The Cretans may have been all of the terrible things
that are described in Titus 1:12, but there is a possibility that this man’s
opinion of them was tainted due to their dissimilar beliefs. This statement
shows the root cause of their disagreement: “The indictment of
Cretans by Epimenides had to do with the fact that he was affirming the
immortality of the Greek god Zeus whereas Cretans denied Zeus’s immortality.”
This statement leads one to believe that his depiction of the Cretans was
influenced by his beliefs about Zeus that strongly contrasted with that of the
Cretans. Although there is a chance this
statement is contaminated, I most definitely am not calling what Epimenides
said about the Cretans untrue. Some apparently agreed with the Cretan prophet:
“Other ancient
authors have also made equally disparaging comments about Cretans.”
Obviously there were others who supported the Cretan prophet’s illustration of
the abysmal nature of the Cretans, so more than likely we can gather that his
comments are probably accurate.
Lastly,
we will address some of what is written about the Cretans that led them to
acquire a reputation that painted them in a very bad light. This statement
assesses their downfalls: “The Cretans had an “attitude” weakness.
Polybius, a Greek historian, described them as very revolutionary in spirit.
Like so many today, they had an “authority” problem.” Like so many people today, it seems as though
the Cretans were creating their own obstacles because of their lack of ability
to respect authority. As a group, there has to be a willingness to follow a
leader or leaders wholeheartedly to ensure their success. Their inability to do
so led them to follow their own individual agendas and earn a poor status among
the people of their time. Although their reputation was not great there is a
happy ending for the Cretans as expressed by Paul: “The result achieved in the Cretan’s
“justification” by means of the “regeneration” process was that these saints
became “heirs” of the “hope of eternal life.” Paul acknowledges that there is a light at the
end of the tunnel for the Cretans, and it involves a change in belief or
conversion experience.
In conclusion, a more
in-depth look into the background of the Cretans really brought about
understanding for the description that was given in the first chapter of Titus.
The angle of this description being a contradiction was very interesting to me
because this is such a widely known book and it contains an obvious ambiguity.
There is a chance that the prophet’s illustration of the Cretans was dishonest
because of their different belief systems, but there is a fair amount of proof
that backs his depiction. Everyone loves a good “happily ever after”, and I am
glad that the Cretans received theirs through the justification of their
conversion experience.
