NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO JEWISH MYTHS: me prosechontes (PAPMPN) ioudaikois muthois: (1Ti 1:4-7; 2Ti 4:4)

Giving no attention to the fictions of the Jews (BBE)

and not pay attention to Jewish fables (Barclay)

[And may show their soundness by] ceasing to give attention to Jewish myths (Amp)

so that they stop taking notice of Jewish myths (NJB)

not accepting Jewish false stories (NCV)

They must stop listening to Jewish myths (NLT)

not giving heed to Jewish fables (NKJV)

and no longer hold on to Jewish legends (TEV)

not giving consent to Jewish myths (Wuest)

Paying attention (4337) (prosecho from pros = toward + echo = hold) is literally to hold toward and conveys the sense of giving heed to or devoting oneself to something, in this case "Jewish myths". It means to be in a state of alert, to be concerned about, to care for or to take care

Prosecho  always warns of danger and is not simply a call to notice something, but to be on guard against it because it is so harmful. The present tense calls for the Cretan believers to continually not be giving consent and attention to "Jewish myths".

Paul wrote to Timothy, telling him not

“to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith” (1Ti 1:4) and to "have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." (1Timothy 4:7 see note)

Jewish (2451) (Ioudaikos) is that which is related to the Jews and refers to Israel, Judah or the Hebrews in the OT.

Myths (3454) (muthos from mu- = to close, keep secret) refers to fictional tales or legendary accounts in contrast to true accounts. Myths are manufactured stories that have no basis in fact.

Webster defines "myth" as a usually traditional story of ostensibly (to all outward appearances) historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.

Trench traces the evolution of the meaning of muthos writing that

"Although logos and muthos began their journey together, they gradually parted company. The antagonism between these words grew stronger and stronger until they finally stood in open opposition. This is true of words as well as of people, when one come to belong to the kingdom of light & truth and the other to the kingdom of darkness & lies." (Trench, R. C. Synonyms of the New Testament. Hendrickson Publishers. 2000)

Paul warned Timothy that the time would come in the church when professed Christians would not want to hear true doctrine, but would

“turn away their ears from the truth, and (would) turn aside to myths” (see note 2 Timothy 4:4).

The The attractiveness and subtle deception is that there may be much logic and reasoning in myths thus accounting for Paul's warning to stop listening to

What were "Jewish myths"? The Scripture is not clear but the implication is that even some of the Jews had abandoned their sacred Scriptures and accepted man-made substitutes. This may be a reference to the oral traditions. A century or so after the Babylonian Captivity, many rabbis began adapting gnostic Greek numerology—the practice of assigning mystical meanings to numbers—to the Hebrew language. Under one such scheme (and there were many), it was believed that the secret in the letter-numbers in Abram’s name meant that he had 318 servants. Hebrew numerology was applied not only to the Hebrew Scriptures but also to the Talmud, a collection of authorized rabbinical interpretations of Scripture, especially the Mosaic Law, that began during the time of Ezra (ca. 450 b.c.) and continued until about a.d. 500. By NT times, many rabbis and other learned Jews—especially those who lived in areas where Greek philosophy was still dominant (as it was on Crete)—mixed ideas from Hebrew and Greek numerology and added their own allegorical fancies, making the resulting interpretations more bizarre than ever.

As has been well said

When the plain sense of Scripture makes good sense, seek no other sense.

There is no need to find “deeper meanings” to the plain teachings of the Word of God. Such an approach to the Bible enables one to find anything they want to find, an art the cults "specialize" in!

COMMANDMENTS OF MEN: kai entolais anthropon: (Isa 29:13; Mt 15:9; Mk 7:7; Col 2:22)

the orders of people (NJB)

to rules [laid down] by [mere] men (Amp)

to rules and regulations made by men (Barclay)

and to human commandments (TEV)

Commandments (1785) (entole) refers to  that which is commanded as officially binding. Entole is one of most common of the words meaning commandment and stresses the authority of the one commanding.

Paul warned the saints at Colossae of the danger of "commandments of men", reminding them that since they had

"died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if (they) were living in the world, (did they) submit yourself to decrees, such as "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using)-- in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." (see notes Colossians 2:20; 2:21; 2:22; 2:23)

Paul had warned Timothy that

"the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith" and because they would pay "attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons", they would "forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth." (1Ti 4:1, 4:2 4:3)

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah helping us understand the danger of this problem, pointing out that the Jews

"draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote." (Isa 29:13)

The Lord Jesus reiterated this problem declaring that

"They worship me in vain (groundlessly, in futility, purposelessly); their teachings are but rules (commandments) taught by men." (from NIV, Mt 15:9)

WHO TURN AWAY FROM THE TRUTH: apostrephomenon (PMPMPG) ten aletheian: (Gal4:9; 2Ti4:4; Heb12:25; 2Pe 2:22)

people who are always rejecting the truth (GWT)

of people who have turned their backs on the truth (NLT)

of people who have repudiated the truth (NAB)

who persist in turning their backs on the truth (Barclay)

which come from people who have rejected the truth. (TEV)

who are turning themselves away from the truth (Wuest)

habitually turning themselves away from the truth embodied in the gospel (Expositors)

Turn away (654) (apostrepho from apo = from, dissociation + strepho = turn) is to turn away one's ear and so to stop listening.

These men made a willful choice, continually (present tense) turning themselves away from (middle voice = reflexive = subject initiates action and participates in effect or result) the truth, the only thing that sets men free.

Paul used this same verb apostrepho to remind Timothy

of the fact that all who are in Asia (had) turned away from him. (see note 2 Timothy 1:15)

and that

the time (would) come when they (would) not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they (would) accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and (would) turn away (apostrepho) their ears from the truth, and (would be continually turned) aside (apostrepho) to myths. (see note 2 Timothy 4:3; 4:4)

Truth ( 225) (aletheia) is the quality of being in accord with what is true and is therefore characterized by, truthfulness, dependability and uprightness in thought and deed.

The way to recognize these men is to know the truth because this is the one thing they continually want nothing to do with.

TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE: panta men kathara tois katharois: (Lu 11:39-41; Acts 10:15; Ro 14:14; 14:20 1Cor 6:12; 6:13 10:23; 10:25  10:31 1Ti 4:3 4:4)

Everything is clean to those who are clean (GWT)

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure (NLT)

Everything is wholesome to those who are themselves wholesome (Phillips)

A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything (TLB)

To the pure [in heart and conscience] all things are pure (Amp)

MacArthur sums up this passage noting that

Paul gives two divinely inspired evaluations of false teachers in the Cretan churches, evaluations that apply to false teachers in any age. First he assesses their inner lives and finds them to be corrupt. He then assesses their outer lives and finds them to be hypocritical and debauched. (MacArthur. Titus: Moody Press)
 

MacDonald sounds a note of caution in the interpretation of this verse and gives a well reasoned exposition, declaring that

If we take the words to the pure all things are pure out of context as a statement of absolute truth in all areas of life, we are in trouble! All things are not pure, even to those whose minds are pure. Yet people have actually used this verse to justify vile magazines, suggestive movies, and even immorality itself. Let it be clearly understood that this verse has absolutely nothing to do with things that are sinful in themselves and condemned in the Bible...This proverbial saying must be understood in the light of the context. Paul has not been speaking about matters of clear-cut morality, of things that are inherently right or wrong. Rather, he has been discussing matters of moral indifference, things that were ceremonially defiling for a Jew living under the law but that are perfectly legitimate for a Christian living under grace. The obvious example is the eating of pork. It was forbidden to God’s people in the OT, but the Lord Jesus changed all that when He said that nothing entering into a man can defile him (Mk 7:15). In saying this He pronounced all foods clean (Mk 7:19). Paul echoed this truth when he said: “But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse” (1Cor 8:8). When he says: “To the pure all things are pure,” he means that to the born again believer all foods are clean, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure . It is not what a person eats that defiles him but what comes out of his heart (Mk 7:20 21 22 23). If a man’s inner life is impure, if he does not have faith in the Lord Jesus, then nothing is pure to him. The observance of dietary rules won’t do a thing for him. More than anything else he needs to be converted, to receive salvation as a free gift rather than trying to earn it through rituals and legalism. The very minds and consciences of defiled people are corrupted. Their mental processes and their moral powers are defiled. It is not a question of external ceremonial defilement, but of inward corruption and depravity. (MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)

Pure (2513) (katharos;  English = catharsis = purifying, cleansing, a term used in psychology and counseling for a cleansing of the mind or emotions - a "soul cleansing" if you will; cathartic = any substance used to induce purging or to cleanse a wound or infected are in order to make it pure; Cathar = member of a medieval sect which sought the purging of all evil from its members) literally describes that which is free of dirt and thus clean. It describes that which is free from admixture or adulteration and thus is pure. From a biblical standpoint the concept of cleansing is deeply rooted in both the Old and the New Testaments. As discussed more below under the Levitical laws heavy emphasis was placed on ceremonial cleansing and thus contact with any unclean animal, substance, person, or place was strictly forbidden. By the time Christ came this preoccupation with ceremonial cleanness had unfortunately displaced true worship with many of the Jews, most notably the Pharisees. It is not surprising then that  the New Testament focuses mainly on an inward cleanness (heart, conscience), rather than on an external or ceremonial cleanness.

It is also worth noting that katharos is related to the Latin castus, from which we get chaste. The related word chasten refers to discipline given in order to cleanse from wrong behavior.

Katharos is blameless, innocent, unstained with the guilt and is used to describe that which is ceremonially or ritually pure or clean (in a "Levitical sense"). For example Moses records...

Leviticus 6:11 'Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean (LXX = katharos) place.

Exodus 25:11 "And you shall overlay it (the Ark of the Covenant) with pure (LXX = katharos) gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it.

Katharos is an adjective that figuratively is used in both the OT and the NT to describe the state of one's heart. When a person is pure in heart and mind, his or her perspective on all things is pure, and that inner purity produces outer purity. As discussed above, true purity lies not in adherence to external commandments of men but in the inner purity of the redeemed, regenerated heart.

Katharos is used to modify conscience (clean, clear) and religion (pure).

Wuest writes that katharos means...

clean, pure, free from the adhesion of anything that soils, adulterates, corrupts, and in an ethical sense, “free from corrupt desire, sin, and guilt. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos)

MacArthur writes that...

katharos has two shades of meaning. Some suggest that it also means unmixed or unalloyed or unadulterated or sifted or cleansed of chaff. In other words, to be pure means you have no added mixture of any foreign element. Thus, what our Lord was really saying here is, “I desire a heart that is unmixed in its devotion and motivation. Pure motives from a pure heart.”Either way, it has to do with attitudes, integrity, and singleness of heart as opposed to duplicity and double mindedness (MacArthur, J. The Only Way to Happiness: The Beatitudes. Chicago: Moody Press)

NIDNTT writes that in classical Greek...

The adjective katharos (derivation obscure, probably nothing to do with Latin castus) is common from Homer onwards, and means: (a) originally, clean, in a physical sense as opposed to rhuparos = dirty (e.g. pure, clean water, Eur. Hippolytus 209); (b) clean, in the sense of free, without things which come between, as opposed to pleres or mestos, full (e.g. en katharo, Homer Il. 23, 61); (c) ritually clean, as opposed to akathartos, unclean; (d) in a religious sense, morally pure (e.g. katharos adikias, Plato, Republic 6, 496d; katharos cheiras, Hdt., 1, 35)...

In the LXX katharos renders 18 different Heb. equivalents, but by far the most frequent is tahôr, in the sense of ritual purity. Occasionally the LXX also translates the Heb. naqî, pure, innocent (Job 4:7), and zakak, to be bright, pure, innocent (Job 15:15) by katharos. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) 

Richards gives a good background summary of the general terms clean and unclean noting that...

The concept of cleanness and uncleanness has roots in the ritual worship of Israel. God chose to identify some things and actions as "unclean." Individuals in an unclean condition were not permitted to participate in Israel's worship. But such individuals could be cleansed and again take part in worship.

The ceremonial concepts of cleanness and uncleanness were also used to clarify the concepts of sin and atonement. It is this moral aspect of the terms that the prophets emphasized. Israel was spiritually and morally unclean and had to look to the future, hoping for God to act and bring supernatural inner cleansing.

The religious leaders of Jesus' day were blind to the emphasis of the prophets. They focused on the ritual minutia. Jesus announced that cleanness and uncleanness are matters of the heart. He did away with the old classification of clean and unclean foods. This lesson was reiterated to the young Hebrew-Christian church through Peter's vision. God now deals with the heart: the OT symbols have been supplanted by the realities they symbolized but could never accomplish. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)

MacArthur (commenting on Mt 5:8 "pure in heart") explains that in secular Greek usage katharos...

was often used of metals that had been refined until all impurities were removed, leaving only the pure metal. In that sense, purity means unmixed, unalloyed, unadulterated. Applied to the heart, the idea is that of pure motive-of single-mindedness, undivided devotion, spiritual integrity, and true righteousness. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

Barclay writes that...

In its positive form (katharos, an adjective meaning pure) it is commonly used in housing contracts to describe a house that is left clean and in good condition. But its most suggestive use is that katharos is used of that ceremonial cleanness which entitles a man to approach his gods. Impurity, then, is that which makes a man unfit to come before God, the soiling of life with the things which separate us from him.

Katharos "originally simply meant clean as opposed to soiled or dirty. Later it came to have certain most suggestive uses. It was used of corn that has been winnowed and cleansed of all chaff. It was used of an army which had been purified of all cowardly and undisciplined soldiers until there was nothing left but first-class fighting men. It was used of something which was without any debasing admixture. So, then, a pure heart (as in 2 Timothy 2:22 [note]) is a heart whose motives are absolutely pure and absolutely unmixed. In the heart of the Christian thinker there is no desire to show how clever he is, no desire to win a purely debating victory, no desire to show up the ignorance of his opponent. His only desire is to help and to illumine and to lead nearer to God. The Christian thinker is moved only by love of truth and love for men. (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos)

Barclay in his comments on Matthew 5:8 (note) explains...

The Greek word for pure is katharos, and it has a variety of usages, all of which have something to add to the meaning of this beatitude for the Christian life.

(i) Originally it simply meant clean, and could, for instance, be used of soiled clothes which have been washed clean.

(ii) It is regularly used for corn which has been winnowed or sifted and cleansed of all chaff. In the same way it is used of an army which has been purged of all discontented, cowardly, unwilling and inefficient soldiers, and which is a force composed solely of first-class fighting men.

(iii) It very commonly appears in company with another Greek adjective—akēratos. Akēratos can be used of milk or wine which is unadulterated with water, or of metal which has in it no tinge of alloy.

So, then, the basic meaning of katharos is unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed. That is why this beatitude is so demanding a beatitude. It could be translated:

Blessed is the man whose motives are always entirely unmixed, for that man shall see God.

It is very seldom indeed that we do even our finest actions from absolutely unmixed motives. If we give generously and liberally to some good cause, it may be that there lingers in the depths of our hearts some contentment in basking in the sunshine of our own self-approval, some pleasure in the praise and thanks and credit which we will receive. If we do some fine thing, which demands some sacrifice from us, it may well be that we are not altogether free from the feeling that men will see something heroic in us and that we may regard ourselves as martyrs. Even a preacher at his most sincere is not altogether free from the danger of self-satisfaction in having preached a good sermon. Was it not John Bunyan who was once told by someone that he had preached well that day, and who answered sadly, “The devil already told me that as I was coming down the pulpit steps”  (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos)

Here are the 27 uses of katharos in the NT translated clean(12), clear(3), innocent (1), pure(10 + 1x in KJV only)...

Matthew 5:8 (note) "Blessed are the pure in heart (see representative uses in the Septuagint below), for they shall see God. (Comment: Jesus is speaking not just of pure motives, but also of pure or holy deeds. As Puritan Thomas Watson once said "Morality can drown a man as fast as vice." and "A vessel may sink with gold or with dung". You can say, “I’m a very religious person and want to please God,” but if your deeds are not according to His Word and they do not reveal a real purity, it does not matter.)

Matthew 23:26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Matthew 27:59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

Luke 11:41 "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

John 13:10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
John 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." (Comment: Katharos is used figuratively in a moral or spiritual sense to describe that which is free of wrongdoing and is thus "pure", "clean" or "good" in God's sight.)

John 15:3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (Comment: Thayer explains that here "the idea which Christ expresses figuratively is as follows: `he whose inmost nature has been renovated does not need radical renewal, but only to be cleansed from every several fault into which he may fall through contact with the unrenewed world")

Acts 18:6 And when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am clean. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles."

Acts 20:26 "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

Romans 14:20 (note) Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. (Comment: In a Levitical sense katharos here speaks of a use of which is not forbidden or which imparts no uncleanness.)

1 Timothy 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 3:9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

2 Timothy 1:3 (note)  I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,

2 Timothy 2:22 (note) Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Hebrews 10:22 (note) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

James 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

1 Peter 1:22 (note) Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, (KJV - "see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently" - NAS does not translate katharos).

Observe how katharos characterizes the Bride of Christ and the things of heaven. What a glorious future we have to look forward too, beloved!

Revelation 15:6 (note) and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles.

Revelation 19:8 (note) And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Revelation 19:14 (note) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

Revelation