Titus 3:8

Summary of the Letter

3:8 This saying ¹  is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, ²  so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.

Titus 1:16

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Titus 1:8

1:8 Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled.

Titus 3:1

Conduct Toward Those Outside the Church

3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and ³  authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.

Titus 2:5

2:5 to be self-controlled, ⁴  pure, fulfilling their duties at home, ⁵  kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message ⁶  of God may not be discredited. ⁷ 

Titus 3:4

3:4 ⁸  But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,

Titus 1:15

1:15 All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Titus 3:13

3:13 Make every effort to help ⁹  Zenas the lawyer ¹⁰  and Apollos on their way; make sure they have what they need. ¹¹ 

Titus 2:3

2:3 Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good.

Titus 2:14

2:14 He ¹²  gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, ¹³  who are eager to do good. ¹⁴ 

Titus 2:7

2:7 showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,

Titus 3:2

3:2 They must not slander ¹⁵  anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.

Titus 1:9

1:9 He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, ¹⁶  so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching ¹⁷  and correct those who speak against it.

Titus 2:10

2:10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, ¹⁸  in order to bring credit to ¹⁹  the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

Titus 2:4

2:4 In this way ²⁰  they will train ²¹  the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Titus 3:14

3:14 Here is another way that our people ²²  can learn ²³  to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.

Titus 2:6

2:6 Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled, ²⁴ 

Titus 1:13

1:13 Such testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith

Titus 3:5

3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:7

3:7 And so, ²⁵  since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” ²⁶ 

Titus 2:1-2

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ²⁷  sound teaching. 2:2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, ²⁸  sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. ²⁹ 

Titus 2:15

2:15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke ³⁰  that carries full authority. ³¹  Don’t let anyone look down ³²  on you.

Titus 1:3

1:3 But now in his own time ³³  he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.

Titus 1:5

Titus’ Task on Crete

1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Titus 2:8

2:8 and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, ³⁴  because he has nothing evil to say about us.

Titus 2:12

2:12 It trains us ³⁵  to reject godless ways ³⁶  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

[3:8]  ¹ sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the preceding citation (Titus 3:4-7). See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11 for other occurrences of this phrase.

[3:8]  ² tn Grk “concerning these things.”

[3:1]  ³ tc Most later witnesses (D² 0278 Ï lat sy) have καί (kai, “and”) after ἀρχαῖς (arcai", “rulers”), though the earliest and best witnesses (א A C D* F G Ψ 33 104 1739 1881) lack the conjunction. Although the καί is most likely not authentic, it has been added in translation due to the requirements of English style. For more discussion, see TCGNT 586.

[2:5]  ⁴ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:5]  ⁵ tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”

[2:5]  ⁶ tn Or “word.”

[2:5]  ⁷ tn Or “slandered.”

[3:4]  ⁸ tn Verses 4-7 are set as poetry in NA²⁶/NA²⁷. These verses probably constitute the referent of the expression “this saying” in v. 8.

[3:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “Eagerly help.”

[3:13]  ¹⁰ tn Although it is possible the term νομικός (nomikos) indicates an expert in Jewish religious law here, according to L&N 33.338 and 56.37 it is more probable that Zenas was a specialist in civil law.

[3:13]  ¹¹ tn Grk “that nothing may be lacking for them.”

[2:14]  ¹² tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).

[2:14]  ¹³ tn Or “a people who are his very own.”

[2:14]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “for good works.”

[3:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “discredit,” “damage the reputation of.”

[1:9]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “the faithful message in accordance with the teaching” (referring to apostolic teaching).

[1:9]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the healthy teaching” (referring to what was just mentioned).

[2:10]  ¹⁸ tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ἀγαθήν (agaqhn): Is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ἀγαθήν (e.g., separation from the noun πίστιν (pistin) by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. ExSyn 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic ἵνα] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (ExSyn 312-13). The translation of ἀγαθήν as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.

[2:10]  ¹⁹ tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”

[2:4]  ²⁰ tn Grk “that they may train” (continuing the sentence of 2:3).

[2:4]  ²¹ tn This verb, σωφρονίζω (swfronizw), denotes teaching in the sense of bringing people to their senses, showing what sound thinking is.

[3:14]  ²² tn Grk “that those who are ours” (referring to the Christians).

[3:14]  ²³ tn Grk “and also let our people learn.”

[2:6]  ²⁴ tn Or “sensible.”

[3:7]  ²⁵ tn This is the conclusion of a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek encompassing Titus 3:4-7. Showing the goal of God’s merciful salvation, v. 7 begins literally, “in order that, being justified…we might become heirs…”

[3:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

[2:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[2:2]  ²⁸ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:2]  ²⁹ sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.

[2:15]  ³⁰ tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[2:15]  ³¹ tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”

[2:15]  ³² tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”

[1:3]  ³³ tn The Greek text emphasizes the contrast between vv. 2b and 3a: God promised this long ago but now has revealed it in his own time.

[2:8]  ³⁴ tn Or “put to shame.”

[2:12]  ³⁵ tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.

[2:12]  ³⁶ tn Grk “ungodliness.”