But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
The kindness and love of God the Saviour toward humanity has appeared in order to save and to bring people back into favor with God, appearing in the sacrifice of Christ to save a perishing world. It appeared while people were themselves foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another, sinful and in need of mercy. The salvation it brings is not by works of righteousness that humans have done, but according to mercy, as a free gift and free forgiveness of all sins without humans rendering any equivalent.
Mercy saves by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit poured out abundantly through Jesus Christ the Saviour. The washing is burial with Christ in water in the likeness of His death, representing that all who repent of transgression of the law receive purification and cleansing through the Holy Spirit, and baptism represents true conversion by that renewing. By that mercy, being justified by grace, people are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. That salvation changes the life from the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts to the new man created in righteousness and true holiness, in contrast to those who come to the banquet of truth claiming to believe and teach the Word while working unrighteousness because they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God.
Those saved are to live subject to rulers and authorities, obedient, ready for every good work, speaking evil of no one, peaceable, no brawlers but gentle, showing meekness, kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness to all. Those united with Christ therefore come out of the world and stay separate from worldly association, temptation and education, enter the school of Christ to learn of Him who is meek and lowly in heart, live soberly, righteously and godly while looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of God and Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself to redeem from all iniquity and purify a peculiar people, glorify God in body and spirit, are careful and zealous to maintain good works, and avoid foolish questions, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law.
God's merciful and forgiving treatment is the example and rule for how to treat erring brethren, requiring kindness, love, mercy and forgiveness rather than partiality, harshness or judging of repentance, forgiving as often as Christ forgives and showing kindness even to the sinful and erring. If a person overcomes at last it will be through Christ's righteousness and God's forbearance and mercy, and one who does not cherish a forgiving spirit toward brethren will not receive forgiveness from God. The verse belongs to the faithful saying and sound doctrine of Titus 2:11-15 and 3:3-8 to be affirmed constantly and preached by faithful ministers, being instant in season and out of season to reprove, rebuke and exhort with longsuffering and doctrine, stopping the mouths of unruly deceivers and rebuking sharply so hearers may be sound in the faith, pure in mind and conscience, and obedient unto every good work rather than denying God by works.
The kindness and love of God the Saviour toward humanity has appeared in order to save and to bring people back into favor with God, appearing in the sacrifice of Christ to save a perishing world. It appeared while people were themselves foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another, sinful and in need of mercy. The salvation it brings is not by works of righteousness that humans have done, but according to mercy, as a free gift and free forgiveness of all sins without humans rendering any equivalent.
Mercy saves by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit poured out abundantly through Jesus Christ the Saviour. The washing is burial with Christ in water in the likeness of His death, representing that all who repent of transgression of the law receive purification and cleansing through the Holy Spirit, and baptism represents true conversion by that renewing. By that mercy, being justified by grace, people are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. That salvation changes the life from the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts to the new man created in righteousness and true holiness, in contrast to those who come to the banquet of truth claiming to believe and teach the Word while working unrighteousness because they have not eaten the flesh and drunk the blood of the Son of God.
Those saved are to live subject to rulers and authorities, obedient, ready for every good work, speaking evil of no one, peaceable, no brawlers but gentle, showing meekness, kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness to all. Those united with Christ therefore come out of the world and stay separate from worldly association, temptation and education, enter the school of Christ to learn of Him who is meek and lowly in heart, live soberly, righteously and godly while looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of God and Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself to redeem from all iniquity and purify a peculiar people, glorify God in body and spirit, are careful and zealous to maintain good works, and avoid foolish questions, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law.
God's merciful and forgiving treatment is the example and rule for how to treat erring brethren, requiring kindness, love, mercy and forgiveness rather than partiality, harshness or judging of repentance, forgiving as often as Christ forgives and showing kindness even to the sinful and erring. If a person overcomes at last it will be through Christ's righteousness and God's forbearance and mercy, and one who does not cherish a forgiving spirit toward brethren will not receive forgiveness from God. The verse belongs to the faithful saying and sound doctrine of Titus 2:11-15 and 3:3-8 to be affirmed constantly and preached by faithful ministers, being instant in season and out of season to reprove, rebuke and exhort with longsuffering and doctrine, stopping the mouths of unruly deceivers and rebuking sharply so hearers may be sound in the faith, pure in mind and conscience, and obedient unto every good work rather than denying God by works.