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Re: Titus 2.11-12a

Perry L. Stepp wrote:
> 
> Hello, all.
> 
> I'm looking at Titus 2.11-12a, which is usually translated along the lines
> of "the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us
> to renounce impiety . . . ."  The punctuation of the NA27 suggests a
> different possibility, and I'm wondering what the ins and outs are for this
> particular reading.  I don't know of any commentators who have addressed
> it, but my resources are limited when it comes to the Pastorals.
> 
> The NA27 punctuation suggests that the text might be read as follows: "For
> the grace of God has appeared, training us [to work for?] the salvation of
> all men, in order that we should renounce impiety, . . . ."
> 
> Is this translation possible?  Does the punctuation indeed suggest this
> reading, or am I imagining things?  Do any commentators/translators discuss
> it?  What are the arguments relating to it?
> 
> Grace and peace,
> 
> Perry L. Stepp
> 
> ************************************************************
> Pastor, DeSoto Christian Church, DeSoto TX
> Ph.D. candidate in New Testament, Baylor University
> 
> To turn away and not become
> Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves
> more deeply than the oceans,
> more abundant than the tears
> Of a world embracing every heartache
> 
> Can I be the one to sacrifice
> Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow?
> 
> ************************************************************
Perry;

Thank you for this post.  It has caused me to rethink this verse as well
as my diagram. The connective GAR gives the "reason why the recipient
was to adorn the gospel of God." Then a decision has to be made on the
textual problem.  Do we read the definite feminine article with the
verbal noun??? SOTERIOS or omit it.  If we read it as I think we should
then the article and the noun are used adjectivally so we could
translate "the saving grace of God has been revealed/made manifest (by
God)to all men(in the Cross)which(referring to grace the subject) is
training/instructing/disciplining us (those who have accepted the grace)
so that (purpose) we might live in this present age in a
self-controlled, upright, and devout manner..." So I would probably go
in a different direction than either one of your choices.

John of Dover
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