Titus 3:4

The contrast is striking; God hated the sinners" sins, and the sinners hated one another, but God loved all the sinners through it all, and at the right time let His -loving kindness" -appear." Render: When the kindness of our Saviour God and his love toward man appeared. -Kindness" is the word in Ephesians 2, the passage of which the present seems a reminiscence; there its colleague is the Pauline -grace," Titus 2:5; Titus 2:7-8. The proper force of the word is well given N. T. Syn. § 63 -Wine is chrestoswhich has been mellowed with age, Luke 5:39; Christ's yoke is chrestos, as having nothing harsh or galling about it, Matthew 11:30." Jerome's definition from the Stoics is quoted, -Benignitas est virtus sponte ad benefaciendum exposita." Abp Trench adds: -This chrestoteswas so predominantly the character of Christ's ministry that it is nothing wonderful to learn from Tertullian (Revelation 3; Revelation 3) how -Christus" became -Chrestus," and -Christiani" -Chrestiani, on the lips of the heathen with the undertone, it is true, of contempt." In N.T. usage the word is peculiar to St Paul. -Love toward man" our -philanthropy" occurs Acts 28:2, and the adverb Acts 27:3, -shewed us no common kindness," -treated Paul kindly." But St Paul, as with many other words, elevates it to a higher height than that of man's kindness to man, and -philanthropy" is thenceforth even in its ordinary sphere transfigured with the brightness of the character of God. The best Christian should be the best philanthropist.

God our Saviour As before, so frequently, of the Father; while below the same title is given to the Son, Titus 3:6; as in chap. Titus 2:10-11 followed by 13.