2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 Exegesis and Exposition of Titus 3:1-2 Titus 3:1-Reminder of Responsibilities to Governmental Rulers-Authorities Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed. (NASB95) This verse is composed of the following: (1) second person singular present active imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai (ὑπομιμνῄσκομαι), “Remind” (2) accusative third person masculine plural form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “them” (3) dative feminine plural form of the noun archē (ἀρχή), “to rulers” (4) dative feminine plural form of the noun exousia (ἐξουσία), “to authorities” (5) present passive infinitive form of the verb hupotassomai (ὑποτάσσομαι), “to be subject” (6) present active infinitive form of the verb peitharcheō (πειθαρχέω), “to be obedient” (7) preposition pros (πρός), “for” (8) accusative neuter singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “every” (8) accusative neuter singular form of the noun ergon (ἒργον), “deed” (9) accusative neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός), “good” (10) accusative masculine plural form of the adjective hetoimos (ἕτοιμος), “ready” (11) present active infinitive form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “to be.” Asyndeton In Titus 3:1, Paul is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to mark a transition from reminding of Titus of his responsibilities to God, the Cretan Christian community as his delegate to instructing him to remind the Cretan church of their responsibilities to governmental rulers and authorities. Hupomimnēskomai The verb hupomimnēskomai means “to remind” somebody of something, “to bring something to someone’s attention.” The second person singular form of the verb is of course a reference to Titus. Therefore, the verb indicates that Paul wants Titus “to remind” the Cretan Christian community of their responsibilities to governmental rulers and authorities. It denotes that he was to remind the Cretan church to be subject to governmental rulers and authorities implying that they were already taught to do this from the beginning of their Christian instruction. The present imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Titus to simply continue making it his habit of reminding the Cretan church to be subject to their governmental rulers and authorities. It is a command for action to be continued, action that may or may not
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2014 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
1
Exegesis and Exposition of Titus 3:1-2
Titus 3:1-Reminder of Responsibilities to Governmental Rulers-Authorities
Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready for every good deed. (NASB95)
This verse is composed of the following: (1) second person singular present
active imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai (ὑποµιµνῄσκοµαι), “Remind” (2) accusative third person masculine plural form of the intensive
personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “them” (3) dative feminine plural form of the
noun archē (ἀρχή), “to rulers” (4) dative feminine plural form of the noun exousia
(ἐξουσία), “to authorities” (5) present passive infinitive form of the verb
hupotassomai (ὑποτάσσοµαι), “to be subject” (6) present active infinitive form of
the verb peitharcheō (πειθαρχέω), “to be obedient” (7) preposition pros (πρός),
“for” (8) accusative neuter singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “every” (8)
accusative neuter singular form of the noun ergon (ἒργον), “deed” (9) accusative
neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός), “good” (10) accusative
masculine plural form of the adjective hetoimos (ἕτοιµος), “ready” (11) present
active infinitive form of the verb eimi (εἰµί), “to be.”
Asyndeton
In Titus 3:1, Paul is employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to mark a
transition from reminding of Titus of his responsibilities to God, the Cretan
Christian community as his delegate to instructing him to remind the Cretan church
of their responsibilities to governmental rulers and authorities.
Hupomimnēskomai
The verb hupomimnēskomai means “to remind” somebody of something, “to
bring something to someone’s attention.” The second person singular form of the
verb is of course a reference to Titus. Therefore, the verb indicates that Paul wants
Titus “to remind” the Cretan Christian community of their responsibilities to
governmental rulers and authorities. It denotes that he was to remind the Cretan
church to be subject to governmental rulers and authorities implying that they were
already taught to do this from the beginning of their Christian instruction.
The present imperative form of the verb hupomimnēskomai is a “customary
present imperative” whose force is for Titus to simply continue making it his habit
of reminding the Cretan church to be subject to their governmental rulers and
authorities. It is a command for action to be continued, action that may or may not
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have already been going on. It is often a character building command to the effect
of “make this your habit,” “train yourself in this, discipline yourself.” This is the
use of the present imperative in general precepts. The present imperative of
hupomimnēskomai means, “to continue making it your habit of” reminding the
Cretan church to be subject to their governmental rulers and authorities. Therefore,
the active voice of the verb indicates Titus as the subject is to obey this command.
Autos
The intensive personal pronoun autos means “them” referring to the Cretan
Christian community as a corporate entity. It is functioning as an accusative direct
object meaning it is receiving the action of the verb hupomimnēskomai. It is also
functioning as the subject of the infinitives hupotassomai, peitharcheō and eimi
meaning it is performing the action of these three verbs.
Hupotassomai
The verb hupotassomai or hupotasso is a compound verb composed of the
preposition hupo, “under, subject to” and the verb tasso, “to arrange,” thus the
word literally means, “to arrange under.” There are no pre-Hellenic examples of
this compound verb. It is a Greek military term meaning ‘to arrange under one’s
authority,’ as a general arranges his regiments in orderly array before himself.
The word can have the following meanings: (1) Active (a) To place under (b)
To affix under (c) To subordinate (2) Passive (a) To be subject (b) The subordinate
(c) Subordinates (d) One without rights (3) Middle (a) To subject oneself (b) To be
subservient (c) To acknowledge as lord (d) To submit voluntarily.
The word frequently occurs in the middle voice and often indicates involuntary
submission or obedience. Throughout Hellenistic literature hupotasso (and its
cognates) is found in lists expressing rules on ethical standards and appropriate
levels of subordination.
Lists of duties appear in Aristotle 4th
century B.C.), Seneca (1st century A.D.)
and Plutarch (2nd
century A.D.). In addition, the middle voice is also used to
indicate involuntary submission, “to submit oneself” out of fear. It may describe
voluntary submission or obedience, but this sense occurs less often.
Submission to spiritual laws and to God is also indicated by the middle form. In
references to literary matters the word means “to attach or append.” The verb
appears often throughout the papyri with the meaning of “to append.”
Liddell and Scott list the following: (1) Place or arrange under, assign (2) Post
in the shelter of (3) Draw up behind (4) Subject (5) Subdue, make subject; to be
obedient; will submit; subordinates (6) Underlie to be implied in or associated with
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(7) Put after, subjoin, append; follows (8) Take as a minor premise (9) Govern the
subjunctive.1
The verb hupotasso appears only 28 times in the Septuagint, of which 9 are
non-canonical. It used to translate the following Hebrew words: (1) Davar,
The word has the same range of meanings in the Septuagint as it does in
classical writings and can have the following meanings: (1) To place under,
subordinate (2) Subordinate (3) Subjects (4) To subject (5) To overcome (6) To be
subject (7) To become subject (8) Mid. To subject oneself (9) To acknowledge
someone’s dominion or power (10) To submit (11) To surrender to God (12) To
humble oneself before him.
The verb hupotasso appears 38 times in the Greek New Testament and
frequently displays the same meanings found in the classical and Septuagint
literature and involves both voluntary and involuntary submission. The verb’s
meaning involves the concept of subordination to legitimate authority.
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the
verb, “to arrange under, to subordinate; to subject, put in subjection mid. To
subject one self, to obey; to submit to control; to yield one’s self, to obey; to
submit to one’s control; to yield to one’s admonition or advice.2
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) to cause to be in a submissive relationship, to subject,
to subordinate (2) to add a document at the end of another document, attach,
append, subjoin.3
Louw and Nida define the word, “to bring something under the firm control of
someone.”4
Roland Bergmeier lists the following: (1) Active, subject, subordinate, place
under (2) Passive, be subjected to, be placed under (3) Middle, submit to,
subordinate oneself to, yield to, be subject to, obey.5
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following: (1) To place or
arrange under; to subordinate (2) To bring under influence (3) Pass. To be
1 Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1897 2 page 645 3 Page 1042 4 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains volume 2, page 476 5 Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 3, page 408
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subordinated (4) To be brought under a state or influence (5) Mid. To submit one’s
self, render obedience, be submissive.6
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Hupotasso, primarily a
If these four divine institutions (volition, marriage, parents, government) are
undermined by the refusal to submit to these systems of authority then all of
society will crumble. If your free will is taken away from you, you will have lost
your freedom to make your own decisions in life. If the man's authority in the
marriage is taken away, marriage will fall apart and both men and women will lose
their protection which marriage provides for them. If the parent's authority over the
children is taken away, the children are left unprotected and are in danger. If the
authority of the government is not respected and if the government stops, the
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individuals in that nation are left unprotected and are in great danger of another
nation invading and taking away their freedom.
A disrespect of authority will lead to loss of freedom in society and will lead to
danger and people will live in fear. Human government has been established by
God in order to protect the freedom, the privacy, the property and the lives of
individuals in a nation. The murder of an individual is a violation of a person’s
volition, divine institution number one. Human government has been established
by God in order to practice capital punishment as a means of punishing the
criminal. The individual is to respect the laws of human government.
Genesis 9:5-6 records for us the establishment of the fourth and final divine
institution.
Genesis 9:5 “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will
require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the
life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for
in the image of God He made man.” (NASB95) The Word of God prohibits murder according to Exodus 20:13 and is one of the
sins that God hates according to Proverbs 6:16-19 and according to Genesis 9:6 is
to be punished through capital punishment.
“I will require” is the verb darash, which is a judicial term used with reference
to both men and animals and expresses the fact God seeks “restitution” for murder
by the execution of the murderer or the animal who has taken a human life.
As a result of the total depravity of mankind, God instituted capital punishment
in order to protect both animal and human life and to curb violence and be a
deterrent to crime. The reason why this provision is given is found in the phrase
“for in the image of God, He (the Lord) made (`asah, “modeled”) (the soul of)
man.”
The emphasis of this stipulation recorded in Genesis 9:5-6 does “not” refer to
vengeance but rather justice and the careful recognition of the sacredness of the
divine image in man, though marred by sin.
Murder is a shocking affront to God and a terrible crime against one’s fellow
man. Before the Flood the lack of capital punishment led to blood vendettas (Gen.
4) and without instinctive fear, the animals corrupted their behavior.
Genesis 9:5-6 records the institution of human government where God
delegated authority to mankind as His agents in exacting retribution by capital
punishment upon those who take a human life indicating as well that this is not a
personal matter but a social obligation. Before the Flood, there was no formal
arrangement of human government and thus no formal punishment of crime or of
crime prevention, even for the capital crime of murder, as evident in the individual
histories of Cain and Lamech (Genesis 4).
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The absence of human government and the total depravity of mankind led to a
universal state of violence and anarchy, which resulted in the judgment of the
Flood. God established capital punishment and thereby human government in order
to prevent the conditions of the antediluvian period from developing again.
Numbers 35:30-34, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and 19:15 teach that capital
punishment “cannot” take place unless there are two or more witnesses to the
crime and that they all agree in their testimony after being individually
interviewed. Capital punishment is taught in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:12, 15-17;
22:2, 18-20; Num. 35:6-34; Deut. 19:1-13; 24:7) and in the New Testament (Rom.
13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13). The fact that capital punishment was instituted does “not”
mean that there is never to be an exception to the punishment of execution for the
crime of murder.
With God, justice may be tempered with mercy, in response to repentance. For
example, David was guilty of the capital crimes of murder and adultery in the case
of Uriah and Bathsheba respectively and God forgave David when he confessed
his sin and thus David instead of dying by stoning or the sword as he deserved,
“died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor” (1 Chron. 29:28). Also, the
woman caught in the act of adultery was guilty by the Mosaic Law of a crime
punishable by death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22) and the Lord Jesus seeing her heart
of repentance, was moved to forgive her and to see that she was set free (Jn. 8:3-
11). In like manner, a judge or a governor is warranted in taking such mitigating
factors as may exist in a given situation into consideration in determining a
sentence, legal penalty of capital punishment.
The essential point is that man was delegated authority and responsibility of
human government by God and that this responsibility first entails the recognition
of the sacredness of human life and that man is created in the image of God and the
recognition of capital punishment as the just and legal penalty for murder. It is
clear that the authority for capital punishment implies also the authority to
establish laws governing human activities and personal relationships, which if
unregulated would lead to murder, robbery, adultery, thus this instruction to Noah
is the fundamental basis for all human legal and governmental institutions.
Human government was designed by God to protect the freedom of the
individual, both believers and unbelievers as well. It was instituted by God and was
designed for the protection of the freedom of individuals. Capital punishment was
to be employed by nations as a protection for the freedom of its citizens and was
designed by God as an instrument of justice. It was designed to be a deterrent in a
nation.
If the human race, which is enslaved to the sin nature, does not have restraints
put on it, it will destroy itself. The government has the responsibility to practice
capital punishment in order to protect the freedom its citizens. The force of what
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Paul writes in Romans 13:1-7 is greatly increased as a result of understanding that
Nero was ruling Rome at the time. The force of his request in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 is
also greatly increased if we realize he requested in this passage that the Ephesian
church intercede in prayer to the Father on behalf of kings and all those in
authority and Nero was the Emperor.
Civil disobedience is not the invention of the modern age. The Bible records
approximately a dozen examples of legitimate civil disobedience. Most examples
occur when a government specifically commands individuals to disobey God, so
that civil disobedience is at the same time religious obedience. In such cases, God
commends those who suffer consequences at the hands of the government for the
sake of righteousness, and he usually rescues them. One cluster of examples occurs
when a ruler either prohibits the worship of God or commands the worship of some
other god. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (see Daniel) illustrates
three godly men’s response to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s decree that
the ‘peoples, nations, and languages … fall down and worship the golden image’
that Nebuchadnezzar had erected (Dan 3:5 NRSV). Because such a command
contradicts the first commandment forbidding idolatry, these men refuse to bow
down. When confronted by the king with their disobedience, they claim to be
obeying a higher authority that overrides that of the king (Dan 3:16). Although
God saves them from their punishment, they acknowledge that whatever the
outcome of their punishment, they fear God more than they fear men (vv. 17–18).
God’s rescue of these men fully commends their action as a legitimate case of civil
disobedience. A similar case occurs when Darius, the Persian ruler, forbids prayer
to any god but the king for thirty days (Dan 6). The issue behind this case is
faithfulness to God, and Daniel refuses to be unfaithful despite the government’s
decree (Dan 6:5). He not only continues to pray three times a day as he has done
before, but he makes no attempt to disguise his actions. Accordingly he is thrown
into the lions’ den as punishment. Once again, however, God demonstrates to
Daniel’s persecutors that God’s law is higher by delivering him from death in the
den. In the NT the most significant challenge to God’s commandments occurs
when the Jewish leaders command the disciples “not to speak or teach at all in the
name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18 NRSV). However, having the command from Christ to
proclaim the gospel to all nations (Mt 28:19–20), the apostles refuse. Peter replies
to their command, ‘We must obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29 RSV). From
then on the church is persecuted with flogging, imprisonment and death for their
refusal to comply with the government’s decree. Other cases involve people who
disobey government injunctions that do not directly demand that they disobey God
but that do involve their tacit compliance in unrighteous practices. In the events
leading up to the exodus, the Hebrew midwives help the Hebrew women to deliver
their children and hide them despite Pharaoh’s decree to put all the newborn males
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to death (Ex 1:15–22). God commends these midwives for their fear of him,
blessing them with households of their own. In similar manner Moses’ mother
disobeys the king’s edict to destroy Hebrew males (Ex 2:1–10). Soon after this,
Moses himself participates in civil disobedience, leading the children of Israel out
of Egypt against Pharaoh’s will. He begins his career of civil resistance when he
kills an Egyptian taskmaster who has beaten a Hebrew slave (Ex 2:11–12), his first
recorded act of choosing to share ill-treatment with the people of God (Heb 11:24–
25). Because God commanded him to lead the people out of Egypt, by God’s
direction he assaults Pharaoh and his people with a series of plagues that persuade
the king to finally release the people (Ex 6–12). However, soon after he has let
them go, Pharaoh pursues them with the intent to reenslave them. Moses is God’s
agent in the miraculous defeat of the Egyptian army by the sea (Ex 14). Although
he had ostensibly negotiated with Pharaoh for his people’s release, Moses is in fact
instrumental in forcing Pharaoh to release the people, an act he performs at God’s
command. In another act of civil disobedience, Rahab the Canaanite hides the
Hebrew spies from her city leaders (Josh 2). Rahab fears the God who has given
her land to these people, and she desires to fight on the side of Yahweh (Josh 2:9–
13). Thus she hides the spies who come to her and lies to the king of Jericho,
saying that they have already left the city (Josh 2:5). God commends her act,
claiming that her faith and obedience saved her from death at the Israelites’ hands
(Heb 11:31). Some of the prophets also disobey their kings at God’s command or
in response to God’s condemnation of their rule. King Ahab attempts several times
to kill Elijah because of his message. Elijah announces a great drought on the land
and is then forced to hide from Ahab’s wrath (1 Kings 17). In addition, Elijah
humiliates and slays the prophets of Baal, who the king supports, and then flees to
Sinai (1 Kings 18). Obadiah similarly disobeys the king to obey God. When
Jezebel attempts to kill all of God’s prophets, Obadiah hides a hundred of them in
caves and provides them with food (1 Kings 18:4). God praises him for this act,
declaring that “Obadiah feared the LORD greatly” (1 Kings 18:3). The NT also
endorses stories of people protecting those who are persecuted by the government.
The three wisemen worship the infant Jesus and disobey Herod’s command to
inform him about the newborn king (Mt 2:7–12). When the Jews and King Aretas
attempt to capture and put the newly converted Paul to death, several of his
disciples hide him and then helped him escape by letting him down in a basket
through one of the city wall’s openings (Acts 9:20–31; 2 Cor 11:32–33). Finally,
even Jesus refuses to submit to the religious authorities of his time. Although he
has no complaint against the Roman civil authority, he consistently challenges the
authority of the Jewish leaders. He heals a man on the Sabbath and overturns the
tables of the moneychangers and vendors in the temple (Mt 12; 21). Although he
commands submission to the governing authorities, Jesus demonstrates that his
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own authority is greater than that of the ruling priests because his authority comes
from God. Thus he shows that in some cases in which God’s authority conflicts
with that of a government, civil disobedience is necessary.14
In 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Paul urgently requests that corporate prayer be made by the
Ephesians on behalf of all those in authority.
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore, based upon my previous statements, I first of all
urgently request specific detailed requests, reverential prayers, intercessory
prayers, thanksgivings be regularly offered up on behalf of all people.
(Author’s translation) The adverb protos, “first” emphasizes the urgency and priority of prayer for all
men to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ based upon Paul’s statements in 1
Timothy 1:12-17. The emphasis is not on prayer in general but rather the content of
the prayer in the sense that the Ephesians are to pray for all men to be exposed to
the gospel of Jesus Christ. It stresses that of all that Paul will be commanding of
the Ephesians, the command to pray for all men to be exposed to the gospel of
Jesus Christ to receive eternal life is the most important.
Though the other commands and prohibitions in this epistle are directly related
to promoting the spiritual growth of the members of the body of Christ in Ephesus
and are critical for the spiritual growth of the church, these are not more important.
Rather, the salvation of lost sinners is the most important. Spiritual growth is
important but not as important as saving the sinner from eternal condemnation
since the sinner is not saved from eternal condemnation then they can never grow
up spiritually. This is why Paul mentions first in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires all
men to be saved and then he says that the Father desires that they come to an
epignosis, “experiential” knowledge of the truth, which can only take until one is
first saved.
The adjective pas, “all” refers to the rest of the commands and prohibitions that
appear in 1 Timothy. The word is a partitive genitive meaning that the word
denotes whole of which the adverb protos is a part. This indicates that this urgent
request to pray for all men to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to
be saved, which is the Father’s will is, the most important of all the commands and
prohibitions that are mentioned throughout this epistle.
“Specific detailed requests” is the noun deesis which refers to intercessory
prayer and specifically to specific detailed requests offered up to the Father by the
Ephesians on behalf of all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ for
eternal salvation. It denotes an urgent of the Father by the Ephesians in prayer for
sinful humanity who are in need of eternal salvation.
14 Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J., Longman, T., Duriez, C., Penney, D., & Reid, D. G. (2000). Dictionary of biblical imagery (electronic ed.) (154–155).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press
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“Reverential prayers” is the pronoun proseuche, which refers to intercessory
prayer offered up to the Father on behalf of all people but from the perspective that
it is an expression of worshipping God and dependence upon Him. It denotes
entering into the presence of the Father in order to offer up intercessory prayer for
all people but as an act of worship and dependence upon Him to save sinners.
When the believer offers up intercessions on behalf of the unbeliever, He is
acknowledging to the Father his total and absolute dependence upon Him to meet
this need of the unbeliever and is thus worshipping Him. Proseuche emphasizes
the worshipful attitude of the believer who depends upon God to meet his needs
through prayer and specifically the need to save the unbeliever through faith in His
Son Jesus Christ.
“Intercessory prayers” is the noun enteuxis, which refers to intercessory
prayer or in other words, prayer on behalf of another, which is in our context is for
all people to be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to delivered from
eternal condemnation and receive eternal life. This word expresses urgency and
boldness (Trench).
These three words look at intercessory prayer for the unsaved from different
perspectives. Deesis looks at intercessory prayer for all people from the
perspective in the sense that it should involve specific detail requests. Proseuche
looks at these intercessory prayers from the perspective that they are an expression
of worshipping the Father and are an expression of dependence upon Him to save
the sinner. Lastly, enteuxis looks at these prayers from the perspective that they are
intercessory or on behalf of others.
“Thanksgivings” is the noun eucharistia which refers to the Ephesians
thanking the Father for all people since the entire human race was created in the
image of God even though that image has been marred by sin.
“Be regularly offered up on behalf of all people” indicates that Paul wants
the Ephesians to “regularly” or “make it a habit of” offering up intercessory prayer
to the Father for all of unregenerate humanity since the Father desires all of
unregenerate humanity to be saved. All of unregenerate humanity are to benefit
from the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians.
In 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul specifies on whose behalf he wants the Ephesians to
intercede in prayer to the Father. In verse 1, he simply requests corporate
intercessory prayer in a general sense meaning that he wants the Ephesians to
intercede in prayer for all people. But here in verse 2, he is specific in the sense
that he identifies specific individuals in Roman society on whose behalf he wants
them to intercede in prayer to the Father.
1 Timothy 2:2 on behalf of kings as well as each and every one of those
individuals who are in authority in order that we may continue to live a
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peaceful and tranquil life with absolute godliness as well as dignity. (Author’s
translation) “On behalf of kings” refers to all those individuals who are governmental
leaders. It not only refers to the Roman Emperor Nero but all those who governed
the provinces that were under his authority. So Paul is not only calling the
Ephesians to intercede in prayer for Nero but also those rulers who governed the
various provinces of the Empire under his authority. He wants the Ephesians to
pray that these rulers would be exposed to the gospel for their salvation. Also, he
wants them to pray for these rulers in order to protect them from the attacks of
Satan and the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, Paul is urgently requesting that the
Ephesians intercede in prayer to the Father “on behalf of” the Roman
governmental rulers. These rulers are to benefit from the intercessory prayers of
the Ephesians.
“Each and every one of those individuals who are in authority” refers to
those individuals in the Roman government who formed the Emperor’s
consortium, which would include the Praefect of the Praetorian Guard as well as
magistrates and proconsuls in the various cities and provinces in the Empire. Thus,
Paul is urgently requesting that the Ephesians intercede in prayer on behalf of all
those who exist in a state of holding a position of authority in the Roman
government.
The clause “in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil
life” presents the purpose for Paul’s request that the Ephesians offer up
intercessory prayer for kings and all in authority. This purpose clause refers to the
lifestyle of those belonging to the Christian church who are sons of God and in
union with Christ. Thus, Paul is requesting intercessory prayer from the Ephesians
for all those in authority in order that they may conduct their lives in a tranquil and
peaceful manner. Historically, at the time of writing the Christian community was
living relatively peaceful and quiet manner relation to the Roman government and
Paul wants this to continue by means of the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians.
This purpose clause refers to the activities and affairs and daily functions of
everyday human life in the Christian community. It speaks of the tranquil and
peaceful coexistence or conditions with respect to the Roman government and the
Christian community. It also speaks of the quietness of soul as a result of the
peaceful political situation in the Roman Empire or the peaceful coexistence
between the Roman government and the Christian community. The Christian
community is to pray for the Roman government in order that they might provide
them with freedom to proclaim the gospel throughout the empire unhindered.
“With absolute godliness as well as dignity” refers to the manner in which the
Ephesian Christians were to conduct themselves in relation to Roman society.
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“Godliness” is the worship of God through one’s conduct that is based upon
knowledge of and faith in the Word of God resulting in obedience to God’s Word,
which reveals His character, ways and will. The attitude of the Christian must be
based upon knowledge of and faith in God’s Word. This will result in conduct that
is in obedience to God and therefore honors God and is an act of worshipping Him.
It refers to proper Christian attitude and conduct that is produced by the Holy
Spirit as a result of exercising faith in the Word of God resulting in obedience to
the Word of God. Therefore, the word speaks of the Christian experiencing their
sanctification and their deliverance from the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic
system. It is thinking according to God’s Word and conducting one’s life according
to God’s Word, which reveals God’s will, character and nature and ways.
It denotes by the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian is conforming their
thinking and conduct according to the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy
Spirit in the Word of God. It means that the Christian is conforming their attitude
and conduct to the will of the Father as a result of faith in the Spirit’s teaching in
the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Father’s will.
The Christian’s faith in the Word of God appropriates the power of the Holy
Spirit resulting in conformity of their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father,
which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God. This constitutes worshipping
God.
“Dignity” refers to conduct that is worthy of honor, reverence and respect by
others. Therefore, the term speaks of the Christian’s conduct as worthy of honor,
reverence and respect by the community in which the Christian lives. It refers to
the way Christians project themselves in the communities that they live and work
in. Thus, it is related to the Christian’s royal ambassadorship.
“Absolute” indicates that Paul wants the Ephesians to perfectly embody
godliness and dignity in their communities before the unsaved and in relation to the
civil authorities.
In verse 3, the apostle Paul points out to the Ephesians that it is according to the
Father’s will that they intercede in prayer for the entire human race.
1 Timothy 2:3 This is, as an eternal spiritual truth noble as well as
pleasingly acceptable in the judgment of God the Father, our Savior.
(Author’s translation) This verse teaches that the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of all
people is according to the Father’s will. The immediate demonstrative pronoun
houtos, “this” refers to Paul’s urgent request in verse 1 that the Ephesians
intercede in prayer to the Father on behalf of all people. This is indicated by Paul’s
statement in verse 4 where he teaches that the Father desires all people to be saved
and to come to an experiential knowledge of the truth. His statement in verse 5 is
further indication since he teaches that there is one God and one intermediary
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between God and the human race, namely Jesus Christ. Then, in verse 6, the
apostle teaches that Jesus Christ gave Himself as a ransom for the entire human
race.
“Noble” is the adjective kalos indicating that from the Father’s perspective, the
intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of all of sinful humanity possesses
an outstanding quality and great importance, which is superior to all others. Here it
describes the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the entire human
race that is enslaved to sin and Satan as of the utmost importance to the Father
since He desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the
truth. The word speaks of the intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the
human race as of the utmost importance or the most important thing that they could
do in life.
“Pleasingly acceptable” is the adjective apodektos which indicates that the
intercessory prayers of the Ephesians on behalf of the entire human race is
“pleasing in view of its being acceptable” to the Father since He desires all men to
be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
The noun theos, “God the Father” refers to the Father and not the Son since
Paul is speaking in the context of urgently requesting that the Ephesians pray for
all people and the Scriptures teach that all prayer by the Christian is to be
addressed to the Father and not Jesus Christ, His Son (Luke 11:1-2).
“Savior” is the noun soter emphasizing that God the Father is the member of
the Trinity who initiated salvation and is its source. He is the Savior or Deliverer of
the human race in a seven-fold sense: (1) Deliverer or Savior from personal sins.
(2) Deliverer or Savior from old sin nature (3) Deliverer or Savior from Satan and
his cosmic system. (4) Deliverer or Savior from spiritual and physical death (5)
Deliverer or Savior from eternal condemnation. (6) Deliverer or Savior from self.
(7) Deliverer or Savior from condemnation from the Law.
The Father is the Christian’s deliverer in all these areas and not just the Lord
Jesus Christ since it was according to the Father’s plan in eternity past that the Son
was sent into the world to save sinners in the first place (See John 3:16-18;
Ephesians 1:1-14). The Son carried out or executed the Father’s plan to save sinful
mankind. So we can see that Paul is teaching or reminding the Ephesians that
interceding in prayer for all people is according to the Father’s will.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:4 teaches that it is according to the Father’s
will that the Ephesians intercede in prayer for the entire human race because He
desires all men to be saved and come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:4 who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every
member of the human race to be saved as well as to enter into knowing
experientially the truth. (Author’s translation)
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“Who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every member of the
human raced to be saved” is a relative pronoun clause that is connected to verse
3, which itself is connected to verse 1. It reveals that the reason why intercessory
prayer for each and every member of the human race is noble and pleasingly
acceptable to the Father is that He desires each and every member of the human
race to be saved.
The expression πάντας ἀνθρώπους, “each and every member of the human
race” in verse 4 is picked up from verse 1 where it mean the same thing. Thus, as
we noted in verse 1 Paul taught that it is the Father’s will that the Ephesians
intercede in prayer for all people or each and every member of the human race.
Now in verse 4 he teaches that the Father wants the Ephesians to do this because it
is His will that each and every member of the human race be saved and to come to
an experiential knowledge of the truth. This expression refers to “common” or
“universal grace.” God the Holy Spirit, in common or universal grace, makes the
Gospel understandable to unbelievers, so that they may make a decision to either
accept or reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
When Paul says that the Father desires each and every member of the human
race to be saved does not imply that all will be saved automatically. Rather, he is
simply teaching that the Father desires this to be the case and made it possible by
making salvation possible for everyone through the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ.
The offer salvation is made possible to every member of the human race because
the Father’s Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for each and every member of the
human race. The fact that the sinner has to make a volitional decision in relation to
this offer is clearly taught by Paul in Romans 3:21-5:1 and many other passages
such as Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16 and John 3:16-17 just to name a few.
“To be saved” speaks of the act of the Father delivering each and every
member of the human race without exception from personal sin, the sin nature,
Satan, his cosmic system, condemnation from the Law, spiritual and physical death
and eternal condemnation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
This statement in 1 Timothy 2:4 teaches the “unlimited” atonement and refutes
those who adhere to a “limited” atonement. The latter is a false doctrine that is
actually an attack instigated by Satan upon the integrity of God. The “limited”
atonement doctrine contends that Christ died for only the elect or in other words,
believers whereas the “unlimited” atonement contends that Christ died for “all”
men, all-inclusive, without exception and thus “without racial, sexual or social
distinction.” This doctrine states that Jesus Christ died for every sin committed by
every single member of the human race-past, present and future (John 1:29; Rom.
5:6-8; 1 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2).
“As well as to enter into knowing experientially the truth” presents an
additional desire of the Father with respect to each and every member of the
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human race. It indicates that in addition to desiring each and every member of the
human race to be saved, God the Father desires all of them to come to an
experiential knowledge of the truth.
This statement speaks of the Christian after his conversion personally
encountering through the process of fellowship the truth, i.e. the mind of Christ as
it is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture and prayer and being
affected by this encounter with the mind of Christ. Fellowship with God is
experienced by obeying the Father’s will as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the
Word of God. This encounter results in the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom
and more of the character of Christ.
“The truth” refers to the revelation of the Father’s character, ways and will.
Therefore, the word refers to the truth of God in an objective sense as a body of
knowledge containing the revelation of God’s character and nature, His ways and
His will for His children. Therefore, truth is used with respect to the Christian’s
post-conversion experience. So in addition to the Father desiring all men to be
saved He also desires that after becoming Christians, they come to an experiential
knowledge of the truth, i.e. the Word of God.
The Father wants each of His children to personally encounter through the
process of fellowship the mind of Christ as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the
pages of Scripture and prayer and to be affected by this encounter with the mind of
Christ. Fellowship with God is experienced by obeying the Father’s will as it is
revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. This encounter results in the
gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ.
Thus, when Paul says that the Father desires that people come to an experiential
knowledge of the truth after conversion, he is rebuking certain pastors in Ephesus,
who he does not identify except for Alexander and Hymenaeus, for not
communicating his gospel. His gospel would produce in the church an experiential
knowledge of the truth.
The apostle Paul in verse 5 teaches that there is one God and intermediary
between God and the human race, namely the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5 For you see there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth
only one God. Also, there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one
intermediary between God the Father and the human race, a human being
namely Christ, who is Jesus. (Author’s translation) The apostle Paul in verses 5 and 6 presents additional reasons why the
Ephesians should intercede in prayer for each and every member of the human
race. In verse 4, we noted that they should do so because it is the Father’s will that
each member of the human race be saved and to enter into knowing the truth
experientially. The second reason that Paul presents in 5a is that there is one God.
In other words, they should pray for all people “because” the entire human race is
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under the authority of God in the sense that He is their Creator, Judge and Savior.
The third reason follows in 5b-6, namely they should intercede in prayer for each
and every member of the human race “because” there is one intermediary between
God and the human race, the man Christ Jesus. In other words, they should pray
for the entire human race “because” the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ is the
intermediary between a holy God and sinful humanity who gave Himself as a
ransom for the entire human race.
Therefore, Paul is teaching the Ephesians that interceding in prayer for each and
every member of the human race is not only in accordance with the Father’s will
but also in accordance with the fact that God is the creator of all people and the
judge of all people and the Savior of all people. In addition intercessory prayer for
all men is in accordance with the purpose of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual
and physical deaths on the cross. These substitutionary deaths have made Him the
intermediary between a holy God and sinful humanity.
“There does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one God” is designed to
refute those pastors in Ephesus who were following the teaching of the Judaizers
who were of the conviction that only Israel was worthy of the kingdom of God.
They excluded the Gentiles from the kingdom of God. These pastors who he does
not identify (except for Alexander and Hymenaeus) sought to be teachers of the
Law and were occupied with Jewish myths and useless genealogies of the Old
Testament and were misinterpreting these genealogies and misusing the Ten
Commandments.
The apostle is arguing in 1 Timothy 2:1-7 much as he did in Romans 3:29-30
that the offer of salvation is presented by God through the gospel to both Jews and
Gentiles since God is the Creator, Judge and Savior of both groups. This would
refute the sectarian spirit of the Judaizers and these pastors who followed their
teaching. He is arguing as he did in Romans that justification is not by the works of
the Law or meritorious acts based upon obedience to the Law but rather through
faith alone in Christ alone. The entire human race benefits from the gospel. If
obedience to the Law were the basis for justification, then only Israel would
benefit since they alone and not the Gentiles received the Law. However, God is
the God of both groups.
The expression “only one intermediary between God the Father and the
human race” speaks of the fact that Jesus Christ is the Father’s delegate or
representative to the entire human race while at the same time He represents the
entire human race before the Father. He can do so because He is both God and
man. Thus, this term implies that Jesus of Nazareth is God.
It also alludes to the doctrine of reconciliation, which is a peace treaty between
a holy God and sinful humanity that is the direct result of the spiritual and physical
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deaths of Jesus Christ on the Cross since it propitiated the holiness of God that
expresses itself in righteous indignation against sin and sinners.
“A human being namely Christ, who is Jesus” teaches that the Son of God
through His sinless humanity suffered a substitutionary spiritual and physical death
on the cross in order to reconcile a holy God with sinful humanity. By emphasizing
the humanity of Christ, Paul is not saying that He is not God but rather is
emphasizing that the Son of God, through His sinless human nature reconciled the
human race to the Father through His spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:6 teaches that Christ Jesus gave Himself as a
ransom for each and every member of the human race revealing the Father’s
purpose to save the entire human race at the appointed time.
1 Timothy 2:6 who gave Himself as a ransom on behalf of each and every
one as a substitute, the testimony at His appointed time. (Author’s translation) This verse continues Paul’s thought from verse 5 by teaching that Christ Jesus
gave Himself as a ransom for each and every member of the human race revealing
the Father’s purpose to save the entire human race at the Father’s appointed time.
In verses 5 and 6, Paul presents additional reasons why the Ephesians should
intercede in prayer for each and every member of the human race.
In verse 4, we noted that they should do so because it is the Father’s will that
each member of the human race be saved and to enter into knowing the truth
experientially. The second reason in 5a is that there is one God. In other words,
they should pray for all people “because” the entire human race is under the
authority of God in the sense that He is their Creator, Judge and Savior. The third
reason follows in 5b-6, namely they should intercede in prayer for each and every
member of the human race because there is one intermediary between God and the
human race, the man Christ Jesus. In other words, they should pray for the entire
human race because the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ is the intermediary
between a holy God and sinful humanity who gave Himself as a ransom for the
entire human race. Now, in verse 6, he teaches that Jesus Christ dedicated Himself
to the specific purpose of canceling the sin debt of each and every member of the
human race.
“Who gave Himself as a ransom” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ dedicating
Himself to the specific purpose of canceling the sin debt of the entire human race.
It denotes that the Lord dedicated Himself to the Father’s will in order to provide
the offer of salvation for the entire human race. It also indicates that the Lord
dedicated Himself to deliver the human race from the sin nature, personal sins,
spiritual and physical death, condemnation from the Law, Satan and his cosmic
system and eternal condemnation. It emphasizes the voluntary nature of Christ’s
spiritual and physical deaths on the cross. Our Lord’s spiritual and physical deaths
on the cross were “voluntary” in that He “chose” to suffer these deaths in order to
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solve the human race’s problem with sin. He also chose to suffer in order to
accomplish the Father’s will and provide salvation for the entire human race. These
deaths were also self-sacrificial in nature in that the Lord was willing to deny self
in order to serve the Father and the human race and come to the aid of the human
race to deal with their sin problem.
The noun antilutron, “as a ransom” describes Jesus Christ’s spiritual and
physical deaths on the cross as a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and
every member of the human race. These unique substitutionary deaths redeemed
the entire human race out from the slave market of sin in which they were born
physically alive but spiritually dead.
“Redemption” refers to that aspect of Christ’s finished work on the Cross-that
“purchased” all of humanity out of the slave market of sin. It is appropriated
through the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Redemption is one of the three major doctrines of Soteriology: (1) Redemption:
Ethnos does not speak of heathen Gentiles since didaskalos is used by Paul of a
gift that is given to the church.
“By means of doctrine which is truth” indicates that the apostle Paul taught
the Gentile churches, which he established by means of doctrine (that which the
church believes), which is truth in contrast to certain pastors in Ephesus who were
not doing so. Paul is thus not teaching the Gentile churches with his faithfulness or
truthfulness but rather by means of doctrine, which is truth. “Doctrine” and
“truth” are synonymous for the gospel and speak of it from different perspectives.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:8 makes a statement that is based upon an
inference from his teaching in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. In this inferential statement he
expresses his desire that the Ephesians intercede in prayer for all people in every
place, lifting up holy hands without anger and disputes.
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore, I myself always want the men in each and every
place to make it a habit of occupying themselves with praying by making it a
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habit of lifting up holy hands apart from anger as well as dissension.
(Author’s translation) The statement in verse 8 is the direct result of an inference from Paul’s
statements in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Therefore, Paul desire that the Ephesians intercede
in prayer to the Father for all people is inferred from his statements in 1 Timothy
2:1-7. He is saying that based upon my statements in verses 1-7, I want you
Ephesians to intercede in prayer in every place, lifting up holy hands, without
wrath and dissension.
“I myself always want” parallels 1 Timothy 2:1 and is expressing urgency.
There is a sense of urgency that Paul wants to convey to the Ephesians since the
Father’s desire and will is that all people get saved and enter into an experiential
knowledge of the truth after conversion. It expresses an apostolic order to the
Ephesians to intercede in prayer to the Father on behalf of the entire human race. It
emphasizes Paul’s apostolic authority with his readers.
“The men” refers to the Christian men in Ephesus as opposed to the Christian
women. Paul addresses the men here and not the women since they are to lead the
church (1 Timothy 1:12; 3:2, 5; 4:11-16; 5:17). In verses 9-12, he gives specific
instruction to the Christian women in Ephesus as to how they were to conduct
themselves and their role and function in the church. Therefore, by addressing the
men specifically in Ephesus here in 1 Timothy 2:8 he wants them to lead the prayer
meetings in every home and school room that they meet in for worship services.
“In each and every place” denotes the various geographical regions
throughout the city of Ephesus and its surrounding areas where Christian men
reside. In other words it denotes any place in and around the city of Ephesus. He is
speaking directly to the Ephesians and thus he is calling for prayer for all people by
Christians throughout the world. It is emphasizing the totality of Christian men
who resided in and around the city of Ephesus.
“To make it a habit of occupying themselves with praying” refers to the
corporate intercessory prayer by the Christian men in Ephesus on behalf of the
unsaved of the human race. It teaches that the Christian men in each and every
geographical area in and around the city of Ephesus were to make it a habit of
interceding in prayer to the Father for the unsaved in their particular geographical
area. It indicates that Paul is ordering the Ephesian men to make it a habit of
occupying themselves with intercessory prayer for the unsaved in and around
Ephesus and the world. It emphasizes that corporate intercessory prayer for the
unsaved in their areas was a priority.
Some expositors have verse 8 as beginning the second paragraph even though it
mentions prayer. They believe that this verse is connected to verses 9-15, which
address the conduct of women in contrast with the men whose conduct he mentions
in verse 8. However, the grammar of verse 8 makes clear that his statement in
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verse 8 summarizes his thoughts in the first seven verses of the chapter. In verse 8
he opens the verse with the inferential conjunction oun, which introduces a
statement that summarizes verses 1-7. Therefore, verse 8 is connected to verses 1-7
since it summarizes these verses.
But it is clear that Paul is addressing the conduct of men in verse 8, which
stands in contrast to his comments regarding the conduct of women in the church
for the rest of the chapter. Thus, verse 8 not only closes the first paragraph but it
also introduces the second because it is dealing with the conduct of men in
conjunction with the conduct of the women in the congregation.
The force of what Paul writes in Romans 13:1-7 and Titus 3:1 is greatly
increased as a result of understanding that Nero was ruling Rome at the time. The
force of his request in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 is also greatly increased if we realize he
requested in this passage that the Ephesian church intercede in prayer to the Father
on behalf of kings and all those in authority and Nero was the Emperor.
Nero reigned as emperor of Rome from 54-68 A.D. He was a tyrant who began
a tremendous persecution of Christians in Rome and was notorious for his
inhumane and cruel treatment of Christians. Nero was emperor of Rome and was
born at Antium, in December of 37 A.D. and died in 68 A.D., right after he gave
the order to execute the apostle Paul. He was the son of Agrippina the Younger and
Gnaeus Domitius Ahenbarbus.
His childhood was turbulent. His family was banished by the emperor Caius
Caligula around 39 A.D. and his father died when he was 3. Caligula confiscated
the entire family fortune, therefore, sending Nero into many years in poverty.
Agrippina raised him with the help of Domitia Lepida his aunt. His tutors were
reportedly a dancer and a barber. Agrippina was returned to Rome upon ascension
of Claudius to the throne in 41 A.D., and her estate returned to her.
In 49 A.D., following the execution of Empress Messallina, Claudius married
Agrippina and the young Nero’s position was dramatically changed. Agrippina
arranged for Nero to now have excellent tutors. He was now tutored by the famous
Seneca the Elder.
Nero was betrothed to the daughter of Claudius, Octavia, and was officially
adopted by the emperor in 50 A.D. This put him in the position as probable heir to
the throne over Claudius’ son Britannicus who was younger and had the distinct
disadvantage of having executed Messallina his mother. Henceforth the young
Lucius Domitius was known as Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus.
Agrippina murdered Claudius in October 54 after having assured herself the
title of Augusta and her son Nero the throne. Nero, with the help of the Praefect of
the Praetorian Guard, Burrus, was accepted by the Guard and became Emperor of
Rome 54 A.D. His mother dominated the initial reign of Nero.
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Fortunately for Nero he had the wise council of Burrus and Seneca to fall back
on which offset his mother’s influence. Agrippina was removed from the palace in
55 A.D. as Burrus and Senaca’s influence upon Nero had increased greatly.
Both, Burrus and Seneca administered the Empire successfully under Nero. But
Nero’s self-indulgent personality began to take over and he became disenchanted
with his councilors finding their influences inhibiting to his immoral lifestyle. He
murdered his mother in 59 A.D. and Burrus died in 62 A.D. reportedly from a
throat tumor, although the praefect believed he was poisoned by the Emperor.
Faenius Rufus and the ruthless and ambitious Tigellinus succeeded Burrus
indulging Nero’s excesses. Seneca had since retired as a result of losing his ally
Burrus. It is a testament to Burrus and Seneca that Roman government functioned
on the level it did during Nero’s reign.
The departure of these two men marked the beginning of one of the most
turbulent times in the history of the Empire. Nero ordered the great general
Corbulo from Greece in 67 A.D., and had him commit suicide. This was after
Corbulo regained Armenia and stabilized the East.
Nero’s megalomania found expression in despotism, immorality and artistic
obsessions. He traveled to Greece and was involved in poetry, singing, games,
painting, parties and feasts.
Nero under the influence of Tigellinus did not tolerate dissent or disagreement
in the government and had many arrested, executed and exiled during the latter
part of his reign. The Senate grew weary of him and became distrustful of him.
The fire of 64 A.D. brought the first great persecution of Christians in Rome
causing many Romans to sympathize with the unfair treatment endured by the
Christians. Nero had always greatly desired to rebuild Rome and he used the fire to
do so by reconstructing it in the Greek style. He began building a prodigious palace
called the Golden House which had it been completed would have covered a third
of Rome.
Nero was reportedly at his villa at Antium 35 miles from Rome at the time of
the fire, but many held him responsible for the fire in order to indulge his aesthetic
tastes in the city’s subsequent reconstruction. According to the Annals of the
Roman historian Tacitus and to the Nero of the Roman biographer Suetonius, Nero
in response tried to shift responsibility for the fire on the Christians, who were
popularly thought to engage in many wicked practices. Nero’s shifting of the
blame of the fire to the Christians is self-incriminating.
The Pisonian Conspiracy was formed in 65 A.D. to bring down Nero; it
involved numerous noblemen, senators and others with the ringleader being Gaius
Calpurnius Piso. The influence of Tigellinus grew as he weeded out the
conspirators and had them executed. The lists of the executed grew everyday
including Seneca, Lucan and Thrasea Paetus.
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Nero made an ill-advised trip to Greece as the administration of the Empire fell
apart. He failed to see the danger that he was presently in and did nothing to
change his lifestyle or advisors who were giving him unwise council.
In March 68 A.D, Vindex, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis rebelled against
Nero but was crushed by the Rhine legions. This did not stop rebellions in other
provinces from springing up throughout the empire. They demanded the removal
of Nero and when Tigellinus became ill, Nero lost his will and did not act in
quelling the increasing rebellions.
Nero committed suicide with the help of his secretary, Epaphroditus, on June 9,
68 A.D. The historian Suetonius writes that, dying, Nero uttered the words, “What
an artist dies with me.” It was during the middle of the reign of this tyrant Nero
that the apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans.
Nero was a tyrant who began a tremendous persecution of Christians in Rome.
He was notorious for his inhumane and cruel treatment of Christians. Yet, Paul
issues this command in Romans 13:1 since he knew that God and not Caesar was
ultimately in control and that Caesar was under Jesus Christ’s authority and power.
If you notice in Titus 3:1, Paul not only wanted the Cretan believers to obey
their governmental leaders and all those in authority but they were to be prepared
for any kind of act which is divine good, i.e. the result of obedience to the Spirit’s
teaching in the Word of God. Therefore, since this command is used in relation to
the Christian’s responsibility in relation to civil authority, good works should not
be performed exclusively within the Christian community but should also be
performed outside of the Christian community. Paul is teaching that Christians
have a responsibility to be good citizens who help their communities in which they
live. It means they have civic responsibilities.
Titus is to remind the believers further ‘to be ready to do whatever is good’ (v.
1). ‘It is not enough,’ writes John Stott, ‘for Christians to be law-abiding (so far as
our consciences permit us); we are to be public-spirited as well’15
—ready to what
is good. If, for example, a state of emergency was declared on account of some
disaster, it would be our duty as citizens to do what we could to assist. Or if there
was just cause for our country to go to war, public-spiritedness would demand that
we assist the war effort by serving in the military or helping in some capacity on
the home-front. Caring for the environment is another instance in which Christians
should do good. It is very likely, however, that Paul has more in mind here than
simply our duty as citizens. Readiness to do whatever is good is surely to
characterize us as neighbours, friends, family members, colleagues, fellow
students, and Christian brothers. It is something for which believers should be
notable in every relation of life. We are to show in all kinds of practical ways that
15 John R.W. Stott, op cit, p. 199
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we are genuinely concerned for people; that we have their best interests at heart;
that if it is possible to be of help to them, we are willing to help.16
“Ready to every good work” (v. 1) suggests that Christians ought to support
that which is good in the program of the government. Certainly many of the great
humanitarian reforms of the past have been led by men of Christian principles, and
we ought not to be mere spectators when it is possible for us to do good. Christians
are the salt of the earth and the light of the world; therefore we must involve
ourselves in the good causes of government, provided we do not compromise our
convictions or hinder the work of the Lord.17
By obeying Paul’s orders here in Titus 3:1, the Cretan Christian community
would stand in stark contrast to the unregenerate Cretan culture since Cretans were
notorious in the Roman Empire as those who were constantly involved in
insurrections against the government, as well as murders. They were always
rebelling against authority of all types. In fact, they hated being subjugated to the
Roman Empire.
Furthermore, by obeying Paul’s commands, the Cretan Christian community
would also stand in stark contrast with the Judaizers who Paul describes in Titus
1:16 as “worthless ones for any kind of divine good work of intrinsic quality
and character.” The unregenerate Judaizer would have no capacity to perform
actions pleasing to God and beneficial to others since they did not have the
capacity to do such as thing because they did not have the indwelling presence of
the Father, Son and Spirit as the regenerate sinner. The regenerate Judaizer would
have the capacity to perform works pleasing to God and beneficial to their
community since they possess the indwelling of the Trinity. However, despite this
they could not perform works pleasing to God and beneficial to others because
they were out of fellowship with God as a result of rejecting the gospel. Their
disobedience makes them worthless for any kind of good work.
A Christian citizen should be an influence for good in the community in every
way, demonstrating the loveliness of Christ to all through courteous and gracious
behavior. This is precisely the lifestyle that results from understanding God’s
grace. In other words the instructions in Titus 2:15–3:2 must be seen as concrete
examples of the behavior required of one who understands God’s grace (2:11–
14).18
Titus 3:1 echoes Romans 13:1 since like the former, in the latter, the apostle
Paul issues a command for his Christian readers to continue making it their habit of
voluntarily subjecting themselves to the governmental authorities. Then, he
presents the reason as to why the Roman believers should continue doing this, 16 Campbell, D. (2007). Opening up Titus (pp. 92–93). Leominster: Day One Publications. 17 Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 664). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 18 Litfin, A. D. (1985). Titus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2,
p. 766). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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namely because there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no authority that
exists on the earth except by God. Lastly, he defines specifically this reason by
teaching that those governmental authorities, which do at any time in history exist
on the earth have been ordained from eternity past by God the Father under the
divine decree.
Romans 13:1 Each and every person must continue making it their habit of
voluntarily subjecting themselves to the governmental authorities because
there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no authority except by God.
Specifically, those which at any time do exist are, as an eternal spiritual truth,
ordained by God. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 13:2, Paul presents an inference from his instruction in verse 1 by
teaching that the Christian who at any time does set himself or herself in
opposition against any governmental authority is in a state of opposition against
this institution, which originates from God the Father. He advances upon this
statement teaching also that those Christians who are in a state of opposition
against any governmental authority will, as a certainty, undergo judgment at the
hands of these authorities for the detriment of themselves.
Romans 13:2 Therefore, the one who, at any time does set himself or
herself in opposition against this authority is in a state of opposition against
this institution originating with God the Father. In fact, those who are in a
state of opposition will, as a certainty, undergo judgment for the detriment of
themselves. (Author’s translation) Then, Paul in Romans 13:3 resumes the discussion from verse 1 as to why the
Romans believers are to obey the command in verse 1 to continue to voluntarily
subjecting themselves to the governmental authorities. Therefore, the statement
presents an additional reason why they should obey his command in verse 1. This
would indicate that the Roman believers also must continue to voluntarily
subjecting themselves to the governmental authorities because governmental rulers
are a cause of fear for those whose conduct is evil.
Then, he poses a rhetorical question that follows as a logical consequence of
this previous statement. Thus, Paul is to his readers saying that since governmental
rulers are a cause of fear for law breakers consequently or as a logical consequence
to this if you do not want to live in fear of the authorities, then obey the laws of the
land. The command that presents the logical consequence of the rhetorical question
requires that Paul’s Christian readers in Rome must continue practicing that which
is good, i.e. obedience to the laws of the Roman government.
Lastly, this command is followed by a result clause indicating that if Paul’s
readers continue making it their habit of practicing that which is good in character,
i.e. obedience to the governing authorities, the result will be that they will receive
praise from the governing authorities. The implication of this result is that Paul
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wants his readers to be outstanding citizens since only those who were outstanding
citizens received commendation from the Roman government.
Romans 13:3 Furthermore, rulers are, as an eternal spiritual truth, never a
cause of fear with respect to conduct which is good in character but rather
with respect to that which is evil in character. Consequently, do you desire not
to live in a state of fear of this authority? Continue making it your habit of
practicing that which is good in character so that you will, as a certainty,
experience recognition from the same. (Author’s translation) Then, in Romans 13:4, Paul makes two assertions that explain or elaborate on
his previous statements in verse 3 with regards to the positive and negative
function of governmental authority.
Romans 13:4 For you see, it is, as an eternal spiritual truth God’s servant
for your benefit for the purpose of encouraging that which is good in
character. However, if you, at any time practice that which is evil in
character, then begin and continue to live in a state of fear because it, as an
eternal spiritual truth by no means exists in the state of bearing the sword
without justification because it is, as an eternal spiritual truth God’s servant,
an avenger for the purpose of exercising God’s righteous indignation against
those who exist in a state of committing that which is evil in character.
(Author’s translation) Romans 13:4 can be divided grammatically into five sections. First of all, the
passage begins with an explanatory statement that is divided into two sections:
(1) A declarative statement: “It is, as an eternal spiritual truth God’s servant
for your benefit for the purpose of encouraging that which is good in
character.” This assertion elaborates on the positive function of governmental authority,
which he addresses in the command at the end of verse 3.
Romans 13:3 Furthermore, rulers are, as an eternal spiritual truth, never a
cause of fear with respect to conduct which is good in character but rather
with respect to that which is evil in character. Consequently, do you desire not
to live in a state of fear of this authority? Continue making it your habit of
practicing that which is good in character so that you will, as a certainty,
experience recognition from the same. (Author’s translation) (2) Adversative clause containing a fifth class condition: “However, if you, at
any time practice that which is evil in character, then begin and continue to
live in a state of fear.”
This assertion elaborates on the negative function of governmental authority,
which Paul mentions in the causal clause at the beginning of verse 3.
Romans 13:3 Furthermore, rulers are, as an eternal spiritual truth, never a
cause of fear with respect to conduct which is good in character but rather
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with respect to that which is evil in character. Consequently, do you desire not
to live in a state of fear of this authority? Continue making it your habit of
practicing that which is good in character so that you will, as a certainty,
experience recognition from the same. (Author’s translation)
Then, on the heels of the adversative clause, which contains a fifth class
condition, we have a causal clause that elaborates on this negative function:
“Because it, as an eternal spiritual truth by no means exists in the state of
bearing the sword without justification.” This causal clause presents the reason why Paul’s readers should live in a state
of fear for practicing evil. They should live in fear for practicing evil because God
has delegated authority to the government to inflict capital punishment for those
who practice evil such as murder. This causal clause is followed by another one:
“Because it is, as an eternal spiritual truth God’s servant.” It teaches that
governmental authority is justified for inflicting capital punishment upon those
who commit evil because they serve God by doing so.
Lastly, this second causal clause is followed by an epexegetical clause: “An
avenger for the purpose of exercising God’s righteous indignation against
those who exist in a state of committing that which is evil in character.” This
clause is clarifying for the reader exactly the responsibility of the governmental
authorities in relation to God the Father’s purpose for them. It teaches that when
the governmental authority uses capital punishment against criminals it is
expressing God’s righteous indignation.
Therefore, in Romans 13:4, Paul is teaching his readers that governmental
rulers are God’s servants, which is demonstrated by these two functions. For the
Christian, the positive function of governmental authority is that it encourages
conduct that is in obedience to the Father’s will in relation to one’s fellow human
being, which can be summarized by the command to love one’s neighbor as
oneself. The negative function discourages conduct that it is evil or in other words,
it discourages conduct that is in disobedience to the will of God. Governmental
authority serves God by fulfilling these two functions.
Romans 13:5 is a summarization and a self-evident inference or conclusion
based upon Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-4.
Romans 13:5 Therefore, to continue voluntarily subjecting yourselves is, as
an eternal spiritual truth, always absolutely imperative, not only because of
this exercise of righteous indignation but also because of your conscience.
(Author’s translation)
Therefore, based upon this teaching, to continue voluntarily subjecting
themselves to the governmental authorities in Rome is always absolutely
imperative for Paul’s Christian readers in Rome.
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The statement in verse 6 advances upon his statement in verse 5 and intensifies
it.
Romans 13:6 In fact, because of this, all of you make it a habit of even
paying taxes because they are, as an eternal spiritual truth, God’s
commissioned public servants, continually dedicated to this very thing.
(Author’s translation) In Romans 13:6, Paul teaches that the Roman believers pay taxes because of
their conscience in the sense that they pay taxes because they know that all
authority originates from God and is His servant and that it is the will of the Father
that they subject themselves to these authorities. So he is speaking of the Roman
believers’ conscientious subjection to the government, which is expressed by their
paying taxes to these authorities. Consequently, Paul is teaching them that they pay
taxes to the Roman governmental authorities because of their knowledge that they,
like all human government, was established by God and are His servants to
encourage good conduct and discourage evil conduct. They also pay taxes because
of their knowledge that it is God’s will that they subject themselves to the
governmental authorities.
Paul’s statement in verse 6 is teaching the Roman believers that their paying
taxes to the Roman government is an implicit recognition of the government’s
authority and power over them that was delegated by God to the Roman
government. Then, in this passage, he teaches that the reason why Paul’s Christians
readers in Rome pay taxes to the Roman governmental authorities is that they are
God’s public servants since the Father has delegated authority to them to govern
and protect the human race from the unrestricted function of the sin nature.
Therefore, Paul is teaching that the institution of human government is a
manifestation of God’s sovereign rule over human beings and functions as His
servant to carry out His purpose of protecting and sustaining and blessing the
human race.
Romans 13:7 I solemnly charge all of you to make it your top priority to
fulfill each and every one of your obligations to each and every one of them,
without exception: To the one who receives the tribute tax, that which is the
tribute tax, to the one who receives the indirect custom tax, that which is the
indirect custom tax, to the one who receives reverence, that which is
reverential in character, to the one who receives honor, that which is
honorable in character. (Author’s translation) In Romans 13:7, Paul solemnly charged the Romans to make it their top priority
to fulfill their four-fold obligation to the governmental authorities. This four-fold
obligation involves paying the Roman government “direct tribute taxes,” “indirect
custom taxes,” and bestowing “reverence” and “honor” on them because they are
public servants of God for their good.
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Titus 3:2
Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable,
gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (NASB95) Titus 3:2 is composed of the following: (1) accusative masculine singular form
of the adjective medeis (µηδείς), “no one” (2) present active infinitive form of the
verb blasphēmeō (βλασφηµέω), “to malign” (3) accusative masculine plural form
of the adjective amachos (ἄµαχος), “peaceable” (4) present active infinitive form
of the verb eimi (εἰµί), “to be” (5) accusative masculine plural form of the
adjective epieikēs (ἐπιεικής), “gentle” (6) accusative feminine singular form of the
adjective pas (πᾶς), “every” (7) accusative masculine plural present middle
participle form of the verb endeiknumi (ἐνδείκνυµι), “showing” (8) accusative
feminine singular form of the noun prautēs (πραΰτης), “consideration” (9)
preposition pros (πρός), “for” (10) accusative masculine plural form of the
adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (11) accusative masculine plural form of the noun
anthropos (ἄνθρωπος), “men.”
Blasphēmeō
The verb blasphēmeō is composed of the verb blapto, “to injure” and noun
pheme, “speech,” thus the word literally means, “to injure with speech.” Thus, the
word denotes “slandering” someone, which refers to defaming someone’s
character as a result of bitterness towards them.
In classical Greek, the verb blasphēmeō means, “to speak profanely of sacred
things.” It also was used of “slandering” a person and was used of simply
“speaking evil” of someone or something. The word was one of the strongest
words in Greek to denote derision, abusive speech or ridicule (Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 1, page 621).
In the Septuagint, the word appears approximately seven times in which it was
rendered by three different Hebrew terms: (1) Gadhaph (2) Yakhach (3) Na’ats.
The verb blasphēmeō was always used in the Septuagint with God’s person,
character and reputation as the objects of blasphemy by His enemies (2 Kings
[LXX 4 Kings] 19:4, 6, 22; Isaiah 52:5).
In the Greek New Testament, blasphēmeō appears 34 times and like the
Septuagint, the word is used with God as the object of blasphemy by men.
Louw and Nida define the verb blasphēmeō, “To speak against someone in such
a way as to harm or injure his or her reputation –‘to revile, to defame, to
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blaspheme, reviling’” (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on
Semantic Domains, 33.400).
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised defines blasphēmeō, “To calumniate,
revile, treat with calumny and contumely; to speak of God or divine things in terms
of impious irreverence, to blaspheme” (pages 70-71).
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition “primarily ‘to demean through speech’ an especially
sensitive matter in an honor-shame oriented society; to speak in a disrespectful
way that demeans, denigrates, maligns; (a) in relation to humans, slander, revile,
defame (b) in relation to transcendent or associated entities slander, revile, defame,
speak irreverently/impiously/disrespectfully of or about (Page 178).
In Titus 3:2, the verb blasphēmeō means “to blaspheme, to slander” since it
pertains to defaming someone’s character as a result of bitterness towards them.
Thus, Paul is instructing Titus to continue making it his habit of reminding the
Cretan Christian community to slander absolutely no one in their communities,
whether Christians or non-Christians. This would constitute obeying the command
to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
The present tense and the active voice of the verb blasphēmeō are stative
indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community
to exist in the state of slandering absolutely no one. The present tense of this verb
can also be interpreted as a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan Christian
community was to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one.
The infinitive form of the verb blasphēmeō is a complementary infinitive
meaning it is completing the thought of the verb hupomimnēskomai which appears
in Titus 3:1. Thus, blasphēmeō identifies another item Titus was to remind the
Cretan Christian community about.
Medeis
The emphatic negative adjective medeis functions as a substantive and means
“absolutely no one” referring to both non-Christians and Christians or in other
words, the human race as a corporate unit. Therefore, Paul is instructing Titus to
remind the Cretan Christian community to make it their habit of slandering
absolutely no one.
This word medeis is functioning as an accusative predicate adjective meaning is
stands in predicate relation to the accusative intensive personal pronoun autos,
“them” and is making an assertion about this pronoun. Thus it is making the
assertion that the Cretan Christian community was to exist in the state of being
characterized as slandering absolutely no one.
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Eimi
The verb eimi means, “to exist in a particular state or condition” indicating that
Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community that they are to
exist in the state of being peaceable.
The present tense and the active voice of the verb eimi are stative indicating that
Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community to exist in the
state of being peaceable and magnanimous. The present tense of this verb can also
be interpreted as a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan Christian community
was to be characterized as peaceable and magnanimous.
The infinitive form of the verb eimi is a complementary infinitive meaning it is
completing the thought of the verb hupomimnēskomai which appears in Titus 3:1.
Thus, blasphēmeō identifies another item Titus was to remind the Cretan Christian
community about.
Amachos
The word mache means “a fight, combat,” and is used of those in arms, “a
battle,” and the prefix a negates it, thus the word means, “not a fighter.” Wuest
states “the word describes a person who does not go about with a chip on his
shoulder.” Louw and Nida define the term “pertaining to a lack of conflict and
contention-‘not contentious, peaceful’ (Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 39.24)
In Titus 3:2, the adjective amachos means “not a fighter, not contentious, not
combative, not argumentative” indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to remind
the Cretan Christian community to not be characterized as contentious or in other
words, they were to be characterized as peaceable.
The adjective amachos is functioning as an accusative predicate adjective
meaning is stands in predicate relation to the accusative intensive personal pronoun
autos, “them” and is making an assertion about this pronoun. Thus it is making the
assertion that the Cretan Christian community was to exist in the state of being
characterized as peaceable.
Epieikēs
The adjective epieikes in the Greek New Testament expresses the concept of
magnanimity and is a compound word composed of the preposition epi, “upon”
and the adjective eikos, “reasonable, probable.”
The adjective epieikes and the noun epieikeia are both derived from eikos,
“becoming, decent,” or from eiko, “to yield, give way,” and mean from Homer
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onwards “the proper way of life,” or from Thucydides onwards “forbearance,
indulgence, mildness.”
Epieikes, together with its derivatives, was originally an expression for the
balanced, intelligent, decent in outlook in contrast to licentiousness. Then it was
used for a considerate, thoughtful attitude in legal relationships, which was
prepared to mitigate the rigors of justice, with its laws and claims, in contrast to the
attitude, which demands that rights, including one’s own, should be upheld at all
costs. It is opposed to unbridled anger, harshness, brutality and self-expression. It
represents character traits of the noble-minded, the wise man who remains meek in
the face of insults, the judge who is lenient in judgment, and the king who is kind
in his rule. Hence, it appears often in pictures of the ideal ruler and in eulogies on
men in high positions.
Epieikes expresses moderation or kindness towards men. Praotes, which is also
translated “gentleness” in the English translations pertains more to the attitude of
the individual, whereas epieikeia is related to the outward conduct of the
individual. Praotes is unrestricted divine whereas epieikeia is directed towards
others.
The adjective epieikes appears only four times in the Septuagint. Each time it
translates sallach. The adjective epieikes is found five times in the New Testament
(Phlp. 4:5; 1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 3:2; James 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:18). Its cognate noun
epieikeia is found twice in Acts 24:4; 2 Cor. 10:1.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition defines the adjective “not insisting on every right or letter
of law or custom, yielding, gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant” (Page 371).
Louw and Nida define the term “pertaining to being gracious and forbearing—
‘gentle, gracious, forbearing’ (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based
on Semantic Domains 88.63).
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised defines the term “gentle, kind,
forbearing” (page 163).
Commenting on the word E.K. Simpson wrote “Epiekes defies exact
translation…Gracious, kindly, forbearing, considerate, magnanimous, genial, all
approximate to its idea” (Page 51).
Hawthorne says that this word is “one of the truly great Greek words that is
almost untranslatable” and suggests that the word means “magnanimity, sweet
reasonableness (Philippians, page 182).
In Titus 3:2, the adjective epieikēs means “magnanimous” which speaks of a
wise person who remains meek in the face of insults and of a judge who is lenient
in judgment, and the king who is kind in his rule. It speaks of someone who is
considerate, thoughtful in legal relationships and does not demand his own rights at
all costs.
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The adjective epieikēs is also functioning as an accusative predicate adjective
meaning is stands in predicate relation to the accusative intensive personal pronoun
autos, “them” and is making an assertion about this pronoun. Thus it is making the
assertion that the Cretan Christian community was to exist in the state of being
characterized as magnanimous.
Endeiknumi
The verb endeiknumi is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the verb
deíknumi, “to show,” thus the world literally means, “to demonstrate or manifest
something by arguments or acts, to give outward proof of something that is
inherent.” The word means “to present as a demonstration” (Xenophon, Anabasis
6.1.19; Plato, Laws 966B). It was familiar to classical writers such as Homer,
Sophocles, Plato and Euripides. It was used in a legal sense as confirmed by the
papyri meaning “to inform against someone.”
The verb endeiknumi appears 13 times in the Septuagint and 11 times in the
New Testament. It is used with both God and men as its subject. In the Septuagint,
the verb was used of “showing” respect to someone as demonstrated by their
actions (Genesis 50:15, 17). It occurs in Exodus 9:16, which Paul quotes in
Romans 9:17 and is used of God demonstrating His power through Pharaoh’s
stubbornness.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) to direct attention to or cause something to become
known, show, demonstrate (2) to display conduct that affects another, show (Page
331).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament lists the following meanings:
(1) as giving outward proof show, demonstrate (HE 6.10); (2) as perpetrating
something openly against someone do to (2T 4.14) (Page 148)
The verb appears in Romans 2:15 where it is used of the Gentiles
“demonstrating” or “manifesting” that they possess inherently a moral code by
their obedience to the principles that appear in written form in the Mosaic Law. In
Romans 9:17, Paul used the verb endeiknumi of God causing Amenhotep II to
ascend to power as the Pharaoh of Egypt in order to “demonstrate” or “manifest”
His omnipotence through Pharaoh’s disobedience to His commands to release the
nation of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. The verb endeiknumi appears in
Romans 9:22 where Paul uses the word to express the spiritual principle that God
does “demonstrate” or “manifest” His wrath, i.e. His righteous indignation towards
those in the nation of Israel who reject Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.
In 2 Corinthians 8:22, Paul uses the word again with respect to the Corinthians
demonstrating the proof of their love through giving to the poor saints in
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Jerusalem. It is used in Ephesians 2:7 by Paul of God demonstrating the
immeasurable riches of His grace through saving sinners. In 1 Timothy 1:16, the
verb endeiknumi means “to demonstrate” and is used of the Lord Jesus Christ
demonstrating His perfect patience through the life and conversion of Paul. The
apostle uses the word in 2 Timothy 4:14 of Alexander the coppersmith doing
something against him openly. The word occurs in Hebrews 6:10 of believer
showing their love for the Lord by serving His body. In Hebrews 6:11, it is used of
believers continuing to demonstrate this to the end.
In Titus 2:10, the verb endeiknumi is used of slaves in the Cretan Christian
community “showing” or “demonstrating” complete trustworthiness by being
submissive or obedient to their masters.
In Titus 3:2, the verb endeiknumi is used of the Cretan Christian community
“showing” or “demonstrating” every consideration for each and every human
being. The word speaks of the Christian manifesting the fact that they love their
neighbor as themselves.
The present tense and the active voice of the verb endeiknumi are stative
indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community
to exist in the state of showing every consideration for all people. The present tense
of this verb can also be interpreted as a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan
Christian community was to be characterized as showing every consideration for
every human being.
The middle voice of the verb endeiknumi is a reciprocal middle which is used
with a plural subject to represent interaction among themselves. There is an
interchange of effort among the subjects. Here the subjects are the members of the
Cretan Christian community. Therefore, the reciprocal middle voice emphasizes
that the individual members of the Cretan Christian community are “together”
show every consideration for all people. It emphasizes that the Cretan Christian
community is to interact with each other as they show every consideration for
every human being they come in contact with. They were to function as a team as
they showed every consideration for all people.
The participle form of the verb endeiknumi could be interpreted as a participle
of means which indicates the means by which the action of a finite verb is
accomplished. This would indicate that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the
Cretan Christian community to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one,
and to be peaceable, magnanimous “by” together showing every consideration for
all people. The problem with this interpretation is that if the participle of means is
absent or removed, the point of the main verb is removed as well. Here if it was
removed, one would still understand Paul’s point.
The participle form of the verb endeiknumi could be interpreted as an
imperatival participle meaning it is expressing a command. This type of participle
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is not attached to any verb in the context. However, in Titus 3:2 this verb can be
connected with the preceding verbs.
The participle form of the verb endeiknumi could be interpreted as a temporal
participle expressing contemporaneous action with the preceding present tense
verbs blasphēmeō and eimi. This is indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to
remind the Cretan Christian community to be characterized as slandering
absolutely no one, and to be peaceable, magnanimous “while at the same time”
together showing every consideration for all people. However, one should not
interpret a participle as temporal unless all the other categories of a dependent
adverbial participle have been considered.
It is best to interpret the participle form of the verb endeiknumi as a result
participle which is used to indicate the actual outcome or result of the action of the
main verb. This would indicate that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan
Christian community to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one, and to be
peaceable, magnanimous “with the result that” together they show every
consideration for all people. The participle of result emphasizes what the action of
the main verb accomplishes. Here it would it emphasize what the Cretan Christian
community would accomplish by being characterized as slandering absolutely no
one, and being peaceable and magnanimous.
Interpreting endeiknumi as a result participle makes the best sense of the
context. The Cretan Christian community would be showing every consideration
for all people as a result of not slandering people as well as not being contentious
with people and being magnanimous with people. It the natural consequence of
practicing these things. In fact, being magnanimous is the direct result of being
considerate of others. To be magnanimous speaks of someone who is considerate,
thoughtful in legal relationships and does not demand his own rights at all costs.
The accusative form of this verb is also functioning as an accusative predicate
adjective meaning is stands in predicate relation to the accusative intensive
personal pronoun autos, “them” and is making an assertion about this pronoun.
Thus it is making the assertion that the Cretan Christian community was to be
characterized as together showing every consideration for all people.
Prautēs
In Titus 3:2, the noun prautēs means “consideration” since it pertains to being
thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others, or thoughtful and having
sympathetic regard for others.
This word is modified by the adjective pas, which pertains to being each within
a range of opportunities. Therefore, it is indicating that Paul wants the Cretan
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Christian community to show “every” consideration for all people in the sense that
whenever they have an opportunity they were to show consideration for people.
The noun prautēs is functioning as an accusative direct object meaning it is
receiving the action of the verb endeiknumi.
Pros pantas anthrōpous
The noun anthropos denotes a “person, human being” and is used in a generic
sense for the human race and in the plural means “people.” It is modified by the
adjective pas, which is used attributively emphasizing the totality of the human
race. The adjective is used here in a distributive sense meaning that the word
denotes that Paul wants the Cretan Christian community to show every
consideration for “each and every” member of the human race without exception,
both Jew and Gentile, regenerate or unregenerate.
The noun anthropos is also the object of the preposition pros which means
“for” since it is functioning as a marker of benefaction or advantage indicating that
this every consideration Paul wants the Cretan Christian community to show is
“for the benefit of” each and every human being.
Translation of Titus 3:2
Titus 3:2 They are to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one, to
be characterized as peaceable, magnanimous with the result that together they
show every consideration for each and every member of the human race.
Exposition of Titus 3:2
Paul’s instructions in verse 2 is an addition to his instructions in verse 1 which
contains reminders for the Cretan Christian community with regards to their
relationship to the governmental authorities. His instructions in verse 2 contain
more items that Titus was to remind the Cretan Christian community about but this
time they address their relationship with all people, non-Christian and each other.
Here in Titus 3:2, the apostle is instructing Titus to continue making it his habit of
reminding the Cretan Christian community to be characterized as slandering
absolutely no one, to be characterized as peaceable, magnanimous. Consequently,
by doing so, together they would show every consideration for each and every
member of the human race or in other words, everyone they came into contact
with.
The first characteristic mentioned by Paul in verse 2 that the Cretan Christian
community was to manifest was not slandering people. This would constitute
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obeying the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself. “Slander” pertains to
defaming someone’s character as a result of bitterness towards them. Therefore,
Paul did not want the Cretan Christian community to be characterized as
“slandering” people’s character in the sense that they defame the character of
others as a result of bitterness towards them. Christians are prohibited from
slandering each other or any person for that matter (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians
3:8; 1 Peter 2:1). Thus, Paul is instructing Titus to continue making it his habit of
reminding the Cretan Christian community to slander absolutely no one in their
communities, whether Christians or non-Christians.
The apostle Paul is not saying that Christians must never correctly evaluate and
confront and speak about evil that they see in anyone since he does this himself as
recorded in Titus 1:10-16. But rather, he is exhorting the Cretan Christian
community to restrain their natural inclination to say the worst about people and
which inclination originates from their sin nature. Jesus confronted and rebuked
openly the character and teachings of the Pharisees and the apostles did so as well
with the Judaizers and other false teachers.
The apostle’s directive could not be clearer. No such abusing and insulting
language is to be heard on our lips. We may feel it necessary to criticize a certain
politician, for example, or a fellow believer, or a colleague at work, or a family
member. And the criticism may be justified. But we must be exceedingly careful
about the way in which we express it and be at pains to avoid the kind of language
that Paul is condemning here. Our great example in this respect is our Lord Jesus,
‘who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return’ (1 Peter 2:23, NKJV). ‘Bless
those who persecute you,’ writes Paul in Romans 12; ‘bless and do not curse’ (v.
14). People may be insulting and abusive in their language to us but by God’s
grace our language to them is to be altogether different.19
The second characteristic which the Cretan Christian community was to
manifest was that of being peaceable or in other words, they were not be
characterized as contentious. This means that they were not to be involved in
bickering. They were not to be quarrelsome people and who struggle against others
for self-seeking reasons such as jealousy or selfish ambition. They could strongly
disagree with people but can state their case without being contentious. They were
to be people characterized as walking away from physical altercations even though
they may have the strength and skill to fight. They were to be peacemakers who
are willing to keep a loose grip on their rights.
The fact that Paul wants the Cretan Christian community to be characterized as
peaceable “does not mean that a Christian, as a good citizen, will not be ready to
stand up for the principles he believes in and even give reasons for the hope that is
19 Campbell, D. (2007). Opening up Titus (p. 93). Leominster: Day One Publications.
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in him (1 Pet. 3:15), but he is willing to allow others to hold to their opinions and
is not one who is always ready to step into the ring with those who disagree with
him. Those who are contentious and quarrelsome with their neighbors not only
make poor citizens but poor testimonies for the Savior.”20
The third characteristic mentioned by Paul in verse 2 is being magnanimous
which speaks of a wise person who remains meek in the face of insults and of a
judge who is lenient in judgment, and the king who is kind in his rule. It speaks of
someone who is considerate, thoughtful in legal relationships and does not demand
his own rights at all costs.
The New Universal Unabridged Dictionary lists the following definitions for
the adjective magnanimous: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from
petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous towards one’s enemies.
(2) High-minded; noble: a magnanimous king (3) Proceeding from or revealing
nobility of mind, character, etc: a magnanimous love of justice.
If we paraphrase this definition and apply it to the Christian, we would say that
a Christian must be: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty
resentfulness or vindictiveness especially towards one’s enemies. (2) High-minded;
noble (3) Possessing nobility of mind, character, having a magnanimous love of
justice.
Magnanimity is related to forgiveness (Col. 3:13-14). God the Father, God the
Son and God the Holy Spirit are inherently magnanimous. It is one of their
attributes. The Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent revealed this
magnanimous character of the Trinity. The greatest manifestation of God’s
magnanimity was at the Cross when every sin in human history, past, present and
future was imputed to Christ on the Cross and He was judged as our substitute. Our
Lord’s magnanimous behavior was demonstrated during His First Advent by the
manner in which He demonstrated the quality of being generous in forgiving
insults and injury without being pettily resentful or vindictive.
Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive all of them, for they know not
what they are doing.” (NASB) He was noble in character, loving justice but not insisting upon the letter of the
law in order to preserve the spirit of the law. The Lord was generous in forgiving
insults and injuries without being vindictive and becoming involved in petty
resentfulness. He was generous, tolerant, patient, moderate, courageous, and noble.
He did not insist upon his own rights to the fullest but rectifies and redresses the
injustices of justice. The pastor is to be the same way like His Lord and Savior (cf.
1 Timothy 3:3).
20 Keathley III, J. Hampton, The Letter to Titus: An Exegetical and Devotional Commentary, page 71; Biblical Studies Press, 2000;
www.bible.org
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“With the result that together showing every consideration for each and
every member of the human race” presents the result of the Cretan Christian
community being characterized as magnanimous. The Cretan Christian community
was showing every consideration for each and every member of the human race as
a result of being characterized as being magnanimous. This statement emphasizes
that the individual members of the Cretan Christian community are together show
every consideration for all people as a result of being magnanimous. It emphasizes
that the Cretan Christian community is to interact with each other as they show
every consideration for every human being they come in contact with. They were
to function as a team as they showed every consideration for all people. To show
every consideration for every person pertains to being thoughtful of the rights and
feelings of others, or thoughtful and having sympathetic regard for others. It
indicates that whenever they have an opportunity the Cretan Christian community
was to show consideration for people.
The Cretan Christian community would automatically manifest all these
characteristics and obey Paul’s instructions here in verse 2 by loving their
neighbors as themselves. By treating others the way they would want to be treated
would automatically result in the Cretan Christian community obeying Paul’s
instructions here in verse 2.
The fact that Paul is telling Titus to remind the Cretan believers of their
responsibilities in relation to their fellow human beings, saved and non-saved
implies that they were taught these responsibilities in the past by Paul and Titus.
Paul was very concerned that no one would think and speak badly of the gospel
and thus the apostolic teaching. He did not want the Cretan church to become
involved in slander and contentious behavior, which he knew would bring the
apostolic teaching of the gospel into disrepute.
By being obedient to Paul’s instructions here in Titus 3:2 the godly character of
the Cretan Christian community would stand in stark contrast to the ungodly
character of the apostate pastor-teachers on the island of Crete who rejected the
gospel and adhered to the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers. By being obedient to
Paul’s instructions their godly character would stand in contrast to the ungodly
character of the unregenerate Cretan people. The purpose of such obedience is not
only for the purpose of developing Christ-like character in the Cretan Christian
community and to glorify God but it was would also to serve to evangelize the
non-Christian and rebuke the apostate Christian. By obeying Paul’s instructions
here in Titus 3:2, the Cretan Christian community would be reflecting the godly
standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the apostolic teaching which