Titus

2:11-15

Paul's commission to Titus, 1:5-3:11

2. Matters concerning the Christian fellowship, 2:1-3:11

ii] Faith and Christian living

This passage provides a theological basis for Paul's ethical instructions concerning life within the Christian fellowship, that basis being the doctrine of redemption. It is "because Jesus sacrificed himself for all mankind that old and young men and old and young women (cf. v1-8 + slaves, v9-10), can be bidden to live in obedience to God", Barrett.

Verses 11-14, serving as the theological basis for the ethical instructions outlined in v1-10, form one complex sentence in the Gk. The opening clause serves as the leading statement controlled by the main verb "has appeared", the subject of which is "the grace of God ([which brings] salvation)". This verb, and its attendant participle "teaching", controls the rest of the sentence; "the grace of God in Christ which brings salvation has been revealed and teaches us." The following dependent statement outlines what this revelation/epiphany teaches. The statement is controlled by the main verb "we should live", supported by two participial phrases, on the one hand "having rejected" the evils of this world, and on the other "awaiting" the Christian hope. The "awaiting" is exegeted in a supportive phrase giving its content, namely awaiting the epiphany ("appearing of glory"), which appearing is limited by the adjectival phrase "the great God and saviour of us who is Jesus Christ." An adjectival clause follows led by a relative pronoun describing the coming Christ as the one "who gave himself on our behalf". This is followed up by two purpose clauses explaining why Christ gave himself, namely "in order that he might redeem us from all sin" and "in order that he might cleanse for himself a people of his possession." Finally, this people is qualified by an appositional phrase, "namely a people zealous of good works."

The following verse, v15, is often treated as if introducing the next passage, but it is probably best treated as a personal instruction to Titus as to his handling of the theological themes outlined in v11-14; "These are your themes; urge them and argue them with an authority which no one can disregard", REB.

Having defined a series of practicalities concerning the Christian life, Paul now explains that this life rests on the humanizing power of the gospel revealed in Christ.

gar "for" - for. Causal, establishing a logical link which grounds the previous ten verses on the theology of v11-14. A variant without this conjunction exists, but is discounted.

h cariV (iV ewV "the grace" - The covenant mercy of God realized in the person and work of Christ. Surely a Pauline sense is intended, but some disagree, eg. Dibelius/Conzelmann. This phrase serves as the content of what was revealed/manifested, of God's epiphany in Christ, an epiphany which brought salvation to all humanity. The phrase most likely serves as a summary of the gospel.

tou qeou (oV) gen. "of God" - The genitive may be adjectival, possessive, "the grace that belongs to God", or ablative, source/origin, "the grace that flows from God."

swthrioV adj. "brings salvation" - bringing salvation. Variant tou swthrioV exists. If attributive it would rightly take an article, but here the adjective is predicative; a grace of God which conveys salvation.

epefanh (epifainw) aor. pas. "has appeared" - appeared, dawned. "This grace has been concretely manifested in the world", Marshall, as a "divine manifestation to save, and royal visitation", Towner. "Revealed was the grace of God for the rescue of all human beings", Quinn.

pasin dat. adj. "to all men" - to all. Dative of interest, advantage. The adjective is limiting "salvation", ie. a salvation of all mankind, and not as NIV.

This humanizing function of the gospel achieves the following: i] The living out of new-life in Christ; ii] The turning away from a life without God;

paideuousa (paideuw) pres. part. "teaching [us]" - teaching, disciplining. Possibly just an attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "has appeared"; "he has appeared ... and is teaching ... The pronoun "us" serves as the object. Obviously "teaching", although Paul often uses the word elsewhere in the sense of "disciplines", so possibly "it schools (trains) us", Moffatt. Towner extends the idea somewhat and so opts for "civilizing", even "humanizing." We have here an extremely important principle. The Christian life, shaped as it is toward godly living and away from ungodliness, is driven, not by law, but by the gospel of God's grace in Christ. It is God's mercy in Christ which motivates us to be merciful, to be forgiving rather than unforgiving.

iJna + subj. "to ...... [live]" - that. Although possibly introducing a purpose clause, it is more likely introducing a dependent statement expressing what Christ's epiphany teaches/schools us; "it is training us ....... to live a well-ordered, upright and godly life", Barrett.

arnhsamenoi (arneomai) aor. part. "[to] say 'No' [to ungodliness and worldly passions]" - having denied [ungodliness and worldly desires]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "we should live." "Training us to renounce the life in which God is banished from the scene (a life without God), and in which the worlds desires hold sway", Barrett.

zhswmen (zaw) aor. subj. "[and to] live [self controlled, upright and godly lives]" - [that] we should live [sensibly and righteously and godly]. "Live" in the sense of "conduct oneself." Three adverbs are used to describe the Christian life.

en tw/ nun aiwni "in this present age" - in the now age. Although the phrase would normally be translated as NIV, the presence of the adverb nun "now/present" probably pushes to the more specific "in the midst of this present world", Cassirer.

iii] "A forward looking hope", Towner.

prosdecomenoi (prosdecomai) pres. part. "while we wait for" - eagerly waiting for. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal, modifying the verb "we should live", as NIV. "While we look for", TNT.

thn makarian elpida "the blessed hope" - The adjective limits the "hope", identifying a particular type of "hope", namely a "blessed" type. Blessedness is of course a God bestowed quality, so the hope is for divine blessing. "The hope that brings blessing", Fee.

kai "-" - but, and. Here probably serving to introduce an appositional/epexegetical clause; "the blessed hope, that is / namely, appearing of the glory ..." The fact that there is no article before "blessed" supports this view, cf. BDF#276.3. Clearly an eschatological sense is intended here, ie. the parousia of Christ. "While waiting for that blessed hope of ours [that is], for the appearing in glory of him who ....", Cassirer.

epiqaneian (a) "appearing" - appearing, manifestation. The hoped for blessing is the "appearing / manifestation" of .......

thV doxhV "the glorious [appearing of our great God and saviour, Jesus Christ]" - of the glory [of the great God and saviour of us Jesus Christ]. The genitive is probably adjectival, limiting "appearing", ie. it is a "glorious" type of appearing, so NIV, but it can also be taken with "of the great God"; "the appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour", so TNIV (probably not an objective genitive, although it may be so argued on the basis that epifaneian is anarthrous, but then the article would be dropped if kai is explanatory). Related to this issue is the title "Jesus Christ" which is usually coupled with "God", but the title may also be coupled with "the glory of God". We end up with three possibilities: i] the passage refers to two persons ("the great God" and "the saviour Jesus Christ"); ii] the passage refers to Jesus as being the glory of God; iii] the passage refers to Jesus as "our God and Saviour." Commentators: i] Dibelius/Conzelmann ii] Towner; iii] Marshall, Barrett, Quinn ("of Jesus Christ, our great God and saviour"), Fee, Guthrie, Hanson, Simpson, Knight III, Mounce. The decider is probably theological in that "appearing" surely refers to the parousia, something undertaken by Jesus, not Jesus and God/the Father, although against this there is the argument that Paul would not use such a specific identifier for Jesus. So, "Jesus Christ" most likely stands in apposition to "our great God and Saviour", as NIV, although the approach of Towner has much to recommend it. We do well to remember that the deity of Jesus does not rest on this verse.

Having mentioned "our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ", Paul reminds Titus that Jesus "gave himself for us" and states the purpose of this selfless sacrifice: i] our removal from the sphere of sin, and ii] our purification as a people for God.

edwken (didwmi) aor. "gave" - Obviously "he it is who sacrificed himself for us", NEB.

uJper + gen. "for [us]" - for. Here of representation, so "on behalf of, for the sake of", but possibly replacing anti, expressing substitution, "in place of / instead of", so Zerwick, cf. MM.

iJna + subj. "to" - that [he might redeem, ransom ........ he might cleanse ....]. Introducing two purpose clauses, "in order to ...."

lutrwshtai (lutrow) "redeem" - he might ransom, redeem. Possibly of paying a price for release, or just liberate, set free, cf. 1Tim.2:6 and Mk.10:45 as related to say Ps.130:8. The idea of ransom / redemption / buying back at the payment of a price, rather than set-free / rescue may be present given the overtones of Mark 10:45 in v13, as in 1 Peter 1:18. Certainly Christ's self-giving on behalf of sinners is in mind, but when it comes to the payment of a price we are forced to ask, payment to whom? The answers are less than satisfactory. We seem on safer ground if we hold that "the emphasis of the ransom metaphor here is on the cost of the redemption", Mounce. That is, the idea of "redemption" is drawn from "the Biblical tradition of the action taken by YHWH to set his people free ......; it had become another way of speaking of God's saving act", Towner.

pashV adj. "[from] all" - Attributive adjective, so "everything belonging to wickedness."

anomiaV (a) "wickedness" - lawlessness, wickedness. "To set us free from all wickedness", REB, ie. "from the sphere of sin", Towner, cf. v12. Marshall suggests "set free from its power (inclination to wickedness) and its consequences (guilt)", but it is not clear here that Paul is thinking of the consequences of sin, namely guilt. The context is primarily focused on behavior.

kaqarish/ (kaqarizw) aor. subj. "purify" - he might cleanse, purify. Possibly set apart = "consecrate", Dibelius/Conzelmann, cf. Ezk.37:23. Possibly spiritual cleansing (forgiveness / removal of guilt) is in mind, but certainly in "abstaining from evil deeds", Marshall.

periousion adj. "[a people] that are his very own" - special, chosen. As of something that belongs to someone, so here of God's "special possession", his "peculiar treasure."

zhlwthn (hV ou) "eager" - zealous, enthusiastic, eager for. Paralleling v12 "to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives." "Full of zeal for good works"; "enthusiastic for fine deeds", Quinn.

"Having set before them the theological basis for `good works' (God's saving grace manifested in Christ's redemptive act), Paul now turns to urge Titus to teach these things", Fee.

tauta "these, [then], are the things" - these things. Certainly v1-14, but possibly 1:10-16.

lalei (lalew) pres. imp. "you should teach" - speak [these things]. "Let this be your message", Cassirer.

parakalei (parakalew) "encourage" - exhort, urge, encourage. "Tell people these things and urge them to respond", Junkins.

elegce (elegcw) "rebuke" - rebuke, reprove, convict / convince [with every command/authority]. Literally "with every command", but better "with full authority to command", BAGD. "This solemn admonition should be given to those who neglect their duties / who are slack, or fail to respond", Knight III.

perifroneitw (preifronew) pres. imp. "do [not let anyone] despise [you]" - disregard, despise, overlook, look down on, disdain. Hapax legomenon, here taking a genitive object "you". Possibly encouraging Titus to reinforce his authority as a minister of the Word since where a minister is disregarded the Word is inevitably disregarded. Towner suggest the exhortation is more personal; "Titus, even if someone disrespects your authority, do not be dissuaded from your task."

Titus Introduction

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