Titus 2:14

who gave himself for us Dr Reynolds well gives the connexion -whoin this lofty and august majesty, and because He was possessed of it delivered up HimselfHis whole unique personality on our behalf."

that he might redeem us By the payment of a ransom price; see note 1 Timothy 2:6 for the origin of this image and its place among the metaphors of the Atonement. Compare Norris, Rudiments of Theology, pp. 168, 169, 173, 216. St Peter, 1 Peter 1:18, calls the slavery, from which -ye were redeemed," -your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers" writing to the Jewish Christians, who as Jews had had at least a certain moral standard. St Paul, thinking of the Cretans and their sunken state of morals, defines the slavery as all iniquity, a word which St Peter keeps for -the lascivious life of the wicked" by which righteous Lot was sore distressed. Compare 1 Timothy 1:9; Romans 2:14-15 describes that -moral law of nature," the breaches of which make the -iniquity" of Rome, and Ephesus, and Crete, and England, irrespective of the more defined written law.

and purify unto himself a peculiar people -Purify" is the word constantly used of Christ in the days of His flesh -cleansing" the lepers. Cf. Matthew 8:3. His object in His great gift of Himself was that He might say to leprous souls -I will, be thou cleansed."

a peculiar people -Peculiar" in its old sense from -peculium," the property which a son or slave was allowed to possess as his own, cf. Exodus 19:5. -Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all peoples." So Deuteronomy 7:6, where the Septuagint has the same Greek word. -But the Percies affirmying them to be their owne propre prisoners and their peculiar praies, and to deliver them utterly denayed." Hall, Hen. IV., fol. 19 b. Bible Word-Book, p. 454.

The Greek word means -one who remains over to me," -my acquisition," and so the parallel phrase 1 Peter 2:9, -a people for a possession," interprets it. Vulg. -acceptabilis," and so Theod. Mops. Latin Text, but the Latin commentary, shewing Theodore's own interpretation, far better -ut proprium sibi populum adquireret." For a full account of the word see Bp Lightfoot, Revision of the N. T., p. 234 sq. - People" is itself the proper word for the chosen, select, people; in the original phrase in O. T. therefore the Israelites, now the Church Catholic.

zealous of good works The force of this word can be seen in Luke 6:15, -Simon who was called the Zealot," Acts 21:20, -and they are all zealous for the law, Acts 22:3, -being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day;" what the -Zealot" party which set itself up for extra loyalty and strictness to the Law as a nationalist badge was to the nation at large; what the Jewish Christians were to their better instructed Gentile brethren, and Jews generally to Christians, in respect of the old ritual observances: this Christ would have His Church be to the rest of the world in respect of good works shining before men, -zealots of goodness, charged with the genius of goodness the passion for godliness:" Dr Reynolds. So St Peter again has the word -who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealots of goodness?" 1 Peter 3:13. But may we not also say here is the true -enthusiasm of humanity," the very purpose, mark, of the Incarnation and Atonement; that we may be zealots of philanthropy, charged with the genius of social regeneration, the passion for practical piety? This aim and scope of the Saviour's work makes the -Faithful saying" of the next chapter Titus 3:8 rise plainly to the level of the other -Faithful sayings" of 1 Tim. and 2 Tim.