Titus 1:2

2. In hope Literally, upon hope. But what is it that rests upon this hope? Afford, translating it in hope, misses by saying it is the whole clause after apostle, from not seeing that the whole passage to Titus 1:4 expands St. Paul’s apostle. Paul is apostle, according to godliness; and based upon hope, etc., to end of Titus 1:3. The apostolate is based, not, as is the mission of the gainsayers, (Titus 1:9,) upon Jewish fables, (Titus 1:14,) but upon a hope of eternal life, eternally promised by a truthful God. This is his and Titus’s platform over all rival systems in Crete.

Eternal life AEonic life; that life which belongs to the endless and glorious aeons, ages, or time-worlds, of the future. See notes on Matthew 25:46; Galatians 1:4-5; Ephesians 1:10. In this transcendent object of hope St. Paul’s Gospel stood alone.

Cannot lie Literal Greek, unlying. Hence the assured fulfilment of the apostolic hope.

Before the world began Προ χρονων αιωνιων , before aeonic times; before the time-worlds began to roll on their events; from the anterior eternity. See notes on Galatians 1:4-5; Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 2:2; and 2 Timothy 1:9. As Alford rightly says, against Huther, the same phrase in 2 Timothy 1:9 forbids interpreting it here as merely equivalent to απ ’ αιωνος , “from of old.” Luke 1:70. The promise, from eternity, is explained in our note to Ephesians 1:4-5; Ephesians 1:9. From his very nature God eternally promises eternal life to all who come into accord and unison with himself. The temporal promises of eternal things in the Gospel are the external expressions of the true eternal promise. And so the apostle declares that the aeonic life of the gospel hope is not a thing of to-day, but lies in ideal in the anterior eternal ages. And hereby is, perhaps, made clear the error of Huther, who tells us that if the phrase means from eternity, then promised must mean decreed. Just as if a mental promise, and that a conditional one, too, could not be as truly eternal as a mental decree! And he quotes the questionable authority of Calvin, who says: “As the phrase treats of a promise, it does not embrace eternal ages, so as to bring us to before the world began, but teaches us only that many temporal ages had passed since the promise was made.” But the true meaning is, that there are the “promise and potency” of holy and blessed union with God himself for all who thereto consent in his own appointed way; an eternal election of all who voluntarily come into that election.