Titus 3

Remind the believers to place themselves under rulers and those in authority, to obey them, and to be ready to do every good thing.

1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

NoteThe King James "principalities and powers" here means human government, the Roman governor and the local officials under him, not spiritual beings; the same English pair renders different Greek words elsewhere in the New Testament. "Magistrates" was the ordinary word for any public official.

2Tell them to say nothing bad about anyone, to avoid fighting and arguing, to be kind, and to show gentle respect to everyone.

2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Note"Brawlers" in 1611 meant quarrelsome people, those who pick fights in words as readily as with fists. "Meekness" then meant a controlled gentleness in dealing with others, not timidity or weakness.

3For we ourselves were once foolish and disobedient. We were fooled, and we were slaves to all kinds of cravings and pleasures. We lived with spite and jealousy. People hated us, and we hated one another.

3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Note"Sometimes" in 1611 English meant "at one time, formerly," not "now and then." "Divers" is the old spelling of "diverse," meaning various kinds. And "hateful" here means hated by other people, not full of hate; the hating comes in the phrase that follows.

4But then the kindness of God our Savior, and his love for people, was made known.

4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Note"Love of God our Saviour toward man" renders a single Greek word, philanthropia, love of humankind. In the Greek world it was a stock term of praise for a generous ruler or public benefactor. "Saviour" was likewise a public title in ordinary use, applied to gods, kings and Roman emperors.

5He saved us. He did not do it because of any right things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing that brings new birth, and through the new life the Holy Spirit gives.

5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Note"Holy Ghost": in 1611 "ghost" simply meant spirit, with none of the modern sense of a haunting. "The washing of regeneration" uses the everyday word for a bath or a washing basin, and "regeneration" means being born again, made new. The Greek leaves it open whether "of the Holy Ghost" belongs only to the renewing or to the washing as well.

6God poured out that Spirit on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Note"Shed" in 1611 meant poured out, as liquid is poured. What is poured out is the Spirit named at the end of the previous verse.

7He did this so that, having been put right with God by his undeserved kindness, we would become his heirs, with the hope of life that never ends.

7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Note"Justified" is a courtroom word: declared to be in the right, acquitted, rather than made to feel better. "Grace" means favor freely given to someone with no claim on it. "Heirs" carries its plain legal sense of those who come into an estate.

8This is a statement you can trust, and I want you to keep insisting on these things. Then those who have believed God will be careful to give themselves to doing good. These things are good and useful for people.

8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Note"A faithful saying" is a tag marking a short formula the readers already knew and accepted; it appears several times in these letters. In "I will that thou affirm constantly," "will" means want or intend, and "constantly" in 1611 meant firmly and confidently, not repeatedly. "Careful" meant intent on a thing, giving it real attention.

9But stay away from foolish arguments, from lists of family ancestors, and from disputes and quarrels about the law. They lead nowhere and are worth nothing.

9But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Note"Genealogies": in this period lists of ancestors were used both to claim standing by descent and as raw material for elaborate speculative teaching spun out of the names in scripture. "Strivings about the law" points to disputes over the Jewish law. "Vain" means empty, producing nothing.

10If a person is causing splits among you, warn him once, then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing more to do with him.

10A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Note"Heretick" does not mean here what the English word later came to mean, a person holding wrong doctrine. The Greek word describes someone who forms a faction, breaking a group into rival parties. "Admonition" is a warning meant to correct. "Reject" means to stop dealing with him, not to punish him.

11You can be sure that such a person has gone wrong and is sinning. By his own actions he has condemned himself.

11Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Note"Subverted" means turned around or twisted out of shape, turned off the right road. "Condemned of himself" means condemned by himself: no one needs to pass sentence, because his own conduct has already done it.

12When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there.

12When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.

NoteNicopolis, the name means "victory city," stood on the west coast of Greece. Sea travel across the Mediterranean largely shut down from about November to March because of storms, so anyone traveling had to settle in one place for the winter and wait for spring. Artemas and Tychicus are fellow workers; Tychicus appears elsewhere as the man who carried Paul's letters.

13Do all you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey, so that they do not lack anything they need.

13Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

Note"Bring them on their journey" is old English for sending travelers off properly equipped: food, money for the road, and letters of introduction to people along the way. Inns were few and had a bad name, so travelers depended on hosts and hosts' friends. "Lawyer" may mean an expert in the Jewish law or a jurist in the Roman sense; the Greek word covers both, and nothing here settles which is meant. "Wanting" means lacking.

14And our own people must learn to give themselves to doing good, so they can meet urgent needs and not live useless lives.

14And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

Note"Ours" means our own people, the believers. "Maintain good works" can mean either giving themselves to good deeds or taking up honest occupations to earn a living; the Greek phrase carries both senses. "Necessary uses" means pressing needs as they come up. "Unfruitful" is a farming image, a tree or a field that yields no crop.

15Everyone here with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. May God's kindness be with all of you. Amen.

15All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Note"Salute" in 1611 meant simply to greet. Letters of this period normally closed with greetings passed along from the people around the writer, and this one ends in the usual way. "Amen" is a Hebrew word meaning roughly "so be it," said to endorse what has just been spoken.