What he immediately adds, To be ready for every good work, may be applied to the same subject, as if he had said, “All who do not refuse to lead a good and virtuous life, will cheerfully yield obedience to magistrates.” For, since they have been appointed for the preservation of mankind, he who…

Not given to fighting As if he had said, “Quarrels and contentions must be avoided.” The old translation has therefore rendered it better, Not quarrelsome; for there are other ways of fighting than the sword or the fist.

In the words of Paul, there are two things that need to be understood. The first is, that they who have now been enlightened by the Lord, being humbled by the remembrance of their former ignorance, should not exalt themselves proudly over others, or treat them with greater harshness and severity…

“God so loved the world”, says John, “that he gave his only-begotten Son.” Paul also says in another passage, “Hereby God confirmeth his love towards us, that, while we were enemies, Christ died for us.” It is a customary way of speaking in Scripture, that the world was reconciled to God through…

It is madness, therefore, to allege that a man approaches to God by his own “preparations,” as they call them. During the whole period of life they depart further and further from him, until he puts forth his hand, and brings them back into that path from which they had gone astray.

6. Which he shed, (or, whom he shed) In the Greek, the relative may apply either to the “washing” or to the “Spirit;” for both of the nouns – λουτρόν and Πνεῦμα – are neuter.

Still this does not prevent him from returning immediately to praise divine mercy; and he even mingles both blessings together – that our sins have been freely pardoned, and that we have been renewed so as to obey God.

I wish thee to affirm these things Διαβεβαιοῦσθαι under a passive termination, has an active signification, and means “to affirm anything strongly.” Titus is therefore enjoined to disregard other matters, and to teach those which are certain and undoubted – to press them on the attention of their…

When he adds genealogies, he mentions one class of “foolish questions;” for instance, when curious men, forgetting to gather fruit from the sacred histories, seize on the lineage of races, and trifles of that nature, with which they weary themselves without advantage.

When he commands him to avoid such persons, it is as if he said that he must not toil hard to satisfy them, and even that there is nothing better than to cut off the handle for fighting which they are eager to find.

He next points out the sign of this ruin – an evil conscience, when he says, that they who do not yield to admonitions are condemned by themselves; for, since they obstinately reject the truth, it is certain that they sin willfully and of their own accord, and therefore it would be of no advantage…

END OF CALVIN’S COMMENTARY ON TITUS