Titus 3:3-8

3:3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. 3:4 ¹  But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 3:6 whom he poured out on us in full measure ²  through Jesus Christ our Savior. 3:7 And so, ³  since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” ⁴ 

Summary of the Letter

3:8 This saying ⁵  is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, ⁶  so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.

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¹ tn Verses 4-7 are set as poetry in NA²⁶/NA²⁷. These verses probably constitute the referent of the expression “this saying” in v. 8.

² tn Or “on us richly.”

³ tn This is the conclusion of a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek encompassing Titus 3:4-7. Showing the goal of God’s merciful salvation, v. 7 begins literally, “in order that, being justified…we might become heirs…”

⁴ tn Grk “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

⁵ sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the preceding citation (Titus 3:4-7). See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11 for other occurrences of this phrase.

⁶ tn Grk “concerning these things.”