Titus 1:1-2:10

To The Pure

There is a fascinating concept contained in today’s passage. “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.”

Purity is a desirable thing. We tend to associate it with sexual innocence, but it actually applies to much more. Take gold for an example. If you were to buy a gold coin or a bar of gold bullion its gold content would be measured in karats. Gold that is 18 karat is actually 75% gold and 25% some base metal. 14 karat gold is 58.3% gold and 41.7% base metal. Only 24 karat gold is essentially 100% gold, also known as “pure” gold. If you pay for pure gold you must think purity is a desirable thing. In the same way foods or medicines can sometimes be impure. We want pure foods and medicines. Purity is a desirable thing.

Corruption is an undesirable thing. We often thing of corruption in terms of underhanded governmental or business dealings. These are undesirable, but there is another application of corruption. Sometimes you download a file to a hard drive but the file cannot be read because it is corrupt. Corruption also means the act of something starting to rot or decay. All of these meanings denote things that are undesirable. 

So, we desire purity and don’t desire corruption. Let’s go to the next step. We tend to think that things are either pure or corrupt, but that is not what Paul is saying here. He makes the stunning statement that to the pure all things are pure. Obviously he isn’t talking about gold karats or food here, or is he? Gold is just a thing. To some people it is a powerful corrupting agent. To others it is a beautiful and useful thing. The gold itself has nothing to do with which category it falls into. It all has to do with the heart of the individual involved. 

Here is the remarkable thing, if we will keep our hearts and minds pure then we are virtually incorruptible. If we allow our hearts and minds to become corrupt themselves then even those things which are innocent and beautiful twist into double entendres evil thoughts. 

Therefore, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.