Titus 2:12 - Exposition

Instructing for teaching, A.V.; to the intent that for that, A.V.; and righteously for righteously, A.V. Instructing us, to the intent that . This is an unnecessary refinement. Huther is right in saying that the sentence beginning with ἵνα might have been expressed by the infinitive mood, as in 1 Timothy 1:20 , and that we ought to render it not "in order that," but simply "that." The phrase in 1 Timothy 1:20 , ἵνα παιδευθῶσι μὴ βλασφημεῖν , manifestly would justify the phrase, παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ζῆν δικαίως , " teaching us to live righteously." Alford surely is wrong in saying that the universal New Testament sense of παιδεύειν is "to discipline," i.e. teach by correction. In Acts 7:22 ; Acts 22:3 ; 1 Timothy 1:20 ; 2 Timothy 2:25 , the idea of teaching, not of correcting, is predominant. But even if it was so, the pastoral Epistles are so decidedly classical in their use of words, that the classical use of παιδεύειν in such phrases as παιδεύειν τινα κιθαρίζειν or σώφρονα εἴναι (Liddell and Scott)is an abundant justification of a similar rendering of this passage And as regards the use ἵνα , such phrases as εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γενῶνται , "Command that these stones become bread" ( Matthew 4:3 ; Matthew 20:21 ; Luke 4:3 ; Luke 10:40 ); διεστείλατο … ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν , "He commanded them not to tell" ( Matthew 16:20 ); συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἴνα , "It is profitable for him that" ( Matthew 18:6 ); προσεύχεσθε ἵνα , "Pray that" ( Matthew 24:20 ); παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ἵνα μή , "He besought him not to send them away" ( Mark 5:10 ); παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἅψηται , "They beseech him to touch"; ἐδεήθην … ἵνα , "I asked … to" ( Luke 9:40 ); ἐρωτῶ σε ἵνα πέμψῃς , "I intreat thee to send" ( Luke 16:29 ; Colossians 4:2 ;, etc.);—prove that the sense "in order that" is not necessarily attached to ἵνα , but that we may properly render the passage before us " teaching us … to live soberly," etc.