Cretans are always liars?

Question

Was Paul aware of the Epimenides paradox when he wrote in Titus 1:

12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13a This saying is true.

Was this a hyperbole? Paul seemed so set on its literal truth.

agarza's comment points out the presence of Cretans in Acts 2:

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

These Cretans spoke in tongues.

Answer 1

Epimenides was himself a Cretan who was born in Knossos and died on the island. Apparently he lived in a cave that was sacred to Zeus. I visited that cave almost 40 years ago and was impressed by the extravagant claims surrounding the various myths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimenides

If all Cretans are liars, then Epimenides was also a liar. If Epiminedes was a liar, then the statement that “all Cretans are liars” must be a lie, which would mean all Cretans tell the truth, which means Epimenides tells the truth, which means the statement “all Cretans are liars” is both true and false.

When Epimenides wrote “all Cretans are liars,” he was using a literary technique called hyperbole, or over-exaggeration, in order to make a point about Cretan society. He was saying Cretan society is characteristically dishonest and lazy.

It’s similar to the well-known suggestion that all Scottish people are tight-fisted and very careful with how they spend money. As a Scottish person I can vouch for the fact that SOME Scottish people are slow to part company with their money, but plenty more are generous and even extravagant when it comes to hospitality or helping those less fortunate than themselves. It’s a bit of a joke, not to be taken literally.

Paul was a highly educated man. He was trained as a Pharisee and knew the Jewish Scriptures and history, and he was also apparently trained in Greek philosophy and thought. In his epistle to Titus, Paul writes, “One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons’” (Titus 1:12). Here, Paul quotes Epimenides. It seems there was some truth to this claim so Paul told Titus to fight against those lies and instruct the believers in Crete according to God’s truth.

The fact that Cretans are mention in Acts 2 as having been converted to Christianity suggests that not all Cretans were lazy liars and that the power of the gospel can transform people’s lives for good.

Answer 2

1. The statement is prejudicial. Whomever said it should have taken the knee.

2. If you ask a Cretan if they always lie, and they say "no", you have no new information.

3. If you ask a Cretan if they always lie, and they say "yes", then they have contradicted themselves.

Answer 3

“Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

This is a succinct but accurate commentary on the character of Cretian society of that time as a whole. Those of first century Crete represented a culture that was completely opposite the moral standards of revealed truth. Cretans were practiced in the art of lies and deception, and Paul confirms this to be a true statement. He likens them to “wild beasts” who gorge themselves on their prey. Ellicott points out that the term κρητιζειν, (kratidzine) meaning to talk like a Cretian, came to be a proverb for lying in the same way that κορινθιαζειν (korinthiadzine) meaning to live like a Corinthian, referred to one who lived in luxury and debauchery. Remember, Titus was on the island of Crete at that time, and this was the atmosphere in which he was working. This was the culture within which the Church struggled. Apparently, the Cretian culture was having its effect on the Church at Crete, as were the Jewish influences. The Church was being assailed from all sides.

Decisive action had to be taken against the influence of Cretian culture within the Church. The duty and obligation of the elders is to stop the mouths of such as these. Paul says, “rebuke them sharply.” This does not call for gentleness. This requires boldness to challenge these types of influences. These were not to be tolerated, not then and not now.

The desired goal is not to destroy them or drive them from the Body. The desired goal is to educate them more perfectly in the word of God, to lead them to repentance, to make them “sound in the faith.” Of course when this fails, the duty of the elders is to remove them from the Body. But the ultimate goal is to protect and preserve the integrity and cohesion of the Body.

Answer 4

Cretans are always liars?

This does seem rather odd for the apostle Paul to say. Notice this excerpt from the Questions From Readers in the Watchtower May 15, 1989 issue, entitled Was the apostle Paul showing ethnic prejudice in agreeing with a blanket criticism of the Cretan people?:

Many Bible translators let Paul’s comment “this witness is true” continue right after what he quoted from a Cretan prophet. Others begin a new paragraph with verse 13.^*

He certainly was not agreeing with any all-encompassing racial or ethnic slur against the Cretans. We can be sure of that, for Paul knew that on Crete there were fine Christians whom God had approved and anointed with His holy spirit. (Acts 2:5, 11, 33) There were enough devoted Christians to make up congregations in “city after city.” While such Christians were not perfect humans, we can be sure that they were not liars and lazy gluttons; otherwise they would not have continued to have Jehovah’s approval. (Philippians 3:18, 19; Revelation 21:8) And as we today find in all nations, likely there were on Crete honesthearted people who were saddened by the low moral standards around them and were ready to respond to the Christian message.​—Ezekiel 9:4; compare Acts 13:48.

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[Footnotes]

^*See The New Berkeley Version as well as the translations by R. F. Weymouth, F. A. Spencer, K. S. Wuest, and Abner Kneeland.

[All scripture quotations from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)]

Answer 5

Yes, all Cretans are liars. Basically everyone is a liar, except for Jesus.

It's a pretty basic point of Christian doctrine that all humans sin. We all fall short of perfection; there is no such thing as a "good person". That's why we all need Jesus to save us.

So, when Paul says "All Cretans are liars," he's not engaging in stereotyping or hyperbole. Basically everyone is a liar. The Cretans aren't special in that regard. Who hasn't ever told a lie at least once in their lives?

The only person who has ever lived a perfect life free of sin is Jesus.

Answer 6

Jesus wasn’t perfect he too sinned. He got angry at the olive tree for not bearing fruit out of season. He ate food without washing hands which was part of Yahweh commands to do so and Jesus breaks this along with the fact that he lied to his disciples and broke the sabbath. Jesus being perfect is out of the question. He failed to be the messiah this he unintentionally lied which is still a lie.

WHAT JESUS WAS

False Messiah He failed the criteria, bloodline, role and mission of the promised Jewish messiah

False God Man made him into god and we don’t have the words, deeds and thoughts of anyone called Yeshua during the first century

False Teacher His teaching will make you poor, starving to death, a follower of a cult, homeless, makes you abandon your loved ones and friends, maimed, mutilated and ignorant in reality

False Sin Sacrifice Human sacrifice was never needed for god to forgive anyone of their sins

False King/Lord He was mocked at the cross as the king of the Jews yet he ruled no one not on earth or in heaven as he didn’t have the bloodline of the Jewish kings and he was a slave of the Greco Roman Empire

False leader Under his leadership his followers stayed ignorant of his true intentions and they died as none was protected

False path to God His way to God was limited and it made what was already easy harder

False prophet He failed the prophecy about the coming messiah and his own to return during his disciples’ time

False Last Adam The first Adam died and him being the last makes no sense because there are still humans existing and he wasn’t created in the garden but in the womb like every human being. He didn’t make man become immortal in the flesh or spiritually

False Redeemer He didn’t redeem his peopel from tehir enemies

False Prince of Peace He came to bring, hatred, war, famine, division and a sword

False Shepard He didn’t guide the lost tribes back to god he basically failed to do so

False High Priest He was never made a priesst at all. Paul made tht all up

False Hopem His hope caused many to sin and stay in their sins

False Savior Only HaShem is the true savior of any man according to the Tanakh - Jewish Bible

False Preacher His doctrine will make you Broke, Naked, Homesless, Prosecuted, Tempted by ”God” himself, Hate your family (father, mother, spouse, children, brother, sister and your own self), Maim any body parts that “sins”, Divide families, make your enemies become your own family, Rejoice at insults, persecution, and false claims made by your enemies, to be Non Resistant to evil done to you, You a push over, You give in court more than you are sued for. All that to follow a non existence being