Titus 3:1-8

Titus 3:1-Judges : . Further Instruction on Christian Conduct.

( a) Titus 3:1 f. Behaviour to those Outside.— In his relation with unbelievers the Christian must show (i) towards those in authority, obedience ( 1 Timothy 2:1-Judges : *); (ii) towards his neighbours generally, right-living and forbearance; (iii) towards all alike, meekness.

( b) Titus 3:3-Ruth : a . Its Doctrinal Basis.— Any other spirit than that of meekness is ruled out (i) by the character of the believer’ s own pre-Christian life ( Romans 1:28 ff., cf. 1 Timothy 1:12 ff.), (ii) by the fact that his own salvation was of God’ s grace (see on Titus 2:11-Ezra :). A difficulty follows. We have (i) a characteristically Pauline statement of evangelical doctrine (men are “ justified” not by “ works,” but by “ grace” ); (ii) an allusion to baptism which, to many, appears un-Pauline. If Titus 3:5 b implies that the rite of itself effects the cleansing from sin, it is certainly different from Paul’ s usual doctrine of baptism— that of the believer’ s mystical union with Christ’ s death. The teaching, however, is not that the regeneration is through the physical washing— a view which would require the sentence to be rewritten— but that God uses baptism as the act with which He associates cleansing from sin. This sacramental doctrine is apostolic ( Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16, Galatians 3:27. Ephesians 5:26, 1 Peter 3:21), and must not be confused with the very different theory that the act itself possesses a quasi-magical power. The latter view would place baptism among those very “ works” by which, the context affirms, we are not saved.

Titus 3:3 . cf. Introduction, § 2 .

Titus 3:8 a . The “ saying” covers Titus 3:4-Joshua :; 1 Timothy 1:15 *.