Titus 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle to Titus in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The letter is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, sent from Nicopolis of Macedonia (Roman province), addressed to Titus in Crete.[1][2] There are charges that it is the work of an anonymous follower, after Paul's death in the first century AD.[3] This chapter describes the qualities of members of the community and doctrinal statements regarding the death of Christ in relation to the removal of sin.
Text
The original text is written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 15 verses.
Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:
This section contains the injunction to Titus to teach the sound doctrine to the community with a list of qualities and duties for the members.
Doctrinal statements (2:11–15)
The doctrinal statements in this part is typical of Paul's teaching which links the incarnation and sacrifice of Christ to the hope and expectation of his second coming.
Verse 11
- For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,[6]
- "The grace of God that brings salvation": This "grace of God" does not mean God's free love, for though that it is the source of salvation, is not made manifest to all men, but only to the Lord's own people.[7] Neither does it design the grace of God wrought in the hearts of believers, for though salvation is strictly connected with it, and it powerfully influences the lives of the partakers of it, yet it has not appeared to all men.[7] This grace of God is intended the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of the grace of God, because it is a declaration of the grace of God, and of salvation by it: and is the means, in the hand of the Spirit, of conveying grace to the heart, and implanting it in it; in which sense the phrase is used in Acts 20:24; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Hebrews 12:15 which is called the 'Gospel of salvation', the good word or news of salvation; it shows men the way of salvation; it gives an account of the Savior himself, that he is the great God, and so fit to be a Savior; that he was appointed by God the Father to be his salvation; that he was sent, and came to work out salvation; and that he is become the author of it; and that he is the only Savior, and an able, willing, and complete one: it gives an account of the salvation itself; that it is the salvation of the soul; that it is a great one, and includes both grace and glory; that it is everlasting, and all of free grace; and it points out the persons who are interested in it, and shall enjoy it, even all those that are chosen to it, and are redeemed, reconciled, and justified by the blood of Christ, and are brought to believe in him: and the Gospel not only brings the news of all this to the ear, in the external ministration of it; but it brings it to the heart, and is the power of God unto salvation, when it comes, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost; or when it comes under the powerful influences and application of the Spirit of God. Some read this clause, "that brings salvation to all men", supported by the Syriac version, which renders it "that quickeneth" or "saveth all"; and so the Arabic version: but then this cannot be understood of every individual person; for the Gospel has not brought salvation to everyone in any sense, not even in the external ministry of it; there have been multitudes who have never so much as heard the outward sound of salvation by Jesus Christ, and fewer still who have an application of it to their souls by the Spirit of God; to many to whom it has come, it has been an hidden Gospel.[7]
- "Has appeared to all men" which supposes it to have been hid, as it was, in the thoughts, purposes, and counsels of God; and in Jesus Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid; and in the covenant of grace, of which the Gospel is a transcript; and in the types and shadows of the ceremonial law: it was in some measure hid from angels, who desire to look into it, and from the Old Testament saints, to whom it was not known as it is now, by the apostles and prophets; and it was entirely hid from the Gentiles, the times of whose ignorance God overlooked: and it suggests, that it now appeared or shone out more clearly, and more largely. The Gospel had been like a candle lighted up in one part of the world, that is, only in Judea, but now it shines out and appears to all sorts of men, of every nation, of every age and sex, of every state and condition, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, masters and servants; which sense well agrees with the context (Titus 2:2–4; Titus 2:6; Titus 2:9; Titus 2:10), because the Gospel was now preached to and had reached the hearts of all sorts of men; particularly the Gentiles may be intended from whom the Gospel was before hid, and who sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death; but now the great light shined upon them, and the Gospel was no more confined to one people only, but was preached to every creature under heaven, or to the whole creation; namely, to the Gentiles, pursuant to the commission in (Mark 16:15).[7]
