5 Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but in the measure of his mercy, he gave us salvation, through the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit,
Because by grace you have salvation through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is given by God: Not by works, so that no man may take glory to himself.
And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.
Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,
But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,
His help he has given to Israel, his servant, so that he might keep in mind his mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever,
His mercy is for all generations in whom is the fear of him.
Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,
Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you, Without a new birth no man is able to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again? Jesus said in answer, Truly, I say to you, If a man's birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God.
In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.
And have put on the new man, which has become new in knowledge after the image of his maker;
But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness.
For this reason, then, a man may get righteousness by faith without the works of the law.
I will make clear what your righteousness is like and your works; you will have no profit in them.
Let not your servant come before you to be judged; for no man living is upright in your eyes.
How then is it possible for man to be upright before God? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman?
What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright?
You are good, O Lord, and full of forgiveness; your mercy is great to all who make their cry to you.
O Israel, have hope in the Lord; for with the Lord is mercy and full salvation.
And he, answering, said, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and for your neighbour as for yourself. And he said, You have given the right answer: do this and you will have life. But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
So then, it is not by the desire or by the attempt of man, but by the mercy of God.
What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.
Now to Abraham were the undertakings given, and to his seed. He says not, And to seeds, as of a great number; but as of one, he says, And to your seed, which is Christ. Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect. Because if the heritage is by the law, it is no longer dependent on the word of God; but God gave it to Abraham by his word. What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between. Now a go-between is not a go-between of one; but God is one. Is the law then against the words of God? in no way; because if there had been a law which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely gave to us in the Loved One: In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Titus 3
Commentary on Titus 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Of duties which concern Christians more in common, and the reasons of them (v. 1-8). What Titus in teaching should avoid, and how he should deal with a heretic, with some other directions (v. 9-14), and salutations in the close (v. 15).
Tts 3:1-8
Here is the fourth thing in the matter of the epistle. The apostle had directed Titus in reference to the particular and special duties of several sorts of persons; now he bids him exhort to what concerned them more in common, namely, to quietness and submission to rulers, and readiness to do good, and to equitable and gentle behaviour towards all men-things comely and ornamental of religion; he must therefore put them in mind of such things. Ministers are people's remembrancers of their duty. As they are remembrancers for the people to God in prayers (Isa. 62:6), so are they from God to them in preaching: I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance, 2 Pt. 1:12. Forgetfulness of duty is a common frailty; there is need therefore of reminding and quickening them thereto. Here are the duties themselves, and the reasons of them.
Tts 3:9-15
Here is the fifth and last thing in the matter of the epistle: what Titus should avoid in teaching; how he should deal with a heretic; with some other directions. Observe,