of the obligation to such a conduct, which is further explained in
what follows. There is therefore here no reason for surprise at this
circumlocution for the gospel.

Vers. 11-14 explain further the ground of obligation to such a
deportment. The connexion is this : the appearance of the grace
of God has for its end the sanctification of men. Some understand
the words of ver. 11, for the grace of God hath appeared, etc., as
confirmatory of all that precedes from ver. 1 onwards, others only
from ver. 9 onwards. It appears most natural t'o refer them to the
sentiment immediately preceding, in which is already contained the'
reference to the ground of the obligation to adorn the doctrine by a
holy walk. The explanation itself, however, is not to be understood
as having special reference to the slaves, but is expressed in a gen-
eral form, and refers equally to all, so that substantially we have
here the confirmation of all the foregoing exhortations from ver. 1
onwards. " For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath ap-
peared to all men, teaching them," etc. 'Enefidvr], so again at iii. 4 ;
comp. Luke i. 79, to give light to them that are in darkness (Isa. ix.
2, Ix. 1, seq.); Col. i. 26. The use of the word in Acts xxvii. 20,
shews from what the metaphor is taken. Similar passages are Rom.
xiii. 12 ; 1 Thess. v. 5, 8, where the time of the appearance of this
grace is denoted by the day. A comparison with these passages
shews at the same time that the appearing of the grace of God is
not to be referred exclusively to the incarnation ; but rather (with
De Wette and Matthies) to the whole work of redemption, " the
highest cause of which lies in the grace of God." 'H our^ptog
dvdpu-rroig. Tischendorf has retained the article, according to
D***E.I.K., etc., rightly, as I apprehend, although contrary to
other authorities likewise weighty ; for the emphasis in the senti-
ment rests not on crwr^piof but on teaching, which is to be closely
connected with hath appeared. Swr^ptof without the article would
obscure the otherwise clear connexion. The term is then all the
more expressive, as an appositional designation of the %dptg. The
apostle does not speak of the teaching power of the grace of God
without specifying the essential import of this grace, upon which
this teaching power rests. The r\ ourrjptos points back to the OUTTJP^
ver. 10, as also the clause %doiv dvdpunoig, to the universality of this
VOL. V. 38



594 TITUS II. 11-14.

grace us contemplated in the foregoing exhortations, ver. 1, seq.
There is no ground for supposing that the apostle here, as it were,
in passing, takes a side glance at Jewish or even at Gnostic particu-
larism. Such adversaries he would oppose in quite a different way.
The critics only betray the insufficiency of their proof, when they
argue from passages so remote from a polemical aim as the one be-
fore us. So also Matthies, p. 132. On the connexion of -ndrnv
dvdpG)7Totg whether with KTretydrT), or with aam/ptof, or with both, com-
mentators differ. The construction with ouTTJpios is alone conform-
able to the context, for connected with i^E^dvri it is quite aimless and
obstructive. For what has -rrdaiv dv6fxonoi to do with Traidevovaa
i)/zdf ? On ouTTJptog, comp. Eph. vi. 17.

The discipline which the manifested grace of God exercises, is
described in ver. 12, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present time ; ver. 13, in expectation of the blessed hope and ap-
pearance of the glory of the great God and our Saviour. Ilaidevovoa,
says the apostle ; grace exercises discipline, it cannot be received
unless its disciplining power is experienced (comp. Heb. xii. 6, 7 ;
1 Cor. xi. 32). Its aim is then stated both negatively and positively.
For Iva has here its final signification. The negative side, as that
which is presupposed in the positive, is denoted by dpvr]adfj.evoi. On
dpvelodcu, comp. what has been said on i. 16. Qava-ovv, Oavarovodai
is used similarly by the apostle in Rom. viii. 13, vii. 4. 'Apveiadai,
the opposite of duokoyelv, i. 16, is a denial in heart and deed. Luke
ix. 23 ; Rev. ii. 13, may be compared as passages analogous to this ;
and besides 1 Tim. v. 8 ; 2 Tim. iii. 5. TV/v ocrt'/3etav (comp. on /car'
tvoefctav, i. 1) designates the condition of the unconverted in its
most fundamental aspect as separation from God, which has for its
reverse side a cleaving to the world, and to that which is in the
world ; worldly lusts, as it is here expressed. Koa^iiKog occurs be-
sides only in Heb. ix. 1, as denoting what belongs to earth. 1 John
ii. 15, 16, may be considered as a comment on this passage, love not
the world, neither the things that are in the ivorld ; and then all
that is in the world is described as the lust of the flesh, etc. The
worldly lusts are lusts directed to the things that are in the world.
Comp. Gal. v. 16 ; Eph. ii. 3. In contrast with this condition of
the man, who is not yet walking in the light of grace, it is said
farther that we, may live soberly, righteously, and godly. 2<i><fyHJvw$ > ,
in opposition to the lusts which had the mastery over him before,
comp. on i. 8. At/ecu^ denotes, in general, right conduct conform-
ably to the law of God ; evaeftux;, in opposition to dotfteia, right con-
conduct in its deepest source godliness. The sum of Christian
morality is here set forth in its fundamental aspects ; the limits of
its various spheres are, however, not marked off here, as many com-



TITUS II. 13. 595



mentators imagine, so as that cufaovus denotes virtue as regards
ourselves, ditcaius as regards our fellow-creatures, and ev0ej3&$ as re-
spects God. 2a)0pdvwf can with as little propriety be referred merely
to one's self as dmaiwq merely to others, and by evae{3&<; is also de-
noted the whole sphere of the Christian life. Comp. Matthies on
the passage. 'Ev roi vvv at&vi, the apostle adds this in opposition to
what follows, which refers to the aiuv jwtvUwv, comp. 1 Cor. i. 20, iii.
18, 19.

Ver. 13. Looking for, etc. As in ver. 2, the words in hope of
eternal life serve more exactly to determine the preceding, so here
the words looking for, etc., ver. 13, serve the same purpose, comp.
Phil. iii. 20, 21. There lies in this expectation an antidote to the
worldly lusts, and a stimulus to live in the present time, conform-
ably to this expectation. Upoadtxeadai as usual in the signification,
" expect," Luke ii. 25, 38 ; Mark xv. 43. The object of this ex-
pectation the apostle denotes by blessed hope and appearing, etc.
'EA-raV is consequently to be taken objectively (as in Bom. viii. 24 ;
Col. i. 5), and connected with the following genitive T?fc dofyg. Ilpoa-
tiexopai with t-Ajr/f is in like manner found in the Sept., Job ii. 9.
The apostle calls this hope iiaicapiav (an expression elsewhere used
by the apostle, Horn. iv. 7, 8 ; 1 Cor. vii. 40), as bringing the ex-
pected blessedness. The words following define this hope in the
expectation of which we are to live. On 'the expression tni(f)dveta t
comp. ver. 11. We have thus a double appearance, an appearance
of grace (ver. 11), as the ground and source of all new life, and an
appearance of glory as the end and aim of the former. De Wette
has given a place in his critical index to ImQdvEia as being instead
of Trapovoia, I Tim. vi. 14 ; 2 Tim. iv. 1, 8 ; Tit. ii. 13. But we
find also in 2 Thess ii. 8, the expression, ry ZmQaveia rrfq irapovoca$ f
which shews both that K-nifydvEia differs from irapovaia, as referring to
the visibility of Christ's coming, and also that the expression is
elsewhere used by the apostle with reference to the coming of Christ.
In the following words rfjg 66^ rov peydXov BEOV KOI aurTJpog ify&v
'Ir}Gov Xpiarov, the question is, whether the great God and our
Saviour are to be taken as predicates of one and the same person,
namely, Jesus Christ, or denote two different subjects : God (the
Father) and Jesus Christ. In favour of the former that one sub-
ject is meant, are the most of the Fathers, and many of the more
recent commentators, as Mack, Matthies, Usteri ; the latter view,
however, has its representatives also among the Fathers, as Am-
brose, and Grotius, Wetstein, Heinrichs, De Wette, have acquiesced
in it, while others are doubtful. Olshausen favours the former
view, which refers both predicates to Christ. Winer has shewn
( 19, 5, Anm.) that the question cannot be decided on grammatical
grounds. It has indeed been maintained that the article must be



596 TITUS II. 13.



repeated before aorrf/por TJH&V, if it designates a new subject in reply
to which again, it has been justly said, that <rwr?}po^ because defined
by the genitive f}/^", does not require the article, and that it is ab-
sent in cases quite similar to the present, 2 Thess. i. 12 ; 2 Pet. i.
1 ; Jude 4. These passages also prove, that in case the words OWTT)-
pog rjpuv apply to a second subject, it is not necessary that 'Irjoov
Xpiarov should precede them. But it is difficult also from the con-
text, to obtain a decided reason either for one or the other view.
For, to the objection against the hypothesis of one subject, namely,
that on account of ver. 14, the appellation, great God, cannot be
applied to Christ what Heydenreich has already observed is a suf-
ficient reply, namely, that Christ is also represented as Saviour, and
in this respect the words of ver. 14, he gave himself, could be pre-
dicated of him. And the objection has just as little weight, that if
Christ were the subject of both predicates, aam/pof, according to the
apostle's usual manner, must have been placed before pey. Beov ;
against which, in like manner, Heydenreich has said what is neces-
sary. On the other hand, what is said against applying /^ey. OEOV to
God the Father namely, that it is not the appearance of the
majesty of God, but of Jesus Christ, that is represented as the
object of hope for the day of the second coming in so far as it
denies the possibility of such an application, has no weight ; for the
advocates of this view, as De Wette, have justly referred to the fact,
that according to passages such as Matth. xvi. 27 ; Mark viii. 38,
" Christ appears in the glory (i. e., the majesty and omnipotence) of
the Father, and at the same time in his own glory (Matth. xxv. 31),
and consequently that his appearance may be represented as at once
the appearance of the glory of God, and of his own glory. If, how-
ever, so much must be granted, that the glory, in which Christ ap-
pears can be described as the glory of God, it is still singular, that
God and Christ are here placed in an equal relation to this glory of
the future appearance. It is in reality Christ himself who will then
appear in the glory of his Father, not God himself, as, in this case,
quite different relations to the glory would be expressed by the geni-
tive in this passage. Matthies has indicated the same thing, when
he says (p. 139), that if both subjects were to be connected with
the t7u0ava, then in order to be grammatico-logically correct, in-
stead of KOI CT6JT7/pof riftuv, it would have to be KV aiorijpi 7//id>v 'Irjaov
Xpiarov, or TOV awr^pof rj/MJv tv ry 66q rov /iryaAof 6eov. The at-
tempt to evade this by explaining Km<f>. rfjg tiofys of that manifesta-
tion of glory in which Christians shall at a future time take part,
involves at once an entire misconception of the idea implied in KTTI-
<fMveia } and a departure from the objective sense of the passage. But
still more important is the consideration derived from the accustomed
style of the apostle, who nowhere else speaks of this hope without



TITUS II. 14, 15. 597

its being referred to Christ, while tnufidveia, as also irapovaia, is never
used of the Father, but only of the Son, also in the Pastoral Epis-
tles, 1 Tim. vi. 14 ; 2 Tim. iv. 1, 8. This circumstance alone ap-
pears to Olshausen to be decisive. Consider also how natural it
must have been for the apostle if contrary to the general usage, he
here meant to name two subjects distinctly to indicate this, while,
on the contrary, the expression which he employs is most naturally
understood of one subject ; that the context affords no reason why
God should be named besides Christ in reference to the K-ni^dveia ;
that in ver. 14 there is no reference to the great God; and, finally,
that the epithet jueyaAov is nowhere else used in reference to God
(the Father), and that its application to deo$ here is much more
easily explained by a reference of Oecg to Christ. (" God the Fa-
ther too did not need the exalting and laudatory epithet ^eyafj
this rather refers to Christ/' " Usteri Paul. Lehrb. 5, Aufl. p. 326 ;
and Olshausen refers to 1 John v. 20, the true God.) It is most
natural therefore to understand the words great God of Christ. In
proof that nothing in the doctrinal system of Paul contradicts this
view, I refer to Usteri a. a. Q., 324, seq., and Olshausen on Bom. ix.
5. The expression, great God, occurring nowhere in the New Tes-
tament, but frequently in the Old, comp. Deut. vii. 21, x. 17, etc.,
is warranted by the context, which refers to the glory of his appear-
ance, in like manner as the expression true God in 1 John v. 20.
On dofyg Calvin well observes : gloriam Dei interpreter non tantum,
qua in se ipse gloriosus erit, sed qua tune se quoquoversus diffundet,
ut omnes electos suos ejus faciat participes.

Vers. 14, 15. " Who hath given himself for us, that he might
redeem us from all unrighteousness, and purify us to himself a pe-
culiar people, zealous of good works. These things teach and ex-
hort, and rebuke with all authoritativeness. Let no one despise
thee." On the connexion of the relative sentence, ver. 14, De
Wette justly observes, that the atoning work of Christ already indi-
cated in the words the grace that bringeth salvation, and in which
lies the power to teach, is here supplementarily recalled to mind.
And it is just this teaching element in the saving grace, which is
here brought into prominence and explained. He has given himself
t'&o/cev emphatically, Olshausen namely, in his atoning death ;
comp. Gal. i. 4, ii. 20 ; Eph. v. 2, 25, etc., where <5i<56vai and -napadi-
dovai in like manner occurs. That he might redeem us, comp.
Matth. xx. 28 ; Mark x. 45 ; to give his life a ransom, and the
commentary on the passage and 1 Tim. ii. 6 ; kvrpovadat, as here,
1 Pet. i. 18 ; Luke xxiv. 21. That from which he has redeemed us
is the dvofiia (comp. ver. 12, denying ungodliness), in bondage to
which we were till then, Rom. i. 24. The context shews why the
state from which we are redeemed is described as a state of unriglit-



598 TITUS II. 14, 15.

eousness; the moral servitude implied in a right Christian conduct, is
placed in opposition to the bondage of unrighteousness. The whole
expression, however, turns on the real force of the word dvopia, as
used by the apostle. 'Avo^iia denotes the essence of sin, comp.
1 John iii. 4 ; sin is'the transgression of the law (dvofiia). That he
might purify unto himself a peculiar people. On icaOapiay, 2 Cor.
vii. 1 ; Eph. v. 26 ; Heb. ix. 14. Botn kv-poiadai and Kadapi&iv de-
note the permanent result of his giving himself to death, and cor-
respond to the naidevovaa above. Comp. on the idea at Rom. iii. 21,
25. Aabv -rrepiovoiov must be understood as the accus. of the predi-
cate : that he might purify us to himself for, etc. Hepiovatog only
here, similarly 1 Pet. ii. 9 : labv el$ irepinoiTjaiv correspond to the
Heb. nsit? o?, which the Septuagint renders by this expression. On
the derivation and meaning of the word see Winer's Gr., 16, 3,
p. 88 ; as imovoio$ from imovoa, so nepiovaio$ from -rrepiovaa. Not
merely proprius, as Winer says ; Wahl and De Wette rightly, pe-
culiaris = peculiar ; Theodoret ; O'IKEIOS, in which lies the accessary
idea of being separated to the service of God. Comp. Earless on
Eph. i. 14 diligent in good works. ZT/Aur/fc here the same as in
1 Cor. xiv. 12. It occurs besides often in connexion with vo/zov, Gal.
i. 14 ; Acts xxi. 20, etc. So also CT/A-OU i n the same sense as here
used only by the apostle, 1 Cor. xii. 31. On good works, comp. on
ii. 7. When De Wette says that it is not the atonement but moral
cleansing that is here spoken of, he is right only in so far as that
here the atonement is represented in its moral efficacy. For how
can the words, he gave himself for us, in which lies the ground of
all moral renovation, be otherwise understood than of the atoning
death of Christ ? Ver. 15, pointing back to ver. 1, shews plainly
that the apostle concludes with this verse in order to pass on to
something new. But the apostle exhorts Titus here not merely to
speak (ver. 1), but to exhort (ver. 6) and to rebuke; Titus is to la-
bour for the bringing about of this moral renovation, in each of
these forms, that of simple address, of exhortation, of rebuke.
Tavra is, with De Wette, to be immediately connected with hdtei,
With all authoritativeness ; corresponding to this is the word
sharply, i. 13 ; it means with all the authority of his office. Chry-
sostom : " Both with authority and with all power." The word
Kmrayrj is used by Paul, besides in the Pastoral Epistles, only in
those to the Romans and Corinthians. The next words, let no one
despise thee, in which Titus is enjoined to conduct himself in a firm
and vigourous manner, follow naturally upon the preceding, with all
authority, Calvin and many others think that in these words " he
addresses the people rather than Titus ;" a view quite unfounded,
favored, as already observed, by nothing elsewhere in the epistle,
and here also unnecessary. Olshausen has also taken this erroneous



TITUS II. 14, 15.} 599

view. De Wette renders rightly : speak so as to command respect,
as 1 Tim. iv. 12, where the additional words but be a pattern, leave
us in no doubt as to the meaning. Hepitypoveiv, to look over one, =
" to despise/' found only here ; elsewhere Ka-atypovelv.

At the close of this section of the epistle, we advert again to the
critical judgment which De Wette has pronounced upon it. He
acknowledges the clearness and excellent method of this section,
but maintains that there is nothing in it which could serve as an
adequate confutation of the adversaries. But it is to be borne in
mind that it was not written for the confutation of the adversaries,
but for the purpose of letting Titus know what he was to insist on,
namely on the evidencing of faith in the conduct, on a practical
Christianity, and with this view are set before him the exhortations
he was to make according to the distinctions of sex, age, and rank,
with a regard to the prevailing errors. But De Wette pronounces
the moral precepts here laid down superficial, and founded on no
general principle ; the reference to the moral spirit of Christian-
ity so general and aimless as to make it appear that the Cretans as
yet understood nothing of practical Christianity ; and these well-
known precepts and practical truths peculiarly unsuitable, as ad-
dressed to a helper of the apostle. To all these objections it is a
sufficient reply to point to the real state of the matter. The Cre-
tans had not indeed fallen away from the faith, nor become ad-
dicted to any carnal heresy ; but their Christianity was morbid
and infirm, and there prevailed among them a foolish tendency to
occupy themselves with things not vitally connected with the doc-
trine of salvation, and which therefore produced no moral fruit
in the life. In opposition to such errors, what else can the apostle
do but direct Titus to insist on right moral conduct, on the display
of the fruits of the truth in godliness, both in old and young ? How
a godly old age should shew itself in man and woman ; how those
who are younger should adorn the gospel in their walk ; and how,
in an especial manner, the genuine Christian spirit should display
itself in those who are slaves these are the points which are simply
and plainly set before Titus, in a series of characteristics in every
respect suitable, and marking the very thing that is necessary in
the different relations with which they are connected. (Compare
Schleiermacher, p. 195.) The apostle would certainly have put these
exhortations in another form if they had been addressed directly to
the church. Not that he would then have had reason to say what
was less known and familiar. We can infer this from the passage
which treats of slaves, to which, as cited above, we have several
parallels in the other epistles of the apostle. Is what he addresses
to slaves in Col. iii. 22, seq., Eph. vi. 5, seq., at all materially differ-
ent from what we find here ? The subjection enjoined is there cer-



600 TITUS III. 1.

tainly explained more particularly as to its proper form ; the
injunction is more enforced by the appropriate motives ; but would
the apostle write to Titus in exactly the same manner as if directly
addressing the slaves ? Precisely in this difference do we recognize
a recommendation of this epistle, as it clearly reflects the difference
of circumstances. The objection of superficiality will therefore not
disturb us, so long as it is not shewn that the moral precepts here
laid down substantially correspond to the state of things to which
they relate. To what else could those be admonished who had de-
viated from the right moral track, than to true morality ? These
moral precepts are finally held to be not founded on any principle.
But what other principle should they or could they have, than that
which is given in ver. 11, seq., the reference, namely, to the great
truth, that our moral renovation is founded on the sacrifice of Christ,
and is binding upon us as his people ? The apostle dwells fondly on
this truth ; but just on this account the passage is no common-place,
but in its entire connexion is closely related to what precedes. To
the objection that this was familiar to Titus, I reply that we
find the same in Phil. iii. 20 ; 2 Cor. v. 18-21 ; 1 Pet. i. 18, as
here.

B. What Titus is to teach with regard to the right conduct of
Christians towards the world, with a word of exhortation to him on
his position in reference to the prevailing errors.

Chap. iii. 1-11. The apostle having shewn, in chap, ii., what is
the conduct which becomes the members of a Christian church, and
that according to the distinctions of age, sex, and rank, now opens
with a new series of exhortations having reference to the deportment
of Christians in general, towards the magistracy, and towards those
who are not Christians generally, vers. 1 and 2. In order to shew
them how little cause they have to exalt themselves, he reminds
them of their previous state, and how they owe their exaltation, not
to their own merit, but solely to the mercy of God. Vers. 3-7.
This Titus is emphatically to hold up before them, and upon this
he is to insist, that they now walk worthy of the gospel ; 011 the
other hand, he is not to meddle with that foolish and profitless talk
which was prevalent, vers. 8, 9. An heretic he is to shun after a
repeated admonition, and to leave him to the fate which he has
chosen for himself, vers. 10 and 11.

Ver. 1. Put them in mind, adds the apostle, to be subject to
magistrates and powers to obey, to be ready to every good work.
"TnonipvTjaKE occurs again at 2 Tim. ii. 14, but besides also in five
passages of the New Testament ; this word also has been put into
the index prohibitorum. What more suitable word could the apostle
have chosen, when his object was to remind them anew of something
which they should know, but seem to have forgotten ? Could he use



TITUS III. 1. 601



, 1 Cor. iv. 17 ; 2 Cor. vii. 15, and not also
comp. also Bottger, p. 4, who rightly observes that v-n-op^vT/cr/ceiv, as
used in the Pastoral Epistles, denotes what is the business of the
teacher, and in a transitive signification expressing an injunction as
here, could be used only in reference to a teacher. How easily the
opposition of Christianity to heathenism might lead to a false view
with regard to the relation of Christians to the heathen magistracy,
we learn from Horn. xiii. 1, seq., 1 Pet. ii. 13, seq., where it is prom-
inently shewn that obedience to God requires subjection to such or-
dinances of man ; comp. also 1 Tim. ii. 1, seq. When to this we add
that a people like those of Crete (comp. Hug. Einl. II., p. 299) must
have been of a rebellious disposition, and that the Jews of that pe-
riod, of whom many were then living in Crete, shared with them in
this, we shall not find it necessary, in order to explain the apostle's