Go to Related Reading
About this book

Titus

About this book
Chapter 2

1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching. 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. 3 Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good. 4 In this way they will train the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, fulfilling their duties at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message of God may not be discredited. 6 Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled, 7 showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss because he has nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to do what is wanted and not talk back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, in order to bring credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.⁠ 12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires⁠ and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives⁠ in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness⁠ and to purify for himself a people who are truly his,⁠ who are eager to do good. 15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.

Texts in conversation

Compare 3 Maccabees 6:9 and Titus 2:11

Deuterocanon · New Testament

Share:

Summary

In 3 Maccabees, the priest Eleazar prays for God to appear and rescue his people in their hour of crisis. Titus uses the same Greek verb to announce that God’s saving grace has already appeared, bringing salvation to all.

Passages

3 Maccabees 6:9

Deuterocanon
8 When Jonah was pining away in the belly of the sea-born monster, you looked at him, O Father, and recovered him to the sight of his own. 9 Now, you who hate insolence, you who abound in mercy, you who are the protector of all things, appear quickly to those of the race of Israel, who are insulted by abhorred, lawless Gentiles. 10 If our life during our exile has been stained with iniquity, deliver us from the hand of the enemy, and destroy us, O Lord, by the death which you prefer.
100 BCE – 70 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 3 Maccabees

Titus 2:11

New Testament
10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, in order to bring credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Titus

References

... Titus 2:11: 2 Maccabees 3:30; 3 Maccabees 6:9. Titus 2:12: Aristobulus fragment 4:8. Titus 2:14: Psalm 130:8; Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; Ezekiel 37:23. [In the catalogue “Quotations, Allusions, and Parallels to the New Testament,” Evans lists 3 Maccabees 6:9 as a direct parallel to Titus 2:11. The shared element is the Hellenistic Jewish epiphany verb: 3 Maccabees 6:9 uses the imperative epiphanēthi (“reveal yourself, appear”) in Eleazar’s prayer for God to manifest himself and rescue the diaspora Jews held under Ptolemy IV; Titus 2:11 uses the aorist epephanē of the same verb to announce that the saving grace of God has already appeared. Both texts deploy the same Greek language of decisive divine intervention on behalf of God’s people in distress.] ...
Craig A. Evans, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005), 395.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

3 Maccabees 6:9 and Titus 2:11

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library