Titus 1 · Verse 2

Titus 1:2

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Titus 1:2, King James Version

Titus 1:2 in other translations

BSBin the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
WEBin hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
ASVin hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
YLTupon hope of life age-during, which God, who doth not lie, did promise before times of ages,
DARBYin the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time,
BBEIn the hope of eternal life, which was made certain before eternal time, by the word of God who is ever true;
WebsterIn hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began;

What does Titus 1:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. In hope of eternal life--connected with the whole preceding sentence. That whereon rests my aim as an apostle to promote the elect's faith and full knowledge of the truth, is, "the hope of eternal life" (Tit 2:13; 3:7; Ac 23:6; 24:15; 28:20). that cannot lie--(Ro 3:4; 11:29; He 6:18). promised before the world began--a contracted expression for "purposed before the world began (literally, 'before the ages of time'), and promised actually in time," the promise springing from the eternal purpose; as in 2Ti 1:9, the gift of grace was the result of the eternal purpose "before the world began."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. In hope of eternal life. Marg., for. Gr., επελπιδι. This does not mean that Paul cherished the hope of eternal life, but that the" faith of the elect," which he aimed to secure, was in order that men might have the hope of eternal life. The whole system which he was appointed to preach was designed to secure to man a Well-founded hope of salvation. Comp. 2Ti 1:10.

Which God, that cannot lie. On the phrase, "cannot lie," see Heb 6:18. The fact that God cannot lie; that it is his nature always to speak the truth; and that no circumstances can ever occur in which he will depart from it, is the foundation of all our hopes of salvation.

Promised. The only hope of salvation is in the promise of God. It is only as we can have evidence that he has assured us that we may be saved, that we are authorized to cherish any hope of salvation. That promise is not made to us as individuals, or by name, but it becomes ours,

(1.) because he has made a general promise that they who repent and believe shall be saved; and

(2.) because we may have evidence that we have repented, and do believe the gospel. If this be so, we fairly come under the promise of salvation, and may apply it to ourselves.

Before the world began. That is, the purpose was then formed, and the promise may be considered as in fact then made;-- for a purpose in the mind of God, though it is not as yet made known, is equivalent to a promise. Comp. Mt 25:34; 2Ti 1:9.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 In hope of eternal life - In expectation of a state of being and well being which should last through eternity, when time should be no more. This includes, not only the salvation of the soul and its eternal beatification, but also the resurrection of the body. This was a point but ill understood, and not very clearly revealed, under the Mosaic law; but it was fully revealed under the Gospel, and the doctrine illustrated by the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Which God, that cannot lie, promised - We have often seen that the phrase, the foundation of the world, means the Jewish economy, and, before the foundation of the world, the times antecedent to the giving of the law. This is evidently the meaning here. See 2Tim 1:9-11. Supposing the word αιωνιων in this verse to signify eternal, says Dr. Macknight, the literal translation of προ χρονων αιωνιων would be, before eternal times; but that being a contradiction in terms, our translators, contrary to the propriety of the Greek language, have rendered it before the world began, as Mr. Locke observes on Rom 16:25. The true literal translation is before the secular times, referring us to the Jewish jubilees, by which times were computed among the Hebrews, as among the Gentiles they were computed by generations of men. Hence, Col 1:26, The mystery which was kept hid απο των αιωνων και απο των γενεων, from the ages and from the generations, signifies the mystery which was kept hid from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Titus 1:1-4

All are the servants of God who are not slaves of sin and Satan. All gospel truth is according to godliness, teaching the fear of God. The intent of the gospel is to raise up hope as well as faith; to take off the mind and heart from the world, and to raise them to heaven and the things above. How excellent then is the gospel, which was the matter of Divine promise so early, and what thanks are due for our…

Read the full comment on Titus 1:1-4 →

Titus 1:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐπ᾽ep᾽inG1909
ἐλπίδιelpidi[the] hopeG1680
ζωῆςzōēsof lifeG2222
αἰωνίου,aiōnioueternal,G166
ἣνhēnwhichG3739
ἐπηγγείλατοepēngeilatopromisedG1861
ὁho<the>G3588
ἀψευδὴςapseudēswho cannot lieG893
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
πρὸprobeforeG4253
χρόνωνchronōntimeG5550
αἰωνίων.aiōniōneternal.G166

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Titus 1:2

  • Numbers 23:19

    God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

  • 2 Timothy 1:9

    Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

  • 1 John 2:25

    And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

  • Hebrews 6:17-18

    Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

  • 1 John 5:11-13

    And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

  • 2 Timothy 1:1

    Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

  • Titus 2:13

    Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

  • 1 Samuel 15:29

    And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

  • Jude 1:21

    Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

  • 2 Timothy 2:13

    If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

  • 2 Timothy 2:15

    Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

  • 1 Peter 1:20-23

    Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
In. or, For. hope.
2:7,13; 3:7; Joh 5:39; 6:68; Ro 2:7; 5:2,4; Col 1:27; 1Th 5:8; 2Ti 1:1
2Ti 2:10; 1Pe 1:3,4; 1Jo 2:25; 3:2,3; Jude 1:21
eternal.
Mt 25:46; Mr 10:17,30; Joh 3:15,16; 6:54; 10:28; 17:2; Ro 5:21; 6:23
1Ti 6:12,19; 1Jo 5:11-13,20
God.
Nu 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; 1Th 2:15; 2Ti 2:15; Heb 6:17,18
promised.
2Ti 1:1,9; Re 17:8
before.
Pr 8:23-31; Mt 25:34; Joh 17:24; Ac 15:18; Ro 16:25; 1Pe 1:20-23
Re 13:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Titus 1:1

    Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

  • Titus 1:2

    In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

  • Titus 1:3

    But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Read all of Titus 1

Titus 1:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Para la esperanza de la vida eterna, la cual Dios, que no puede mentir, prometió antes de los tiempos de los siglos,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		dans l’espérance de la vie éternelle que Dieu, qui ne peut mentir, a promise avant les temps des siècles…;
German
Elberfelder 1871		in der Hoffnung des ewigen Lebens, welches Gott, der nicht lügen kann, verheißen hat vor den Zeiten der Zeitalter,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		in spem vitæ æternæ, quam promisit qui non mentitur, Deus, ante tempora sæcularia: