Titus 3:3
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just list sins; it paints a picture of active enslavement. We weren't merely "bad," but "slaves" to our desires, meaning our very will and actions were dictated by them. This highlights that our former state wasn't just a passive condition of being lost, but an energetic, albeit misguided, servitude.
Paul, writing to Titus, is instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He’s emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and how it should manifest in godly living, including proper conduct towards civic authorities and neighborly relations. This verse serves as a stark reminder that all believers, regardless of background, were once lost in sin before God’s grace transformed them.
Before Christ, we weren't just making mistakes; we were fundamentally broken. This verse paints a stark picture of life apart from God's grace.
Paul doesn't pull punches here. He describes believers, including himself, as once being:
This isn't a gentle description; it's a raw confession of the human condition without God. It highlights the depth of our fallenness.
Why would Paul remind believers of their past brokenness? It's not to shame them, but to fuel a crucial attitude towards others.
The striking thing about Titus 3:3 is its placement. It immediately precedes instructions for believers to be gentle, kind, and patient with others, even those who are difficult or unbelieving (Titus 3:2, 4-7).
The argument is powerful:
Understand the original words
anoētos · Greek Adjective
The state of being lacking in spiritual wisdom or understanding, often referring to a heart that is darkened and opposed to the truth of God.
epithymia · Greek Noun
Refers to a life driven by disordered desires and self-serving longings, which ultimately lead a person away from God and into bondage to sin.
kakia · Greek Noun
A settled disposition of ill will, desire for harm, or active spite against others, which is fundamentally contrary to the love commanded by God.
This passage echoes Titus 3:3 by stating that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' underscoring the universal human condition of sinfulness and lostness described in Titus.
Ephesians 2:1-3Similar to Titus 3:3, this passage paints a picture of humanity's pre-Christian state as 'dead in trespasses and sins,' enslaved to the 'desires of the flesh and of the mind,' and inherently objects of wrath.
Colossians 1:21This verse directly parallels the sentiment in Titus 3:3 by reminding believers that they were once 'aliens and enemies in your minds, doing evil deeds,' before their reconciliation through Christ.
Romans 1:29-31This detailed list of sins in Romans functions as an expansion of the descriptions in Titus 3:3, showcasing the same kinds of foolishness, malice, envy, and hatred that characterized the unregenerate life.
ellicottTitus 3:3: "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
(3) For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived. —Better rendered, For we were once ourselves foolish, disobedient, going astray. Surely, the Apostle argues, Christians can never refuse obedience to one in authority, or decline to be meek, courteous, kind, and forbearing to their neighbours, beca…
pooleTitus 3:3: "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish; without any knowledge, wisdom, or spiritual understanding. Disobedient: the word signifieth as well unbelieving as disobedient, neither persuaded to assent to the truth, nor yet to live up to the rule of the gospel. Deceived by the deceitfulness of sin. Serving divers lusts…
The verse doesn't just list sins; it paints a picture of active enslavement. We weren't merely "bad," but "slaves" to our desires, meaning our very will and actions were dictated by them. This highlights that our former state wasn't just a passive condition of being lost, but an energetic, albeit misguided, servitude.
Paul, writing to Titus, is instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He’s emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and how it should manifest in godly living, including proper conduct towards civic authorities and neighborly relations. This verse serves as a stark reminder that all believers, regardless of background, were once lost in sin before God’s grace transformed them.
Paul, writing to Titus, is instructing him on how to lead the church in Crete. He’s emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine and how it should manifest in godly living, including proper conduct towards civic authorities and neighborly relations. This verse serves as a stark reminder that all believers, regardless of background, were once lost in sin before God’s grace transformed them.
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"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." — The verse doesn't just list sins; it paints a picture of active enslavement. We weren't merely "bad," but "slaves" to our desires, meaning our very will and actions were dictated by them. This highli…
