Thus our Epistles trace the errors resulting from a striving after knowledge back to an unhealthy condition of faith, which has its deepest reason in the want of that purity of heart which is evidenced by a good conscience. But this plainly can exist only where there is no lack of the fundamental condition of all religious life-of evσéßeia. This favourite εὐσέβεια. expression of our Epistles designates true piety (comp. I. ii. 10: Beoσéßela), which, where it is not feigned, must show itself energetic (II. iii. 5), and must pervade and determine the whole life (ver. 12; Tit. ii. 12; I. ii. 2); it must hence be striven after before everything else (iv. 7), as the true gain (ver. 8, vi. 6). The μvoτýριov тĥs πíoτews (I. iii. 9) is at the same time a μvotýpiov tŷs evσeßeías (ver. 16), because true piety only can lead to faith in the truth, and neither the one nor the other can exist with immorality. Every violation of immediate moral duty is a denial of the faith, and lowers even beneath the unbelieving (v. 8); while, inversely, love springs from unfeigned faith (i. 5).

(d) Not only does true faith depend on piety, but our Epistles also bring into the strongest prominence the inner relationship of sound doctrine with godliness. The μυστήριον Tηs Evσeßeías is even as to its contents nothing but the áλńoeia (I. iii. 15, 16), and hence this law is also called, Tit. i. 1, the truth, which is according to godliness related to it. Just so the doctrine, which proclaims this truth, is ʼn Kar' evoéßelav Sidao xaλía (I. vi. 3), and this is, according to the

conscience is lost consists in the lack of an upright striving after the truth, or in a sinful inclination to earthly good things. Even the inclination of the heart to greed is connected with the loss of a good conscience, which is shown in severe stings of conscience, and hence leads to a wandering from faith (I. vi. 10); for a mind directed to earthly things cannot have a pure striving after the truth-a striving which leads to an unfeigned and therefore an immoveable conviction.

6 As in this passage δικαίως occurs along with εὐσεβῶς, so similarly ὅσιος (comp. I. ii. 8) occurs with díxares: Tit. i. 8 (comp. Eph. iv. 24 : dixassσúvn xal óciórns ; 1 Thess. ii. 10: doíws xai dinaíws). As vrißua is allied to the pietas of children (I. v. 4), so impiety (vórios) appears (II. iii. 2) along with disobedience and ingratitude towards parents. It is not correct when Baur, p. 341, asserts that in our Epistles, in place of the Pauline irris, we have the general idea of religiousness. As suσíßuæ, I. vi. 11, occurs along with is, it is clear from what has been said that it must rather be the basis of life from which true faith springs. Of piety towards the awakened common consciousness of the Church (Pfleiderer, p. 477 [E. T. ii. 210]), there is thus nothing said.

VOL. II.

I

context, sound doctrine. On the one hand, the more that our Epistles are moved to regard Christianity as doctrine, all the more do they emphasize this, that it does not thereby deal with a summary of theoretical truths that have nothing to do with godliness. As godliness comprehends an entire moral walk (note c), so also there lies in the healthy doctrine connected with it all the motives to that right moral exhortation (Tit. i. 9, ii. 1), which is at the same time the task of the teacher (I. v. 1, vi. 2; II. iv. 2; Tit. ii. 6, 15). Every kind of sin, which in its deepest roots is ἀσεβές and ἀνόσιον (I. i. 9), contradicts wholesome doctrine (ver. 10). On the other hand, the doctrinal errors of the time are characterized as the appearing of an unhealthy corruption of the deepest tendency of the religious life. The loss of the truth, like the inability to believe, is traced back, in the first place, to an unhealthy corruption of the voûs, i.e. of the natural organ for the consciousness of God and of sin (§ 68, c; I. vi. 5; II. iii. 8); but this corruption is caused by oneself. The turning away from sound doctrine goes hand in hand with a predilection for such teachers as tickle the ear, while they teach only such things as correspond to the sinful inclinations of the hearers (κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας: II. iv. 3, 4). The false teachers are greedy of gain (Tit. i. 11), and make use of what they bring before themselves, as their piety (the μóppwois μόρφωσις evσeßeías: II. iii. 5), as a means of gain (I. vi. 5). The fundamental tendency of their nature is aσéßela.

'While the idea of urißua does not occur in the earlier Epistles, according to § 69, b, árißua appears as the characteristic mark of the pre-Christian, and in particular of the heathen condition; and just so is it here, Tit. ii. 12 (comp. I. i. 9). If the profane, empty talk of the false teachers, wherever any countenance was given to it, led down ever more deeply to irreligiousness (II. ii. 16), it must be à priori allied to this, as sound doctrine is allied to piety. Even on that account, he who has been entangled in false doctrine can attain to the knowledge of the truth only by repentance (ii. 25), and hence he needs a waidiúm (comp. I. i. 20), laśyxu» (Tit. i. 9, 13; comp. II. iv. 2), vouberāv (Tit. iii. 10). But whoever, on the contrary, gets hardened, is to be regarded as an incorrigible transgressor, who has pronounced his own condemnation (ver. 11). The great danger of unsound doctrine lies even in this, that, like a cancer, it rankles, because it finds in the diseased condition of the religious life ever fresh nourishment (II. ii. 17).

§ 108. The Paulinism of the Pastoral Epistles. The contents of the wholesome doctrine is the message of the deliverance of sinners in Christ, a deliverance which conducts to eternal life in fellowship with the risen Christ, and to a share in the divine glory (a). Here also the saving principle is the grace of God, and that principle as justifying, which rests on the redeeming death of Christ, and is appropriated by faith in the sense of saving trust (b). The new life, described, no doubt, partly in a peculiar way, rests on the gift of the Spirit in baptism, and in its further development it is advanced by the grace of God (c). But the truth is not thereby excluded, that deliverance and life continue dependent on human conduct, and may hence be regarded from the point of view of retribution (d).

(a) The doctrine of our Epistles can be none other than that which Paul, the teacher and apostle of the Gentiles (I. ii. 7; II. i. 11, 13; comp. iv. 7), has proclaimed, and, in fact, it proceeds on the joyful message, that God is willing to deliver all men (I. ii. 4). This presupposes that all men need deliverance, and without it have fallen into perdition (öλepos kai ȧπóλela: I. vi. 9; comp. § 64,b; 66, d). Wholesome doctrine points the way to deliverance; for whoever abides by it helps his hearers as well (I. iv. 16; comp. II. ii. 10, iii. 15). In

1 To remind us of the need of salvation, the pre-Christian condition of all men (Tit. iii. 3; while the huis expressly includes the former Jews), which gave occasion for this deliverance (ver. 3), is characterized as a wandering away (xλavúμsvo), and this is a result of the corruption of the vous (άvínros), and comes about from disobedience (rusis) in principle, a disobedience which issues in subjection to the desires (dovλsúorres imibuμíais), and in sins of uncharitableness. This picture reminds one in several ways of the description given of heathenism in the earlier Epistles (§ 69); and even the Jews are, as regards their conduct, no better than the heathen, and even below them as a matter of fact. It appears to me the words, Tit. i. 15, 16, must in particular be understood of the unbelieving Jews. They acknowledge God, but deny Him by their works (comp. Rom. ii. 17, 22); in spite of their aversion to idols (Rom. ii. 22), they are themselves ßðiλvxróí; in spite of their zeal for the law (ver. 23), they are rubus as well as the heathen. In consequence of this, their vous as well as their guviidnais (comp. § 107, c, d) are stained with sin. Here also are the lusts, which lead to perdition (I. vi. 9), the characteristic mark of the pre-Christian condition (Tit. iii. 3, ii. 12: nooμinai ivía). It is noteworthy, on the other hand, that sin is never traced back to the ráp, while the repeated mention of the vous reminds one very much of the specially Pauline psychology.

this emphasizing of the owτnpía our Epistles, remind us very much of the earliest form of Paul's apostolic preaching to the Gentiles, as also of the first apostolic preaching (comp. § 61). It is, however, peculiar to our Epistles, that God Himself is usually designated our Deliverer (Tit. iii. 4). Here also the positive object of Christian hope, whose author is Christ (I. i. 1; comp. Col. i. 27), is eternal life (Tit. iii. 7), to which Christians are called (I. vi. 12). This life has been promised from the very beginning (in all the prophets) by God, who cannot lie (Tit. i. 2); but Christ has manifested Himself as our owτýp, while He has brought ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν to light by the gospel (II. i. 10), and in conformity with the promise of the life grounded on Him (i.e., as § 96, c, in fellowship of life with the Risen One; comp. ii. 8, 11), He hath sent out His apostles (i. 1). That this immortal, and therefore only true life (ý övτws Śwń: I. vi. 19), is here also regarded as brought about by the resurrection, as § 97, a, is proved by the polemic against a spiritualistic perversion of it (II. ii. 18). Conformably to this hope we are become, according to Tit. iii. 7, λnpovóμo, and thus heirs of the divine glory. For, according to II. ii. 10, deliverance is connected with eternal glory, and the contents of the gospel can therefore be designated as the glory of the blessed God (I. i. 11), in which we, according to our blessed hope, are to participate (Tit. ii. 13). For, connected with this also, as § 97, d, it is given them to reign with Christ (II. ii. 12), who in His glory leaves the government of the world with God.

(b) There can therefore be no doubt about this, that here 2 As such it is He, from whom Christian doctrine comes (Tit. ii. 10), by whose command it is proclaimed by the apostle (I. i. 1; Tit. i. 3), who wills the salvation of all (I. ii. 3, 4; comp. moreover, 1 Cor. i. 21), and on whom therefore the hope of the Christian rests (I. iv. 10; comp. v. 5, vi. 17). If it is said (II. i. 9 ;. Tit. iii. 5) that He has delivered us, we see, as also § 96, b, that the deliverance may be regarded proleptically as already accomplished so soon as the institutions needful for it are referred to. Naturally Christ also is designated our Deliverer (Tit. i. 4, iii. 6; comp. Eph. v. 23; Phil. iii. 20), who appeared as such on the earth (II. i. 10; I. i. 15: àμxprwλoùs cãrai), and appears again at His Parousia (Tit. ii. 13; comp. II. iv. 18: cáou sis «. Bacλ.), and on this account deliverance rests on Him (II. ii. 10), and the Gospel testifies of Him (i. 8, ii. 8).

3 This is the only passage in which the Pauline idea of sonship, to which that of heirship forms the correlation, is announced in our Epistles. Nowhere is God spoken of as our Father, though Christians are called ¿dıλpoí (I. iv. 6, vi. 2; II. iv. 21).

too, as § 75, c, the grace of God is the effective principle of salvation. In the appearance of Christ, to which, no doubt, ¿πεþávη intentionally alludes, has appeared God's grace bringing salvation (Tit. ii. 11 : ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος), -a grace which was given to Christians even in the eternal purpose of salvation, and in Christ, to be sure (II. i. 9; comp. § 103, a), and it appeared too, ii. 1, resting in Him as the Redeemer. In Tit. iii. 7, grace appears expressly as justifying, and that quite in the forensic sense of the earlier Epistles, as the hope of the child's portion in eternal life is connected with it (comp. note a). But that this eternal life can be brought to light depends on this, that Christ, as our owτýp, has stripped death of his power (II. i. 10: κатapyýσas tòv Oávatov); and this can be understood only from the fact that He by His substitutionary death has taken from death, which on account of sin lorded it over us, its claim on us; so also the selfsurrender of Christ appears, I. ii. 6, as ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων.

4 That, therefore, in the introductory salutations, grace, which works all the salvation of men, is given by God and Christ (I. i. 2; II. i. 2; Tit. i. 4), quite corresponds to the Pauline method. The way, also, in which the proof of grace given to Paul in his calling to the apostleship, which consisted essentially in this, that Christ in all His long-suffering (I. i. 16) overlooked his former enmity (ver. 13), is designated (ver. 14) His exceeding abundant grace, has its analogy also, according to § 75, c, in the earlier Epistles. It is most striking that, in the introductory salutations of the Epistles (I. i. 2; II. i. 2), mercy appears as quite parallel with effectual grace, and to this mercy also, I. i. 13, 16, Paul's conversion, Tit. iii. 5, the deliverance of all men, are traced (comp. II. i. 16, 18), and that, Tit. iii. 4 (comp. with ii. 11), the goodness of God and His love to men occur in place of xápis. The technical idea of xépis, in its distinction from asos and Xpnorérns, appears accordingly to be no longer quite so firmly retained here, as § 75, c; § 100, c, footnote 6. It is also peculiar that in the concluding benediction the accompaniment of grace is simply asked for the readers (I. vi. 2; II. iv. 22; Tit. iii. 15).

• We are not at all reminded by the first passage of the Johannine connection of an and gas (Pfleiderer, p. 475 [E. T. ii. 208]), but the second passage does remind us of the Pauline roλúrpwois (§ 80, c), and also of Mark x. 45. Elsewhere the object of this self-surrender (s owner lavròv væìp žμ) is indicated, when, Tit. ii. 14, it is described as a cleansing from the sin of avouía (comp. i. 15, according to which Christians, in contrast to unbelievers, are zabapoí). That this, regarded as the indirect result of Christ's death, is not un-Pauline, as Baur, p. 339, supposes, is shown in § 81, b; 100, c; and Pfleiderer in the passage above has not proven that it is the indirect result; but when the idea of aurpris is connected with it (iva λurpwonraι nμãs), it reminds us, at any rate, rather of the Petrine method of teaching (§ 49, d). Ritschl, ii. p. 179, finds here a combination of the types of the paschal offering and of the covenant offering, but there is nothing in the context to suggest this in the least.