II. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SETTING THE CHURCH IN ORDER 1:5-3:11As in 1 Timothy, Paul plunged into the business of his letter immediately since he was writing a trusted colleague. This partially explains the absence of a thanksgiving section in these two epistles. The serious threat of false teaching may be another reason. By contrast, 2 Timothy is more personal, and it contains a thanksgiving. read more
3:4 man (a-8) Lit. 'philanthropy.' read more
3:5 washing (b-28) 'Washing' is right here. It is a bath, or the water for it. 'Regeneration' is not the same word as 'being born again,' nor is it used so in scripture. The force of the word is a change of position; a new state of things. The word is only used here, and in Matthew 19:28 for the Saviour's coming kingdom. read more
The Substance and Manner of the Teaching to be Given. Farewell1-15. ’Remind the Cretans to be loyal citizens, good neighbours. As, through no merit of ours, God won us to Himself, so we must live good lives. Never argue with stubborn hearted people. Warn a heretic twice; then drop him. Come to me at Nicopolis, when Artemas or Tychicus leaves me, and see that Zenas and Apollos get well started on their missionary journey. We all greet you all.’1. To principalities and powers] better (as RV), ’to... read more
(4) But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.—Another thought now wells up in the Apostle’s mind. We of ourselves should never have become changed men, had not the kindness of God and His divine love for men shown itself. We, indeed, have no ground for self-exaltation, no excuse for haughty treatment of others, either in thought or action; for if we now live other and purer lives than they live, our change to better and higher things was owing to no desert or... read more
(5) Not by works of righteousness.—This by no means asserts that such works ever had been done, and then produced, as it were, before the bar of God, and weighed and found insufficient; but it simply maintains that to win salvation such must be done. Sad experience, more forcibly than any theological assertion, has demonstrated to us all the utter impossibility of any of us, even the holiest, ever, even for one day, doing the works of a purely righteous man.But according to his mercy.—As there... read more
Our Motto Titus 3:1 Primarily these words refer to our duty as Christian citizens. But I think we may very well enlarge the scope of the words, so that we may take them as our motto for our whole life, and not only for our lives as Christian citizens. I. What do we Mean by Good Work? The Christian is to be ready for every beautiful work, because the work of God is always beautiful. Good works are beautiful, and they call forth the admiration of all true beholders. It requires a certain amount... read more
Chapter 25THE CO-OPERATION OF THE DIVINE PERSONS IN EFFECTING THE NEW BIRTH-THE LAVER OF REGENERATION. - Titus 3:4-7FOR the second time in this short letter we have one of those statements of doctrine which are not common among the practical instructions which form the mare portion of the Pastoral Epistles. The other doctrinal statement was noticed in a previous discourse on 1 Timothy 2:11-14. It is worth while to compare the two.Though similar, they are not identical in import, and they are... read more
III. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD AND FALSE TEACHERS CHAPTER 3 1. Instructions (Titus 3:1-8 ) 2. Warnings (Titus 3:9-11 ) 3. Directions (Titus 3:12-15 ) Titus 3:1-8 He asks Titus to remind all believers to be subject to rulers, principalities and powers (Greek: Magistracies and authorities, Romans 13:1 ), to yield obedience and to be ready for every good work. An ancient historian, Diodones Siculus, speaks of the riotous insubordination of the Cretans. They were to speak evil of no man, nor... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Titus 3:4-5
The appearance Paul referred to is the sending of Jesus Christ to die for us, the Incarnation. That was the greatest revelation of God’s kindness and love for humankind. God took the initiative. God does not save people because they behave righteously but because He is merciful (cf. Romans 3:27-28; Romans 4:4-5; Galatians 2:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). The salvation He provides consists of rebirth that Paul likened here to washing off sin’s filth (John 3:3-8; Romans 6:4; Ephesians... read more