Titus 3

Titus · Chapter 3

Titus 3:4

1Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,5Not 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;6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.8This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.9But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.10A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;11Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.12When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.13Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.14And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.15All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared,

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Then everything changed: the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward mankind appeared. Paul sets God's goodness against the dark picture of 3:3. Salvation began with God, not with us. Titus 3:3Titus 3:4

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 involvedMankind, toward whom God showed his kindness and love. Titus 3:4

The word "But" marks the turn from what we were (3:3) to what God did (3:4-7). God's kindness "appeared," just as his grace "hath appeared" in 2:11. Titus 3:3Titus 3:4Titus 2:11

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 eventsIt happened when God's kindness "appeared," a past event Paul does not date here. Titus 3:4

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 grounds the call to gentleness in God's own kindness. As God was kind to us when we were hateful, we should be kind to others. Titus 3:2Titus 3:3Titus 3:4

In the whole of Scripture"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us" (Ephesians 2:4). "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20). God's goodness "leadeth thee to repentance" (Romans 2:4). Ephesians 2:4Romans 5:20Romans 2:4

For readersSalvation begins with God's kindness and love toward man. "The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Romans 2:4). Titus 3:4Romans 2:4

  • kindnessχρηστότης
    Greek · chrēstotēs · G5544

    The word means goodness, kindness. Strong's G5544

  • love ... toward manφιλανθρωπία
    Greek · philanthrōpia · G5363

    The word means benevolence, love of mankind. Strong's G5363

  • appearedἐπιφαίνω
    Greek · epiphainō · G2014

    The word means to show forth or appear. It is the same verb as in 2:11. Strong's G2014Titus 2:11

Takeaway

God's kindness and love for mankind appeared and changed everything. His goodness, not ours, is where salvation begins. Titus 3:4Ephesians 2:4

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

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
WhenὍτεHoteG3753
when

ὅτε (hote) ὅτε, temporal particle (correlat. of πότε, τότε), when; with indic., (so generally in cl., but also with optative, subjc.; LS, see word), most frequently with aor., Mat.9:25, Mrk.1:32, Luk.4:25, Jhn.1:19, Act.1:13, Rom.13:11, Gal.1:15, Rev.1:17, al.; with impf., Mrk.14:12, Jhn.21:18, Rom.6:20, 1Th.3:4, al.; with pf., since, now that, 1Co.13:11 (B, ἐγένομην); with praes., Mrk.11:1, Jhn.9:4, Heb.9:17, with fut. (Hom.; of a def. fut. as opposite to the indef. fut. of ὅταν with subjc.), Luk.17:22, Jhn.4:21, 23 5:25 16:25, Rom.2:16 (T, txt., WH, mg.), 2Ti.4:3 (in all which instances, and with pres …

howeverδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

kindnessχρηστότηςchrēstotēsG5544
kindness

χρηστότης (chrēstotēs) χρηστότης, -ητος, ἡ (χρηστός), [in LXX for טוּב and cogn. forms ;] 1. goodness, excellence, uprightness: Rom.3:12 (LXX). 2. goodness of heart, kindness: Rom.2:4, 2Co.6:6, Gal.5:22, Col.3:12, Tit.3:4; before ἐπί, with accusative of person(s), Eph.2:7; id., opposite to ἀποτομία, Rom.11:22. SYN.: see: ἀγαθωσύνη. (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (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. …

love of mankindφιλανθρωπίαphilanthrōpiaG5363
benevolence

φιλανθρωπία (philanthrōpia) φιλανθρωπία, -ας, ἡ (φιλάνθρωπος, humane), [in LXX: Est.8:13, 2Ma.6:22 2Mac 14:9, 3Ma.3:15 3Mac 3:18 * ;] humanity, kindness (see Field, Notes, 147 f.): Act.28:2, Tit.3:4 (cf. also DCG, ii, 356 ff.).† (AS)

appearedἐπεφάνηepephanēG2014
to appear

ἐπιφαίνω (epiphainō) ἐπι-φαίνω [in LXX for עוּר hi., etc. ;] 1. to show forth. 2. (= pass. in cl.) to appear: Act.27:20; with dative of person(s), Luk.1:79; metaphorically, Tit.3:4; with dative, Tit.2:11 (Cremer, 567).† (AS)

SaviorσωτῆροςsōtērosG4990
savior

σωτήρ (sōtēr) σωτήρ, -ῆρος, ὁ (σώζω), [in LXX for יָשַׁע and cognate forms ;] saviour, deliverer, preserver, a frequently epithet of kings in the Ptolemaic and Rom. periods (Deiss., BS, 83; LAE, 368 f.; MM, xxiv), in NT, (a) of God (as LXX: Psa.24:5, Isa.12:2, al.): Luk.1:47, 1Ti.1:1 2:3 4:10, Tit.1:3 2:10 3:4, Ju 25; …

of usἡμῶνhēmōnG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

God,θεοῦ,theouG2316
God

θεός (theos) θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. 1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. 2. Of the one true God; …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.