Charles Ellicott Commentary Titus 2:11

"For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men," — Titus 2:11 (ASV)

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.—More accurately translated, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. “For” gives the ground, the base upon which the practical exhortations to freemen as well as to bond-servants, contained in Titus 2:1-10, rest.

These words might be paraphrased as follows: “Yes, exhort all classes and orders, every age of life, each sex, the enslaved as well as the free, to struggle for pure, good, righteous lives, for I tell you, truly, like a sun on a darkened world the grace of God has arisen with salvation in its beams.” Compare the grand Isaiah passage, Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee (Isaiah 60:1); and also the words of Malachi, Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings (Malachi 4:2). (See also Isaiah 9:2.)

The thought of these passages was likely in St. Paul’s view while he wrote the words to Titus telling him to exhort his flock, for God’s grace had appeared to all men. The Greek word translated “appeared” occurs in Luke 1:79 and Acts 27:20—both writings closely connected with St. Paul, if not in large part written by him—and in each of these passages it is used to express the shining of the sun.

The “grace of God” spoken of here is that divine favor towards and love for men upon which the whole work of redemption was based, the object of which redemption was the ultimate restoration of man. The epiphany, or manifestation of this grace to the world, commenced with the incarnation of our Lord; but the reference here must not be limited to that or to any one event in the blessed Life.

The expression “bringing salvation to all men” is another of those hard sayings that have been used to support that kindly but erring school of expositors which overlooks the many unmistakable sayings that warn the impenitent and hardened sinner of the sad doom of eternal death. The “grace” alone brings salvation to all men—in other words, it is that grace of God by which alone it is possible for mankind to be saved. The expression by no means asserts that all men will be saved by it, but that it is the only means by which salvation is possible.