Bible Commentaries
Titus 3

Verse 1

Titus 3:1

Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to au­thorities, to be obedient,—At the time this letter was written Nero was emperor, who was a persecutor of Christians. Paul had just been released from prison yet showed feeling toward the rulers or authorities. Jesus and the apostles early in their ministry taught by precept and example that they should submit to the civil rulers save when they required something of them contrary to the will of God. Then they “answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20.) Here he teaches them to be subject to them. They are to conduct themselves thus toward the governments that are seeking to destroy the religion of Christ from the earth. It does not then involve the support or approval of the governments or of their courses, but God directs them to quietly submit to these powers in whatever they require of them, save when they demand something contrary to the law of God.

In view of the fact that the civil government is an ordinance of God, even to the infamous Nero, a minister of God, we must be subject, not only for wrath (for fear of punishment), but also for conscience’s sake. That is, as a duty we owe to God, we must submit to them in the place God has put them. Jesus set the example, paying tax. (Matthew 17:24-27.) Although in doing so he classed himself as a stranger and not a child of human government, the same government con­cerning which Paul now writes to Titus to instruct the Chris­tians in Crete to be obedient. The same relationship and duties are required by Peter. (1 Peter 2:13-16.) Christians are to submit quietly to the ordinances and laws of human governments, seeking to live a quiet and peaceful life. This involves no support or participation in the strifes and con­flicts of the governments of the world.

to be ready unto every good work,—This is connected with and defines the works which the Christians may perform in obedience to the civil powers. They could not do an evil work.

Verse 2

Titus 3:2

to speak evil of no man,—They were not to speak evil or contemptuously of these rulers.

not to be contentious,—Not to be guilty of noisy strife in opposing the civil rulers when they are compelled to refuse obedience.

to be gentle,—Their obedience must be in a gentle, kind spirit.

showing all meekness toward all men.—The meekness sig­nifies kindly forbearance, a gentle unresentful spirit under evil treatment unto all men. God's law is that Christians should submit to the human governments so far as obedience to God will permit, then when loyalty to God demands dis­obedience to human governments, the refusal to obey is to be accompanied with passive unresisting submission to their penalties.

Verse 3

Titus 3:3

For we also once were foolish,—He reminds them that before they became servants of Christ they were without un­derstanding. “We” refers, as many think, to the Jews. It may mean as showing the feelings cherished in all Christians, Jews and Gentiles alike. They had all been without what God ordained for good.

disobedient,—Disobedient to the authorities, even when they required nothing wrong at their hands.

deceived,—Deceived as to what was pleasing to God in such matters.

serving divers lusts and pleasures,—Serving their own prej­udices and passions rather than God.

living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.—Cultivating malice and envy toward those who had the rule over them, making themselves hated and hating one another. This refers chiefly to the spirit of envy and insubordination that the Jews cultivated toward the Roman rulers. Paul corrects all that temper among Christians and tells them that the kind, gentle spirit is that which conquers even the civil rulers.

Verse 4

Titus 3:4

But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared,—But after God had shown his kind­ness and love to man in the coming of Jesus Christ to suffer and die for men, Paul came to see that the spirit of envy and hatred was contrary to God and his spirit of dealing with men. God’s love to man while yet in enmity toward him, his overcoming men’s hatred with love, was a new revelation to man as to how he should conquer hatred and overcome evil.

Verse 5

Titus 3:5

not by works done in righteousness, which we did our­selves.—God saved man from this sinful course that culti­vated the spirit of hatred and bitterness to the civil rulers and toward all that evil entreated and opposed them.

but according to his mercy he saved us,—Christ saved them from the course of wickedness, not through works of right­eousness which they had done before the coming of Jesus that merited salvation.

through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,—Moved by his own mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. There are two applications of the word righteousness in the Scriptures. Here the washing or bath of regeneration refers to baptism. It means the washing or bath connected with regeneration. Here the righteousness which we did that did not bring salvation is placed in contrast with baptism. When Jesus came to John to be baptized of him, “John would have hindered him, . . . but Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteous­ness” (Matthew 3:14-15), making baptism a part of righteousness. There is a righteousness of God, and there is a righteousness that comes through the ways and works of man. Baptism is a part of God’s way of making man righteous. So is a renewing of the Holy Spirit. The Jews were not saved on account of any righteousness they had done before Christ came to merit it but moved by his own mercy to men he saved them through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. He first sent his Spirit to renew man. The Spirit came to the apostles, through them preached Christ to the world, produced faith, changed the heart, directed the life anew, and the heart renewed, the person was baptized into Christ, put off the old man of sin now dead, was buried with him in Christ, washed away his sins, and arose to a new life in Jesus Christ. The relation of these facts to each other and the connection of each of them to the remission of sins, entrance into the name of Christ, God, and salvation by the same word, settle beyond dispute that they are for the same end or thing. Man must believe into Christ, but his believing carries him through repentance and baptism before he is in Christ. Repentance comes from faith, but it leads through baptism to the remis­sion of sins. Faith that stops short of repentance and baptism does not carry the believer into Christ. These facts settle the office of faith, repentance, and baptism.

Verse 6

Titus 3:6

which he poured out upon us richly,—God shed forth his Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ abundantly on the apostles at Pentecost. The power was shed forth in such abundance that they were overwhelmed, baptized in the Spirit.

through Jesus Christ our Saviour;—Jesus Christ said: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever.” (John 14:16.) “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me.” (John 15:26.)

Verse 7

Titus 3:7

that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.—The Holy Spirit was bestowed to guide those justified by the mercy of God to fit them to be heirs of God of the eternal life that had been promised those who love God. [This life eternal is still for us in the future, though ever present in respect of hope; children we indeed are and sharers in many good gifts of our Father, but eternal life, that glorious inheritance, is still in the future; but it is a sure hope, eternal life, the hope of which is the mainspring of all Christian work and activity, though it includes it, of course, is something far more than merely endless existence. A veil, impenetrable to mortal eyes in the Father’s house of “many mansions.” (John 14:2.) “It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, ... we shall see him even as he is” (1 John 3:2), “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). And with these thoughts and words we are to comfort one another.]

Verse 8

Titus 3:8

Faithful is the saying,—That which he had just said is a faithful saying, and he desired these truths to be taught con­ fidently that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. “For we are his workmanship, cre­ated in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10.)

and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm con­fidently,—[He willed that over and over again these words be repeated by the faithful believers in the Lord to remind them, not only of the glorious hope of eternal life, but also to bring him to their remembrance to whom they owed this glorious heritage. And as they repeat or hear these words, telling of the wondrous mercy showed to them for no merit of their own, they will the more willingly think thankfully of and act loyally with other people still living in that deep and loathsome darkness where they once dwelt until God in his mercy sent unto them the message of life and delivered them.]

to the end that they who have believed God may be care­ful to maintain good works.—All incentives to a life of loyal obedience comes from a sense of God’s grace in bringing to us the message of salvation. “We love [God], because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19.) “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). The doctrines which unfold to us that marvelous self-moved grace, therefore, are to be strongly and constantly insisted upon to incite to a life of holiness. Good works, not merely benevolence, but an honorable and holy life.

These things are good and profitable unto men:—They were ordained for man’s good. It profits man to walk in them.

Verse 9

Titus 3:9

but shun foolish questionings, and genealogies,—The Jews especially were given to questions of genealogy, still relying on descent from Abraham.

and strifes, and fightings about the law;—Connected with these were many foolish, frivolous, unprofitable questions not taught in the Scriptures and bringing no good to men.

for they are unprofitable and vain.—These, as all questions of human reasoning, are unprofitable and vain. [These dis­turb and embitter the feelings; they lead to the indulgence of a bad spirit; they are often difficult to be settled; and they are of no practical importance even if they could be determined.]

Verse 10

Titus 3:10

A factious man—A factious man is one that creates strife and division. These questions and practices not taught by God all gender strife. He who persists in introducing these subjects not taught in the Scriptures is a heretic and excites division.

after a first and second admonition refuse;—He is to be admonished as to the evil of his course a first and second time, and if he does not desist, he is to be rejected. Introducing questions and practices not required by the word of God is a cause of strife and division, and the man who cannot be convinced that he is wrong in doing it must be excluded from the membership of the church. The failure to do this brings division and strife into the churches.

Verse 11

Titus 3:11

knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.—He that brings such things into the church is turned away from the way of salvation. The way of sal­vation is to walk only in the way God has marked out—do only the things he has required. A man who persists in introducing things not commanded by God walks directly against the way of salvation, sins, and brings condemnation upon himself.

Verse 12

Titus 3:12

When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus,—Artemas is not mentioned elsewhere. Tychicus is mentioned several times as a messenger of the churches in carrying the contribution to Jerusalem and in communicating with Paul. (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Col. 4; 7; 2 Timothy 4:12.) Artemas doubtless served the same offices.

give diligence to come unto me to Nicopolis:—The Nicopolis to which Paul urged Titus to come is probably the city of that name situated on the southeast promontory of Epirus in Greece. If this view is correct, Paul’s labors most likely extended to Italy. Nicopolis was situated only a few miles from Preveza, the chief city of Epirus today.

for there I have determined to winter.—Nicopolis is in a warm climate, and Paul was now old and feeble and enjoyed the warm weather.

Verse 13

Titus 3:13

Set forward Zenas the lawyer—It is quite likely that before Zenas became a Christian he had been a Jewish lawyer. The lawyers were a class of Jewish teachers who were espe­cially learned in the Mosaic law, and who interpreted that law and taught it to the people. Nothing more is known of Zenas than is contained in this passage.

and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.—Apollos is mentioned as a colaborer of Paul on several occasions. They were traveling together somewhere and Paul directs Titus to bring them on their journey diligently, and see that they were in want of nothing. They were doubtless on a journey preaching, and, possibly like Titus, going to see Paul for the last time.

Verse 14

Titus 3:14

And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.—Let Christians turn to work at things that are good to supply needful pur­poses. In this help rendered to others, they are not unfruitful. [These injunctions laid the foundation of those great works of love—all undreamed of before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but have been for nineteen centuries the glory of the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, one grand result of the Master’s coming to this earth, which even his bitterest enemies admire with a grudging admiration. In these “pas­toral Epistles” we have eight special reminders to be earnest and zealous in good works. There was evidently in the mind of Paul as guided by the Holy Spirit an anticipation that some who professed to be followers of the Lord would content themselves with a dreamy acquiescence in the great truths, while the life remained unaltered. It is noteworthy that in these Epistles containing so many urgent exhortations to work for Christ are among his last inspired utterances. The pas­sages are 1 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 5:10; 1 Timothy 6:18; 2 Timothy 2:21; Titus 1:16; Titus 2:7; Titus 2:14; Titus 3:14.]

Verse 15

Titus 3:15

All that are with me salute thee.—All the brethren where Paul was sent salutations to Titus. They are not named because the individuals composing the company of Paul were most likely known to Titus.

Salute them that love us in faith.—An inclusive greeting, embracing each member of the church in Crete, whose love to Paul was based upon the common faith in the Lord Jesus.

Grace be with you all.—He prays that God’s favors and power might rest upon all of them.