Titus 3:3-7: What We Were

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good
work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward
all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and
pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when
the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works
done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so
that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The
saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God
may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for
people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for
they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once
and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful;
he is self-condemned.1

Introduction
Analysis
The old life of the believers in Crete were characterized by certain elements listed in 3:3.
This type of list is enumerated other places: (cf. Rom. 1:29–31; II Cor. 6:9–11; Eph. 2:3; 4:17–21; Gal.
5:19–212) or (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:6-7)

2 Cor 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice
homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.3
Eph 4:17-24
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in
the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life
of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have
become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of
impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard
about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which
belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be
renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of
God in true righteousness and holiness.4

1. The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Tt 3:1–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
2. Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 9: Paul's Fourth Missionary Journey: I Timothy, Titus, II
Timothy. Study Guide Commentary Series (124). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
3. The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Co 6:9–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
4. The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Eph 4:17–24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Col 3:5-11
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil
desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them
all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one
another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new
self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not
Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is
all, and in all.5

People are naturally disposed towards self.

These lists on each occasion demonstrate the self reliance and self orientation of the unredeemed. Self
oriented life. They are not exhaustive but inclusive of parts of the pre-Christian life familiar to the
current context. Elements included . . .
• Foolish - foolish might = tragically dull concerning God. Luke 24:25 states to the disciples on
the raod to Emmaeus, "o foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe . . .". Likewise, Paul
challenges the Galatians ' shaken faith by admonishing them as foolish (Gal 3:1).

• Disobedient - apeithḗs. This word means “unworthy of belief,” then “disobedient.” The
Baptist’s mission in Lk. 1:17 is to turn the hearts of “the disobedient,” false teachers are
“disobedient” in Tit. 1:16, believers were once “disobedient” in Tit. 3:3, and Paul was “not
disobedient” to the vision in Acts 26:19 (cf. also Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2). apeithéō. This word
means “to be disobedient” and is a significant term in the LXX for disobedience to God. In the
NT it is used of the wilderness generation in Heb. 3:18, that of the flood in 1 Pet. 3:20, all
sinners in Rom. 2:8, and Gentiles in Heb. 11:31. Rom. 11:30. “To believe” is the opposite in
Acts 14:1–2, and unbelief is parallel. We find an absolute use in Acts 14:2. Rom. 15:31; 1 Pet.
2:7. Important phrases are disobeying the word (1 Pet. 2:8), the gospel (4:17), and the Son (Jn.
3:36).

• Led astray - α. go astray, be deluded (Cebes 6, 3; 24, 2; Orig., C. Cels. 6, 79, 41) Tit 3:3 (Dio
Chrys. 4, 115 πλανῶνται … δεδουλωμέναι ἡδοναῖς); Hb 5:2; 1 Cl 39:7 (Job 5:2); 59:4; 2 Cl
15:1 (of the ψυχή as Pr 13:9a; Wsd 17:1); B 2:9; B 16:1. πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ their minds are
going astray Hb 3:10 (Ps 94:10). τινὲς δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπλανήθησαν … μὴ εἰδότες but some
people went astray … because they did not know Ox 1081, 21 (as restored).

• Slaves to various passions and pleasures - the non-believer is identified, charicterized, defined
by obeying willingly his or her own pleasures and passions or those that are thrust onto them.
IN the Pastorals, the individual is understood as having been held "captive by the devil " (2
Tim 2:24-26). The group is more common in the epistles than the Gospels. It may denote
hunger (Lk. 15:16), longing (Lk. 22:15), or a desire for the divine mysteries (Mt. 13:17) or for
anything good (Phil. 1:23; 1 Tim. 3:1). But it usually denotes evil desire as indicated by the
object (a woman in Mt. 5:28, other things in Mk. 4:19), by the orientation (cf. Gal. 5:17), by
the instrument (the heart in Rom. 1:24, the body in Rom. 6:12, the flesh in Eph. 2:3, the eyes

5. The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Col 3:5–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
 in 1 Jn. 2:16), or by the manner (carnal in 1 Pet. 2:11, worldly in Tit. 2:12, defiling in 2 Pet.
2:10, etc.). A Jewish model for Paul’s use of the term for the tenth commandment is found in
Rom. 7:7. Hence one need not postulate Stoic influence except perhaps in 1 Th. 4:5. In any
case, disobedience, not irrationality, is the evil in epithymía. Desire is a manifestation of sin.
Under the prohibition of the law, it discloses our carnality, our apostasy from God, and our
subjection to wrath (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 1:18ff.). In James it is the root of individual sins
(1:14–15), while in John it arises out of the world, constitutes its nature, and perishes with it (1
Jn. 2:15ff.). NT statements about epithymía belong to the message of repentance and self-
denial. epithymía is impulse, lust, or anxious self-seeking. It shows us what we really are.
Even after reception of the Spirit, it remains a danger.

• Passing our days in malice and envy – lives that are characterized by a defensive self
orientation. This, as well as its obvious implications (hated by others and hating one another)
is not absolute but simply characteristic.
◦ Hated by others and hating one another

Application/ Implication
1. Necessary to remind ourselves that Jesus has saved us from ourselves. We naturally were
tragically dull to God, rebellious to who he was and his natural claims over our lives, deluded
into thinking he was something that He was not or was not something that He was, were
obedient slaves to Master self love and all the affections that go with that, and were defined as
such at the cost of human relationships.
2. We must preach our depravity to ourselves to see the Love of God. We must see ourselves
dead in sin, neither willing to acknowledge God nor capable of acknowledging God. We must
see ourselves intoxicated with the idol of self love or self hatred, both carrying self at the
center of our universe. “But . . . he saved us” stands as an eternal testimony to sheer
unmerited mercy.
3. We must remember our depravity from which we were saved so that our hearts will be
merciful towards the broken. Full package must be included (depravity -> divine rescue).
Simply “I was bad too once” results in nothing more than a well meaning condescenision. “I
was lost and incapable of doing anything about it.” I should have been killed. God should
have and could have WITH JUSTICE crushed me under the weight of His righteousness. This
should all result in a social holiness that is marked by a clear mind, and open heart, and open
hands.