The subject of this verse is the Holy Spirit, who is mentioned in the previous verse as the agent of renewal. Revised Standard Version keeps the form of the Greek text and renders this verse as part of the sentence that began in verse 4, with which referring to the Holy Spirit, and he referring to God. It may be more appropriate to start a new sentence here, as many translations have done (for example, Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version “This Spirit he poured…”).
The word for poured out literally means “to pour,” “to spill.” The figure of the Holy Spirit being poured out is used in the book of Acts (see, for example, Acts 2.17-18, 33; 10.45), but it originates from the Greek translation of the book of Joel (2.28-30). This figure can of course be retained if it is appropriate in the receptor language. But if retaining the figure causes difficulties, then it can be dropped in favor of a more direct expression; for example, “gave,” “bestowed,” “sent.”
The bestowing of the Holy Spirit is described by the word richly or “abundantly” (Good News Translation), which is appropriate to the figure of liquid being poured out. This of course does not mean that we have received a large dose of the Holy Spirit, but that the Holy Spirit was given to us freely and generously, and that the Holy Spirit is always available to help us.
The means by which God poured out the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ our Savior. This expression occurs only here in the whole New Testament. However, there are equivalent expressions identifying Jesus Christ as Savior, as for instance “our Savior Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1.10); “Christ Jesus our Savior” (Titus 1.4); “great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2.13). For the term Savior see 1 Tim 1.1. In some languages the phrase through Jesus Christ our Savior will be expressed as an instrumental; for example, “God used Jesus Christ our Savior to freely give us…” or “God used Jesus Christ, the one who frees us from sin, to freely give us….” In other languages one may express this in a similar way to Contemporary English Version: “God sent Jesus Christ our Savior to give us….”
The ordering of the elements of this verse will vary from language to language. One possible order is represented by Good News Translation, with the agent, God, in initial position, and the instrument, Jesus Christ, in final position. It is also possible to begin with the instrument and end with the recipients, us.
As in the rest of the letter, us should be translated as inclusive.
Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• God freely gave the Holy spirit to us [inclusive] through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Or:
• Through Jesus Christ our Savior, God, without reservation, caused his Spirit to live in us.
Or:
• God sent Jesus Christ our Savior to let us freely have the Holy Spirit.
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Titus. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .