1Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,
2to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
3For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
6This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
8This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people.
9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.
10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,
11knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.
12As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.
13Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need.
14And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.
15All who are with me send you greetings.
Understand This
Titus 3, explained
What Titus 3 is saying
Paul instructs Titus to remind believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, ready for every good work, gentle, and showing perfect courtesy to all people. He grounds this civic ethic in the believers’ own pre-conversion condition: they too were once foolish, disobedient, enslaved to passions. But the grace of God intervened—‘when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, through the washing of regeneration (palingenesias) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.’ Justified by grace, believers become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Paul urges Titus to insist on good works by believers and to avoid foolish controversies. He closes with personal instructions about Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos.
The background behind it
The instruction about submission to rulers is particularly significant given Crete’s history of independence and resistance to outside authority. The ‘washing of regeneration’ (loutron palingenesias) likely references baptism, using language that would resonate with both Jewish purification rituals and Hellenistic mystery religion terminology.
Themes running underneath
The soteriology of Titus 3:4–7 is among the most complete in the New Testament, integrating divine initiative (God’s kindness appeared), means (washing of regeneration and Spirit renewal), basis (mercy, not works), result (justification by grace), and goal (heirs of eternal life). The ethical instruction flows from gratitude for transformation, not from moral superiority over non-believers.
Why it still matters
The reminder of one’s own pre-conversion state prevents judgmentalism toward outsiders. The emphasis on ‘ready for every good work’ and the avoidance of ‘foolish controversies’ provides a practical priority: invest energy in constructive action rather than destructive debate.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.