Titus 2:14

2:11-15 The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them.

Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.

Who gave himself for us; which great God and Saviour Jesus Christ was not only sent and given by the Father, John 3:16 , but freely gave up himself to be incarnate, and to die for us, uperhmwn, in our stead to die. That he might redeem us from all iniquity; that by that price he might purchase salvation for us, delivering us both from the guilt and power of sin, who were slaves and captives to our lusts. And that he might purify unto himself laon periousion, we translate it a peculiar people; some translate it, an egregious, famous, principal people; others say it signifieth something got by our own labour and industry, and laid up for our own use; others say it signifieth something we have set our hearts and affections upon, in a special, peculiar manner. Zealous of good works; studious to do, and warmly pursuing, all such works as are acceptable to God, and profitable to ourselves and others.

Titus 2:14 . Ἵνα λυτρώσηται , that He might redeem ) An allusion to redemption from slavery .[12]— λαὸν περιούσιον , a peculiar people ) The adjective would be translated into Latin by superfactum . Columella writes, villica debet separare, quœ consumenda sunt, et quœ superfieri possunt, custodire , “a farmer’s wife should separate what is to be consumed, and keep what may be left over and above.” Comp. περιποίησις , 1 Peter 2:9 , note. [The περὶ in composition often expresses something remaining over and above . So περιποίησις , in Peter, something which God reserves to Himself out of all. And περιούσιος , a people peculiarly God’s own above all nations, Exodus 19:5-6 ; LXX.] [12] He had been speaking of slaves or servants , ver. 9.—ED.

Gave himself for us (ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν) See on 1 Timothy 2:6, and comp. Galatians 1:4. Ὑπὲρ on behalf of; not instead of. Might redeem (λυτρώσηται) Only here, Luke 24:21; 1 Peter 1:18. See on 1 Timothy 2:6. Neither λύτρον ransom, λύτρωσις redemption, nor λυτρωτής redeemer occur in Paul. He has the figure of purchase (ἀγοράζεσθαι, ἐξαγοράζεσθαι), 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5. Comp. Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3, Revelation 14:4; 2 Peter 2:1. Iniquity (ἀνομίας) Only here in Pastorals. Lit. lawlessness. See on 1 John 3:4. Might purify (καθαρίσῃ) In Pastorals only here. Mostly in Synoptic Gospels and Hebrews. In Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:26. oClass. Often in lxx. A peculiar people (λαὸν περιούσιον) Λαός people only here in Pastorals. In Paul ten times, always in citations. Most frequently in Luke and Acts; often in Hebrews and Revelation. Περιούσιος N.T.o. A few times in lxx, always with λαός. See Exodus 19:5; Exodus 23:22; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18. The phrase was originally applied to the people of Israel, but is transferred here to believers in the Messiah - Jews and Gentiles. Comp. 1 Peter 2:10. Περιούσιος is from the participle of περιεῖναι to be over and above: hence περιουσία abundance, plenty. Περιούσιος also means possessed over and above, that is, specially selected for one's own; exempt from ordinary laws of distribution.

Hence correctly represented by peculiar, derived from peculium, a private purse, a special acquisition of a member of a family distinct from the property administered for the good of the whole family. Accordingly the sense is given in Ephesians 1:14, where believers are said to have been sealed εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως with a view to redemption of possession, or redemption which will give possession, thus equals acquisition. So 1 Peter 2:9, where Christians are styled λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν a people for acquisition, to be acquired by God as his peculiar possession. Comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14, and περιποιεῖσθαι to acquire, Acts 20:28. The phrase καθαρίζειν λαὸν to purify the people, in lxx, Nehemiah 12:30; Judith 16:18. Zealous (ζηλωτὴν) Lit. a zealot. Comp. Acts 21:20; Acts 22:3; 1 Peter 3:13. Only here in Pastorals. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 14:12; Galatians 1:14. For the word as a title, see on the Canaanite, Matthew 10:4, and see on Mark 3:18. Authority (ἐπιταγῆς) See on 1 Timothy 1:1. continued...

14. gave himself—"The forcible 'Himself, His whole self, the greatest gift ever given,' must not be overlooked." for us—Greek, "in our behalf." redeem us—deliver us from bondage by paying the price of His precious blood. An appropriate image in addressing bond-servants (Tit 2:9, 10): from all iniquity—the essence of sin, namely, "transgression of the law": in bondage to which we were till then. The aim of His redemption was to redeem us, not merely from the penalty, but from the being of all iniquity. Thus he reverts to the "teaching" in righteousness, or disciplining effect of the grace of God that bringeth salvation (Tit 2:11, 12). peculiar—peculiarly His own, as Israel was of old. zealous—in doing and promoting "good works."

Titus 2:14 . ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν κ . τ . λ .: see note on 1 Timothy 2:6 . As already observed, this is an appeal from the constraining love of Christ to the responding love of man. λυτρώσηται : deliver . The language is borrowed from Psalms 129 (130):8 αὐτὸς λυτρώσεται τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ . The material supplied by this passage for a discussion of the Atonement is contained in ἔδωκεν … ἡμῶν , not in λυτρώσηται . See Dean Armitage Robinson’s note on Ephesians 1:14 . ἀνομίας : Lawlessness is the essence of sin ( 1 John 3:4 ), self-assertion as opposed to self-sacrifice which is love. Love, which is self-sacrifice, is a dissolvent of self-assertion or sin. And to what degree soever we allow the love of Christ to operate as a controlling principle in our lives, to that degree we are delivered from ἀνομία , as an opposing controlling principle. καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαόν : This is a pregnant expression for “purify and so make them fit to be his people”. St. Paul has in mind Ezekiel 37:23 , “I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God”, ῥύσομαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτῶν ὧν ἡμάρτοσαν ἐν αὐταῖς , καὶ καθαριῶ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαὸν , κ . τ . λ . There is in καθαρίσῃ an allusion to Holy Baptism, which is explicit in Titus 3:5 . Cf. Ephesians 5:26 , ἵνα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι . λαὸν περιούσιον : populum acceptabilem (Vulg.)

. A people for his own possession (R.V.) is the modern equivalent of a peculiar people (A.V.). λαὸς περιούσιος is the LXX for עַם סְגֻלָּה . סְגֻלָּה means “a valued property, a peculiar treasure” ( peculium ), and occurs first in Exodus 19:5 , “Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me.” Here the LXX inserts λαός , possibly from the references in Deut., in which the combination סגלה עם is found. סגלה alone occurs in Malachi 3:17 ( εἰς περιποίησιν ) and in Psalm 135:4 ( εἰς περιουσιασμόν ). The LXX of Malachi 3:17 is echoed in Ephesians 1:14 , εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως , (where see Dean Armitage Robinson’s note) and 1 Peter 2:9 , λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν , in which λαός is a reminiscence of the LXX of the passages in Exod. and Deut. Perhaps περιούσιος refers to the treasure as laid up, while περιποίησις refers to it as acquired. ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων : See Ephesians 2:10 ; 1 Peter 1:15 ; Hebrews 10:24 .

Verse 14. - A people for his own possession for a peculiar people , A.V. Who gave himself for us. The resemblance in thought and diction to 1 Timothy 2:3-6 has been already pointed out. "Who gave himself" ( ο{ς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτόν ) is there expressed by ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτόν , and "that he might redeem us" ( ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ) by ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων . (For the great truths contained in the words "who gave himself," comp. John 10:11, 17, 18 ; Galatians 1:4 ; Ephesians 5:2, 25 ; 1 Peter 2:24 ; Hebrews 9:14 .) The voluntary offering of himself is also implied in the office of our Lord as High Priest ( Hebrews 9:11-14 ). For us ( ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ); on our behalf ; not exactly synonymous with ἀντὶ ἡμῶν , "in our stead." Both phrases, however, are used of our redemption by Jesus Christ. We find ὑπὲρ in Luke 22:19, 20 ; John 6:51 : 10:11, 15; 11:50-52; 15:13; 18:14; Romans 5:6, 8 ; Romans 8:32 ; 1 Corinthians 5:7 ; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15, 21 ; Galatians 1:4 ; Ephesians 5:2, 25 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:10 ; Hebrews 2:9 ; 1 Peter 2:21 ; 1 Peter 3:18 ; 1 Peter 4:1 ; 1 John 3:16 : and we find ἀντί in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 , and in αντίλυτρον , 1 Timothy 2:6 . The literal meaning of ὑπὲρ is "in defense of," and hence generally "on behalf of," "for the good of." The primary idea of ἄντι is "standing opposite," and hence it denotes "exchange," "price," "worth," "instead," etc. Redeem ( λυτρώσηται ); as Luke 24:21 : 1 Peter 1:18 ; common in classical Greek.

In the middle voice, as here, it means "to release by payment of a ransom;" in the active voice, "to release on receipt of a ransom." In 1 Peter 1:18 the ransom price is stated, viz. "the precious blood of Christ;" as in Matthew 20:28 it is "the life of the Son of man." The effect of this redemption is not merely deliverance from the penalty of sin, but from its power also, as appears by the following words: "a peculiar people, zealous of good works," and by the passage in St. Peter above referred to. Purify ( καθαρίσῃ ); as very frequently in the New Testament of cleansing lepers, the outside of the platter, etc., cleansing the Gentiles ( Acts 10:15 ), putting away all sin ( 2 Corinthians 7:1 ), cleansing the Church ( Ephesians 5:26 ), purging the conscience ( Hebrews 9:14 ), etc. The iniquity just spoken of was a defilement; the redemption from iniquity removed that defilement. The blood of Jesus Christ, the price paid for the redemption, was the instrument of cleansing ( 1 John 1:7, 9 ). A people for his own possession ( καὸν περιούσιον ); only here in the New Testament, but frequent in the LXX., coupled, as here, with λαός ( Exodus 19:5 ; Deuteronomy 7:6 ; Deuteronomy 14:2 ; Deuteronomy 26:18 ), to express the Hebrew סְגֻלָּה or עַם סְגֻלָּה , a people the peculiar property, or treasure, of God; "peculiar" being derived from the Latin peculium , one's own private property, reserved for one's own private use.