3:4–7

After writing about the way that they used to live before they became Christians, Paul now reminded Titus that things had changed because of what God had done for them. He emphasized that God did not save them because of the good deeds they had done. He saved them because he was merciful.

Verses 3:4–7 are one sentence in Greek, but probably you will need to use several sentences in your translation. See the General Comment at the end of 3:7.

3:4

But: What Paul was now going to say contrasts with 3:3. Before people became Christians, their state was as Paul had described it in 3:3. Now since God had saved them everything had changed for them. In English this contrast is shown by the use of But. Use whatever word or structure you use in your language to indicate this sort of contrast.

when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared: Most commentators think that Paul was referring here to God sending Jesus to earth. God showed his kindness and love to people by sending Jesus. In some languages it may not be possible to talk about abstract concepts like kindness and love appearing. In those languages it may be more natural to say that they were revealed, or that God showed them to us. For example:

when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
when the kindness and love of God our Savior for humanity were revealed (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
when the kindness and love of God our Savior was shown to us
-or-
God our Savior showed us how good and kind he is (Contemporary English Version)

kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as kindness means “goodness, generosity.” The Greek word translated as love has a similar meaning and refers to the love God has for people. In some languages it may be natural to translate both these abstract nouns as adjectives. For example:

that he/God is kind and loving
-or-
how good and kind he is (Contemporary English Version)

God our Savior: This phrase refers to God as the one who saves/rescues us from sin and God’s wrath.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.