Titus 1-3
The Truthful
Do Good

Those who embrace “worm theology” (oh I'm such a worthless sinner, praise God for saving me) and remain creepy crawly caterpillars rather than metamorphing into butterfly believers (Rm 12:1-2) should memorize all three of these verses. Even though verse 10 is not included in the TMS, it is key to the victorious life of a godly believer. Paying attention to (obeying) God's word cleanses/purifies one's way (1Pt 1:22). Hiding God's word in your heart (through memorization) is parallel to the New Covenant blessing of having the Holy Spirit write the law in your heart where your value system and decision-making process reside. But not all those who seek to obey and memorize live in victory. That's because wholeheartedly seeking God (like Caleb did) keeps one from wandering off the path of light into darkness. See observations under Psalm 119 for context and additional help.

Start by studying memorizing key passages of God's word (like the TMS or 7PASSAGES); think though implications for applications; and then do them (obey), wholeheartedly. When tempted to wander, get help/accountability and redouble your efforts.

Heavenly Father, I know You require me to be holy as You are holy to experience Your blessings and glory now, and in the future; please guide me in saturating my life with your truth so I don't sin in following lies. Thanks. Amen.

This third Pastoral epistle covers many of the themes written in the two to Timothy, but with an emphasis on being sound-minded (having one's passions governed by objectives), so that believers can do good works, and gain glory when Christ returns. The consequence is receiving the blessed hope of the believer, sharing the glory of Christ in the Millennial Kingdom. Some see 2:11-14 as the chiastic center of the book, bracketed by instructions, bad behavior, and then good behavior; such an arrangement is plausible. The emphasis on being godly, sound-minded, and doing good works should be obvious, as should the implementation in our lives.

All believers should embody godliness, so they can do the good works for which God created them in Christ.

God, thanks that You flesh out the truth in the lives of faithful believers; may I be a model of godliness; please show me whatever needs to change in my life so it will be characterized by Your desire. Amen.

Sanctified believers should be zealous for good works (know what they are and do them) motivated by the glory/grace God will give them, so they will not be tempted to go for the world's glory.

Lord, help me value Your glory, so I will deny my desires and live for Yours, as a sound-minded and saved former sinner. Amen.

God saved us irrespective of what we did, so we could become heirs of His glory based upon what we do; so do what He desires.

God, thanks for forgiving me in Christ; and planning to bless me more in the future; may I walk worthy of Your glory, doing the good works for which You created me. Amen.

God in a nutshell: Saves people, not on the basis of works but to do good works, for which they gain glory. He pours out His Spirit upon them so they have the means to become godly and the grace to do the good works.

Build-a-Jesus: Jesus is God, and will appear in His glory to give glory to faithful, sound-minded believers.

Us in a nutshell: We are given truth so we can apply it, becoming godly in the process. Godly believers are on track for glory by harnessing their passions for God's purposes (being sound-minded). Those who don't do that are unfit for doing anything good, defiled, and disqualified from sharing in the glory of the eternal kingdom (bad choice).

Titus 3:4 contains two words that are manifestations of God, often translated “kindness and love” which while true of God, are not suited to the context, and lead the English reader astray from a beneficial application of the text.

Kindness (5544  chrestotes) usually leads us to think of a sweet disposition that is nice to others.

Goodness would be a little better translation, but in Galatians 5:22, the “fruits” of the Spirit, elaborating on love, list kindness (#5544) and goodness (#19 agathosune) next to each other, indicating that kindness is different enough from goodness to be listed separately,* as are longsuffering and self-control, etc. In the KJV the fruit #5544chrestotes, is translated “gentleness,” which misses the real meaning even more than “kindness” does.

So how should we understand #5544 chrestotes?

5544 “usefulness” comes from #5543 “employed” (below). Neither is a demeanor word.

5543 “employed” is the root meaning of the base of “usefulness.” So what does being employed or useful have to do with “kindness”? There actually is a link, but it isn't that obvious in modern usage.

A person has to have something in order to share it with others (Eph 4:28). Romans 3:12 contrasts  #5544 chrestotes with “unprofitable” (#889 is the verb;  #888 is the adjective used of the unprofitable servant in Mt 25:30). Romans 3:12 is a quote of Psalm 14:1-3, describing the abominable practical atheist who doesn't seek after God, nor do anything that benefits anyone or anything other than their lusts. The rest of Romans 3 and Psalm 14:1-3 are pretty similar to the unprofitable behavior in Titus 3:3. Clearly when understood in context, chrestotes isn't about being kind vs unkind, but about being beneficial to or profiting others rather than indulging one's carnal desires.

Romans 11:22 contrasts God's goodness/kindness toward those who abide/continue in His beneficencewith His severity (which has the root idea of “cut” or sever) toward those who don't continue, and will be cut off like a tree, branch, or hand.

For reasons outlined above and below, I think we should resurrect a little used word: “beneficence,”  which is a character trait that produces/causes benefit or something good for others. You're aware of “beneficial”, which leads most to think of benefit, or good for you, and that is closer in meaning. “Bene” is good. And “-fic” is a root meaning to “make, produce, or cause.”

Linked with “kindness/goodness/beneficence” in Titus 3:4 is “love” #5363 philanthropia from which we get the English philanthropy. It is a combination of the word for philos (a word to define the bonds of affection in a family as in phil-adelphia=brotherly love), but instead of being confined to specific family members, it is expressed toward a large portion of humanity. It is used only one other time in the NT Scriptures:

Acts 28:2 And the barbarous people showed us no little philanthropia/kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.“

Barbarous” is the Greek designation of an unmannerly non-Greek, ie, a barbarian (915 barbaros). Here Luke portrays them as extending a concern for the well being of the shipwreck victims, something one would normally do for family members.

So both “beneficence” and “philanthropy” are the characteristics of God that He displayed in the salvation process of Titus 3:5-7, which should be reflected in the interactions of recipients of that grace toward others. Rather than being consumed and devouring with the “satisfactions” of their passions/lusts reflected in their taking pieces out of others, they should be benefiting others as specified in Titus 3:8-11, which would include the avoidance of unbeneficial/unprofitable behaviors in verse 9, and the commands that could be considered by cultural Christians to be “unloving” and “unkind” in verses 10-11.

Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. 9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.