Our great God and Savior
In the WEB’s rendering, God and Savior are coordinated titles of Jesus Christ, whose appearance believers await.
Historical context
An ethical exhortation is grounded in grace, future glory, and Jesus’ self-giving redemption.
Reception
Direct wording
Tradition note
The shared Nicene Protestant reading begins with the passages in context, connects their testimony, and confesses the Son’s deity without erasing his humanity or distinction from the Father. Protestant readers differ on individual constructions and allusions; non-Nicene alternatives here are argument checks, not a claim that every Protestant tradition holds the same doctrine.
Avoid overclaiming
A translation’s punctuation makes its interpretation visible. Compare the grammar and surrounding sentences; do not count an English comma as independent evidence or claim every interpreter agrees.
Strongest alternative reading
A competing reading assigns great God to the Father and Savior to Jesus, interpreting the phrase as the glory of God appearing through his Messiah. Verse 10 has just called God our Savior.
Key points
- In the WEB’s rendering, God and Savior are coordinated titles of Jesus Christ, whose appearance believers await.
- The NET translator’s note explicitly argues for the single-person construction. That is substantial grammatical support for direct identification, while the wider use of Savior for the Father explains why the alternative arises.
Common questions
- What does the text explicitly say before a theological conclusion is drawn?
- What is the strongest competing reading, and which details weigh against it?
Doctrinal connections
- The standard single-referent reading directly names Jesus as great God as well as Savior. The shared grammatical construction and the following relative clause about his self-giving support that reading.
Scripture
- Titus 2:13–14 — An ethical exhortation is grounded in grace, future glory, and Jesus’ self-giving redemption.
- Titus 2:10–14 — God’s salvation and Jesus’ redeeming act form the full context.
- 2 Peter 1:1 — A close God-and-Savior construction.
- Titus 3:4–6 — God our Savior and Jesus Christ our Savior are distinguished while both save.
Primary sources
A translation’s punctuation makes its interpretation visible. Compare the grammar and surrounding sentences; do not count an English comma as independent evidence or claim every interpreter agrees.
The WEB coordinates God and Savior as titles of Jesus Christ in the awaited appearance.
our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
Passage context and translation
An ethical exhortation is grounded in grace, future glory, and Jesus’ self-giving redemption.
Before the excerpt
Titus 2:12 — instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;
After the excerpt
Titus 2:14 — who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous …
Sources and further reading
- NET Bible translator’s note: Titus 2:13
Verified grammatical argument for God and Savior referring to the same person; the note is an attributed interpretation, not universal consensus. - Titus 2:13–14 · World English Bible
Primary passage checked in context; excerpt uses the public-domain WEB. The argument and competing reading are original study notes.