Titus 1:12

One of themselves, a prophet of their own said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.

Paul here quoted a Cretan poet, Epimenides, who lived approximately 600 B.C.; and it is rather astonishing that Paul referred to him as "a prophet." It should be noted, however, that Paul did not say he was a prophet "of the Lord," but "a prophet of their own," that, of course, being strictly accurate. Dummelow thought Paul called him a prophet because "his witness was still true in Paul's day."[23] Lenski also agreed with this, stating that "Their still being liars in Paul's time made the old Cretan's line as sound as a prophecy."[24] It cannot be denied that the ancients accepted him as a prophet, as attested by Cicero, Apuleius and Plato. "They reckoned him a prophet, a predictor of the future."[25] "It was the same Epimenides, according to Laertius, who advised the Athenians to `sacrifice to the appropriate god,' and which led to that altar `to an unknown god,' (Acts 17:23)."[26]

Cretans are always liars ... History reveals that this was not an untrue judgment. In antiquity, "the noun Cretism was a synonym for `lie'; and the verb to Cretize meant to tell lies."[27]

Perhaps the most famous of the Cretan lies was that the tomb of Zeus was located on their island![28]

Evil beasts, idle gluttons ... By these terms Paul described men who were given over completely to sensuality, idleness and gluttony, being depraved and having no thought of spirituality, morality or righteousness.

[23] J. R..Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1007.

[24] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 903.

[25] Newport J. D. White, Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 189.

[26] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 353.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Ibid.