Titus 3:3 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Titus 3:3

Comments

Now a big test: ‘For we ourselves also.’ Not just Paul and his fellow preachers, but ‘we’: you Titus, the congregation in Crete, all Christians everywhere. ‘We ourselves also’, the saved ones ‘were sometimes [at one time] foolish’, lacking in understanding that means. The ‘foolish’ word translates a word meaning lacking in mental grasp. You didn't know your sinful state; you didn't know the grace of God. We ourselves once were just like these people, the pagans, the unbelievers, the atheists. ‘Living in malice’ – that is a strong word meaning all kinds of wickedness – ‘and envy.’ Actually the Greek term translated ‘envy’ comes from the word ‘anger’, ultimately, and it still contains that: angry at what other people have got, because of pride. That ought to be me; I ought to have that; I ought to be given these opportunities. Anger – that is at the bottom of envy. ‘Hateful’, which means detestable, odious. ‘I was an odious person, a hateful person, when I think of my thoughts and words and deeds.’ And the more I think about it, the more I shall be able to be sympathetic to the people who have no grace of God yet, no salvation. ‘Hating one another’, always biting, always talking down other people. ‘We ourselves’ – see your past, see what God has delivered you from. And some of these things of come back even in Christian lives. And that helps a great deal in our attitude to the unpleasantness of the world around us. We can keep our concern for souls.

Application

Before you look at them with contempt and begin to think, ‘Oh, they are so foolish;, they are so ignorant; they are so wayward’, remember what you were. Of course, it is easy to be drawn that way by Satan and feel superior. Before you begin to feel so far above the unbelievers among whom you live, think like this, ‘For we ourselves also were once ignorant, disobedient [rebellious, rebellious to God], deceived’ – which could better be translated ‘deluded’ – poor people in utter darkness, serving, enslaved to – ‘divers [various] lusts [desires] and pleasures.’ The word ‘serving’ is perhaps a little too delicate. ‘Enslaved to’ is the Greek. It was only by the grace of God [that] we were delivered from that. Can’t we have some sympathy for the lost? Can’t we have some concern? This is motivation for the proclamation of the gospel and witness.

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Titus 3:3 Commentary and Bible Study