But after that
After all this series and course of wickedness; notwithstanding
all this foolishness, disobedience, deception, bondage to sin,
envy, malice, and malignity; or "when" all this was, as the word
may be rendered, amidst all this iniquity; when these persons
were in the full career of sin, and so had done no preparatory
works, or had any previous qualifications and dispositions for
the grace of God:
the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared;
unto them; and the Ethiopic version adds, "unto us". The apostle
takes the advantage of the above character of himself, and others
in their former state, to set off and magnify the grace of God in
their conversion; so contraries, as black and white, illustrate
each other. By "God our Saviour" is not meant the Lord Jesus
Christ, though he is commonly designed by our Saviour, and is
several times called God our Saviour in this epistle; see (
Titus 1:3 ) (
Titus 2:10
Titus 2:13 )
and who is truly God, and the only Saviour of lost sinners; and
whose kindness and love towards them has appeared in many
instances; as in his suretiship undertakings for them, in his
assumption of their nature, and in his suffering and dying in
their room and stead: and yet it appears from ( Titus 3:6 ) that God our
Saviour here, is distinguished from Jesus Christ our Saviour
there; and therefore here must be understood of God the Father;
who contrived the scheme of salvation, appointed Christ to be his
salvation, and made a covenant with him, in which it secured, and
sent him in time to obtain it, and through his blood,
righteousness, and sacrifice, saves all his people: it is his
kindness and love to men that is here spoken of; and which
designs not his general and providential goodness and kindness,
which extends to the whole human nature, and to all the
individuals of it; but his special love and grace shown in his
kindness in Christ Jesus; that good will to men the angels sung
of at Christ's incarnation; or that free favour and love of God
towards elect men, which is sovereign and special, from
everlasting to everlasting, unchangeable and unspeakable, which
is better than life; the excellency of which cannot be expressed,
and which has shown itself in various instances: it is said to
have "appeared"; because it was hid from all eternity in the
heart of God, in the thoughts of his heart, in his purposes,
counsel, and covenant, and has been made manifest in time;
particularly, it has broke forth and showed itself in the mission
of Christ into this world, and in redemption and salvation by
him; wherein God has manifested and commended his love, and shown
forth the exceeding riches of his grace; and also in the
effectual calling, which being a time of life, is a time of love,
and is owing to the great love of God, and is a fruit and
evidence of his everlasting and unchangeable love; and it is this
instance and appearance of it, which is here meant, since it
follows the account of the state and condition of the saints by
nature; and is what was made to them when in this state, by which
means they were brought out of it.