Titus 3:8
It is a faithful saying: and these things I will have thee affirm constantly: that they, who believe in God, may be careful to excel in good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Fidelis sermo est : et de his volo te confirmare : ut curent bonis operibus præesse qui credunt Deo. Hæc sunt bona, et utilia hominibus.
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ περὶ τούτων βούλομαί σε διαβεβαιοῦσθαι, ἵνα φροντίζωσιν καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι οἱ πεπιστευκότες θεῷ. ταῦτά ἐστιν καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις·
Haydock's commentary
It is a faithful saying. He means what he has already said, of our being justified by the grace and mercies of God.
And of these things I will have thee to affirm3 earnestly. The sense is not, I would herein confirm thee, (as Mr. N. translates, without attention to the Greek, which in so many places shews us the literal sense of the Latin text) but that he would have his disciple, Titus, to confirm and settle others in the belief of these truths, that, as it follows, they may be careful to excel in good works. (Witham)
3 De his volo te confirmare, peri touton boulomai se diabebaiousthai: on which St. Chrysostom says, (log. st. p. 406.) toutesti, tauta dialegesthai; I would have to declare these things, &c.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, Philippians 1:22-26
There is nothing better than oil. It is the cause of light, and there also it is the cause of light. “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning” ( Isa. lviii. 8 .), saith the Prophet, if thou showest pity upon thy neighbour. And as natural oil contains light, so then doth mercy [alms] grant us a great, a marvelous light. Much mention doth Paul, too, make of this mercy. In one place, hear him say, “Only that we should remember the poor.” ( Gal. ii. 10 .) And in another, “If it be meet for me to go also.” ( 1 Cor. xvi. 4 .) And in every place, turn where you will, ye see him anxious about this very thing. And again, “And let our people also learn to maintain good works.” ( Tit. iii. 14 .) And again, “These things are good and profitable unto men.” ( Tit. iii. 8 .) Listen to a certain other one who saith, “Alms do deliver from death” ( Tob. xii. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Titus 3:8-11
Titus iii. 8-11 “These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject. Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”