Titus 3
v.1-2
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
v.3
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hate and hating one another.
See Galatians 4:9 also.
The attainment of divinely oriented desires is not emphasized here. It is the proper control of all the desires existing within the individual whether spiritual or not. Young people who are filled with passion for the Lord without enough respective self-control will simply become misguided in their own ambitions thinking it God’s will all along.
v.4-5
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
See more in Greek section from Greek on the kindness and love of God which in this case refers to philanthrópia.
Philosophers sometimes exhorted people to imitate God’s character; Paul here uses God’s kindness toward sinners in saving them to argue why Christians should be kind to all people, even their enemies. Philosophers described the majority of people as “enslaved by passions and pleasure,” until they were freed from this bondage by the truth of philosophy; Paul agrees with their evaluation of the human plight but sees a different solution for it (3:5) Paul’s term for God’s “love for humanity” here was used by pagan moralists especially for the sort of sympathy humans as humans should have for one another; for Paul, God in Christ has sympathy for humanity. (Sometimes the term was also applied to the supreme God, but more often it was applied to the benevolence of the emperor.) Paul shows how the most valued genuine virtues of his culture reflected God’s own character.
v.10-11
Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
When it comes to unbelief of fundamental and vital doctrines, we who are like Titus, set in office over a church, must deal with such deadly evils with a strong hand.
v.14
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unfruitful lives.
That it may be seen that their religion is not barren and worthless, but that it produces a happy effect on themselves and on society; compare the John 15:16 note; Ephesians 4:28 note.
Christianity obliges all to seek some honest work and calling, and therein to abide with God.
By appealing to the churches for further funds, he has an opportunity to train them in the practice of “doing what is good” (cf. 3:8). It will further the Gospel and develop their own Christian lives. This situation gives Paul a final opportunity to stress the theme that Christians must be characterized by the practice of noble deeds, thus assuring that their lives will not be “unproductive.” Noble deeds are the fruit of the tree of salvation.
v.15
Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
Grace is the chief thing to be wished and prayed for, with respect to ourselves or others; it is all good.