Titus 3 · Verse 4

Titus 3:4

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Titus 3:4, King James Version

Titus 3:4 in other translations

BSBBut when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
WEBBut when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared,
ASVBut when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared,
YLTand when the kindness and the love to men of God our Saviour did appear
DARBYBut when the kindness and love to man of our Saviour God appeared,
BBEBut when the mercy of God our Saviour, and his love to man was seen,
WebsterBut when the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appeared,

What does Titus 3:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. To show how little reason the Cretan Christians had to be proud of themselves, and despise others not Christians (see on Tit 3:2, 3). It is to the "kindness and love of God," not to their own merits, that they owe salvation. kindness--Greek, "goodness," "benignity," which manifests His grace. love ... toward man--teaching us to have such "love (benevolence) toward man" (Greek, "philanthropy"), "showing all meekness unto all men" (Tit 3:2), even as God had "toward man" (Tit 2:11); opposed to the "hateful and hating" characteristics of unrenewed men, whose wretchedness moved God's benevolent kindness. of God our Saviour--Greek, "of our Saviour God," namely, the Father (Tit 1:3), who "saved us" (Tit 3:5) "through Jesus Christ our Saviour" (Tit 3:6). appeared--Greek, "was made to appear"; was manifested.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. But after that. Gr., when-- οτε. The meaning is, that "when the love of God was manifested in the plan of salvation, he saved us from this state by our being washed and purified." The idea is not, that "the love of God appeared" after we had sinned in this way; but that when his mercy was thus displayed we were converted from our sins, and made pure in his sight.

The kindness. ηχρηστοτης, --the goodness, or the benignity. The word is rendered goodness and good in Rom 2:4; 3:12; Rom 11:22, thrice; kindness, 2Cor 6:6, Eph 2:7, Col 3:12; Tit 3:4; and gentleness, Gal 5:22. The act of redeeming us was one of great kindness, or goodness.

And love of God. Marg., pity. The Greek word is φιλανθρωπια-- philanthropy--the love of man. The plan of salvation was founded on love to man, and was the highest expression of that love. Jn 3:16. The Greek of this verse is, "When the kindness and love of God our Saviour to man was manifested, he saved us," (Tit 3:5,) to wit, from those sins of which we had before been guilty.

(1) "kindness and love" "pity"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 But after that the kindness and love of God - By χρηστοτης we may understand the essential goodness of the Divine nature; that which is the spring whence all kindness, mercy, and beneficence proceed. Love toward man - Φιλανθρωπια· Philanthropy. It is to be regretted that this attribute of the Divine nature, as it stands in relation to man, should have been entirely lost by a paraphrastical translation. Philanthropy is a character which God gives here to himself; while human nature exists, this must be a character of the Divine nature. God loves man; he delighted in the idea when formed in his own infinite mind, he formed man according to that idea, and rejoiced in the work of his hands; when man fell, the same love induced him to devise his redemption, and God the Savior flows from God the Philanthropist. Where love is it will be active, and will show itself. So the philanthropy of God appeared, επεφανη, it shone out, in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in his giving his life for the life of the world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Titus 3:1-7

Spiritual privileges do not make void or weaken, but confirm civil duties. Mere good words and good meanings are not enough without good works. They were not to be quarrelsome, but to show meekness on all occasions, not toward friends only, but to all men, though with wisdom, Jas 3:13. And let this text teach us how wrong it is for a Christian to be churlish to the worst, weakest, and most abject. The servants of…

Read the full comment on Titus 3:1-7 →

Titus 3:4 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.

ὍτεHoteWhenG3753
δὲdehoweverG1161
ἡhētheG3588
χρηστότηςchrēstotēskindnessG5544
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡhētheG3588
φιλανθρωπίαphilanthrōpialove of mankindG5363
ἐπεφάνηepephanēappearedG2014
τοῦtouof theG3588
σωτῆροςsōtērosSaviorG4990
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
θεοῦ,theouGod,G2316

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

Cross references for Titus 3:4

  • Ephesians 2:4-10

    But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. …

  • Titus 2:10-11

    Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

  • 1 Timothy 4:10

    For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

  • Romans 5:20-21

    Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • Romans 2:4

    Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

  • 2 Timothy 1:10

    But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

  • Hebrews 9:26

    For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

  • 1 Timothy 2:3

    For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

  • 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;

  • 1 Timothy 1:1

    Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the kindness.
2:11; Ro 5:20,21; Eph 2:4-10
love. or, pity. God.
1:3; 2:10; 1Ti 1:1; 2:3; 4:10
appeared.
2:11; 2Ti 1:10; Heb 9:26

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

Context

  • Titus 3:3

    For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

  • Titus 3:4

    But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

  • Titus 3:5

    Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Read all of Titus 3

Titus 3:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas cuando se manifestó la bondad de Dios nuestro Salvador, y su amor para con los hombres,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mais, quand la bonté de notre Dieu sauveur et son amour envers les hommes sont apparus,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Als aber die Güte und die Menschenliebe unseres Heiland-Gottes erschien,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cum autem benignitas et humanitas apparuit Salvatoris nostri Dei,