“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” (Titus 1:1–2 (ESV)
The ultimate purpose of the Apostle Paul’s service solely of God and apostleship solely of Jesus Christ he clearly declared. It was initially for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth resulting in their godliness. However, ultimately it was for the hope of eternal.
In the Scriptures, hope (ἐλπίδι; elpidi) is never a wish. Rather, it is a confident expectation of what will happen, and not what might or could happen. How can the believer in Christ be so confident their hope of eternal life in Christ is more than just a wish?
The believer can be confident of eternal life because the promise for such a life is from God. The reason Paul gives for such confidence in God is because God never lies (Num. 23:19; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18). Additionally, God’s promise for eternal life originated before the ages began. Paul also stated this truth as did the Apostles.” Peter and John.
Ephesians 1:3–4a (ESV) – “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
2 Timothy 1:8–9 (ESV) – “8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
1 Peter 1:17–21 (ESV) – “17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Revelation 13:7–8 (ESV) – “7Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”
“Now all that has been said so far—Paul’s service and apostleship in the interest of the faith of God’s elect and of their acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness—rests on the hope of life everlasting, which the never-lying God promised before times everlasting. This hope is an earnest yearning, confident expectation, and patient waiting for “life everlasting,” salvation in its fullest development (cf. John 17:24; Rom. 8:25). It was this salvation which the God who cannot lie (1 Sam. 15:29; Heb. 6:18; cf. 2 Tim. 2:13; contrast Titus 1:12) “promised before times everlasting.”[1]
“This “before the foundation of the world” doctrine, the exact phraseology, is not only Johannine but also definitely Pauline. Note Eph. 1:4, “He elected us for himself in him (i.e., in Christ) before the foundation of the world. Thus interpreted, Titus 1:2 is entirely in harmony with Pauline thinking, which regularly traces the salvation of believers to its origin in God’s redemptive plan from eternity (besides 2 Tim. 1:9 and Eph. 1:4 see also Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; 2 Thess. 2:13; and see N.T.C. on 1 Thess. 1:4).[2]
“Why does Paul insert here the statement, who does not lie, in reference to God? Titus would surely have been in no doubt about this. His intention must be to underline the reliability of God’s promises. The further words before the beginning of time draw attention to the fact that those promises are grounded in God’s eternal purposes. Linked with this eternal view of God’s purposes is the appointed time of the bringing of his word to light, that is at the incarnation. The words here are reminiscent of the opening of John’s gospel.” [3]
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 340–341.
[2] Ibid., 341–342.
[3] Donald Guthrie, “Titus,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1312.
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