Directory | Articles | Explanation Monotheism | New Testament Studies Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” [King James/Authorized Version, 1611] Many believe this passage says the apostle Paul taught that Jesus was God. The controversy surrounding the passage centers around how the grammar of the original Greek should be translated. Some modern grammarians cite the so-called "Granville Sharp Rule," expounded by the Greek scholar of that name (1735-1813). This concerns the use of only one article before two nouns joined by "and" [kai] which are in the same case. The theory says the single "the" governs both nouns. Hence: "the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ." [William Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek (2018), p. 90]. Put simply: Jesus Christ is our Great God and Savior. The popular NIV has: "We wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." The majority of other English translations also reflect this reading, such as NASB, CSB, ESV, LB, NET, ISV, GNT, RSV, The Message, The Voice. [Source: biblegateway.com] [Top] However, as some interpreters point out, the Granville Sharp Rule is not consistently applied by all translators elsewhere in the NT. This suggests they selectively apply it in order to serve doctrinal purposes. Instead, several versions distinguish between God and Jesus. [See table below.] What raises dissent from Granville-Sharp is that the reading "Great God=Jesus" is unique; it is not the voice or mind of Paul. Throughout his letters, even when he affirms the preexistence of the Son and calls him "the image of God" (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15), he draws a line between "God" and "Jesus." Most of Paul's letters begin with a salutation mentioning "God our Father and (the) Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 1:7, 1 Cor 1:3, Gal 1:3, Philemon 3, etc.). This includes the opening of Titus itself: "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior" (1:4). [See Grace and Peace Come from God and Yeshua.) Paul also says the Father is "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 15:6, 2 Cor 11:31, Eph 1:17). For a detailed rejection that Titus 2:13 should be read by the light of the Granville Sharp Rule, see J. Christopher Edwards's attached 6-page: "The Christology of Titus 2:13 and 1 Timothy 2:5". [From TynBul 62:1 (NA 2011): 141-147] [Top] Reading Paul, in entirety, conveys consistent imagery: "For us there is one God, the Father...and one Lord, Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 8:6); "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ" (1 Tim 2:5). In Titus, "Savior" [soter] is applied to God (1:3, 2:10, 3:4) and to Jesus (1:4, 3:6). In the Hebrew Bible "great God" is used five times: Deut 10:17 [ha'el hagadol]; Ps 95:3 [el gadol]; Dan 2:45 [elah rav, Aramaic]; Ezra 5:8 [elaha rabba, Aramaic]; Neh 8:6 [ha'elohim hagadol]. [Top] Below is a select list of some translations of Titus 2:13 that distinguish God and Jesus. To do this most add the preposition "of" before the pronoun "our" ["…and of our Savior Jesus Christ"]. The Greek text is included for comparison.

Greek Text	Titus 2:13
Greek New Testament United Bible Societies (4th ed. 1998)
American Standard Version (1901)	…looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ
Complete Jewish Bible (David Stern, 1998)	…while continuing to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the Sh'khinah of our great God and the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah
Douay-Rheims [American Catholic edition] (1899)	Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
Geneva Bible (1599)	…looking for the blessed hope, and appearing of that glory of that mighty God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ
The New Testament (James Moffatt, 1913)	…awaiting the blessed hope of the appearance of the Glory of the great God and of our Saviour Christ Jesus.
The Letters of Saint Paul and Hebrews (Arthur S. Way, 1901, 1903)	So will we wait expectant of the realization of our blest hope, Expectant of the dawn-splendour of the glory of God Almighty, and of our Saviour, Jesus the Messiah
Letters to Young Churches (J. B. Phillips, 1947, 1957)	And while we live this life we hope and wait for the glorious dénouement of God Himself and of Jesus Christ our Saviour
New American Bible (1986, 1991, revised 2010)	…as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ.
New Life Version (1969)	We are to be looking for the great hope and the coming of our great God and the One Who saves, Christ Jesus.

[Top]

Directory | Site Map | Explanation Monotheism | New Testament Studies hebrew-streams.org