Titus 3:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you not know how often, when a physician despairs of a sick man, one of his relatives says to him: continue the treatment a little longer, and omit nothing, so that afterward I may not complain against myself, reproach myself, and accuse myself?

Do you not see what care relatives have for those close to them? How much they do for them, calling physicians and sitting constantly beside them. Let us at least imitate them, although the objects of care here are not the same.

If a child falls ill in body, no one refuses to undertake a distant journey in order to free him from illness. But when the soul is sick, no one does anything. We all remain indifferent, careless, and inattentive. We care neither for children, nor for wives, nor for ourselves, though we are held by this grievous sickness. Only later do we come to our senses.

Consider how shameful and extremely ridiculous it is to say afterward: we did not think it, we did not expect this. It is not only shameful, but also dangerous. If in the present life it belongs only to the senseless not to foresee the future, much more is this so concerning the future life, when many counsel us and tell us what must be done and what must not be done.

Let us hold fast to this hope. Let us care for our salvation, and in everything turn with prayer to God, that He may grant us His helping hand.

How long shall we be careless? How long negligent? How long shall we neglect both ourselves and our neighbors? He has poured out upon us abundantly the grace of the Spirit. Let us remember what great grace He has shown us, and let us strive on our part to show the same zeal. Or, if that is impossible, let us show at least a lesser zeal.

If after such grace we remain insensible, the greatest punishment will overtake us. “If I had not come and spoken to them,” says the Lord, “they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin,” Jn 15:22.

May it not be that this is said of us. Rather, may all of us be counted worthy of the good things promised to those who love Him, in Christ Jesus our Lord. With Him, to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having spoken of God’s love for mankind, of His ineffable care for us, of what we were, and of what He made us, the Apostle continues: “And I desire you to insist on these things. That those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.” That is, he says to speak about this and thus dispose them to mercy.

For what was said above can dispose us not only to humility of mind, and to not being proud or reproaching others, but also to every other virtue. He says the same in the Epistle to the Corinthians: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich,” 2 Cor 8:9.

Having reminded them of God’s care and His extraordinary love for mankind, he persuades them to be merciful. And not merely in a simple or accidental way, but how? “That they may be careful,” he says, “to devote themselves to good works.” That is, to help those who are wronged, not only with money, but also by their intercession; to defend widows and orphans; and in general to provide relief for all who suffer distress. This is what it means “to devote themselves to good works.”

“These things,” he says, “are good and profitable for men.”

He says, "that they may be careful to be diligent," that is, that they may make it their constant work and continual care to help those who are wronged, to provide for widows, orphans, and all who are in need.

This is what the words "to be diligent in good works" mean: not to wait for those in need to come to them, but to take care for them themselves.

"These things are good and profitable for men." This means care and protection in good works, or the good works themselves.

"That those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good works."

Care for good works consists in the defense of widows, orphans, and those who are wronged, in supplying what is necessary to the poor, in helping those who suffer, and the like.

"These things are good and profitable for men."

These works are not only good and pleasing to God, but also profitable both for those who perform them and for those who benefit from them.

"Faith without works is dead" (Jas 2:20). Firm assurance in what one believes contributes to good works.

Therefore the divine Apostle commanded that firm assurance be held, so that believers who possess it might willingly perform good works.

"Faithful is the word, and concerning these things I desire you to affirm confidently, that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good works" (Tit 3:8).

Yet faith and firm assurance appear to be two different things. What, then, is this strengthening in faith?

Faith has its measures and degrees, just as love does. One person loves God much, another little. The Lord revealed this when He said of the harlot: "Her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much; but he to whom little is forgiven loves less" (Lk 7:47).

In the same way, one person believes much, another little. The most glorious Apostles knew this. Therefore, although they believed in Jesus Christ, they asked Him, saying, "Increase our faith" (Lk 17:5).

The Lord answered them, saying, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you" (Lk 17:6).

This means that when faith is warmed, as a mustard seed is warmed, even the most difficult thing becomes easy for the faithful man. The impossible becomes possible, and then he works miracles.

Faith is warm when we do not doubt and are not in the least shaken in what it teaches. "If you have faith," said the Lord, "and do not doubt" (Mt 21:21).

Paul therefore desired firmness in faith, because whoever has faith without doubt flees every sin and performs every work pleasing to God.

"How, then? He says, 'Let them be careful to apply themselves to good works,' that is, to help the wronged not only with money, but also with a word of intercession.

"They are to defend widows and orphans, and in general to bring relief to all who are in distress" (John Chrysostom).

"By foolish disputes the Apostle means those which contribute nothing to salvation and give no experiential knowledge for the ordering of a virtuous life" (Ambrosiaster).

Concerning genealogies, Saint John Chrysostom said: "Here the Apostle is hinting at the Jews, who exalted themselves in their forefather Abraham and neglected themselves. Therefore he calls such genealogies unprofitable and vain."

"Perhaps," writes Bishop Theophan, "the Apostle's words may fittingly be divided thus: disputes and genealogies refer to pagan speculations about their gods, while strivings and quarrels refer to Jewish disputes.

"There was noisy talk about the dignity of their Law, but no benefit at all. The Apostle therefore prescribed that this be stopped.

"Teach, he says, what builds up in faith and confirms in the good life. But keep away from empty talk yourself, and oblige the faithful to do the same."

In the second case the meaning will be: besides what was said above, teach them also what follows. What was said above comprises all the virtues about which he commanded teaching. Especially it includes those mentioned in the first and second verses of the present chapter: that they should wrong no one, but be quiet and meek.

What follows concerns good works, mercy, and beneficence. Teach and impress upon them, he says, that they should not only refrain from wronging others, but also be beneficent.

“I desire you to insist,” διαβεβαιουσθαι, that is, to confirm. The Apostle does not wish to persuade Saint Titus of this. Rather, he wants Saint Titus to persuade the believers of the necessity of acting in this way. Or he wants Saint Titus to be convinced that this especially should be taught to believers.

“That they should be careful to devote themselves to good works.” “That they should be careful” means that they should not do good works in passing or somehow carelessly. They should care for this with their whole soul, thinking day and night only of how and where they might do some good work.

“To devote themselves,” προιστασθαι, means to stand in front, to stand out among all. When you are wronged, yield, as though hiding yourself. But when a good work lies before you, be ahead of everyone. Do not let anyone precede you. Be the first to take hold of it, so that the common opinion may be established concerning believers, that in good works they are always first.

Therefore he added: “Let those who have believed in God be careful about this.” Why they must act so follows directly from the preceding indication of what we were before faith, what we became through faith, and with what promises we are comforted by its power. Having received so many mercies, be merciful and do good yourself.

Let us write out what our interpreters have said about this. Saint Chrysostom says: “Having spoken of God’s love for mankind, of His ineffable care for us, and of what we were and what He made us, the Apostle continues: ‘And concerning these things I desire you to insist. That those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.’ That is, speak about this and in this way dispose them to mercy. For what was said above can dispose us not only to humility of mind, and to not being proud or reproaching others, but also to every other virtue. Having reminded them of God’s care and His extraordinary love for mankind, he persuades the hearers to be merciful. And not merely in a simple or accidental way, but how? ‘That they may be careful,’ he says, ‘to devote themselves to good works.’ That is, to help those who are wronged, not only with money, but also by their intercession; to defend widows and orphans; and in general to provide relief for all who suffer distress. For this is what it means to devote themselves to good works.”

Some of these thoughts are expressed more fully by blessed Theophylact. “Having mentioned God’s ineffable goodness, he says: I want you to teach about this in such a way that believers learn not only to be humble-minded and not to wrong others, but also to show them every mercy. For whoever remembers the mercy of God of which he has been counted worthy will himself be merciful. ‘Let them be careful,’ he says. That is, let them have it as their constant work and continual care to help those who are wronged, and to provide for widows, orphans, and all who are in need. For this is what the words mean: to devote themselves to good works, προιστασθαι. They are not to wait for the needy to come to them, but are themselves to have care for them.”

“These things are good and profitable for men.” This is what it is good and profitable to teach. Or, this is what it is good and profitable for everyone to occupy his mind with and devote himself to. The Apostle wants both the teaching of teachers and the care of believers to be directed toward gaining eternal life by a grace-filled and holy life.

“There is nothing more evident than that mercy and love for mankind are good for the present and profitable for the future. Here they bring praise, and on the day of judgment, a crown. It is care for these things that he urges upon the ruler of God’s people,” says Ambrosiaster.