Titus 3:3 Cross References - AUV

³ For we [Christians] were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various kinds of [evil] desires and [sinful] pleasures. [We used to] live in malice and envy, hating people and being hated by them.

²⁹ The son answered, ‘No, I will not,’ but later changed his mind and went.

⁸ And He replied, “Pay attention, so that you are not led astray [from the truth]. For many [false teachers] will come, claiming to be me, and saying, ‘I am [the Christ],’ and ‘The time is near.’ [But] do not go after them.

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

¹ With every breath [it seemed], Saul [expressed his desire to] threaten and murder the Lord's disciples and [even] went to the head priest ² to ask for letters [authorizing him to go] to Damascus and to enter [Jewish] synagogues looking for people of "the Way" [Note: This was a designation for Christians at that time]. And if he found any, whether men or women, he would tie them up and take them to Jerusalem. ³ And when he got close to Damascus, suddenly a [bright, See 22:6] light from the sky shone all around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" ⁵ Saul replied, "Who are you, sir?" And the voice said, "It is I, Jesus, whom you are persecuting, ⁶ but get up, and enter the city [of Damascus] and [there] you will be told what you must do."

¹⁹ "As a result of this, O King, I did not disobey [the mandate of] this vision from heaven ²⁰ but, [instead] declared to the people of Damascus first, [then] to the people of Jerusalem, and [finally to those] throughout all of the district of Judea, as well as to the Gentiles [everywhere] that they should repent [i.e., change their hearts and lives] and turn to God, doing deeds which demonstrate their repentance.

²⁹ They are full of all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and maliciousness. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, hateful toward God, arrogant, proud and boastful. They think up evil things to do; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they do not have any sense; they do not keep their promises; they fail to show natural affection; and they are merciless.

⁹ What then? Are we [Jews] any better off [than those Gentiles]? No, not at all, for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] alike are under [the power of] sin, ¹⁰ as it is written [Psa. 14:1ff; 53:1ff], “No one [always] does what is right; not even one person. ¹¹ No one understands [everything]. No one looks to God [all the time]. ¹² Everyone has turned away [from God]. All of them have become worthless. No one is [always] kind; no, not even one person.” ¹³ [Psa. 5:9 says], “Their throats are like open graves [i.e., they are foul-mouthed]. They have spoken deceitfully.” [Psa. 90:3 says], “There is snake venom under their lips [i.e., their words are deadly].” ¹⁴ [Psa. 10:7 says], “Their speech is full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵ [Isa. 59:7ff says], “Their feet [take them where they] are quick to commit murder. ¹⁶ Their pathways are strewn with ruin and misery [i.e., caused by them]. ¹⁷ They have not known [how to walk on] a peaceful pathway.” ¹⁸ [Psa. 36:1 says], “They do not view God with reverence.” ¹⁹ Now we [all] know that everything the law says applies to those who are under [obligation to obey] that law, [Note: Here “the law” appears to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures generally, since Psalms and Isaiah are quoted. See verses 10-18]. This is so that the mouth of every objector may be stopped [i.e., from making excuses for his sin], and thereby bring the entire world under God’s judgment [i.e., both Jews and Gentiles]. ²⁰ This is because no human being can be considered right with God by [obeying] the requirements of a law. [Note: It is difficult to determine the exact sense in which “law” is used in these verses. It may be law generally, or the law of Moses specifically. See Bruce, pages 52-58]. For the knowledge of what sin is comes from the law of Moses.

¹⁷ Thank God that you people, who were once slaves to [the practice of] sin, became obedient from [your] heart to the pattern of teaching [i.e., the Gospel message] you committed yourself to.

²² But now, since you have been freed from [the practice of] sin and have become slaves to God, the benefits you receive are a holy life [here] and never ending life in the future.

⁹ Or, do you not know that evil people will not possess God’s kingdom? Do not be misled: neither will sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor those who are sexually unfaithful to their mates, nor homosexual perverts. [Note: The Greek uses two words here, denoting both the passive and active partners in male homosexual acts]. ¹⁰ And neither will thieves, nor greedy people, nor drunkards, nor abusive talkers, nor swindlers possess God’s kingdom. ¹¹ And some of you have practiced such things, but you were washed [i.e., from your sins. See Acts 22:16]; you were dedicated [i.e., set apart for God’s service]; you were made right with God in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit of our God.

²⁰ For I am afraid that somehow, when I come [to you], I might not find you the way I want you to be, and you might not find me the way you want me to be. I am afraid there might be quarrelling, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, slander, gossip, arrogance and [other] disturbances [there].

³ For any person who thinks he is someone [important], when he is really nothing, is self-deceived.

¹ And you [Gentiles] were once [spiritually] dead because of your shortcomings and sins. ² You practiced such things when you lived according to the evil ways of this world, and according to the ruler of the [spiritual] powers of the air. [Note: This refers to Satan, whose influence permeates life around us]. He is the [evil] spirit who is now at work in people who are disobedient [to God]. ³ All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].

²¹ And though you were once estranged [from God] and were enemies [of His] in your mind because of your evil deeds,

⁷ You people also once lived like this when you practiced these things.

² For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive talkers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ lacking in natural affection, unwilling to be reconciled [to their enemies], slanderers, lacking self-control, brutal, haters of what is good,

²⁶ If anyone considers himself to be religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, this person is self-deceived and his religion is worthless.

¹⁴ As obedient children, do not pattern your lives after the evil desires you formerly had when you were ignorant,

¹ Therefore, since Christ has suffered physically, you people should fortify yourselves with the same attitude He had. For the person who has suffered physically [i.e., in standing for Christ] has quit sinning. ² So then, you should no longer live the rest of your lives [to satisfy] the sinful desires of your body, but to do what God wants. ³ For the time you have [already] spent in the past [i.e., as Gentile unbelievers] was long enough to have practiced unrestrained, indecent conduct, improper sexual cravings, riotous living, wild parties, drunken orgies and disgusting idol worship.

⁹ Then the great dragon was thrown out [of heaven]; he is the snake from ancient times who is [also] called “the Devil,” and “Satan,” the deceiver of the entire world. He was thrown down to earth along with his angels.

¹⁴ [And] by being given [power] to perform these signs in the sight of the [first] beast, he deceived the people on earth. He told them to make a statue to [honor] the [first] beast, who had been wounded by a sword and yet lived [through it].

² And he called out with a loud voice, saying, “Fallen! The great Babylon has fallen, and has become a place where demons live, and a haunt for every evil spirit and every filthy and obnoxious bird {{Some ancient manuscripts add “and every filthy and obnoxious animal”}}.