Titus 3:1-8

Be Ready for Every Good Work

1 Remind them ¹to be submissive to rulers and authorities, ²to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

2 ³to speak evil of no one, ⁴to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and ⁵to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

3 For ⁶we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

4 But when ⁷the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, ⁸not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ⁹according to his own mercy, by ¹⁰the washing of regeneration and ¹¹renewal of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom he ¹²poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 so that ¹³being justified by his grace we might become ¹⁴heirs ¹⁵according to the hope of eternal life.

8 The saying is ¹⁶trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ¹⁷to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Titus 3:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO TITUS 3

In this chapter the apostle exhorts Titus to press various duties incumbent on Christians, with arguments engaging to them; gives him some directions about dealing with heretics, and some instructions about private matters, and particular persons, and closes it with salutations. And first, he charges him to put his hearers in mind of their duty, to be subject to civil magistrates, and readily perform whatever is right and proper for them to do; and to abstain from blaspheming and brawling, and to exercise gentleness and meekness to all men, Tit 3:1,2. The arguments inducing thereunto are taken partly from their former state and condition, while unregenerate: when they were as ignorant and as wicked as other men, they are exhorted to behave well to; and partly from the consideration of the salvation they were now partakers of, Tit 3:3,4 which leads on the apostle to give an account of its causes and means: the moving cause of it is the love and mercy of God; the way and means in which it is brought about, are not works of righteousness done by men, but the regenerating and renewing grace of the Spirit, which is plentifully bestowed through Jesus Christ the Saviour, and justification by the free grace of God, by virtue of which men become heirs unto, and have an hope of eternal life, Tit 3:4-7 which several blessings of grace should be constantly insisted on in the ministry of the word, in order to engage believers carefully to perform good works; and because such doctrines are good in themselves, and profitable to men; whereas questions, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, are foolish, vain, and unprofitable, and to be avoided, Tit 3:8,9, wherefore an heretical man should be rejected from all Christian conversation and communion, after he has been admonished at least twice, seeing he is off of the foundation, has sinned, and is self-condemned, Tit 3:10,11. Next the apostle desires Titus to meet him at Nicopolis, where his design was to pass the winter, upon sending two ministering brethren to Crete, who are mentioned by name, Tit 3:12 and that he would accommodate two others, who are also named, with everything convenient for their journey, Tit 3:13 and charges him to exhort the brethren under his care to learn to be diligent and industrious in the performance of good works, which have their necessary uses, and prevent unfruitfulness, Tit 3:13,14. And the epistle is concluded with salutations, and the apostle's usual benediction, Tit 3:15.

Cross References

• 1. 3:1 Rom. 13:1; 1 Pet. 2:13
• 2. 3:1 See 2 Tim. 2:21
• 3. 3:2 Eph. 4:31
• 4. 3:2 1 Tim. 3:3
• 5. 3:2 See 2 Tim. 2:25
• 6. 3:3 See 1 Cor. 6:11
• 7. 3:4 See Rom. 2:4
• 8. 3:5 See Rom. 3:27
• 9. 3:5 Eph. 2:4; 1 Pet. 1:3
• 10. 3:5 See John 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 3:21
• 11. 3:5 See Rom. 12:2
• 12. 3:6 Joel 2:28; Acts 2:33; 10:45; Rom. 5:5
• 13. 3:7 ch. 2:11
• 14. 3:7 Rom. 8:17
• 15. 3:7 See ch. 1:2
• 16. 3:8 See 1 Tim. 1:15
• 17. 3:8 ver. 14; ch. 2:14