Lessons #05 and 06
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Paul – his office and purpose (Titus 1:1-3)
... .2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
Our study today will initially involve technical matters of translation of a Greek phrase in verse 2. But when we get through that, will show that piety should result from confident expectation of eternal life which then affects a believer’s conduct in this life. Then we end with an understanding of what the Scripture means with the use of the term “eternal life.”
Apostle Paul indicated there are two related purposes for Jesus Christ commissioning him as His special messenger. The first is, as we have argued, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ so that the elect of God will come to salvation. The second is teaching the word of God so that those who are saved will attain spiritual maturity. Following these purposes, the apostle makes further declaration that in the 1984 edition of the NIV begins with the sentence a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life that is clearly an interpretative translation, as we will demonstrate later.
The interpretative translation of the NIV of the beginning of verse 2 leads me to the assertion that I have made in the past regarding the teaching of the word of God. Any pastor who is serious with the teaching of the word of God must endeavor to study from the original languages of the Bible. It is sometimes suggested that a pastor could consult several English translations in order to help the individual in interpreting the Scripture. As helpful as it is to consult several English translations, but that is not a substitute for studying from the original languages of the Scripture. The case of Titus 1:2 proves the point. Take for example, if a pastor that has no knowledge of the Greek consults other English translations, he will find variations with respect to the beginning sentence of Titus 1:2. Let me give samples of translations of the English versions so that the point I am making becomes clearer. The NCV is similar to the NIV in that it reads That faith and that knowledge come from the hope for life forever. So, if a pastor consulted this English version, he will think that the translation of the 1984 edition of the NIV is what is in the Greek. But then, if he consulted the NLT, he will have the translation This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life or if he consulted the GWT, he will have the translation My message is based on the confidence of eternal life. To make the matter worse, if he consulted the 2011 edition of the NIV, he will have the translation in the hope of eternal life that is the translation we find in such English versions as the NASB, the ESV, and the NET, among many others. The pastor will now be confused because even the translators of the NIV have changed their translation. Which is the correct reading of the Greek text, he might wonder? Bearing in mind that how he interprets Titus 1:2 is to be governed by the version he adopts, he will not have much confidence in his interpretation unless he is not academically honest. The pastor who understands the Greek language will start with examining the Greek text before consulting other English versions. In this way, he has an idea of what the original states and so will recognize the problem of the interpretation of the verse. The point that we have tried to demonstrate is that a pastor who does not know the original languages of the Scripture will be limited in his interpretation of the Scripture. Granting that there is disagreement regarding interpretations of a given passage by those who know the original language, but the pastor who knows the original language will understand the basis of the disagreement that a pastor without such knowledge will not. Therefore, we contend that for a pastor to have greater confidence in his interpretation of a given text, it is important that he should know the original languages of the Scripture. Interestingly, it was not long ago when I read a survey of students in the seminary regarding their attitude towards learning the original languages of the Scripture. To my surprise, majority of the students support the idea of dropping the Greek and Hebrews courses as part of their curriculum. When I read this survey, I thought that these students do not really know how important it is to know these original languages in order to be confident in the interpretation of the Scripture.
In any case, there is a problem of how to understand what the apostle meant to convey next in what he wrote at the beginning of Titus 1:2. This is because the Greek of verse 2 begins with the phrase that literally reads on hope of eternal life. The problem of this phrase reduces to two related questions: How should we translate the Greek preposition translated “on” in the literal translation and what is the phrase related in the passage of Titus 1:1-3? We begin with the first question. The word “on” that is found in the NIV is translated from a Greek preposition (epi) which its basic idea is that of “upon.” However, it can be interpreted in at least twenty-one ways in the Greek NT, but we will consider those that are primarily used by Apostle Paul in his epistles that are possible candidates in our passage. The Greek preposition translated “on” in Titus 1:2 may be used as a marker of addition to what is already in existence hence means “to, in addition to.” It is with this interpretation that the apostle used it to indicate an additional thing that gave him joy besides the encouragement he received, as we read in 2 Corinthians 7:13:
By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
The Greek preposition translated “on” in Titus 1:2 may be used as a marker of manner corresponding to an adverb so that the noun it is related to may be translated as an adverb. It is in this sense that the apostle used the word in the encouragement of 2 Corinthians 9:6:
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
The clause whoever sows generously is literally one who sows in blessing. Another usage of the Greek preposition translated “on” in Titus 1:2 is as a marker of basis for a state of being, action, or result so that it means “on, on the basis of, because of” as the apostle used the word to chastise some of the Corinthians who did not repent of their sinful conduct, as stated in 2 Corinthians 12:21:
I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
The verbal phrase have not repented of the impurity is literally have not repented because of their impurity. Another usage of the Greek preposition we are considering is as a marker of purpose with the meaning “for”, as the apostle used the Greek preposition to describe a purpose of believers in Christ Jesus in Ephesians 2:10:
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The verbal phrase of the NIV to do good works is more literally for good works. Another interpretation of the Greek preposition is that of a marker of content of something as reflected in the REB that began Titus 1:2 with the phrase “with its hope of eternal life.” The meaning “for” as a marker of purpose while it is possible in Titus 1:2 it is not likely; for if the apostle intended this meaning he would have used the Greek preposition (kata) he used twice in Titus 1:1 to state the purpose of the Lord Jesus commissioning him as His special messenger or an apostle. The meaning “in addition to” is also possible, implying that the phrase hope of eternal life is in addition to piety. While it is possible to take this latter phrase as being an addition to what results from knowledge of truth, it is unlikely since we have indicated that the knowledge of truth is intended to mature believers. A hope in eternal life is more in keeping with salvation message than a result of spiritual maturity. Based on these reasons, we believe that the best usage of the Greek preposition translated “on” in Titus 1:2 is that of a marker of basis for a state, that is, the meaning “because of.”
The second question with the respect to the phrase on the hope of eternal life is to determine what it is connected with in the passage. There are four possibilities. First, the phrase is taken to be connected with “knowledge of truth.” Linking “knowledge of the truth” with the phrase the hope of eternal life, according to our interpretation of the phrase the knowledge of the truth, would mean that hope of eternal life is because of spiritual growth. This interpretation is reflected in the NLT that reads This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life. Second, the phrase on the hope of eternal life is connected with both “faith” and “knowledge of truth”, as reflected in the NIV or the CEB. This is possible but poses a problem in the interpretations we have given with respect to “faith” and “knowledge of truth.” We indicated that the word “faith” is concerned with salvation of the elect and “knowledge of truth” is concerned with their spiritual growth. This being the case, it is difficult to see how salvation and spiritual growth are because of hope of eternal life. It is more fitting to say that hope of eternal life results from salvation and spiritual growth. Third, the phrase on the hope of eternal life is connected with “apostle” and “servant.” The implication will be that another purpose of the Lord commissioning Paul is because he is to help the elect to have hope in eternal life. It is this interpretation that is reflected in the NJB that reads and to give them the hope of the eternal life. This is possible but if the apostle intended this meaning, as we have argued previously, he would not have used the Greek preposition (epi) that we interpreted has the meaning “because of” in beginning verse 2 instead he would have used the Greek preposition (kata) that he already used twice to introduce his purpose in being commissioned by the Lord Jesus. Fourth, the phrase on the hope of eternal life is connected with “piety” or in the words of the NIV “godliness.” The implication is that the apostle would be saying that piety is because of hope of eternal life. It is this fourth view we believe the apostle had in mind so that he meant to convey that piety is governed by the hope of eternal life. This means that a believer’s piety is because of the hope of eternal life. There are at least two reasons for this interpretation. First, the Greek word translated “piety” or “godliness” of the NIV of Titus 1:1 is the word that is nearest to the Greek phrase translated the hope of eternal life, implying that it is more natural to link both. Second, the association of piety with hope of eternal life is one that is expressed severally in the NT if we understand that piety as we explained in Titus 1:1 encompasses both worship of God and proper conduct arising out of such worship. A believer who has the hope of eternal life conducts himself/herself in that light. As we have said, it is this teaching that is stated severally in the NT. For example, the Holy Spirit through Apostle John implies this when he communicated that believers ought to live in a certain way because of their hope of eternal life in 1 John 3:2–3:
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
The same concept of piety being because of hope of eternal life or future is expressed differently by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:11–15:
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Apostle Paul associates piety with future blessings of eternal life in that he indicates that piety has promise for now and in the eternal future in 1 Timothy 4:8:
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
The word “godliness” is translated from the Greek word we indicated should better be translated “piety.” In the context of 1 Timothy 4:8, it is the spiritual training or exercise that results in piety that is the concern of the apostle and not piety in and of itself. The apostle implies that through spiritual training (such as learning and applying God’s word) a believer is benefited both now and in the eternal state where a believer enjoys eternal life. Therefore, it is better to understand that the phrase on the hope of eternal life of Titus 1:2 is linked to the concept of piety or “godliness” of the NIV. This being the case, the apostle indicates that a person’s conduct is governed by the fact of eternity, that is, to say belief or lack of it with respect to eternity affects a person’s conduct.
It is an important truth to emphasize that piety is governed by a belief in the eternal future or eternal life. This is a crucial truth that explains the behavior of some individuals. There are those who do not believe that there is such thing as heaven or hell and so they live their lives in that manner. They do not care for the consequences of their actions although in many cases these individuals reap what they sowed on this planet but they do not associate their plight with their actions. Anyone who truly believes in eternal life or eternal future is careful in how he/she conducts self on this planet. Of course, we have to be careful in this point because there are many who are violent because they believe that such acts of violence ensure them a good eternal future, but they are mistaken. Nonetheless, the reason they act violently towards others is because of their belief in an eternal future. The problem is that they are wrong in what they believe. In fact, it is because their zeal is not based on truth of God or belief of eternal life through Jesus Christ that they are wrong. The declaration of Apostle Paul about his fellow Jews apply to such individuals, I am referring to Romans 10:1–3:
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
The apostle indicated that his people’s zeal is wrong because it is not based on knowledge of God’s truth. In this case, the knowledge in view is that salvation is by faith in Christ Jesus so that one can be credited with righteousness that God demands. Similarly, those who are violent towards others with hope of a better eternal future do so based on ignorance of the truth. They believe that it is through their efforts or works that they will receive a great eternal future but they are mistaken since no one can attain the righteousness that God requires through works. It is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can one obtain the righteousness that makes a person acceptable before God. In any event, the point we are stressing is that piety or devotion to God is that which is because of one’s view of eternal future as in the phrase on the hope of eternal life in the NIV of Titus 1:2.
The word “hope” is translated from a Greek word (elpis) with different meanings. It may mean “hope, expectation, prospect” in the sense of looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting its fulfillment. It is in the general sense of “hope, expectation, prospect” that the word is used in 1 Corinthians 9:10:
Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
The meaning “hope” may, of course, pertain to matters spoken of in God’s promises, as Apostle Paul used the word in Romans 4:18:
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Here “hope” has the sense of confident expectation so that Abraham waited expectantly for God to do what He promised. The Greek word translated “hope” may refer to the Christian expectation, as the apostle used it in 1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Greek word translated “hope” may mean the basis for hoping so that it could mean the foundation of hope, as implied in the description of Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 1:1:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
Hope here in 1 Timothy 1:1 includes the element of certainty and firm conviction that Christ is not only the basis of our conviction for the future or eternity with God but He is also the source of our trust or the One whom we trust. Another meaning of the Greek word translated “hope” is “something hoped for”, as that is the sense of the word in Titus 2:13:
while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
In one context, the Greek word translated “hope” has the meaning of faith. This seems to be the sense of the word in Romans 8:24:
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
We are saved by faith in Christ so that the first use of the word “hope” has the sense of faith or it has a meaning close to “faith”. That aside, in our passage of Titus 1:2, the sense of the word is that of confident expectation.
Our claim that the Greek word translated “hope” in Titus 1:2 means confident expectation raises a question as to what the apostle meant in the phrase hope of eternal life. The problem may not be that obvious until we recognize that the Scripture states that believers already have eternal life. The Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry indicated that those who believe in Him have eternal life, as recorded in John 5:24:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Apostle Paul writing to Timothy conveys that eternal life is his present possession, and so that of all believers, as we read in1 Timothy 6:12:
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Apostle John makes the same claim that believers already have eternal life, as we read in 1 John 5:11–13:
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
If we already have eternal life, then what is the point of Apostle Paul when he wrote the phrase hope of eternal life in Titus 1:2? Furthermore, the apostle indicates that one does not hope for what he already has, as in Romans 8:24–25:
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Using the apostle’s reasoning here that we do not hope for what we already have, so if we already have eternal life, how then can we be confidently expecting it? It is for this reason that it is important to understand what the Apostle meant in the phrase hope of eternal life of Titus 1:2.
To understand what the apostle means in the phrase hope of eternal life, we need to explore the term “eternal life.” What do you think when you hear or use the term “eternal life?” I am sure that if you are a believer you have your understanding of what you think it means. But our concern is to determine what the Scripture means by using that term. By the way, the term “eternal life” is not used in the OT Scripture although the term is used in the Septuagint to translate the term “everlasting life” found in Daniel 12:2:
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
This notwithstanding, our concern is with the term “eternal life” which is no doubt related to the term “everlasting life” that is used only once in the NT, that is, in John 6:47:
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
Be that as it may, the word “eternal” in the phrase hope of eternal life of Titus 1:2 is translated from a Greek word (aiōnios) that may pertain to a long period of time and so means “long ago”, as it is used in 2 Timothy 1:9:
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
The phrase before the beginning of time is literally before the time of ages or before eternal times. The Greek word translated “eternal” may pertain to a period of time without beginning or end hence means “eternal”, as it is used to describe God in Romans 16:26:
but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—
It is this last meaning of “eternal” that is used in Titus 1:2 to describe life that is the object of the expectation the apostle mentioned in the phrase hope of eternal life.
The word “life” is translated from a Greek word (zōē) that may mean “life in a physical sense” as opposite of death, as Apostle Paul used it to describe his desire to glorify the Lord in Philippians 1:20:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
The Greek word translated “life” can refer to transcendent life as it is used to describe the life of God in John 5:26:
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.
In our passage, it is used in the sense of transcendent life that God gives to believers.
In any case, our concern is to understand the term “eternal life”. Eternal life in its simplistic term is taken to mean either “the mode of existence referred to in Scripture characterized by either timelessness or endlessness, and especially by a qualitative difference from mortal life or a state” or “the state of being in a permanent living relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, begun in this life and consummated at the resurrection of believers.” However, available information in the Scripture with respect to the term “eternal life” reveals that it is a complex concept as we will demonstrate by considering the various assertions regarding “eternal life.” To begin with, eternal life is presented in the Scripture as a gift from God, as we can gather from the assertion of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 6:27:
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul declares that eternal life is a gift in Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When a gift is given, someone has to receive it by stretching of the hand in some fashion and so eternal life is a gift that is received by faith in Christ Jesus, as implied in John 3:36:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
There is no other way to obtain it although some, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, think otherwise. They focus their attention to studying the Scripture with the hope of eternal life but the Lord Jesus discredited that approach when He rebuked the Jews of His time for not trusting in Him for eternal life in John 5:39–40:
39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
The study of the Scriptures is meaningful to those who already have eternal life.
Eternal life although is a gift is described as coming from God in a general sense as described in 1 Timothy 6:13:
In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
In this passage, it is God who gives life that is certainly eternal life. Although it is not explicitly stated, God here refers to God the Father since Jesus Christ who is God is also mentioned. But then, the Scripture states clearly that Jesus Christ gives eternal life to the elect or those who believe in Him, according to John 17:1–2:
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
The Holy Spirit is also said to give eternal life in John 6:63:
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
The Spirit here refers to the Holy Spirit and the life He gives is eternal life. It is probably because eternal life is a gift that it is described in terms of the inheritance of those who enter the rule of God in Matthew 19:29:
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Eternal life is described in different ways in the Scripture. It is described as a quality of life that is complete so that it lacks nothing in John 10:10:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The verbal phrase have it to the full defines the quality of life that Jesus came to give, that is, eternal life. It is a life in which nothing is lacking in terms of its enjoyment. Eternal life is also described as knowing God and enjoying His eternal blessing, as we find, for example in John 17:3:
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
This verse defines eternal life in terms of knowledge of God although there is also the implication of the means of eternal salvation in the passage. The knowledge of God that is used to define eternal life is that knowledge that comes through a specific revelation in Jesus Christ, and it demands a response of faith, love, and obedience on the part of those who follow Jesus Christ. Thus, eternal life is here related to faith in Christ. Another description of eternal life is as endless life that will be the experience of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in John 11:25–26:
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Another description of eternal life is that of experiencing the life of Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit conveyed through the pen of Apostle Paul in Romans 6:8:
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
The experiencing the life of Christ that begins in this life continues with Him forever. It is this reality that is revealed when the apostle speaks of being away from this body and being with Christ forever in 2 Corinthians 5:8:
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
Eternal life is presented in the Scripture with respect to present and future states. As we mentioned previously, eternal life is stated to be a present possession of believers in Colossians 2:13:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
It does not seem that this passage in Colossians is concerned with eternal life but it is. This is because a person who is spiritually dead is made alive only when such an individual has received eternal life. Thus, when a person is saved that person possesses eternal life. Nonetheless, eternal life is presented as a future possession. This the Holy Spirit states through Apostle Paul in a passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Timothy 4:8:
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
The life to come is a reference to eternal life that is taken as a future possession of believers, as also stated by the Holy Spirit through Jude in Jude 21:
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Our consideration of information presented in the Scripture with respect to the concept of eternal life indicates that it is indeed a state of enjoyment of permanent living relationship with God through Jesus Christ that includes enjoyment of the blessings He bestows that begin in this life and continues for ever. Hence, when you think of eternal life you should think first of a permanent living relationship with God and then the blessings of the age to come that you have started to enjoy in this life although to a limited extent. You see, those who would be in hell will have a kind of life but not a living relationship with God whereby they enjoy His blessings. That they will have a kind of life that is devoid of God’s blessing is conveyed with the concept of punishment in Matthew 25:46:
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Furthermore, we stated that even unbelievers will have life in the lake of fire since all humans will experience resurrection in accordance to Acts 24:15:
and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
We have considered the meaning of eternal life, so we can now answer our question of what the apostle meant when he used the phrase the hope of eternal life of Titus 1:2. He meant the confident expectation of the full enjoyment of permanent living relationship with God in the future with the blessings associated with it. As the apostle wrote this, he would have also had in his mind the future resurrection of believers. This we assert because resurrection is part of the hope he talked about under different situations. When he was in Jerusalem, defending himself before the religious leaders, he referenced this hope of resurrection in Acts 23:6:
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
He again referenced this hope of resurrection during his trial before Governor Felix, as stated in Acts 24:15:
and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
So, it is difficult to conceive that the apostle would have written the phrase the hope of eternal life of Titus 1:2 without this confident expectation of resurrection not to have been in his mind. In any event, there is more that the apostle says in connection with our phrase which is where we will pick up in our next study.
01/27/17 [End of Lesson #05 and 06]