The Eastern Cross/Bible/Titus/Chapter 3
The Epistle of St. Paul to Titus
Tap Fathers under a verse to read what the saints said about it.
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Ὑπομίμνησκε αὐτοὺς ἀρχαῖς [καὶ] ἐξουσίαις ὑποτάσσεσθαι, πειθαρχεῖν, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἑτοίμους εἶναι,
Chap. iii. 1. "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers." What then? even when men do evil, may we nor revile them? nay, but "to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man." Hear the…
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
μηδένα βλασφημεῖν, ἀμάχους εἶναι, ἐπιεικεῖς, πᾶσαν ἐνδεικνυμένους πρᾳότητα πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Ἦμεν γάρ ποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνόητοι, ἀπειθεῖς, πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις, ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ φθόνῳ διάγοντες, στυγητοί, μισοῦντες ἀλλήλους·
Ver. 3. "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish." Thus also he does in his Epistle to the Galatians, where he says, "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world." (Gal. iv. 4.) Therefore he says, Revile no one, for such also thou wast thyself. "For we ourselves also were…
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ,
Ver. 4. "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared." How? "Not 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." Strange! How were we drowned in wickedness, so that we could not be…
Not 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;
οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὧν ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἔλεον ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως Πνεύματος Ἁγίου,
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
οὗ ἐξέχεεν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν,
Ver. 6. "Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Thus we need the Spirit abundantly.
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
ἵνα δικαιωθέντες τῇ ἐκείνου χάριτι κληρονόμοι γενώμεθα κατ᾽ ἐλπίδα ζωῆς αἰωνίου.
"That being justified by His grace"-again by grace and not by debt-"we may be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." At the same time there is an incitement to humility, and a hope for the future. For if when we were so abandoned, as to require to be born again, to be saved by grace, to have no good in us,…
This 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.
Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· καὶ περὶ τούτων βούλομαί σε διαβεβαιοῦσθαι, ἵνα φροντίζωσι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι οἱ πεπιστευκότες τῷ Θεῷ. ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις·
Having spoken of the love of God to man, of His ineffable regard for us, of what we were and what He has done for us, he has added, "These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works"; that is, Discourse of these things, and from a…
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
μωρὰς δὲ ζητήσεις καὶ γενεαλογίας καὶ ἔρεις καὶ μάχας νομικὰς περιΐστασο· εἰσὶ γὰρ ἀνωφελεῖς καὶ μάταιοι.
"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain." What do these "genealogies" mean? For in his Epistle to Timothy he mentions "fables and endless genealogies." (1 Tim. i. 4.) Perhaps both here and there glancing at the Jews, who, priding…
A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ,
How then does he elsewhere say, "If God peradventure will give them repentance" (2 Tim. ii. 25); but here, "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself"? In the former passage he speaks of the correction of…
Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος.
When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
Ὅταν πέμψω Ἀρτεμᾶν πρός σε ἢ Τυχικόν, σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με εἰς Νικόπολιν· ἐκεῖ γὰρ κέκρικα παραχειμάσαι.
Ver. 12. "When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus; be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis." What sayest thou? After having appointed him to preside over Crete, dost thou again summon him to thyself? It was not to withdraw him from that occupation, but to discipline him the more for it. For that he does not…
Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
Ζηνᾶν τὸν νομικὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ σπουδαίως πρόπεμψον, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπῃ.
Ver. 14. "Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them." These were not of the number to whom Churches had been intrusted, but of the number of his companions. But Apollos was the more vehement, being "an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures." (Acts xviii.…
And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
μανθανέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας, ἵνα μὴ ὦσιν ἄκαρποι.
Ver. 14, 15. "And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith." That is, either those that love Paul himself, or those men that are faithful. "Grace be with you all. Amen." "And let ours," he says,…
All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ πάντες. ἄσπασαι τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἐν πίστει. Ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.