Teks -- Titus 1:2 (NET)

1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began.

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Robertson: Tit 1:2 - God who cannot lie

God who cannot lie ( ho apseudēs theos ).

"The non-lying God."Old adjective (a privative and pseudēs ), here only in N.T. See 2Ti 2:13. In Polycarp’ s last prayer.

Robertson: Tit 1:2 - Promised

Promised ( epēggeilato ).

First aorist middle indicative of epaggellō . Antithesis in ephanerōsen de (manifested) in Tit 1:3 (first aorist active indicative of phaneroō ). Same contrast in Rom 16:25; Col 1:26.

Robertson: Tit 1:2 - Before times eternal

Before times eternal ( pro chronōn aiōnōn ).

Not to God’ s purpose before time began (Eph 1:4; 2Ti 1:9), but to definite promises (Rom 9:4) made in time (Lock). "Long ages ago."See note on Rom 16:25.

Vincent: Tit 1:2 - In hope of eternal life

In hope of eternal life ( ἐπ ' ἐλπίδι ζωῆς αἰωνίου )

Const. with Apostle , Tit 1:1. Ἑπὶ resting upon .

Vincent: Tit 1:2 - God that cannot lie

God that cannot lie ( ὁ ἀψευδὴς θεὸς )

Ἁψευδὴς N.T.o . Once in lxx, Wisd. 7:17. Comp. Rom 3:4; Heb 6:18. Paul expresses the idea positively, by ἀληθής truthful , Rom 3:4.

Vincent: Tit 1:2 - Before the world began

Before the world began ( πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων )

Lit. before eternal times . Before time began to be reckoned by aeons. See on 2Ti 1:9, and additional note on 2Th 1:9.

Wesley: Tit 1:2 - In hope of eternal life

The grand motive and encouragement of every apostle and every servant of God.

Wesley: Tit 1:2 - Which God promised before the world began

To Christ, our Head.

JFB: Tit 1:2 - 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; Tit 3:7; Act 23:6; Act 24:15; Act 28:20).

JFB: Tit 1:2 - that cannot lie

(Rom 3:4; Rom 11:29; Heb 6:18).

JFB: Tit 1:2 - 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."

Clarke: Tit 1:2 - In hope of eternal life

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

Clarke: Tit 1:2 - Which God, that cannot lie, promised

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 2Ti 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.

Calvin: Tit 1:2 - In the hope // Which God promised before the times of ages // Who cannot lie

2.In the hope (or, on account of the hope) of eternal life This undoubtedly denotes the cause; for that is the force of the Greek prepositionἐπί ; and therefore it may be translated, “On account of the hope,” or “On the hope.” True religion and the practice of godliness — begin with meditation on the heavenly life; and in like manner, when Paul (Col 1:5) praises the faith and love of the Colossians, he makes the cause and foundation of them to be “the hope laid up in heaven.” The Sadducees and all who confine our hope to this world, whatever they may pretend, can do nothing else than produce contempt of God, while they reduce men to the condition of cattle. Accordingly, it ought always to be the aim of a good teacher, to turn away the eyes of men from the world, that they may look up to heaven. I readily acknowledge that we ought to value the glory of God more highly than our salvation; but we are not now discussing the question which of these two ought to be first in order. All that I say is — that men never seek God in a right manner till they have confidence to approach to him; and, therefore, that we never apply our mind to godliness till we have been instructed about the hope of the heavenly life. ²¹⁰

Which God promised before the times of ages As Augustine translated the words, Πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων to mean — not “the times of ages” but “eternal times,” he gives himself great uneasiness about “the eternity of times,” till at length he explains “eternal times” as denoting those which go beyond all antiquity. As to the meaning, he and Jerome and other commentators agree, that God determined, before the creation of the world, to give that salvation which he hath now manifested by the gospel. Thus Paul would have used the word promise incorrectly instead of decree; for before men existed there was no one to whom he could promise.

For this reason, while I do not reject this exposition, yet when I take a close survey of the whole matter, I am constrained to adopt a different interpretation — that eternal life was promised to men many ages ago, and not only to those who lived at that time, but also for our own age. It was not for the benefit of Abraham alone, but with a view to all who should live after him, that God said,

“In thy seed shall all nations be blessed.” (Gen 22:18.)

Nor is this inconsistent with what he says, in another sense, (2Ti 1:9) that salvation was given to men “before the times of ages.” The meaning of the word is still the same in both passages; for, since the Greek wordαἰών, denotes an uninterrupted succession of time from the beginning to the end of the world, Paul declares, in that passage, that salvation was given or decreed for the elect of God before times began to flow. But because in this passage he treats of the promise, he does not include all ages, so as to lead us back beyond the creation of the world, but shews that many ages ²¹¹ have elapsed since salvation was promised.

If any person prefer to view “the times of ages” as a concise expression for the ages themselves, he is at liberty to do so. But because salvation was given by the eternal election of God before it was promised, the act of giving salvation is put in that passage (2Ti 1:9) before all ages, and therefore we must supply the word all. But here it means nothing more than that the promise is more ancient than a long course of ages, because it began immediately after the creation of the world. In the same sense he shews that the gospel, which was to have been proclaimed when Christ rose from the dead, had been promised in the Scriptures by the prophets; for there is a wide difference between the promise which was formerly given to the fathers and the present exhibition of grace.

Who cannot lie This expressionἀψευδής is added for glorifying God, and still more for confirming our faith. And, indeed, whenever the subject treated of is our salvation, we ought to recollect that it is founded on the word of Him who can neither deceive nor lie. Moreover, the only proof of the whole of religion is — the unchangeable truth of God. ²¹²

Defender: Tit 1:2 - before the world

"World" here is aionios, from which we derive "aeons"; "began" is inferred, though the word is not in the original manuscript. The concept is that of a space/time continuum. The phrase could be read "before the space/time cosmos." That is, God promised eternal life to His people even before our universe of space and time existed. The same concept is in 2Ti 1:9."

TSK: Tit 1:2 - In // hope // eternal // God // promised // before

In : or, For

hope : Tit 2:7, Tit 2:13, Tit 3:7; Joh 5:39, Joh 6:68; Rom 2:7, Rom 5:2, Rom 5:4; Col 1:27; 1Th 5:8; 2Ti 1:1; 2Ti 2:10; 1Pe 1:3, 1Pe 1:4; 1Jo 2:25, 1Jo 3:2, 1Jo 3:3; Jud 1:21

eternal : Mat 25:46; Mar 10:17, Mar 10:30; Joh 3:15, Joh 3:16, Joh 6:54, Joh 10:28, Joh 17:2; Rom 5:21, Rom 6:23; 1Ti 6:12, 1Ti 6:19; 1Jo 5:11-13, 1Jo 5:20

God : Num 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; 1Th 2:15; 2Ti 2:15; Heb 6:17, Heb 6:18

promised : 2Ti 1:1, 2Ti 1:9; Rev 17:8

before : Pro 8:23-31; Mat 25:34; Joh 17:24; Act 15:18; Rom 16:25; 1Pe 1:20-23; Rev 13:8

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Poole: Tit 1:2 - In hope of eternal life // Which God, that cannot lie, promised // Before the world began

In hope of eternal life which faith also, producing the acknowledgment, profession, and obedience to the truth, according to godliness, produceth in the soul a hope, or certain expectation, of eternal salvation or happiness.

Which God, that cannot lie, promised nor doth this hope grow up as a rush without mire, or a flag without water, but is bottomed in God’ s declaration of his will to that purpose; and it is impossible that the God of truth should lie, or speak what he never intended to effect. ’ Ephggeilato might as well here have been translated purposed, and must be so interpreted, if we interpret the next words, before the beginning of time, unless we say it was promised to the Head of the elect, Christ, on their behalf.

Before the world began before the beginning of time, or rather, many ages since, as Rom 16:25 . Thus eternal life was promised, though more obscurely, Gen 15:1 17:7 22:18 .

Haydock: Tit 1:2 - Who // Hath promised // Before the times of the world

Who [1] lieth not, or who cannot lie, being truth itself. ---

Hath promised; that is, decreed to give life everlasting to his faithful servants. ---

Before the times of the world. [2] Literally, before secular times. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Qui non mentitur, Greek: o apseudes.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Ante tempora sזcularia, Greek: pro chronon aionion.

Gill: Tit 1:2 - In hope of eternal life // which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began

In hope of eternal life,.... Or "for the hope of eternal life"; in order to bring souls to the hope of it. This is another end of the Gospel ministry, as to bring God's elect to faith in Christ, and to the knowledge and acknowledgement of the truth, as it is in Jesus, so to the hope of eternal glory and happiness: in a state of nature, they are without the grace of hope, or any true ground and foundation of it; and though it is the gift of God's grace, and is implanted on the soul by the Spirit of God in regeneration; yet the Gospel is the means of producing it at first, as well as afterwards encouraging and increasing it; for in it, Christ the foundation of hope is proposed, and set forth before awakened and convinced sinners: the object of this hope is "eternal life"; not anything now seen and enjoyed, for that is not hope; not anything in this present life, but something future; a life of perfect bliss and happiness with Christ to all eternity; which is a hope laid up in heaven, an inheritance reserved there; a life which is secured in the hands of Christ, which he has a power to give, and does give to all his sheep, and is the gift of God through him: and of which it is further said,

which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; eternal life is a "promise", and so of free grace, and not by the works of the law, which is inconsistent with a promise: it is the promise of God, who is faithful to his word, and "can not lie"; being the God of truth, that can neither deceive, nor be deceived: this does not contradict his omnipotence, but argues the perfection of his nature, which cannot admit of anything that implies weakness and mutation: and this promise was made before the world was, as early as the choice of God's elect in Christ, and the gift of grace to them in him; as early as the covenant was made with him, and he was set up as the Mediator of it; who was present to receive this promise as their head and representative for them, and to whom it was made as federally considered in him, and in whom it was secured for them; see 2Ti 1:1.