Titus 1:14

not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

Again, the Jewish connection of the false teachers should be noted. The problem did not derive from a late first century gnosticism, but from militant Judaism, a militancy that totally disappeared following the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, this making the date of this letter prior to that event. Extensive reference to the teaching and devices of these evil men may be found in the Galatian letter and in practically all of the Pauline writings, their purpose being to subvert Christianity by amalgamating it with Judaism, and not a true Judaism at all, but having an inordinate stress upon the Pharisaical doodlings which were condemned by Jesus. Paul here used some of the very words of Christ who said to the Pharisees, "In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). See fuller comment on this under that verse in my Commentary on Matthew. See also in Colossians 2:21,22. For all who would worship God correctly, there must be a sharp distinction between what God has commanded and authorized in the sacred scriptures, and the ceremonies, innovations and traditions that are purely human in their origin. The population of Crete had a predominantly Jewish element; and by Paul's appeal to Epimenides, it is clear that these wicked teachers had combined the unrighteous characteristics of the Cretans with their own Pharisaical legalisms.