God is Great, Jesus is Great.
Titus 2:13 προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
The pattern, article substantive καὶ substantive, opens up a single scenario for both substantives. The most context specific scenario in Titus 2:13 is the manifestation of divine glory ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης. Jesus shares in the diving glory even if μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος are not coreferential. If we read μεγάλου θεοῦ as a reference to God the Father and both θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος as qualifying (dependent upon) τῆς δόξης[1], we see Jesus Christ sharing in and manifesting the glory that belongs to God (cf. John 17). In other words, Jesus glory is the glory of the Great God τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ. There is no demotion of Jesus Christ involved in reading τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ in reference to God the Father. Never the less, I still consider μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος coreferential.
Larry W. Hurtado[2] notes how in the Pastorals both Jesus and God the Father are called σωτὴρ and in several contexts God the Father and Jesus are both referenced by σωτὴρ in close proximity:
Titus 1:3 ἐφανέρωσεν δὲ καιροῖς ἰδίοις τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐν κηρύγματι, ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγὼ κατ᾿ ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, 4 Τίτῳ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ κατὰ κοινὴν πίστιν, χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν.
Titus 2:11 Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις 12 παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, 13 προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Titus 3:4 ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, 5 οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου, 6 οὗ ἐξέχεεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν,
In the historical context of the Pastorals σωτὴρ and ἐπιφάνεια/ἐπιφάινω (Titus 2:11-13) invoke a scenario of divinity[3] where Jesus Christ is a member of the same scenario and not only shares the epithet σωτὴρ with θεοῦ σωτήριος he is the manifestation of θεοῦ σωτήριος:
2Tim. 1:10 φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν διὰ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καταργήσαντος μὲν τὸν θάνατον φωτίσαντος δὲ ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
[1] Murray J. Harris, Jesus as God, pp. 176
[2] Larry W. Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003 pp. 515-517.
[3] Hurtado 2003:516
The pattern, article substantive καὶ substantive, opens up a single scenario for both substantives. The most context specific scenario in Titus 2:13 is the manifestation of divine glory ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης. Jesus shares in the diving glory even if μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος are not coreferential. If we read μεγάλου θεοῦ as a reference to God the Father and both θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος as qualifying (dependent upon) τῆς δόξης[1], we see Jesus Christ sharing in and manifesting the glory that belongs to God (cf. John 17). In other words, Jesus glory is the glory of the Great God τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ. There is no demotion of Jesus Christ involved in reading τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ in reference to God the Father. Never the less, I still consider μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος coreferential.
Larry W. Hurtado[2] notes how in the Pastorals both Jesus and God the Father are called σωτὴρ and in several contexts God the Father and Jesus are both referenced by σωτὴρ in close proximity:
Titus 1:3 ἐφανέρωσεν δὲ καιροῖς ἰδίοις τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐν κηρύγματι, ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγὼ κατ᾿ ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, 4 Τίτῳ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ κατὰ κοινὴν πίστιν, χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν.
Titus 2:11 Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις 12 παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, 13 προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Titus 3:4 ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, 5 οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου, 6 οὗ ἐξέχεεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν,
In the historical context of the Pastorals σωτὴρ and ἐπιφάνεια/ἐπιφάινω (Titus 2:11-13) invoke a scenario of divinity[3] where Jesus Christ is a member of the same scenario and not only shares the epithet σωτὴρ with θεοῦ σωτήριος he is the manifestation of θεοῦ σωτήριος:
2Tim. 1:10 φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν διὰ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καταργήσαντος μὲν τὸν θάνατον φωτίσαντος δὲ ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
[1] Murray J. Harris, Jesus as God, pp. 176
[2] Larry W. Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003 pp. 515-517.
[3] Hurtado 2003:516
posted by C. Stirling Bartholomew | 3:53 PM
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