Titus 2:13 13looking forward to the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Christ Jesus,
Christians await another epiphany, the appearance at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Christ’s second appearance is linked with his first one and is guaranteed because of the victory of his first appearance (1 Corinthians 15:23). This verse is linked grammatically to the main verb of verse 12, paraphrased in this way: God’s grace teaches us about holy living while we are waiting for the second coming of Christ. Paul expresses a similar idea in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. We are waiting for and looking forward to the blessed hope that will be a fulfillment of what God has already promised in Christ (Ephesians 1:18). This hope is called blessed because it will complete the purpose of God’s grace and bring an end to the struggle with a fallen world.
This hope focuses upon a person and an event. Jesus’ appearance is described as glorious (doxēs), a term that expresses God’s power and majesty (Exodus 33:18-20; 1 Peter 4:13; 5:1) that is experienced in the person of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6). The last part of this verse poses some difficulties. The key issue is whether Paul is referring to two persons (God and Jesus) or one (Jesus being our great God), both being possible translations from the Greek. The message of the verse is much clearer: when God in Christ comes a second time, the purpose of God’s grace in our lives right now will have reached it purpose of bringing God’s sons and daughters into glory (Hebrews 2:10). It may be best not to separate God from Christ Jesus in this verse. What God does is best seen in Jesus Christ. What Jesus Christ does is the perfect will of God as Jesus represents God’s presence to the world.
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