Titus 2:11

"For" introduces Paul’s full theological reason for requiring the conduct above, why such conduct harmonizes with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). In short, it is the proper response to God’s grace. God has manifested His grace (unmerited favor) in Christ and the gospel. This has resulted in two things: the possibility of salvation for all and the actual salvation of all who believe in Christ (1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 Timothy 4:10).

"In the Greek, ’has appeared’ stand emphatically at the beginning, stressing the manifestation of grace as a historical reality. The reference is to Christ’s entire earthly life-his birth, life, death, and resurrection. The verb epephane, from which we derive our word ’epiphany,’ means ’to become visible, make an appearance,’ and conveys the image of grace suddenly breaking in on our moral darkness, like the rising sun. (It is used of the sun in Acts 27:20.) Men could never have formed an adequate conception of that grace apart from its personal manifestation in Christ, in his incarnation and atonement." [Note: Hiebert, "Titus," p. 439. For helpful discussion of how Paul’s theology in this section contradicted prevalent Cretan pagan mythical theology, see Towner, The Letters . . ., pp. 740-66.]