Titus 2:13

looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Appearing... The two Advents are in Titus 2:11,13. In Titus 2:11, it was the appearing of the grace of God in the First Advent of our Lord, and here it is the final appearing in the Second Advent when Christ will judge the quick and the dead. The first of this twofold epiphany is past, being the earthly life of our Lord; whereas the one in Titus 2:13 is future. It pertains to the glory of Christ which shall be revealed to all men at the time of his coming and resurrection.

Looking for the blessed hope ... With these words it is clear "that ethical behavior is inspired by theological hope."[32] All of the excellent rules for living laid down earlier in this chapter are meaningless without that relationship between Christ and his followers on earth who are walking as he commanded and expectantly awaiting that time when the skies shall be bright with his appearing.

The glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ... Despite the usual accuracy of the ASV, it appears to this student that the translators missed it here. The proper rendition of the phrase is as given in the ASV margin, the RSV, Weymouth and Goodspeed, thus:

The glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Lenski said flatly: "Jesus Christ is here called our God and Saviour. One person is referred to and not two."[33]

Of course, many scholars support the translation as in the KJV and the text before us; but despite that, it is admitted by all of them that this is what the Greek says, making it necessary to plead an exception in order to read it differently. Besides that, "The only begotten Son, alone, is the subject of this sublime passage."[34] Written as it should be written, it is one of the most precious statements in all the New Testament bearing upon the deity of our blessed Lord.

The marvelous glory of Jesus Christ will be in the cataclysmic events of the Second Advent, the same being the primary affirmation of this great text. Paul was encouraging the beleaguered saints on Crete to hold fast the true faith until that moment in the fullness of time when Christ has promised to return, the second time apart from sin, robed in the glory of the eternal world, for the purpose of redeeming the righteous and casting evil out of his universe. Apart from the rendition of the disputed phrase noted above, the deity of Christ shines clearly enough in that glory envisioned of him in the entire verse.

[32] Ronald A. Ward, op. cit., p. 261.

[33] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 922.

[34] H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 258.