Titus 3:1-2

King James Version Chapter 3

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3

Seven Qualities Expected of Christian Citizens

(1) to be subject to rulers and authorities

(2) to be obedient

Romans 13:1–7 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor i…”

(3) to be ready to do whatever is good

Ephesians 2:10“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

2 Timothy 3:17 “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

(4) to slander no one

(5) to be peaceable

(6) to be considerate

(7) to show true humility toward all men.

C. Grace as a motivation for godly living (3:3–8).

3:3. Paul never forgot the sinful condition from which he and his converts had been salvaged (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9–11; Eph. 4:17–24; Col. 3:6–7), and he reminded them of it once more. Instead of the gracious, Christlike people he was encouraging them to be, they once were just the opposite, being foolish instead of sensible, disobedient instead of submissive, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures instead of self-disciplined and ready for every good work. Far from being peaceable, considerate, and humble, they were characterized by malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Such is the brutish existence of people apart from God. While a veneer of civilization often obscures the bleak truth, the slightest crack in the surface of society reveals the reality behind the facade. The painful truth is that apart from God people degenerate into little more than animals wrangling over bones.

3:4. But all of that changed when the kindness and love (philanthrōpia, lit., “love for man”) of God our Savior appeared. The contrast is startling. In verse 3 man is the actor, but in verses 4–7 man is merely the recipient, and God becomes the actor. What man could in no wise do for himself, God initiated for him. (On the reference to God as Savior, see comments on 1 Tim. 1:1.)

3:5. God in His grace saves those who believe, not because of any righteousness in them (cf. Rom. 3:21–24; Eph. 2:8–9; 2 Tim. 1:9), but because of His mercy. The three words, “kindness,” “love,” and “mercy” (Titus 3:4–5) all represent aspects of God’s grace. The dual means of grace through which He accomplished this salvation are (1) the rebirth spoken of as a washing from the filth of sin, and (2) the renewal by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). No mention is made here of the role of faith in the process because Paul’s entire focus was on what God has done, not on human response.

3:6–7. God poured out the Holy Spirit on the world generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus was the Mediator of the Spirit (cf. Acts 2:33). The language intentionally conjures up images of the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). God’s purpose in pouring out the Holy Spirit was so that, having been justified by His grace, believers might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is intimately involved, the New Testament explains, with bringing to fruition God’s gracious purposes to save (cf. Rom. 8:15–17; Gal. 4:6–7; Eph. 1:13–14). What God in His grace began, God in His grace will see to the end, through His Spirit.

3:8. The trustworthy saying formula so common in the Pastorals (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11) introduces Paul’s return to direct address. Because what he had just been saying is trustworthy, Titus should stress these things in order to promote godly behavior in his listeners. Twice before Paul had instructed Titus to teach these things in accordance with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1, 15), and this exhortation is his final reiteration of what is probably the central thrust of the entire epistle. Paul was deeply concerned that God’s people devote themselves to doing what is good because these things are excellent and profitable for everyone. Titus was to promote good works, for they go hand in hand with sound doctrine.

D. Behavior inconsistent with grace (3:9–11).

3:9. If sound teaching is profitable for everyone, foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the Law … are unprofitable and useless. This is a repeated theme in the Pastorals (cf. 1 Tim. 1:4; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:23; Titus 1:14). Titus was to avoid (lit., “turn away from”) such things.

3:10–11. As to the people who are advocating these useless things and thereby exerting a divisive and otherwise destructive influence in the church (cf. 1:11), Paul’s instructions to Titus were direct and specific. He was to give such a person two warnings. If that did not work, he was to have nothing to do with him. The assumption is that a failure to respond to two warnings is a clear sign that the offender is warped and sinful, and self-condemned. Paul’s thought here is similar to the Lord’s instructions (Matt. 18:15–17), when He taught that after giving an offender three chances to repent, he is then to be cut off (but cf. 2 Thes. 3:14–15).