Bible

6. What do these words: “Unto the pure all things are pure” (Titus 1:15) mean?

They mean that the minds and consciences of those who are pure in heart are pure. We deduce this from the next words which are these: “But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15 - The NIV reads: “But to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted”).

These words of Paul, therefore, do not mean that going to the beach (to get tanned and to swim), or watching television or going to dance or smoking are things which are pure to the believers. If that were the meaning, that would mean that the worldly lusts are pure, which is not true for through them the saints defile themselves.

Nor do they mean that to those who are pure in heart every food is pure, for there are some believers who even though they have a pure conscience (in that it was purified by the blood of Jesus) and a pure heart before God, they regard a certain food as unclean, for that is their personal opinion about that food, as Paul says: “To him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean” (Romans 14:14). Should we interpret those words of Paul to Titus in that way, we would surely come to the conclusion that if a brother regards a food as unclean he is not pure. Would this not mean to judge our brother?

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