Titus 3:1
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, | Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work, | Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedTitus is to remind the believers to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, and to be ready for every good work. Christians are to be good citizens. Paul says "remind," so this was not new teaching. Titus 3:1
Commonly taken out of context
How it’s often usedQuoted to mean that Christians must obey whatever a government commands, even when it orders them to sin.
In contextPaul calls believers to be subject and obey, and to be "ready to every good work" (3:1). Peter puts submission "for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13) and orders it: "Fear God. Honour the king" (1 Peter 2:17). The lexicon lists the same verb used of obeying God in Acts 5:29. Titus 3:11 Peter 2:131 Peter 2:17Strong's G3980
SpeakingPaul, who calls himself "a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Titus overview
ToTitus, Paul's "own son after the common faith," whom Paul had left in Crete to set the churches in order. Titus overview
Also involvedThe believers in Crete, and the rulers and authorities over them. Titus 3:1Titus overview
Chapter 3 turns from life inside the church (chapter 2) to life among outsiders: rulers (3:1) and "all men" (3:2). Titus 3:1Titus 3:2Titus overview
Titus was in Crete, a large Mediterranean island with churches "in every city." The letter does not say where Paul was, but he planned to winter at Nicopolis. Titus overview
The eventsTitus was to teach this in Crete. The verse gives no date. Titus overview
WrittenTraditional: about AD 63-65, after Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment. Scholarly: many hold that a follower wrote the letter in Paul's name about AD 80-100; others accept that Paul wrote it. Titus overview
HerePaul wants believers' conduct in public to match the gospel. The next verses explain why: they too were once foolish and disobedient until God saved them (3:3-5). Titus 3:1Titus 3:3Titus 3:5
In the whole of ScripturePaul teaches the same in Romans 13:1, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers," and Peter says, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13). Peter sums it up: "Fear God. Honour the king" (1 Peter 2:17). Romans 13:11 Peter 2:131 Peter 2:17
For readersBelievers show the gospel by respecting authority and being ready to do good in their communities. Titus 3:1Galatians 6:10
- Put them in mindὑπομιμνήσκω
The word means to cause one to remember, to remind. Titus was reminding them of what they already knew. Strong's G5279
- to be subjectὑποτάσσω
The word means to place or rank under, to be subject. Strong's G5293
- to obeyπειθαρχέω
The word means to obey one in authority. The lexicon notes the same verb in Acts 5:29, where the apostles obey God. Strong's G3980
- readyἕτοιμος
The word means ready, prepared. Believers are to be prepared for every good work. Strong's G2092
Takeaway
Believers are to be subject to rulers, obedient, and ready for every good work. Good citizenship is part of Christian witness. Titus 3:1Romans 13:11 Peter 2:13
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| do remind | Ὑπομίμνῃσκε | Hupomimnēske | G5279 | to remindὑπομιμνήσκω (hupomimnēskō) ὑπο-μιμνήσκω [in LXX: 3Ki.4:3 B ( hi.), Wis.12:1 18:22, 4Ma.18:14 * ;] to cause one to remember, put one in mind or remind one of: with accusative of thing(s), 2Ti.2:14, 3Jn.10; with dupl. accusative (Thus., al.), Jhn.14:26; with accusative of person(s), before περί, 2Pe.1:12; id., before ὅτι, Ju 5; with inf., Tit.3:1; pass., with genitive of thing(s), Luk.22:61.† (AS) |
| them | αὐτοὺς | autous | G0846 | it/s/heαὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| to rulers | ἀρχαῖς | archais | G0746 | beginningἀρχή (archē) ἀρχή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX for קֶדֶם, רֹאשׁ, רֹאשׁ, etc. ;] 1. beginning, origin; (a) absol., of the beginning of all things: of God as the Eternal, the First Cause, Rev.21:6 (cf. 18); similarly, of Christ, Rev.22:13; of Christ as the uncreated principle, the active cause of creation, Rev.3:14; in his relation to the Church, Col.1:18; ἐν ἀ., Jhn.1:1-2; ἀπ᾽ ἀ. (and ἀπ᾽ ἀ. κτισεως), Mat.19:4, 8 24:21, Mrk.10:6 13:19, Jhn.8:44, 2Th.2:13, 2Pe.3:4, 1Jn.1:1 Jn 2:13-14 Jn 2:24; κατ ἀρχἀς, Heb.1:10; … |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| to authorities | ἐξουσίαις | exousiais | G1849 | authorityἐξουσία (exousia) ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ (ἔξεστι), [in LXX: 4Ki.20:13, Psa.113 (114):2 135 (136)8, 9, Isa.39:2, Jer.28 (51):28 (מֶמְשָׁלָה), frequently in Da for Aram. שָׁלְטָן, etc., Wis.10:14, Sir.9:13, al. ;] 1. prop., liberty or power to act, freedom to exercise the inward force or faculty expressed by δύναμις (which see): 1Co.9:12; ἐ. ἔχειν, 2Th.3:9; id. before inf., Jhn.10:18, 1Co.9:4, 5; with genitive obj., Rom.9:21; before ἐπί, with accusative, Rev.22:14; περί, 1Co.7:37. … |
| to be subject, | ὑποτάσσεσθαι, | hupotassesthai | G5293 | to subjectὑποτάσσω (hupotassō) ὑπο-τάσσω [in LXX for דָבַר hi., דָּמַם, שׂוּם, שִׁית, etc. ;] 1. as a military term, to place or rank under (Polyb.). 2. to subject, put in subjection: 1Co.15:27, Php.3:21, Heb.2:5, 8; pass., Rom.8:20, 1Co.15:27-28, 1Pe.3:22, Eph.1:22. Mid., to subject oneself, obey: absol., Rom.13:5, 1Co.14:34; with dative of person(s), Luk.2:51 10:17, 20, Rom.8:7 10:3 13:1, 1Co.14:32 15:28 (ὑποταγήσεται; cf. M, Pr., 163), 1Co.16:16, Eph.5:21-22 (T, WH, txt., R, om.), Eph.5:24, Col.3:18, Tit.2:5, 9 3:1, Heb.12:9, 1Pe.2:18 3:1 3:5 5:5; imperat., Jas.4:7, 1Pe.2:13 5:5.† (AS) |
| to be obedient, | πειθαρχεῖν, | peitharchein | G3980 | to obeyπειθαρχέω (peitharcheō) πειθαρχέω, -ῶ (πείθομαι, ἀρχή) [in LXX: Dan LXX 7:27 (שְׁמַע), Sir.33:28, I Est.8:94 * ;] to obey one in authority, be obedient: Tit.3:1; with dative, Act.27:21; θεῷ, Act.5:29, 32.† (AS) |
| for | πρὸς | pros | G4314 | to/withπρός (pros) πρός, prep. with genitive, dative, accusative I. I. C. genitive, of motion from a place, from the side of, hence metaphorically, in the interests of, Act.27:34 (cf. Page, in l.). II. II. C. dative, of local proximity, hard by, near, at: Mrk.5:11, Luk.19:37, Jhn.18:16 20:11, 12 Rev.1:13. III. C. accusative, of motion or direction towards a place or object, to, towards. 1. Of place, … |
| every | πᾶν | pan | G3956 | allπᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. … |
| work | ἔργον | ergon | G2041 | workἔργον (ergon) ἔργον, -ου, τό (originally Ϝέργον, work), [very frequently in LXX, chiefly for מַשֶׂה, מְלָאכָה, also for עֲבֹדָה, פֹּעַל, etc. ;] 1. work, task, employment: Mrk.13:34, Jhn.4:34 17:4, Act.13:2, Php.1:22 2:30, 1Th.5:13, al.; of an enterprise or undertaking (Deu.15:10, Wis.2:12), Act.5:38. … |
| good | ἀγαθὸν | agathon | G0018 | goodἀγαθός (agathos) ἀγαθός, -ή, -όν, [in LXX chiefly for טוֹב ;] in general, good, in physical and in moral sense, used of persons, things, acts, conditions, etc., applied to that which is regarded as "perfect in its kind, so as to produce pleasure and satisfaction, . . . that which, in itself good, is also at once for the good and the advantage of him who comes in contact with it" (Cremer, 3): γῆ, Luk.8:8; δένδρον, Mat.7:18; καρδία, Luk.8:15; δόσις, Jas.1:17; μέρις, Luk.10:42; ἔργον (frequently in Pl.), Php.1:6; ἐλπίς, 2Th.2:16; θησαυρός, Mat.12:35; μνεία, 1Th.3:6 (cf. 2Ma.7:20); as subst., τὸ ἀ, that which is … |
| ready | ἑτοίμους | hetoimous | G2092 | readyἕτοιμος (hetoimos) ἕτοιμος, -ον also (in cl. after Thuc.) -η (2Co.9:5, 1Pe.1:5), -ον, [in LXX chiefly for כּוּן, מָכוֹן (cf. Hatch, Essays, 51 ff.) ;] prepared, ready; (a) of things: Mat.22:4, 8, Mrk.14:15, 2Co.9:5 10:16, 1Pe.1:5; ἔρχεσθε ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστιν (Field, Notes, 67), Luk.14:17; ὁ καιρός, Jhn.7:6; (b) of persons: Mat.24:44 25:10, Luk.12:40, Act.23:21; before πρός, Tit.3:1, 1Pe.3:15; with inf., Luk.22:23; τοῦ, with inf. (WM, § 44, 4a; Robertson, Gr., 1068), Act.23:15; ἐν ἑ. ἔχω (MM, Exp., xiv), with inf., 2Co.10:6.† (AS) |
| to be, | εἶναι, | einai | G1511 | to existεἶναι (einai) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.