Tyndale Open Study NotesTitus 2

Sound teaching was especially urgent on account of the false teachers, who had caused problems within "entire households" (1:11). In 2:1–10, Paul addresses different groups within the household of faith, showing his concern for the public testimony of the church (2:5, 8, 10; see also 1 Tim 5:1–6:2). Paul then elaborates on the coming of Christ (Titus 2:11–14) before giving a direct charge to Titus (2:15).

The purpose of these commands is to "adorn the teaching about God" The New Living Translation translates it this way: "make the teaching about God … attractive" (see 1 Timothy 6:1–2).

For: The commands of 2:1–10 are here grounded in the past and future coming of Christ. God’s grace is a model for the church’s own conduct, even as salvation by grace makes a good life possible and creates people devoted to good works (see also 3:3–7).

• has been revealed (literally has appeared): See study note on 1 Timothy 6:14.

• salvation to everyone: Paul intends that God’s grace will fully accomplish its purposes among the Cretans and that, in doing so, it will enlist them into God’s saving work of evangelism (Titus 2:12; see 1 Timothy 2:1–7; 4:10).

• It instructs us: The emphasis of this instruction falls on the positive virtues: wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. In Greco-Roman writings, these three virtues represent virtuous behavior in general. These virtues counter the Cretan vices (immoral behaviors or qualities) listed in 1:12 and are transformed into thoroughly Christian qualities (see 2:13).

• Paul encourages the Cretans to embody these virtues, in order to clearly show their fellow Cretans that a virtuous life comes only from God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

• we await: This implies hope as well as future accountability, both of which encourage godly behavior in the present.

• appearance: The Greek word used here is prominent in the letters to Timothy and Titus (“epiphany” or “appearing”; also 2:11; see study note on 1 Timothy 6:14).

• great God and Savior: This is one of the few places in the New Testament where Jesus Christ is explicitly called “God” (see also John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1; possibly John 1:18). Yet this claim is entirely consistent with the roles and attributes of Christ and the worship that he receives. It is possible this title is used here to assert that Christ is not a mere human elevated to the status of other gods (see study note on Titus 1:12). When this letter was written, Christians were insisting more and more that Christ alone, rather than rulers and emperors, should be called divine.

• Salvation produces a people who have the desire for and ability to do the good deeds described in 2:2–10.

• He gave Himself: See also 1 Timothy 2:6.

• to redeem us: See Galatians 3:22; 4:4–5; compare Exodus 6:6–8.

• The phrase "a people for His own possession" recalls the formation of Israel as a nation (see Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2). Those who follow Christ are now God’s people—his nation—and the Spirit leads them to keep God’s covenant.

• totally committed to doing good deeds (literally zealous for good deeds): See Titus 1:16; Ephesians 2:10.