John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish , etc.] Nothing has a greater tendency to promote humility, and check pride in the saints, than to reflect upon their past state and condition, what they themselves once were; and this is a reason why magistrates, though evil men, should be obeyed in things good and lawful, and why no man should be spoken evil of, and why every man should be treated in a gentle manner, and used with mildness and meekness; since the apostle himself, and Titus, and other saints, whom he designed this as an instruction for, were formerly, in their unregenerate state, just such persons themselves; and therefore should not glory over them, and treat them in a contemptuous manner: and besides, the same grace that had made a difference in them, could make one in these also, and which might be made in God's own time: and particularly, whereas they observed great ignorance in these men, they should consider that they also had been foolish, and without understanding of things, divine and spiritual, and neither knew their own state and condition, nor the way of salvation by Christ; yea, the apostle himself, though he had a zeal for God, yet not according to knowledge; he did not know lust, nor the exceeding sinfulness of sin, until he was enlightened by the Spirit of God; he was ignorant of the righteousness of God, and went about to establish his own, which he imagined to be blameless; and thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus: disobedient ; both to the law of God, and Gospel of Christ; disbelieving the truths of the Gospel, and not subjected to the ordinances of it, notwithstanding the evidence with which they came, and the miracles by which they were confirmed. Deceived ; by the old serpent Satan, who deceives the whole world; and by an evil heart of unbelief, as well as by false teachers and leaders; and so, as the word signifies, were wandering about in darkness and ignorance, and were as sheep going astray, until they were returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. Serving divers lusts and pleasures ; the lusts of the flesh are many and various, which promise pleasure to them that obey them, though that is but imaginary, and very short lived, and which subjects persons to bondage and slavery; for such who indulge to these things, are overcome by them, led captive, and brought into bondage, and are the servants of sin, vassals and slaves to their own corruptions; and such these saints had been, here spoken of: living in malice and envy ; they had not only malice and envy in their hearts against their fellow creatures, but practised it in their lives; yea, their lives were a continued series of malice and envy; particularly this was true of the apostle, who haled men and women out of their houses, and committed them to prison; breathed out slaughter and threatenings against the saints; was exceedingly mad against them, persecuted them to strange cities, and compelled them to blaspheme, and gave his vote for punishing them with death. Hateful, and hating one another ; abominable in the sight of God, as considered in themselves, and on account of their nature and practices; and to be abhorred by all good men; and who, by their continual feuds, quarrels, and animosities among themselves, showed an hatred, an abhorrence of one another.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - Spiritual privileges do not make void or weaken, but confirm civi duties. Mere good words and good meanings are not enough without goo works. They were not to be quarrelsome, but to show meekness on all occasions, not toward friends only, but to all men, though with wisdom Jas 3:13. And let this text teach us how wrong it is for a Christian to be churlish to the worst, weakest, and most abject. The servants of sin have many masters, their lusts hurry them different ways; prid commands one thing, covetousness another. Thus they are hateful deserving to be hated. It is the misery of sinners, that they hate on another; and it is the duty and happiness of saints to love on another. And we are delivered out of our miserable condition, only by the mercy and free grace of God, the merit and sufferings of Christ and the working of his Spirit. God the Father is God our Saviour. He is the fountain from which the Holy Spirit flows, to teach, regenerate and save his fallen creatures; and this blessing comes to mankin through Christ. The spring and rise of it, is the kindness and love of God to man. Love and grace have, through the Spirit, great power to change and turn the heart to God. Works must be in the saved, but ar not among the causes of their salvation. A new principle of grace an holiness is wrought, which sways, and governs, and makes the man a ne creature. Most pretend they would have heaven at last, yet they car not for holiness now; they would have the end without the beginning Here is the outward sign and seal thereof in baptism, called therefor the washing of regeneration. The work is inward and spiritual; this in outwardly signified and sealed in this ordinance. Slight not thi outward sign and seal; yet rest not in the outward washing, but look to the answer of a good conscience, without which the outward washing wil avail nothing. The worker therein is the Spirit of God; it is the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Through him we mortify sin, perform duty walk in God's ways; all the working of the Divine life in us, and the fruits of righteousness without, are through this blessed and holy Spirit. The Spirit and his saving gifts and graces, come throug Christ, as a Saviour, whose undertaking and work are to bring to grac and glory. Justification, in the gospel sense, is the free forgivenes of a sinner; accepting him as righteous through the righteousness of Christ received by faith. God, in justifying a sinner in the way of the gospel, is gracious to him, yet just to himself and his law. A forgiveness is through a perfect righteousness, and satisfaction is made to justice by Christ, it cannot be merited by the sinner himself Eternal life is set before us in the promise; the Spirit works faith in us, and hope of that life; faith and hope bring it near, and fill with joy in expectation of it.
Greek Textus Receptus
ημεν 1510 5713 V-IXI-1P γαρ 1063 CONJ ποτε 4218 PRT και 2532 CONJ ημεις 2249 P-1NP ανοητοι 453 A-NPM απειθεις 545 A-NPM πλανωμενοι 4105 5746 V-PPP-NPM δουλευοντες 1398 5723 V-PAP-NPM επιθυμιαις 1939 N-DPF και 2532 CONJ ηδοναις 2237 N-DPF ποικιλαις 4164 A-DPF εν 1722 PREP κακια 2549 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ φθονω 5355 N-DSM διαγοντες 1236 5723 V-PAP-NPM στυγητοι 4767 A-NPM μισουντες 3404 5723 V-PAP-NPM αλληλους 240 C-APM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Divers - pleasures (hdonaiv poikilaiv). Hdonh pleasure, only here in Pastorals. o P. See on Jas. iv. 1. For poikilaiv divers, see on 2 Timothy iii. 6.Malice (kakia). Only here in Pastorals. See on James. i. 21. In N.T. kakia is a special form of vice, not viciousness in general, as Cicero, Tusc. iv. 15, who explains by "vitiositas, a viciousness which includes all vices." Calvin, on Eph. iv. 32, defines as " a viciousness of mind opposed to humanity and fairness, and commonly styled malignity." The homily ascribed to Clement of Rome, describes kakia as the forerunner (proodoiporon) of our sins (x). Malice is a correct translation.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:3 {Aforetime} (pote). "Once" in our unconverted state as in #Eph 2:3. {Foolish} (anoetoi). See #Ro 1:14,21. {Disobedient} (apeitheis). See #Ro 1:30. {Deceived} (planwmenoi). Present passive participle of planaw though the middle is possible. {Divers lusts} (hedonais poikilais). "Pleasures" (hdonais from hedomai, old word, in N.T. only here, #Lu 8:14; Jas 4:1,3; 2Pe 2:13). poikilais (old word) is many-colored as in #Mr 1:34; Jas 1:2; 2Ti 3:6, etc. {Living} (diagontes). See #1Ti 3:6 (supply bion). {In malice} (en kakiai). See #Ro 1:29. {Envy} (phthon"i). See #Ro 1:29. {Hateful} (stugtoi). Late passive verbal from stuge", to hate. In Philo, only here in N.T. {Hating one another} (misountes allelous). Active sense and natural result of being "hateful."
