THE THEOLOGY OF THE TO TITUS

Of the three in the Pauline corpus collectively designated as the , that to Titus is most blatantly a theological compo- sition1. Its epistolary salutation mentions God (‡eóv) five times, three times with a descriptive epithet, “who never lies” (âceudßv), “our Sav- ior” (ö swt®r ™m¬n), and “Father” (patßr). In addition there is the description of Paul as “a servant of God” (doÕlov ‡eoÕ) and a mention of “the faith of God’s elect” (pístiv êklekt¬n ‡eoÕ). In some respects it is not so much the quantity and quality of this explicitly theological lan- guage that is significant as it is the fact that these five references to God appear in an epistolary salutation.

THE EPISTOLARY FORMAT

These references to God are more numerous than one would expect. No other epistolary salutation in the contains as many occurrences of the word “God” as that of the epistle to Titus. Even the long epistolary salutation of the letter to the Romans contains but four references to God. The other letters and epistles in the Pauline corpus contain but one (Philippians; 1 Thessalonians; Philemon), two (Gala- tians; Ephesians; Colossians; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy), or three (1 Corinthians; 2 Corinthians) such references. It is likewise sure that each of the five references to God in the salutation of the epistle to Titus is theologically significant. God is identified in terms of the attributes of truth, paternity, and salvation. An individual human and a human collec- tivity are respectively identified in terms of their service to God and their having been chosen by God. The dossier is impressive. What is more impressive is that this abun- dance of rich theological language is found in an epistolary salutation. Without arguing the case in this paper2, I would hold that the epistle to

1. Pace B.S. EASTON, The Pastoral Epistles, New York, Scribner’s, 1948, p. 22, who opined that “we can hardly speak of the ‘theology' of the Pastoral Epistles”. My paper takes “theology” in the narrow sense of the pastor’s understanding of “God” (‡eóv), as this is reflected in the epistle to Titus. It focuses primarily on those passages in which the word “‡eóv" appears. These are ,1bis.2.3.4.7.16; 2,5.10.11.13; 3,4.8. 2. My views on the pseudepigraphal nature of the Pastoral Epistles are summarized in Letters That Paul Did Not Write: The and the Pauline Pseud- epigrapha (GNS, 28), Wilmington, DE, Glazier, 1988, pp. 88-131. My description of the epistle to Titus as an epistle reflects my judgment on its pseudepigraphal nature. With regard to the New Testament’s epistolary corpus, I use “letter” when dealing with an authentic let- ter and “epistle” when dealing with a pseudepigraphal composition. In Letters That Paul THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 57

Titus is pseudepigraphal and that the author has self-consciously adopted the epistolary genre for his composition. The text begins with an episto- lary salutation in classic tripartite form, with a designation of the author, the intended recipient, and a greeting (1,1-4). It concludes with a variety of closing conventions, including a personal note that resembles “the travelogue”, concluding paraenetic remarks, greetings in the second and third persons3, and a final salutation (3,12-15). The literary features of these two sections of the epistle clearly type it as belonging to the episto- lary genre. On the working assumption that the text is pseudepigraphal, it is most likely that it is doubly pseudonymous4. Not only is the designation of the author of the epistle a literary fiction, so too is the designated recipient. In dealing with a pseudepigraphal letter that purports to locate the recipient in a given locale, the interpreter must question the historicity of the geo- graphic reference5. Titus, the fictive recipient of this letter, is purported to have been left behind in (1,5). Why Crete? Unlike Ephesus6, it was not a major site of Pauline evangelization7. Troy W. Martin has argued8 that the location of Titus in Crete is a fea- ture of the pseudepigraphal character of the epistle. On his analysis the geographic reference was prompted by the pseudonymous author’s inten- tion to use a proverbial saying that characterized Cretans as a bunch of liars (cf. 1,12)9. The proverb seems to have arisen as a response to the

Did Not Write, I used the term “pastor” to refer generically to the author of all three Pas- toral Epistles. So as to leave open the possibility of different authors for the Pastorals, the present essay uses “pastor” exclusively for the anonymous author of the Epistle to Titus. 3. On the distinction see J.A.D. WEIMA, The Significance of the Pauline Letter Closings (JSNT SS, 101), Sheffield, Academic Press, 1994, pp. 39-45. 4. See W. STENGER, Timotheus und Titus als literarische Gestalten. Beobachtungen zur Form und Funktion der Pastoralbriefe, in Kairos 16 (1974) 252-297, esp. p. 253; J. ZMI- JEWSKI, Die Pastoralbriefe als pseudepigraphische Schriften – Beschreibung, Erklärung, Bewertung, in SNTU 4 (1979) 97-118, esp. pp. 98-100; cf. F. SCHNIDER – W. STENGER, Stu- dien zum neutestamentlichen Briefformular (NTTS, 11) Leiden, Brill, 1987, pp. 24-25. Quinn describes both Paul and Titus as “a typical figure”. See J.D. QUINN, The Letter to Titus (AB, 35), New York, Doubleday, 1990, p. 14. 5. Cf. R.E. BROWN, An Introduction to the New Testament (ABRL), New York, Dou- bleday, 1997, p. 669. 6. Cf. 1 Tim 1,3; 2 Tim 1,18; 4,12; comp. Acts 18,18-21.24-28; 19,1–20,1; 20,16-38; 1 Cor 15,32; 16,8; Eph 1,1. 7. Cf. Acts 27,7-26. 8. Martin argued his point in the context of a provocative paper delivered during a meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature on November 19, 1994. 9. Clement of Alexandria attributed the proverb to a Cretan seer, , who most likely lived in the sixth century b.c.e.; see Stromata 1,59,1-2 (PG 8, 757); cf. Euse- bius, Hist. Eccl. 3,65 (PG 67, 421). This attribution is often echoed in commentaries on the epistle to Titus and is reflected in the marginal notations of N-A27, which indicates that the hexameter comes from Epimenides’ “Oracles” (Perì xrjsm¬n). It may be that the author of the epistle is familiar with the proverb because of its popularity in oral tradition or because of its appearance in an anthology of proverbial sayings that the author may have been able to use. Cf. QUINN, Titus (n. 4), pp. 107-109. 58 R.F. COLLINS

Cretan myth that Zeus was buried in Crete10. Because of the myth, con- ventional theists of the day characterized the Cretans as liars11. If, in fact, the thrust of the proverb cited in 1,12 is to characterize the Cretans as insular folk who have departed from conventional theological orthodoxy, its appearance in 1,12 would seem to confirm the pseudonymous author’s intention to present an orthodox to the “Cretans”. The canons of traditional orthodoxy12 are something that the faithful “Titus” (1,4) is to make known to those to whom he ministers. A concern for orthodoxy is one thing; the function of orthodox formu- lations of faith in an epistolary composition whose paraenetic function is manifest is something else. In this regard it is useful to recall some of the many valuable insights derived from the application of rhetorical criti- cism to an analysis of the New Testament’s epistolary corpus. After all, the art of letter writing was taught in the rhetorical schools of the Greco- Roman world. The premiere letter writer of the New Testament was him- self a rhetor, that is, a preacher (as this rhetorical function is designated within the Christian tradition when the subject of the orator’s discourse is the message). Paul was a preacher and a letter writer. Much is to be learned about his letters when they are studied with the help of insights gleaned from rhetorical criticism13. Paul’s letter writing influenced much of the epistolary corpus of the New Testament, certainly those pseudepigraphal compositions that bear his name, Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, and the Pastoral Epis- tles, but also 1 Peter and the letters of the and perhaps other New Testament “letters” as well. The pseudepigraphal letters that bear the apostle’s name invoke his authority. In citing his name, they draw upon his prestige. The epistle to Titus, as the other Pauline in the New Testament, has adopted the epistolary genre. Use of this genre was Paul’s innovative mode of communication with the communities of the Christian diaspora when he was not able to be physically present with them14.

10. Cf. J.R. HARRIS, The Cretans Always Liars, in The Expositor 2 (1906) 305-317, p. 307. 11. Thus Callimachus wrote, “Cretans are always liars. For a tomb, O Lord, Cretans built for you; but you did not die, for you are forever” (Hymn to Zeus, 8-9). 12. The concern for orthodoxy, although not necessarily nor exclusively a specifically theistic orthodoxy, is evident in the pastor’s initial focus on “the knowledge of the truth” (1,1) and his concern for the didactic responsibilities of the . In the epistle to Titus the teaching responsibilities of the bishop are explained at length (cf. 1,9-14), In 1 Tim 3,2 the didactic function of the êpískopov is succinctly alluded to as his being “an apt teacher”. In 1 Timothy the didactic function is but one of thirteen qualifications set out for the “bishop” (1 Tim 3,1-7). 13. In a recently published essay, “I command that this letter be read”: Writing as a Manner of Speaking, in K.P. DONFRIED – J. BEUTLER (eds.), The Thessalonian Debate: Methodological Discord or Methodological Syntheses?, Grand Rapids, MI, 2000, pp. 319- 339, I have attempted to show how the use of epistolary analysis and rhetorical criticism mutually enrich one another in the study of 1 Thessalonians, the first of Paul’s letters. 14. Cf. 1 Tim 3,14-15. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 59

When rhetorical criticism is used in epistolary analysis, letters are often presented as speeches in an epistolary framework. This is helpful insofar as it goes. Paul’s authentic letters were, in fact, a form of oral discourse. The message was dictated by Paul; it was heard by the assembly15. Paul’s letters were in effect a way of communicating the proclamation of the gospel across time and space. Paul’s communications with those distant assemblies were conveyed in the form of a letter. The most typical features of the epistolary genre are to be found in the opening and closing salutations of the letter. The epis- tolary address of Paul’s letters was dictated by the apostle; so, too, were the various elements of the letters’ closing salutations16. The opening and closing salutations of Paul’s were integral components of his communica- tion with the churches. The salutations were much more than an envelope for a letter; they too had a rhetorical function. The function of the epistolary salutation – and of the epistolary thanks- giving as well17 – is similar in many respects to the functions of the exordium (prooímion) and narratio (dißgjsiv) in a classical speech. Rhetorically the exordium and the narratio establish the rhetor’s claim upon the audience’s attention and provide a rehearsal of facts upon which both the rhetor and the audience agree. Often, the rhetor’s authority is claimed in the form of a captatio benevolentiae. The rehearsal of facts provides the grounds on which the subsequent argument can be made. When one considers the epistolary salutation of the epistle to Titus18, it is evident that the abundance of explicitly theological language in Titus 1,1-4 provides a foundation for the pseudonymous author’s argument19. The ethos of the putative author is, moreover, presented in theological fashion.

PAUL, SERVANT OF GOD

The epistolary intitulatio of the Hellenistic letter operated in much the same fashion as does the signature block of a modern. The one and the

15. See 1 Thess 5,27. 16. Sometimes, as is often noted, the closing salutation also included words written in Paul’s own hand (cf. 1 Cor 16,21-24; Gal 6,11; Phlmn 19). 17. The thanksgiving period typical of Paul’s letters (cf. Phlmn 4) is absent from each of the Pastoral Epistles. This omission tends to confirm their pseudepigraphal character. 18. One of the functions of the rhetorical peroratio (êpílogov) is to summarize the argument that has been advanced. This function is reprised by verse 14 in the closing words of the epistle to Titus (3,12-15). 19. My reading of Titus 1,1-4 is radically different from that of J.D. Miller. Apropos Titus 1,1-4, Miller writes: “... the greeting to Titus also seems to be overloaded by a creedal fragment that has no real place in the larger context. It is not unlikely that the pecu- liarities of the salutation to Titus are due ... to editorial expansion”. See J.D. MILLER, The Pastoral Letters as Composite Documents (SNTS MS, 93), Cambridge, University Press, 1997, p. 125. 60 R.F. COLLINS other establish the writer’s authority and lay claim to an appropriate response from the reader. Apart from Paul’s own intitulatio in Rom 1,1- 620, the intitulatio of the fictive sender of the epistle to Titus (1,1-3) is the longest in the New Testament’s epistolary literature. Paul is first designated a “servant of God” (doÕlov ‡eoÕ), an epithet that is rarely used in the New Testament21. It appears in Rev 15,3 as a description of Moses and, in Jas 1,1, its only other occurrence in an epis- tolary salutation22, it appears as a description of another putative author. But the title is commonly used in the Septuagint23. It was used collec- tively, particularly in cultic settings, as a descriptive epithet for Israel. It was also used of the heroes and founders of the nation of Israel, the prophets, and patriarchs. Abraham (Ps 104,42 LXX), Joshua (Judg 2,8), Hezekiah (2 Chr 32,16)24, and Zerubbabel (Hag 2,23) are among those individuals whom the LXX designates as God’s servant, but the title is most often used of Moses25 and David26. In an epistle that takes issue with “Jewish myths” (Tit 1,14) “servant of God”, a title evocative of the great heroes in Israel’s history of salva- tion is used of Paul27. Paul’s ethos is established as that of a figure com- parable to Moses and David. As the slave of God, Paul is totally depen- dent on God and has no raison d’être other than to do God’s will. The prestige and authority of Paul are established from the opening of the let- ter. The God of whom Paul is a slave is the God of Israel’s salvation his- tory. The designation of Paul as a doÕlov bespeaks, moreover, the dis- tance between the slave and his master. One could say that this epistolary intitulatio is a faint echo of divine transcendence. A complementary intitulatio designates the putative author of the epis- tle as “an apostle of Christ28, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect

20. Cf. Gal 1,1-2. 21. Cf. Acts 16,17. 22. Cf. 2 Pet 1,1; Jud 1. The apostle Paul, however, designates himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ” in Rom 1,1 (cf. Phil 1,1, where the name and title are in reverse order). In Gal 1,10 he calls himself “a servant of Christ”. In 1 Cor 3,5, using diákonov, he virtually calls himself and “servants of God”. 23. Cf. G. HOLTZ, Die Pastoralbriefe (THKNT, 13), Berlin, Evangelische Ver- lagsanstalt, 1965, p. 203; R.F. COLLINS, The Image of Paul in the Pastorals, in LTP 31 (1975) 147-173, p. 149; QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 61. On a Jewish frame of reference for Titus, see R.J. KARRAS, The Background and Significance of the Polemic of the Pastoral Epistles, in JBL 92 (1973) 549-564, p. 562; S.C. MOTT, Greek Ethics and Christian Con- version: The Philonic Background of Titus II 10-14 and III 3-7, in NT 20 (1978) 22-48. 24. The LXX of 2 Chr 32,16 renders the Hebrew dba as pa⁄v; in Ps 104,42 LXX; Judg 2,23; and Hag 2,23 doÕlov is used as the translation of dba. 25. The LXX uses doÕlov of Moses in Neh 9,14; Mal 3,24; Ps 104,26; and 1 Kgs 8,53. Cf. Josh 1,1 (MT), 2, 7; Neh 1,7.8; 2 Chr 24,6. 26. The LXX uses doÕlov of David in 1 Kgs 11,13; 2 Chr 6,42; Ps 77,70; 88,4.21.40; 143,10; Ezek 37,24.25. Cf. 1 Kgs 8,26 (MT); 14,8 (MT); 2 Chr 6,17; Jer 33,21.22.26 (MT). 27. QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 62, speaks of “the strongly Jewish and theological back- ground for this title”. 28. Cf. (Rom 1,1); 1 Cor 1,1; 2 Cor 1,1; Gal 1,1. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 61 and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness”. The real author of the epistle goes on to qualify what he means by knowledge of the truth. That Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ designates the quality of his service; that he was sent for the sake of God’s elect and the knowl- edge of the truth designates its purpose. Paul’s slavery is for the sake of a community that is designated as God’s “chosen ones”. The terminology has deep biblical roots, even though êklektoì ‡eoÕ is not a stereotypical formula of the Greek Bible29. A similar phrase is found in the to designate the members of the Qumran community30. As used by the author of Titus, the designation echoes Pauline usage (Rom 8,33) where it appears to have eschatological significance31. The appearance of the terminology in 2 Tim 2,10 underscores its eschatological meaning. Of itself, however, the terminology evokes the divine initiative in choosing a people for his own. In a text with a manifest Jewish horizon the terminol- ogy cannot but evoke the election of Israel. Paul’s service to the tran- scendent God is to be seen within the context of the action of the God who has freely chosen a people as his own and given it an eschatological destiny.

GODLINESS

The discussions as to the relationship (katá) between “knowledge of the truth” (êpígnwsin âlj‡eíav) and “godliness” (eûsébeian) are well known. Is the knowledge of truth in keeping with godliness or does it lead to godliness? The closest parallels to Titus’ “knowledge of the truth” outside of the New Testament32 are to be found in the Qumran literature33 where, to quote Quinn, “the trajectory ... runs from revelation through community knowledge into communal action”34. “Knowledge of the truth” in Tit 1,1 anticipates the discussion of Tit 1,10-16, where “truth”, the author’s understanding of the gospel message, stands in contrast to error, specifically “Jewish myths” (Tit 1,14). Fascination with Jewish myths is the work of those who claim to confess God but deny God by their actions. As at Qumran, knowledge of the truth leads to correspond- ing action35. Denial of the truth leads to the corruption of mind, con- science, and action. As the author of the epistle to Titus seeks to establish the ethos of the text’s putative author, he describes Paul’s apostolate as being directed not

29. Cf. 1 Chr 16,13; Ps 88,4; 104,6.43 LXX; Isa 65,9.15.23. 30. 1QpHab 10,13. Cf. 1QpHab 5,4; 9,11-12; 1QH 14,15; 4Q164 (4QpIsd) i 3; 4Q171 (4QpPsa) 2,5; 3,5. Cf. Dialogue of the Savior, 3,121; Marsanes, 10,17. 31. Cf. Eph 1,4; Col 3,12; 1 Pet 1,1; 2 Tim 2,10. 32. Cf. 1 Tim 2,4; 2 Tim 2,25; 3,7. 33. See 1QS 9,17; 1QH 10,20, 29; 4Q403 (4QSir Sabd) 1 i 18. 34. QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 280. 35. Cf. Gal 5,6. 62 R.F. COLLINS only to the faith of God’s chosen people, but also to that knowledge of the gospel message that leads to godliness. This is the only time that the author of Titus speaks of eûsébeia, arguably the primary virtue in the Pastoral Epistles36. Corresponding to the Latin pietas, eûsébeia speaks of an awe of the divine that issues forth in a respect for values and social structures. In Titus it is a cipher for that Christian behavior37, whose spe- cific forms are to be identified as the epistle unfolds. Eûsébeia desig- nates the kind of behavior that is appropriate to a community comprised of God’s chosen ones. The religious response of pietas calls forth corre- sponding behavior, patterns of life that are consistent with being God’s chosen ones. Echoing a Pauline expression, “in the hope of ...” (êp’ êlpídi)38, the pastor describes the goal of eûsébeia as “eternal life” (hw±v aîwníou), not something to be gained by the godly, but the gift of God who has promised it.

HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE

The “hope of eternal life” as characteristic of Christian existence recurs in 3,7, in the context of the other densely theological pericope in this epis- tle. Eternal life is “both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim 4,8). Eternity is a quality of God, that truly finds its definition in the God of Israel who reveals himself to his people39. In the epistolary salutation of Titus the ethos of Paul is enhanced by the framework of eternity within which God acts on behalf of his people. The narrative framework of the epistolary salutation is as broad as it can possibly be. It goes from eternity to eternity, from before “the eternal ages” (prò xrónwn aîwníwn) to “eternal life” (hw±v aîwníou). The ministry of Paul is situated at the opportune moment (kairo⁄v îdíoiv) within the narrative framework of eternity40. Within the sphere of “eternal” time that characterizes the existence of God, the author of the epistle describes God as the God who has promised eternal life. The notion of the divine promise appears in early Judaism41,

36. So, M. DAVIES, The Pastoral Epistles (New Testament Guides), Sheffield, Acade- mic Press, 1996, p. 62. Cf. 1 Tim 2,2; 3,16; 4,7.8; 6,3.5.6.11; 2 Tim 3,5. 37. H.J. CREMER, Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek, Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 41895; repr. 1954, describes the terminology as “the sum of Christian behav- ior”. QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 288, describes it as “a sound ethic” and “Christianity in prac- tice”. Redalié sees it as “the requirements of a life style that is in accord with ‘sound teach- ing’”; cf. Y. REDALIÉ, Paul après Paul: Le temps, le salut, la morale selon les épîtres à Timothée et à Tite (Le Monde de la , 31), Geneva, Labor et Fides, 1994, p. 139. 38. Cf. Rom 4,18; 5,2; 8,20; 1 Cor 9,10bis. 39. See QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 300, with reference to Ps 101,13.25-26 LXX. 40. On the importance of time in the Pastoral Letters, see REDALIÉ, Paul après Paul (n. 37), passim and p. 308. 41. See 2 Macc 2,17-18; 3 Macc 2,10; 2 Apoc. Bar. 14,13; 4 Ezra 7,119-120; Jose- phus, Jewish Antiquities, 2,219; 3,23-24.77; Cf. Philo, The Posterity and Exile of Cain, 139. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 63 where it receives an eschatological coloration. The idea is rooted in reflection on God’s choice of Abraham and his descendants. It has been reworked within apocalyptic literature42 and still further within Christian literature43. Within the New Testament mention of the divine promise principally occurs within the Pauline writings, especially in the apostle’s letters to Christians in Rome and in Galatia44. In 1,2, the content of God’s promise is eternal life. Eternal life is grounded in the divine promise. The promise roots the gift of salvation realized in eternal life in the sover- eignty of God himself. To underscore the validity of the divine promise the pastor character- izes God as âceudßv, one who never lies. Use of this Hellenistic word as a characteristic epithet for God is consistent with the language used of God in the pastor’s circle45, but the adjective itself is hapax in the New Testament. It evokes not only the notion of the true and faithful God who never deceives nor can be deceived46, but also – in the Hellenistic world – the connotation of a kind of prophetic knowledge that only a god could have. At issue is the divinely protected order of the world47. For the pas- tor the commission entrusted to Paul to proclaim the word is itself a sign of God’s fidelity to his promise. The pastor’s suggestion that godliness is the ground for one’s hope in eternal life, which is itself grounded in the divine promise, echoes a thought expressed in 1 Tim 4,8: “godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”48. The author highlights this affirmation as a sure saying that is worthy of full acceptance (1 Tim 4,9)49. From his perspective, godliness is profitable in every way. It is helpful in all respects, particularly insofar as it encom- passes the promise of life now and in the future. That life is “life that is

42. In 2 Macc 2,17-18 the promise is related to salvation. In 2 Apoc. Bar. 14,13 it is related to the end. In 4 Ezra 7,119-120 it is related to an eternal age and to an everlasting hope. 43. Cf. M. WOLTER, Die Pastoralbriefe als Paulustradition (FRLANT, 146), Göttin- gen, Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1988, pp. 84-85. 44. Within the Pastoral Epistles, the noun êpaggelía occurs only in 1 Tim 4,8 and 2 Tim 1,1, where the object of the promise is “life that is in Christ Jesus”. The cognate verb appears here in Tit 1,2 and 1 Tim 2,10; 6,21. In 1 Timothy the verb has the connotation of “to profess” rather than “to promise”. 45. Cf. 1 Tim 1,17; 6,16. Alpha privative modifiers also appear among the qualifica- tions for the bishop in 1 Tim 3,2-3. 46. Cf. Num 23,19; 1 Sam 15,29; Rom 3,4; 2 Cor 1,18; Heb 6,18. 47. So, H. CONZELMANN, ceÕdov, ktl., in TDNT 9, pp. 594-603, esp. 595. 48. Cf. Epictetus, Discourses, 1,4,3, who writes of virtue as having the promise to cre- ate happiness, calm, and serenity. 49. Thus C. SPICQ, Saint Paul: Les Épîtres pastorales, vol. 1 (ÉB), Paris, Gabalda, 41969, p. 508; P. DORNIER, Les Épîtres pastorales (Sources bibliques), Paris, Gabalda, 1969, p. 80, and G.W. KNIGHT, Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC) Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans – Exeter, Paternoster, 1992, p. 198, following most commentators including Lock, Dibelius-Conzelmann, Barrett, and Kelly. 64 R.F. COLLINS in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1,1)50. It is participation in the life of Christ, both in the present era of salvation and in the eschaton, when it will be realized to the full. In effect, the author of Titus has enhanced the image of Paul, the patronym of his literary work, by describing his mission as having as its ultimate purpose the believer’s participation in eternal salvation. “Eternal life” (hw±v aîwníou) is a symbol for the object of the divine promise. It is the ultimate goal of the Pauline ministry as the author of the Epistle to Titus evaluates that ministry. Interpreting the ministry of Paul in this fashion, as he does, the author of the epistle not only enhances the ethos of his patronym, he also strengthens the paraenetic force of his composi- tion. What is at stake for the readers of the epistle in the exposition of godliness that is to follow is nothing other than eternal life itself.

REALIZATION OF THE PROMISE

The author’s theology presents God within a perspective that extends beyond time. Nonetheless the God of our salvation is a God who has acted within time. To be sure the promise made before the ages of time (1,2) is a promise that was made in human history. The very etymology of the word “promise” (êp-aggelía) indicates that there is “someone” to whom the promise is announced. For the author of the epistolary address, however, the primary manifestation of divine salvation is the revelation of the word through the proclamation entrusted to the patronymic Paul. God has promised eternal life. God has revealed his word. And God has entrusted a mission to his servant, the ambassador of Jesus Christ. Such is the paradigm of the means of salvation in human history. The promise of eternal life is being realized as the revelation51 of God’s word has been made to Paul. God’s word is the gospel of Jesus Christ, but the author does not explicitly describe God’s word in those terms. He uses neither “gospel” (eûaggélion) nor the related verb “to proclaim” (eûaggelíhomai). God’s word is a trustworthy word (pistoÕ lógou, 1,9). It is a message that is briefly summarized in 3,4-7, a sure saying indeed (pistòv ö lógov). The word that has been entrusted to Paul must be taught and preached by those charged with management and leadership responsibilities in the household of God who come after Paul. The chain of communication is from Paul to Titus, from Titus to the over- seer, from the overseer to those within the household of God (see 1,5-9). The credibility of God’s word in the world at large52 depends on the con-

50. Cf. John 10,10. 51. The author uses the verb fanerów, hapax in this epistle, but cognate with the “manifestation” word group that is so important in the Pastorals (cf. 2,11.13; 3,4). 52. That is, in “every town” (katà pólin, 1,5). THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 65 duct of those who live within the household of God, even of those who occupy lower social status within the structured society of the times (2,5.9; cf. 1,16). The credibility of God’s word is dependent upon the godliness of those who dwell in the household of God53. In language that is reminiscent of 1 Thess 2,4, the author of the epistle describes Paul as having been commissioned by God to preach (ên kjrúgmati, 1,3) his word. The image is that of an imperial court in which the supreme benefactor, the Savior (swtßr), confers a mission on one of his slaves54. The scenario is enhanced by the description of God as “our Savior” and by the use of two technical terms, the verb, “to entrust” (êpisteú‡jn, a passive form), and the noun, “command” (êpitagßn). In classical usage, the verb pisteúw in the passive had the sense of entrust- ing someone with a task. “Command” (êpitagß, corresponding to the classical êpítagma) suggests the formality of the ceremony evoked by the image and underscores the authority of the one to whom the mission is entrusted. On the horizon for the Christian reader of the text is eternal life as the gift of the supreme benefactor. He or she would impart a religious understanding to “God our Savior”55, especially when the entire scene has been evoked for the sake of godliness (pietas, eûsébeia, 1,1).

THE GREETING

The epistolary greeting found in 1,4 is unique within the New Testa- ment. It does not attribute to Jesus Christ the title of Lord (kúriov)56, as did Paul57 and the other Pastoral Epistles58. Rather the pastor attributes to Jesus as a characteristic epithet “our Savior”, the very language used of

53. Similarly Philip Towner and Frances Young stress the importance of the impression on outsiders made by the godly behavior of Christians. Towner speaks of the missionary intent of this behavior. See P.H. TOWNER, The Goal of Our Instruction: The Structure of Theology and Ethics in the Pastoral Epistles (JSNT MS, 34), Sheffield, JSOT, 1989, pas- sim; F. YOUNG, The Theology of the Pastoral Epistles (New Testament Theology), Cam- bridge, University Press, 1994, p. 52. 54. Note the use of the emphatic êgÉ in 1,3, a usage that underscores the singularity of the mission entrusted to Paul. 55. The scene is hardly to be deleted from the epistle because of its “rather muddled soteriology”, an expression that MILLER, Composite Documents (n. 19), p. 126, takes over from A.T. HANSON, The Pastoral Epistles (NCB), Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans, 1982, p. 171. It is not only in 1,3-4 that the epithet “Savior" is applied to both God and Jesus, using virtually the same formulaic expressions, “God our Savior” and “Christ Jesus our Savior", the epithet is used of both God and Jesus in 3,4-7 (cf. 2,13). In fact some minuscules (1739, 1881) have strengthened the link between the epistolary address and the creedal fragment in 3,4-7 by inverting the words “Christ” and “Jesus” in 1,4. 56. The word kúriov, Paul’s favorite christological epithet, does not appear at all in the Epistle to Titus. 57. See Rom 1,7; 1 Cor 1,3; Phlmn 3; 2 Cor 1,2; Gal 1,3; Phil 1,2. 58. See 1 Tim 1,2; 2 Tim 1,2; Cf. 1 Thess 1,1; Eph 1,2. 66 R.F. COLLINS

God himself in 1,3. Use of the swtßr title for Jesus in this fashion is typ- ical of the author of this epistle. In 2,13 and again in 3,6 he calls Jesus Savior in a context that is closely linked with the use of the same epithet to characterize God59. The pastor has effectively tailored the classic early Christian epistolary greeting in such a way that the greeting itself antici- pates the exposition that is to follow. On the other hand, the pastor’s use of “grace and peace” as the content of the epistolary wish reflects classic Pauline usage. He does not add “mercy” to the salutation as do 1 and 2 Timothy60. The grace and peace that the pastor wishes for the community are gifts that come from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Only here does the pastor speak of God as “Father”. His language is traditional; paternity is a divine qual- ity that he does not exploit. While clearly traditional, this passing refer- ence to God the Father anticipates two motifs found in 3,4-7, rebirth and inheritance.

TITUS 3,4-7

The anticipatory function of the entire epistolary address is most fully appreciated when the salutation is compared with the creedal fragment of 3,4-761. In his portrayal of Paul the author of the epistle wrote about “God our Savior”. His epistolary greeting is unique in the New Testament inso- far as it speaks of “Christ Jesus our Savior”. Both of these descriptions of the Savior are to be found in the creedal fragment62. Effectively the eccle- sial aphorism63 unfolds the motif of divine salvation announced in the epistolary salutation. The material is identified as a sure saying, “the mes-

59. The epithet, “Savior” (swtßr), appears ten times in the Pastoral Epistles. A differ- ent usage is to be found in each of the three epistles. In 1 Timothy the epithet is applied exclusively to God (1 Tim 1,1; 2,3; 4,10). In 2 Timothy, where the term appears only once, it is applied to Christ (2 Tim 1,10). What is characteristic of the use of Titus is that the epi- thet is applied to both God and Christ, always within the same literary context. See 1,3; 2,10; 3,4, for God; and 1,4; 2,13; 3,6, for Christ. 60. “Mercy” (∂leov) is, however, found in some manuscripts (A, K, 81, 614, and most of the Byzantine manuscripts, from which it was taken over by the Textus Receptus). See the discussion in B.M. METZGER, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Stuttgart, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 21994, p. 584. Had the author added “mercy” to the greeting in 1,4 his epistolary salutation would have anticipated the important exposition on divine mercy in 3,5. That “mercy” is found in 1 Tim 1,2 and 2 Tim 1,2, as the central ele- ment in a triad, might be cited as a potential argument for the view that the epistle to Titus is the earliest of the Pastoral Epistles. Characteristic triadic expressions are a feature of the literary style of the Pastorals. 61. The matter of the delineation of the traditional material is discussed by G.W. KNIGHT, The Faithful Sayings in the Pastoral Letters, Kampen, Kok, 1968; repr. Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans, 1969, pp. 80-86. 62. See also 2,9-14. 63. The description comes from QUINN, Titus (n. 4), p. 211. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 67 sage, meant to be believed”64. It is the only passage identified in this fashion in the entire epistle65. The aphorism seems to have functioned as a baptismal hymn or affir- mation in the pastor’s church. It speaks not, in the earlier terminology of the church of “baptism”, but of a “washing” (loutroÕ), terminology that suggests the cultural situation of the public bath. The hymn identifies goodness (xrjstótjv), loving kindness (filan‡rwpía)66, and mercy (∂leov) as attributes of God our Savior67. The goodness of God, his gen- erosity, is a biblical motif found in the , whence it is echoed with his own particular nuance by the apostle Paul in letters to various churches. God’s love of humankind, his “philanthropy”68, suggests not only his condescension and his benevolence, but also real gifts and gen- erous services to the communities. It is both attitudinal and concrete. In secular usage it implied courtesy and politeness, helpfulness and generos- ity69. God’s goodness and loving kindness have been made manifest in the appearance of Jesus Christ70. The presence of Jesus Christ is the man- ifestation of God’s goodness and loving kindness. The quality to which the author of Titus refers with his singular use of “loving kindness” seems to reflect the biblical notion of the divine dsc71.

64. So QUINN, Titus (n. 4), pp. 210, 226, and Paraenesis and the Pastoral Epistles: Lexical Observations Bearing on the Nature of the Sub-genre and Soundings on Its Role in Socialization and Liturgies, in Semeia 50 (1990) 191-210, p. 196, where he describes the passage as being “from a didactic baptismal oration whose paraenetic force has been increased by its enclosure in a ‘before (verse 3)/after’ schema”. 65. Cf. 1 Tim 1,15; 3,1; 4,9; 2 Tim 2,11. Quinn has described ,4-8 as “the first of the five great pistoì lógoi, ‘authentic statements of the faith’, transmitted by PE”. See QUINN, The Holy Spirit in the Pastoral Epistles”, in D. DURKEN (ed.), Sin, Salvation, and the Spirit, Collegeville, MN, Liturgical Press, 1979, pp. 345-368, esp. 347. 66. Redalié notes that “goodness and loving kindness” appear in ancient inscriptions as qualities of lords and legislators. See REDALIÉ, Paul après Paul (n. 37), p. 222. 67. Pace HOLTZ, Pastoralbriefe (n. 23), p. 233, who considers goodness to be an attribute of Christ. 68. The term philanthropia is occasionally used of the deity in Hellenistic literature. See Lucian of Samosata, Twice Accused, 1; Philo, Cherubim, 99; Josephus, Antiquities, 1,1,4. See also, SPICQ, Épîtres pastorales (n. 49), vol. 2, pp. 657-676: Excursus VII, “La philan- thropie hellénistique, vertu divine et royale”. In the writings of the philosophic moralists, the attribute of philanthropy is sometimes used to describe those virtuous people whose life of concern for others could be contrasted with that of the misanthrope, a stock figure in classi- cal literature (see even 1 Thess 2,15b). Thus Epictetus lauds Diogenes, “Come, was there anybody that Diogenes did not love, a man who was so gentle and kind-hearted (filán‡rwpov) that he gladly took upon himself all those troubles and physical hardships for the sake of the common weal?” (Discourses, 3,24,64). Epictetus describes Diogenes’ philanthropic attitude as one that is befitting a servant of Zeus (Üv toÕ Diòv diákonon ∂dei). 69. See SPICQ, Agapè dans le Nouveau Testament. Vol. 3: Analyse des textes (ÉB), Paris, Gabalda, 1959, pp. 22-23. 70. See 2,11. Cf. KNIGHT, Pastoral Epistles (n. 49), p. 339; J. ZMIJEWSKI, xrjstótjv, in EDNT 3, pp. 475-477, esp. 477. 71. The LXX does not use filan‡rwpía to translate dsc. The occasional uses of filan‡rwpía in the Greek Bible refer to royal goodness. See Est 8,13; 2 Macc 6,22; 14,9; 3 Macc 3,15.18. 68 R.F. COLLINS

The Hebrew term, dsc, is often translated as “mercy” (∂leov), a quality cited in 3,5, in the Greek Bible72. The mercy of God evokes covenantal love, the reason par excellence for God entering into and maintaining a covenantal relationship with the people that he has chosen. For the author of the epistle to Titus God’s mercy is the sole cause of salvation. Together God’s goodness, loving kindness, and mercy constitute his grace (xáriti, 3,7; cf. 2,11). The hope of eternal life (3,7; cf. 1,2) is grounded on divine grace. How so? Because God our Savior saved us (∂swsen ™m¢v) not because of any works of righteousness that we had done73 but through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit – men- tioned here (3,5) for the first time in the epistle to Titus – is the source of a and renewal that is instrumentally related to a baptismal ritual74. The pastor uses a hendiadys, with a Pauline neologism (âna- kainÉsewv)75, to give a specifically Christian twist to terminology that appears in Hellenistic philosophical and religious literature, namely, “rebirth” (paliggenesíav)76. The pastor affirms that through the Spirit77 the baptismal washing prepares for final resurrection and a newness of life. It anticipates eschatological participation in the resurrection and is the source of the newness of life that is characteristic of those who have been initiated into God’s holy people, his household. This newness of life stands in sharp contrast with the previous way of life of these regenerated Christians. That earlier way of life was graphically described in the cata- logue of vices that the pastor rehearsed (3,3) immediately before he began to write about the manifestation of God’s goodness and loving kindness. Through the baptismal ritual78 God has richly poured out (êzéxeen ... plousíwv) his Spirit on his people. The graphic imagery is that of a tor- rential downpour in which the gift of the Spirit is given to God’s people in power and lavish abundance. It reflects the biblical imagery of God

72. Cf. Gen 24,12.14.44.49; 39,21; 40,14; etc. 73. Beker notes that this “liturgical piece”, incorporating early Christian liturgical tra- ditions, is one of the rare passages in the Pastoral Epistles where the Pauline sense of righ- teousness and works is retained. See J.C. BEKER, Heirs of Paul: Paul’s Legacy in the New Testament and in the Church Today, Minneapolis, MN, Fortress, 1991, pp. 42-43. 74. On the relationship between rebirth and renewal and the Holy Spirit see the exten- sive discussion in QUINN, Titus (n. 4), pp. 217-227. 75. Rom 12,2. See also the use of cognate verbs in 2 Cor 4,16; Col 3,10; Heb 6,6. 76. See, e.g., the Mithras inscription of Santa Prisca in Rome quoted in M.E. BORING – K. BERGER – C. COLPE, Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament, Nashville,TN, Abingdon, 1995, p. 506. Cf. Chariton, Callirhoe, 1,8,1; Philo, Cherubim, 114; Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, 72; Moralia, 379F; Corpus Hermeticum, 13,3. See also the long discussion in M. DIBELIUS – H. CONZELMANN, The Pastoral Epistles (Hermeneia), Philadelphia, PA, Fortress, 1972, pp. 148-150. 77. Young notes that Titus 3,5 and 2 Tim 1,14 are the only passages in the Pastoral Epistles that envisage the Holy Spirit at work in the church. See YOUNG, Theology (n. 53), p. 69. 78. Note the use of the aorist êzéxeen. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 69 giving his Spirit to his people in similar fashion79. The lavish gift of God’s powerful Spirit is not only effected by means of the baptismal washing; it is also effected through Jesus Christ our Savior (dià ˆIjsoÕ XristoÕ toÕ swt±rov ™m¬n). The instrumental diá with a genitive is used in the epistle to Titus only in 3,5-6. In this fashion the author relates the hope of resurrection and the newness of life not only to the baptismal washing but also to Jesus Christ our Savior. For the third time in the epis- tle Jesus Christ is called our Savior, each time in a context in which God is called our Savior. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is instrumental in the salvation that is manifest in resurrection and newness of life and so merits the epithet of “Savior”. In this fashion the sure saying of 3,4-7 stands on the threshold of early Christian trinitarian theology. Rather than being made right through their own works, Christians are made right by God through the Holy Spirit. It is God’s grace that makes Christians righteous. Justified Christians are heirs with a hope of eternal life. The inheritance language that the author employs in 3,7 to describe the relationship between Christians and eternal life is unique in the Pas- toral Epistles. Undoubtedly it echoes the earlier Christian and Pauline usage, perhaps suggesting that through baptism Christians have become children of God. Their inheritance is eternal life, with the resurrection that is implied in the paliggenesía terminology of 3,5. Anticipated by the epistolary salutation (1,1-4), the sure saying of 3,4- 7 describes a second way in which God has shown himself faithful to the promise of eternal salvation. In addition to his commissioning of Paul to preach his word, he has poured out his Spirit by means of a baptismal washing on those whom he has chosen to be heirs of eternal life. God’s salvation has begun to be realized in human history in the entrusting of the word to Paul and the baptismal lustration of Christians. One should ask, however, what is the function served by the incorpo- ration of this dense theological unit into a text that is largely paraenetic in its purpose? The question is all the more urgent in that 3,4-7 is the sole passage in this epistle that is qualified – and thus singled out – as a sure saying (3,8). The answer appears to lie in the immediately preceding pas- sage of the letter, 3,1-3. That paraenetic unit is characterized by a classic now-then schema that contrasts a former way of life (3,3) with the life (3,1-2) that is now expected of those for whom the epistle’s hortatory material is ultimately intended. These are expected to live a life of subjection to rulers and authorities and to be ready for every good work precisely because the goodness and loving kindness of God has already appeared. They are to live the good life, the socially responsible life, because they have been saved and live in the hope of eternal life. In effect, the statement in 3,4-6 provides a

79. See Joel 3,1-2; Zech 12,10; cf. T. Judah 24,2; T. Benj. 9,4; Acts 2,17, 18,33; (10,45); 1 Clem. 46.6; Barn. 1.3 70 R.F. COLLINS theological motivation for the paraenesis of 3,1-3. In this regard the sure saying is functionally akin to the pastor’s epistolary salutation (1,1-3). Each of these intensely theological statements has as its epistolary func- tion that of providing a theological warrant for the paraenesis – both moral exhortation and the requirements of church order – that is proposed in the epistle. Each of the explicitly theological passages provide the authority on the basis of which the paraenesis is promulgated. Each in their own way present the present time as the time of grace. These two passages thus frame the argument of the pastor’s self-consciously theo- logical composition.

TITUS 2,11-14

These two densely theological passages are complemented by a third, 2,11-14. This third passage occurs just beyond the midpoint of the epistle. Linked to the other two by a reference to God’s grace (2,11; cf. 1,4; 3,7), this kerygmatic passage illustrates the power of God’s grace to educate his people to live in a socially acceptable and godly fashion. The “epiphany” passage is similar in function to 3,4-7. Each of these episto- lary units begins with a reference to the appearance (êpefánj80, 2,11; 3,4) of an attribute of God, “grace” in 2,11, “goodness and loving kind- ness” in 3,4. In identifying these attributes of God the two epiphany passages in the epistle to Titus are akin to the epistolary salutation which highlighted God as one who never lies (1,2), as Savior (1,3), and as Father (1,4). The three passages are also similar insofar as each of them focuses on the quality of the time in which the recipients of the epistle are deemed to live. The salutation points to the present time as the opportune moment (1,3). The epiphany passages identify the present time (ên t¬ç nÕn aî¬ni, 2,12) as a time after God’s manifestation of his own qualities to his people for the sake of their salvation. In 2,11-14, a passage that has been identified as identified as incorporating elements of a baptismal confessional for- mula81, the life of the Christian is portrayed as one to be lived in the era between the epiphanies (2,11.13).

80. The verb êpifaínw does not otherwise appear in the Pauline corpus (cf. Luke 1,79; Acts 27,20). The related noun, êpifáneia, appears in 2,13, further defining 2,11-14 as an epiphany passage. Hapax in Titus at 2,13, this noun also occurs in 1 Tim 6,14 and 2 Tim 4,1, 8. 81. According to QUINN, Paraenesis and the Pastoral Epistles (n. 64), p. 196, “,11-14 cites a baptismal confession urging parenaetically [sic] an ethical transformation of life as the neophyte crosses the threshold into the new order of Christian believers”. If indeed the Christian tradition on baptism lies behind the confessional language of the peric- ope, the baptismal reference constitutes one additional similarity between 3,4-7 and 2,11- 14. THE THEOLOGY OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS 71

The first epiphany was the manifestation of the grace of God, which brings salvation to all (xáriv toÕ ‡eoÕ swtßriov p¢sin ân‡rÉpoiv, 2,11). In 2,11 the emphasis lies on the revelation of God’s gift. 2,14 pro- claims that God’s grace was made manifest in the appearance of Jesus Christ “who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds”. The second epiphany, the object of blessed hope (t®n makarían êlpída), is the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (2,13). The reference in 2,13 is to the parousia82 of Jesus. Whether the pastor intended to suggest that the parousia is a manifestation of the glory of God or whether he meant to characterize Jesus Christ as “our great God and Savior” has long been the major crux in the study of the epistle to Titus83. The Greek text is ambiguous, open to either interpretation. Con- tributing to the interpreter’s quandary is the fact that “god and savior” is a formulaic expression used of a single deity in Hellenistic Jewish and secular literature84. Moreover, even the Greek Bible seems to reflect cir- cumstances in which “great God” (ö ‡eòv ö mégav), used in the LXX of Yahweh, was known to have been used by Gentiles of deities other than the God of Israel85. Spicq offers an impressive array of nine arguments as to why “our great God and Savior” ought to be taken as a description of Jesus86, but not all commentators are convinced87. If the entire phrase, “our great God and Savior”, is to be taken as descriptive of Jesus, as certainly “Savior” is, ‡eóv would be applied to Jesus, not in nominal fashion, that is, not as the name of “God” as it is in Paul’s letters, but in functional fashion insofar as Jesus exercised the divine function of salvation. In any event, as Brox rightly points out, the pastor’s point is that the eschatological appearance of Jesus, for which Christians hope, is grounded in the divine promise and is a manifestation of divine salvation88.

82. Cf. 1 Thess 2,19; 3,13; 4,15; 5,23; 1 Cor 15,23; (2 Thess 2,1, 8). 83. See the review of the state of the discussion in KNIGHT, Pastoral Epistles (n. 49), 322-324. 84. Cf. Ps 41,12; 42,5 LXX. 85. See for example Ps 76,14 LXX. Epigraphical inscriptions certainly attest to the use of the formula for various deities. See, for example, SPICQ, Agapè (n. 69), vol. 3, p. 31 n. 3. 86. See SPICQ, Épîtres pastorales (n. 49), vol. 2, pp. 640-641; see also I.H. MARSHALL, The Christology of the Pastoral Epistles, in SNTU 13 (1988) 157-177, pp. 174-175; and the discussions in M.J. HARRIS, Titus 2,13 and the Deity of Christ, in D.A. HAGNER – M.J. HARRIS (eds.), Pauline Studies. FS F.F. Bruce, Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans, 1980, pp. 262-277; QUINN, Titus (n. 4), pp. 155-157; and R.E. BROWN, An Introduction to New Testament Christology, New York – Mahwah, Paulist, 1994, pp. 181-182. 87. Among the doubters are HOLTZ, Pastoralbriefe (n. 23), p. 228; and J.N. KELLY, A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (BNTC), London, 1963, pp. 246-247. 88. See N. BROX, Die Pastoralbriefe (RNT), Regensburg, Pustet, 51989, pp. 300-301. 72 R.F. COLLINS

In retrospect the function of 2,11-14 is quite similar to that of 3,4-7. Both employ traditional language. Both emphasize that the recipients of the epistle live in a time after the manifestation of God’s essential quali- ties. Both present Christians as living in a time of expectation. Both iden- tify Jesus as Savior, that is, as the preeminent instrument of God’s salvific plan. Both echo the early Christian tradition on baptism. Finally, in each instance the epistolary passages function as a theological warrant for the preceding paraenesis89.

GOD’S PROMISE REVISITED

Before the ages, God promised eternal life, the object of Christian hope. This God is the God who never lies. He has realized his promise and manifested his goodness in three distinct moments. The first manifes- tation of God’s salvific commitment was a manifestation of grace, the appearance of the Savior Jesus Christ. Another decisive moment in the history of salvation as the commissioning of Paul, servant of God and apostle par excellence, to proclaim God’s word of salvation. The third moment took place in the Christian’s baptismal lustration, when the Christian was reborn and renewed through the gift of the Spirit. In the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ the blessed hope of Christians will be fully realized. The God whose existence spans all the eras of time is the God who has realized his promise of salvation in human history and will consummate that salvation in the parousiac manifestation of Jesus Christ as God and Savior. Those whom God has chosen as his elect ones are expected to reflect their godliness in the several patterns of behavior developed by the pastor in his epistle. They should do no less for they have come to believe in God our Savior (3,8b), the God who has promised and will fully real- ize the salvation of his household90.

School of Religious Studies Raymond F. COLLINS The Catholic University of America Washington, DC 20064

89. Note the explanatory gár in 2,11. 90. Cf. 1,7.