Titus 2 Study Notes

2:11-14 This paragraph provides the theological basis for the lifestyle commended in vv. 1-10. Christians should live sanctified lives because the grace of God that saves us also instructs us to live in a new way. A person cannot claim to be a recipient of God’s saving grace if he is not also growing in the lifestyle made possible by grace.

2:11 This verse has sometimes been misunderstood as saying that all people will be saved. However, such a reading is not made necessary by the words here, and it flatly contradicts other portions of Scripture. The force of all people is to emphasize the universal offer of the gospel. The offer of salvation is proclaimed not just to one group but to all peoples.

2:12 Godlessness refers to behavior that is not in accordance with God’s ways. Lusts refer not only to sexual desires but to sinful desires in general.

2:13 The verb used here for wait often carries a connotation of eagerness. The eager expectation of the return of Christ mentioned here is not just the time of the instruction of grace (while we wait), it is also the way grace teaches us to renounce sin and live in a “godly way” (v. 12). Setting our minds on the truth of Christ’s return impels us to holiness (1Jn 3:2-3). The blessed hope is the appearing of . . . Christ. The reference to Jesus as God and Savior is a strong affirmation of his deity.

2:14 The phrase people for his own possession translates an unusual phrase with intentional echoes from the OT (Ex 19:5; Mal 3:17). The phrase expresses the sense of “prized, treasured possession” (see 1Pt 2:9).

2:15 This verse is an unmistakable call for authoritative teaching in the church.