Titus 3

¹Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, and to be ready for every good work, ²to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, showing complete gentleness toward all people. ³For we too were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

⁴But when the kindness and love for humanity of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not on the basis of works we ourselves had done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, declared righteous by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good works. These things are good and beneficial for people.

⁹But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, for they are useless and empty. ¹⁰After a first and a second warning, reject a divisive person, ¹¹knowing that such a person has become twisted and is sinning, condemned by their own actions.

¹²When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way with what they need, so that they lack nothing. ¹⁴Our people too must learn to devote themselves to good works to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

¹⁵Everyone with me greets you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all.

Translation notes 6

3:1–3 — Public conduct and remembered slavery. “All people” is unrestricted in the exhortation to gentleness. The reasons include the speakers' own former disobedience. “Enslaved” preserves the slavery language used for desires and pleasures, alongside literal slaves in 2:9 and enslavement to wine in 2:3.

3:4–7 — Washing, rebirth, and Spirit. “Washing” probably evokes baptism, but the Greek uses the washing image rather than the word “baptism.” The relationship of washing, rebirth, and renewal is debated. “By the Holy Spirit” identifies the Spirit as the agent of renewal; his agency may extend over the whole expression. The sentence does not explicitly lay out separate stages or define how the rite and inward change relate. “Poured out” retains the image used for the Spirit.

3:5–8 — Righteousness and good works. Salvation rests on mercy rather than the righteous works people have performed. The next instruction nevertheless calls for good works. “Declared righteous” represents the favorable verdict in verse 7; “made righteous” is another rendering with a stronger emphasis on transformation. The saying most likely refers back to verses 4–7, though its exact starting point is not marked.

3:8, 14 — Devoting themselves to good works. The same Greek expression occurs twice. It can suggest taking the lead in good works; “engaging in useful occupations” is another interpretation, especially where meeting needs is in view. The broader good-works theme favors the wording printed here.

3:9–11 — Divisiveness and rejection. “Divisive” describes someone who promotes factions in the context of the disputes just named; the later technical meaning of “heretic” should not be assumed automatically. Rejection follows two warnings. “Condemned by their own actions” explains “self-condemned”; it need not mean the person has verbally admitted guilt.

3:12–15 — Travel and greetings. “There” does not say Paul is already in Nicopolis. Sending the travelers on their way includes providing support; “with what they need” makes that implication explicit. “Lawyer” may mean a civil legal expert or an expert in Jewish law. The final “you” is plural, extending the blessing beyond Titus. The base has no closing “Amen.”