Bible Commentaries

IV

An urgent enforcement of all the preceding exhortations, by an exhibition of the high end of God in the revelation of His grace.

Titus 2:11-15

11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men12[bringing salvation ⁵ to all men, hath appeared], Teaching [and traineth] us that, denying [we deny] ungodliness and worldly lust [lusts], we should live [and should live] soberly, [temperately and] righteously, and godly in this 13 present world [in this world]; Looking [waiting] for that [the] blessed hope, and the glorious appearing [the appearing of the glory] of the [our] great God and our [omit “our”] Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity [unrighteousness], and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of [in] good works 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority [energy]. Let no man [one] despise thee.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

[This construction, adopted also by De Wette, Huther, Wiesinger, Afford, and Ellicott, instead of that of the A. V, “hath appeared to all men,” is recommended by the consideration that the latter construction seems to be forbidden by the phrase, “teaching us,” which immediately follows. “Saviour of all men” is a genuine Pauline expression; and the universality of the provision and offer of the gospel was a dear thought to the Apostle. See 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 2:4. Ἐπεφάνη is here used absolutely, as in Titus 3:4.—D.] Since ἡ very probably should be omitted, we must regard the adjective as a more particular description of χάρις (as bringing salvation; De Wette). The Apostle refers here, as in other passages in the Pastoral Epistles ( 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Timothy 4:10), to the universal extent of the Divine provision of salvation revealed in the gospel. (To prevent misconception, compare the notes on these two passages.)—Appeared,ἐπεφάνη, an expression which, in other passages, is used concerning the sun ( Acts 27:20; comp. Luke 1:79); so that it is not improbable that the Apostle, who elsewhere compares the revelation of the New Covenant to a clear day ( Romans 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8), selected precisely this expression to make prominent the revelation of salvation on its bright and glorious side.

Titus 2:12. And traineth us,παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, κ.τ.λ. With the higher sweep which the language of the Apostle has sensibly taken, and with his heart captivated and inflamed by the revelation of the grace of God in Christ, it is not to be wondered at that one figure follows another. Grace, which just before rose like the sun, he now displays as a tutor who trains boys, by nature stubborn and unruly, to live a life acceptable to God. He speaks of a training in which, according to the true force and full import of the word, the idea of correction and punishment is by no means excluded, and, along with the distinction between the law and the gospel, brings to view their higher unity. In what this Divine training consists, and to what it should lead (ἵνα), he states in what immediately follows.—That we deny, &c. The true learning for heaven must begin with the un learning and laying off (A b lernen und A b legen) of all which stands in the way of the development of the new man. The building cannot be carried up until the old rubbish is removed. By “ungodliness” we are to understand not only idolatry in the literal sense of the word, but the whole inner and outer life of those who live without God, and in opposition to His law.—Worldly lusts are those which are cherished by the children of the world, who are in hostility to God, and which (in consequence of this) are exclusively directed to this present, transitory world, with what it has and what it gives ( 1 John 2:16). In distinction from all this, grace teaches us that we should live temperately and righteously and godly. Wolf: “The opinion of those is to be preferred, who think that by τὸ εὐσεβῶς (godly) are meant duties towards God; by τὸ δικαίως, duties towards our neighbor; and by τὸ σωφρόνως, to ourselves.” It may indeed be questioned, whether the Apostle has quite so strictly connected the ideas with these several words; but, on the other hand, it is highly natural that, in speaking of the universality of the grace of God, and of its moral tendency, he should expressly mention how it guides and sanctifies tie life of man in all directions. By subjoining in hills world, he makes prominent the necessity and difficulty of such a life as he has just described, and at the same time paves the way for speaking antithetically ( Titus 2:13) of the future and eternal life, towards which, as being the final and complete perfection of their sanctification, the hope of believers is ever directed. Calvin: “In this world, because the Lord has appointed the present life for the trial of our faith.”

Titus 2:13. Waiting for,προσδεχόμενοι, expecting (“with joy,” Bengel); a more particular form of the preceding verse, with a statement also of what it is that gives to believers strength and cour age to lead a life of such self-denial and conscientious godliness as is there described.—The blessed hope. The strangeness which, at the first glance, the phrase “to wait for hope” may seem to have, disappears, when we remember that hope does not so much designate subjectively the form or the act of hope, as rather objectively, its contents and object, the thing hoped for, as the aim of believing expectation (comp. Acts 24:15; Galatians 5:5; Romans 8:24-25). Epexegetically, this hope is more particularly described by the clause, and the appearing of the glory. The living as Christians, soberly, righteously, and godly, is thus grounded in faith in the appearing of grace ( Titus 2:11, and is strengthened by the hope of another appearing, viz, of glory. The Apostle means simply what he elsewhere calls the “revelation” or “appearance” of Jesus Christ, the final appearing of the Lord at the day of judgment, toward which, also, in 2 Timothy 4:8, his eye was directed. The only question is, whether, in the next clause, τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, one independent subject is to be understood [so that it shall read, of our great Gad and Saviour Jesus Christ.—D.], or whether, with most [or rather several—they hardly appear to be the majority.—D.] recent interpreters, it should be rendered, “the appearing of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.” For our part, we decide in favor of the first, and believe he words may, should, and must be understood as giving the name “great God” not to the Father, but to the Saviour Jesus Christ. On purely philological grounds, the position of Bengel will hardly be questioned: “It may be referred to Christ.” Even Winer, § 11, does not deny that σωτῆρος ἡμῶν may be regarded, consistently with grammar, as a second predicate depending upon the article τοῦ. The only ground on which he feels obliged to prefer the other view, adopted by De Wette, Huther, and others, is the doctrinal opinion, derived from the writings of Paul, that this Apostle could not have styled Christ the great God. But in view of 1 Timothy 3:15-16; Romans 9:5; Colossians 1:15-20, and other passages, we cannot regard this objection as valid. Equally arbitrary with the position that Paul regarded Christ as a mere man, and nothing more, is the Arian view, that Paul did not recognize Christ as God, yea, as μέγας θεός. Whoever will simply read and translate the words without doctrinal prejudice, will have as little hesitation in referring them to one and the same subject, as in understanding, e.g, in 2 Peter 1:11, the words βασιλείαν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, as relating to the same subject. Hebrews, who is there called κύριος (Lord), is here called μέγας θεός (the great God); as is clear also from the fact that Paul ascribes an “appearing” to the Son (comp. 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:8), but not to the Father, who is “invisible.” Taking all things into the account, we believe that the sense of the words, and the connection, speak decidedly in favor of one and the same subject (Christ). We cannot, therefore, but regard the use which the Church fathers very early made of this passage as a weapon against the Arians as entirely legitimate. [Ellicott has come to the same result with Dr. Van Oosterzee, which is that also of Calvin, Matthies, Usteri, Wiesinger, Tholuck, and Ebrard. He says: “It must be candidly avowed that it is very doubtful whether, on the grammatical principle last alluded to (in respect to two substantives closely united, and under the vinculum of a common article), the interpretation of this passage can be fully settled; see Winer, § 18, 5 Obs, p148. There is a presumption in favor of the adopted interpretation, but, on account of the (defining) genitive ἡμῶν (Winer, p142), nothing more. When, however, we turn to exegetical considerations, and remember (1.) that ἐπιφανεία is a term specially and peculiarly applied to the Song of Solomon, and never to the Father; (2.) that the immediate context so specially relates to our Lord; (3.) that the following mention of Christ’s giving Himself up for us—of His abasement—does fairly account for St. Paul’s ascription of a title, otherwise unusual, that specifically and antithetically marks His glory; (4.) that μεγάλου would be uncalled for, if applied to the Father; and (5.) lastly, observe that apparently two of the ante-Nicene (Clem. Alex. and Hippolytus), and the great bulk of the post-Nicene writers, concurred in this interpretation—when we candidly weigh all this evidence, it does seem difficult to resist the conviction that this text is a direct, definite, and even studied declaration of the divinity of the Eternal Son. It ought not to be suppressed that some of the best versions (Vulg, Syr, et al, not, however, apparently Æth.), and some fathers of undoubted orthodoxy, adopted the other interpretation.” So also Erasmus, Grotius, De Wette, and Huther.—D.] Even if, however, a difference of subjects should be assumed, this passage bears testimony, not directly, indeed, but indirectly, as Huther, among others, admits. [This view is strongly expressed by Alford, who, without considering the question closed, prefers to regard “the great God” as describing the Father; but adds: “Whichsoever way taken, the passage is just as important a testimony to the divinity of our Saviour: according to one way, by asserting His possession of Deity; according to the other, even more strikingly, asserting His equality in glory with the Father, in a way which would be blasphemy if predicated of any of the sons of men.”—D.] So Calvin: “But we may refute the Arians briefly and solidly: for Paul, having spoken of the revelation of the glory of ‘the great God,’ immediately added ‘Christ,’ that we might know that the revelation of glory will be in His person; as if he had said that, when Christ shall appear, the greatness of the Divine glory shall then be revealed to us.”

Titus 2:14. Who gave himself, &c. With these words the Apostle returns to what he would specially point out, viz, the sanctifying aim of the redemption bestowed in Christ.—Gave = ἔδωκεν Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 5:25); here, as well as in those passages, expressing the genuine Pauline thought of a voluntary sacrifice, the issue of obedience and love.—For us. We cannot agree with those interpreters who think that ὑπέρ does not signify in our stead, but merely for our good. There is certainly a distinction between the original significations of ὑπέρ and ἀντί; but that here, at least, the idea of substitution cannot be set aside, is evident from what immediately follows: that he might redeem us, &c. For when Christ gives Himself as a ransom (λύτρον), He gives His soul as a ransom in the stead of those who otherwise would not be redeemed from the enemy’s power.—From all unrighteousness. The ἀνομία is here regarded as the power, from whose control believers are bought and freed through Christ. Since, therefore, they are released from the service of this hard master, he can require nothing more of them; and it is therefore but just that they refuse to obey him, in order henceforth to live soberly, righteously, and godly.—And purify unto himself a peculiar people,λαὸν περιούσιον (occurring only here in the N. T, the same with λαός εις τεριποίησιν in 1 Peter 2:9). Beza: Populum peculiarem. Luther: A people for possession [“a people peculiarly His;” Alford.—D.]. In the spirit of Paul, the means of purification can be no other than the price with which the people was bought, namely, the blood of Christ. “How can ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν be understood otherwise than of the atoning death?” Wiesinger. Here also, as in Ephesians 5:25-27, Paul brings forward the thought, that atonement for sin in itself, although the first, is by no means the last and highest end of the sacrifice of Christ, but becomes the means, further, for the attainment of a higher, yea, the highest end, the sanctification of the pardoned sinner, and his renewal after the glorious image of God.—Zealous in good works. Calvin: “His grace necessarily brings along with it newness of life, because they who are still the servants of sin make void the blessing of redemption. But now we are released from the bondage of sin, that we may serve the righteousness of God.”

Titus 2:15. These things speak, and exhort; making emphatic the whole of the preceding section—not only Titus 2:11-14, but also Titus 2:1-10—by the decisive command to lay all this, not exclusively, indeed, but yet predominantly, upon the hearts of the hearers, and thus to hold up grace and duty before them as inseparably united.—Let no one despise thee (comp. on 1 Timothy 4:12).

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. This section is one of the loca classica for Biblical Theology, and one of the comparatively few places in the Pastoral Epistles which furnish important contributions to our knowledge of the doctrinal system of Paul. We here find most perfectly fused together, and penetrating each, faith and life, doctrine and duty, theory and practice.

2. On the unlimited extent of the Divine plan of salvation, see on 1 Timothy 2:4-6.

3. Whoever denies the doctrine of an objective atonement for sin, made through the offering of Jesus Christ, contradicts Paul to the face. It is downright rationalistic arbitrariness to maintain (De Wette), that, in passages like these, what is spoken of is not atonement, but exclusively moral purification. Paul knows of no other purification than that which comes from faith in the atonement, and through the actual appropriation of it. On the other hand, it must by no means be overlooked, that this atonement paves the way to holiness, and that Christ, because He is our “righteousness,” is also now our “sanctification,” and only in consequence of this can He become our full “redemption.” The same thought, that forgiveness does not follow upon holiness, but leads to it, is also expressed in 1 John 2:1; Revelation 5:9.

4. “The blessed hope, for which we wait, is the appearing of Jesus Christ in glory. The saving grace of God has already appeared to us; the work of salvation, which it has begun, is perfected by the appearing of the Saviour in glory, who, in His state of humiliation here, wrought out our redemption. The appearing of the kingdom of God in Christ gives us the earnest of its appearance hereafter in glory, quickens our desires after it, and draws us away from worldly lusts;” Von Gerlach.

5. The preacher who exclusively preaches duties, and holds back the announcement of the grace of God, which is alone able to make us, through faith, new men, consecrated to God and truly moral, discharges his trust no better than he who is zealous only for doctrine merely, without insisting upon the renewing and sanctifying power of the truth. The exhortation of Paul to do the one, and not to leave the other undone, is strongly enforced by his own example.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The gospel revealed in Christ: (1.) Its origin—the grace of God; (2.) its character—saving grace, in contrast with the law; (3.) its extent—hath appeared to all men; (4.) the way and manner of its efficacy—training us, &c, Titus 2:12; (5.) its triumph, Titus 2:13; (6.) its final end, Titus 2:14.—The Christian life a blessed position intermediate between two revelations of salvation, the one behind, the other still before us.—The sun of the Divine revelation of salvation, a source: (1.) Of light; (2.) of warmth; (3.) of fruitfulness.—The connection of forgiveness and sanctification: (1.) No strength for seeking after holiness without faith in forgiveness; (2.) no enjoyment of forgiveness without striving after holiness.—Christ the true Redeemer, because He redeems us not only from the guilt, but also from the dominion of sin.—How the Christian, because he is redeemed from the curse of the law, fulfils the precepts of the law under the promptings of gratitude and love.—“These things speak” (for ordination or installation): (1.) What the servant of the gospel, according to the teaching and example of Paul, is to preach, and what not to preach; (2.) why just this and how herein he is to discharge his duty.

Starke: Mülleri Opp.: We cannot make a long search for God’s grace, for it has appeared to all men; we cannot buy it, for it is presented to us as a free gift; we cannot run after it, for it runs after us with all its saving power.—Augustine: “It is a great and general fast, to abstain from iniquities and the unlawful pleasures, of this world; this is a perfect fast, that, denying impiety and worldly desires, we live temperately, justly, and piously.—Starke: For this reason does the grace of God appear to the sinner, that he may forsake darkness, and walk in the light; Titus 2:11; Romans 13:12-13.—Three words express the whole of Christianity: to be strict towards one’s self, just to one’s neighbor, and pious towards God, If thou livest thus, dear Christian, thou livest right.—Mülleri Opp.: When the world, with its glory, shall pass away, the glory of Jesus Christ will be revealed; 1 Corinthians 15:23-24.—Christ Himself shall be condemned, before sin shall condemn him for whom He hath given Himself, and who believes in Him; Romans 8:1.—Boast not of thy merit: it is of mere grace.—Thou art in error, if thou supposest that thy Saviour giveth thee freedom to sin.—Hedinger: Mere doctrine is not enough. Thou must exhort and rebuke with all earnestness, and not suffer thyself to be despised. Away with timidity and temporizing! Gentleness, mildness, and quietness of spirit are beautiful; but a holy zeal, also, is not to be proscribed. Moderate one by the other; this is thy special adornment, O minister of Christ! Titus 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:2.

Lisco: In the mission of Jesus, the grace of God is revealed: (1.) In its essential character; (2.) in its aim; (3.) in its means.—On the appearing of the great God at the festival of Christmas.—God’s grace urges us to holiness, and leads us to blessedness.—The joyousness and solemnity of Christmas.—Fuchs: Christmas joy: (1.) Its object; (2.) requirement; (3.) its effect.—Couard: The communion of man with God destroyed by sin, and restored by Jesus Christ.—Kapff: The birth of Christ our new birth.—Staudt: The grace of God has appeared: (1.) To whom; (2.) for what; (3.) how it is to secure its end.—Gerok: The heavenly Christmas festival which the children of God enjoy: (1.) The noble Christmas gift; (2.) the great Christmas table; (3.) the right Christmas thanks.—Palmer: The education of grace.—The preaching of the appearing of the great God.—Harless: The training of the saving grace of God in Christ.—Florey: The voice of Divine grace in the hearts of believers at the present day: (1.) An earnest; (2.) a holy; (3.) a loud; (4.) a comforting voice.—W. Löhe: “The manger and the cross, the manger and the import of the incarnation and the cross, the manger and the final salvation of all believers, the manger and the grace which trains men for final blessedness, we behold here combined. The manger not alone, but in connection with all God’s works. The manger a centre, and around it, like circle around circle ever widening, is grace ever becoming more full and complete. Especially worthy of consultation, and deserving, with its entire context, to be read again and again, is the beautiful sermon of Luther on this passage, in the Erlangen edition of his Works, 1827, Th7, S127–154.

Footnotes