Titus 3:4—“the kindness and love of God … toward man”

 

But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared … (Tit. 3:4).

 

ARMINIAN / WELL-MEANT OFFER ARGUMENT:

Q. “Doesn’t Titus 3:4 speak of ‘the kindness and love of God … toward man’? It doesn’t distinguish between elect or reprobate. It just says ‘man’ ... Isn’t this therefore a love and kindness of God towards all men without exception?”

Q. “Here Jesus is given the name ‘the kindness and love of God,’ and this toward mankind in his revealing the love of God to the human race.  He is the Philanthropos: the Lover of Men.”

 

(I) 

Rev. Angus Stewart

And who are embraced by the Philanthropos? Who are the men whom God loves (Tit. 3:4)?  It is surrounded by “we,” and “us,” and “our” (vv. 3, 5, 6, 7).  Moreover, verse 4 is part of one lengthy sentence (vv. 4-7) controlled by “us,” and “we,” and “our” …  The whole thing is particular: particular grace to some people—God’s people—who are loved by Him in Christ, saved by mercy, regenerated and justified by grace alone. (AS, 03/11/2019)

 

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(II)

Prof. David J. Engelsma

As for Titus 3:4, “man” is not the same as “every single human being without exception.”  In Jesus Christ as presented in the gospel, the love of God has appeared toward man in that “according to his mercy he saved us”—us men, or humans, out of all nations (verse 5).  There are two important truths to be observed here.  First, in that God sent Jesus to be the Savior of humans out of all nations, the love of God appeared to man.  Second, this love appeared, according to verses 5ff. by God’s washing of man, that is, humans, with regeneration (v. 5), justification (v. 7), and the giving of the hope of eternal life (v. 7).  The appearing of the love of God to man consists of these saving works to man.  Does God actually give these saving gifts to every human?  He does not.  This shows that the appearing of the love of God to man does not refer to every human, but to man in the sense of humans everywhere among all nations.  “Man” refers to mankind, consisting of the “elect” in the human race, to whom the book of Titus was addressed (Titus 1:1:  “the faith of God’s elect”). (DJE, 30/03/2021)

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(III)

More to come! (DV)