Live In the Light of Christ's Two Epiphanies (preaching resource for Christmas Eve: 12/24/24)
This exegesis of Titus 2:11-14 provides context for the RCL Epistles reading on 12/24/24 (Christmas Eve). Insights are drawn from John Stott in "The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus, The Bible Speaks Today."
"The Adoration of the Magi" by Jones (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
In Titus 2:5-10, Paul addresses the effect of the Christian witness on the non-Christian world. In v5, he notes that young wives are to be chaste and loving, in order that the word of God be not maligned or discredited. In v8, he notes that household slaves are to be honest and reliable, in order that the gospel may be adorned or 'embellished'. Then in v10 he notes that Christian doctrine is salvation doctrine, a jewel called 'the teaching about God our Savior.' His point is that by our behavior we either give no evidence of salvation (in which case the gospel-jewel is tarnished), or we give good evidence of salvation by living a manifestly saved life (in which case the gospel-jewel shines with extra luster). Bottom line: our lives bring either adornment or discredit to the gospel.
Then in Titus 2:11-14, Paul shifts from duty to the doctrine from which duty flows. The particular doctrine on which Paul grounds his ethical appeal is centered on the two comings (advents) of Christ, which Paul refers to as two 'epiphanies' or appearings. Verse 11 says that *the grace of God...has appeared (epephane)*, and verse 13 says that *we wait for...the glorious appearing (epiphaneian)*. Moreover, both of Christ's appearings have a saving significance. For what has already appeared is *the grace of God that brings salvation* (11), while what we are waiting for *is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior* (13).
The noun *epiphaneia* means the visible appearance of something or someone hitherto invisible, a coming into view of what has been previously concealed. It was used in classical Greek of the dawn or daybreak, when the sun leaps over the horizon into view; of an enemy emerging out of an ambush; and of the supposed saving intervention of a god or gods in human affairs.
Luke gives us a good example of its meaning in Acts. It is the only occasion in the New Testament when *epiphaneia* has a secular meaning and does not refer to Christ. Luke describes how the ship, in which Paul and his companions were traveling to Rome, was struck by a terrific north-easterly gale, and was now drifting helplessly in the Mediterranean. The sky was so overcast by day and night that for many days the sun and the stars 'made no epiphany' (Acts 27:20, literally). Of course the stars were still there, but they did not appear.
Apart from this one literal use of *epiphaneia*, the word occurs in the New Testament four times of Christ's first coming (Lk.1:78-79; 2 Tim.1:10; Tit.2:11; Tit. 3:4) and six times of his second coming (Acts.2:20; 2 Thess.2:8; 1 Tim.6:14; 2 Tim.4:1, 8; Tit.2:13). Here at the end of Titus 2 the word is used of both Christ's comings (11, 14)—the ‘already’ of his first coming and the ‘not yet’ of his second—the epiphanies of his grace and his glory.
1. Already: the epiphany of God’s grace
Titus 2:11-12
*For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men* (11). Of course grace did not come into existence when Christ came. God has always been gracious (Ex.34:6), indeed 'the God of all grace' (1 Pet.5:10). But grace appeared visibly in Jesus Christ. God's saving grace, given us before the beginning of the time, 'has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior...' (2 Tim.1:9-10). It was brightly displayed in his lowly birth, in his gracious words and compassionate deeds, and above all in his atoning death. He was himself 'full of grace' (Jn.1:14; 16-17). His coming was moreover an epiphany of saving grace, of grace 'that brings salvation'. It *appeared to all men*, in the sense that it is now publicly offered to all, even slaves (10).
Now Paul personifies this grace of God. Grace the savior becomes grace the teacher. *It teaches us* (12a), or disciples us. What does grace teach? Two main lessons. First, and negatively, *it teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions* (12a). Secondly, and positively, *it teaches us...to live self-controlled , upright and godly lives in this present age* (12b). Thus grace disciplines us to 'renounce' (REB) our old life and to live a new one, to turn from ungodliness to godliness, from self-centeredness to self-control, from the world's devious ways to fair dealing with each other.
It was for this purpose that the epiphany of God's grace in Jesus Christ took place. It is not only that grace makes good works possible (enabling us to do them), but that grace makes them necessary (challenging us to live accordingly). The emphasis is on the necessity, not the mere possibility, of good works.
2. Not yet: the epiphany of God’s glory
Titus 2:13-14
He who appeared briefly on the stage of history, and disappeared, will one day reappear. He appeared in grace; he will reappear in glory. In fact, this future epiphany of glory is the supreme object of our Christian hope, *while we wait for the blessed hope*, that is, the hope which brings blessing. How does Paul define it? He calls it *The glorious appearing of (literally, 'the epiphany of the glory of') our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ* (13). Here is an unambiguous statement concerning the deity of Jesus. The context most naturally requires the reference to be to Christ, since it goes on at once from his glory to his sufferings and death and 'God and Savior' was a stereotyped formula common in first-century religious terminology, normally referring to a single deity, and sometimes to the Roman Emperor.
Already at his first coming, it could be said that 'we have seen his glory' (Jn.1:14), for he 'revealed his glory' in his signs (Jn.2:11), and supremely in his death (E.g. Jn.12:23-24; 17:1ff.). Nevertheless, his glory was veiled, and many did not perceive it, or even suspect it. So one day the veil will be lifted, his glory will make an epiphany, and 'we shall see him as he is' (1 Jn.3:2).
Since this will be the epiphany of the glory of 'our great God and Savior', who at his coming will perfect our salvation, Paul reverts naturally to his first epiphany when our salvation was begun. He *gave himself for us* on the cross. Why? Not just to secure our forgiveness (which the apostle does not mention here, though in Titus 3:7 he refers to our justification), but also *to redeem us from all wickedness*, liberating us from its bondage, *and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good* (14).
Paul deliberately chooses Old Testament words and images from the beginnings of Israel as a nation, so as to portray Christ's salvation as the fulfillment of these foreshadowings. Thus 'gave himself for us' ('sacrificed himself for us', REB) recalls the Passover sacrifice; 'to redeem us' the exodus redemption from Egyptian bondage; and 'a people that are his very own' the Sinaitic covenant by which Israel became Yahweh's 'treasured possession'. Paul uses the very expression *laos periousios* ('chosen people') which the Septuagint uses (Ex.19:5; Dt.7:6; 14:2 26:18; cf. 1 Pet.2:9). Thus we enjoy a direct continuity with the Old Testament people of God, for we are his redeemed people and he is our Passover, our Exodus and our Sinai.
This special people of God, whom Christ died to purchase for himself, is described as *eager to do what is good*, literally 'enthusiastic for good works'. This is not fanaticism. But it is enthusiasm, since 'grace trains us...to be enthusiasts', so that we may live for him who died for us.
Conclusion
In this short paragraph of four verses, Paul has brought together the two termini of the Christian era, that is, the first coming of Christ which inaugurated it, and the second coming of Christ which will terminate it. He bids us look back to the one and on to the other. For we live 'in between times', suspended rather uncomfortably between the 'already' and the 'not yet'.
Of course the critics of Christianity seize on this with great indignation. 'You Christians are such hopelessly unpractical creatures,' they will say. 'All you do is to preoccupy yourselves with the distant past and the remote future. Why can't you live in the present, in the realities of the contemporary world?'
But that is exactly what the apostle Paul is summoning Titus, and through him us, to do. Putting our passage today together with what Paul says earlier in Titus, older men are to be dignified and mature. Older women are to be reverent and teachers of the young. Younger women are to be good wives and mothers. Young men are to control themselves. Titus is to be a good teacher and model. Slaves are to be conscientious and honest. All of us are to renounce evil and to live godly, righteous and disciplined lives *in this present age* (Titus 2:12b). Why? On what does Paul base his appeal?
What are the grounds of present Christian behavior? Paul's reply is straightforward, namely that in Jesus Christ there has been an epiphany of God's grace, and there is going to be an epiphany of his glory. That is, the best way to live now, in this present age, is to learn to do spiritually what is impossible physically, namely to look in opposite directions at the same time. We need both to look back and remember the epiphany of grace (whose purpose was to redeem us from all evil and to purify for God a people of his own), and also to look forward and anticipate the epiphany of glory (whose purpose will be to perfect at his second coming the salvation he began at his first).
This deliberate orientation of ourselves, this looking back and looking forward, this determination to live in the light of Christ's two comings, to live today in the light of yesterday and tomorrow - this should be an essential part of our daily discipline. We need to say to ourselves regularly the great acclamation, 'Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.' For then our present duties in the home will be inspired by the past and future epiphanies of Christ.
One author suggests that the two comings of Christ are like two windows in the ‘School of Grace.’ Through the western window a solemn light streams from Mt. Calvary. Through the eastern window shines the light of sunrising, the herald of a brighter day. Thus the School of Grace is well lighted; but we cannot afford to do without the light from either West or East.