Titus 2 Bible study: The grace of God has appeared

The heads-up for leaders names 2:3-5 and 2:9-10. The chapter opens with But, and tells Titus what to say: it speaks of older men, of older women and young wives, of younger men, and to servants about their masters, and between them it speaks of Titus's own example. The WEB has it so: "But say the things which fit sound doctrine, that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance, and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, that they may train the young wives to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded. In all things show yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility, and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us. Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting, not stealing, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things." (2:1-10). These notes quote these verses once, here, as the WEB has them. They explain nothing beyond the verses' own words, give no reading of any word in them, add no detail of their own, say nothing of the history of servants and masters, and apply them to no marriage, husband, wife, mother, child, home, family, work, workplace, employer, worker, church or person today.

Deuteronomy 7:6→leads toTitus 2:14

Moses tells Israel, "The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession" (7:6), and says the LORD "redeemed you out of the house of bondage" (7:8). Paul writes of "Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession" (Titus 2:13-14). Paul doesn't say where his words come from, and "a people for his own possession" is also in 14:2 and 26:18, so this is a reading. One reading hears this chapter in Titus: the LORD who redeemed Israel to be his own people, and Jesus who redeems a people for himself. Another reads Titus as describing what Jesus has done in familiar Bible words, without pointing to this chapter.

ἐπιφαίνωepiphainosay ep-ee-FAH-ee-no

Strong's: "to shine upon, i.e. become (literally) visible or (figuratively) known". "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men" (2:11): behind has appeared is this verb (in all eight editions TAGNT compares), and what has appeared is "the grace of God".