“But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;”
My Notes
What Does Titus 1:3 Mean?
Paul describes God's revelation strategy: in due times — at the right moments — God manifested His word through preaching. The word wasn't always visible. It was hidden until the moment God chose to unveil it. And the method of unveiling was preaching — human speech, commissioned by God.
The phrase "in due times" (kairois idiois — in His own seasons) means God controls the timing of revelation. The word existed before it was preached. But God chose specific moments in history to make it public. The "due time" for the gospel was the age of the apostles. The word that was concealed in prophecy was now manifested through proclamation.
"Committed unto me" — Paul received the preaching as a trust. The word was deposited with him the way valuable cargo is deposited with a reliable courier. He didn't generate the message. He carries it. And the commission came "according to the commandment of God our Saviour" — this isn't Paul's initiative. It's God's order.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does knowing that God chooses 'due times' for revelation change your patience about things not yet revealed in your life?
- 2.Does the 'scandal' of preaching (divine word through human mouth) increase or decrease your confidence in the message?
- 3.What word has been 'committed' to you — entrusted for delivery, not for keeping?
- 4.Are you in a 'due time' right now — a season where God is revealing something through you?
Devotional
God waited. Then He spoke. Through preaching. Through a person. At exactly the right time.
The word of God existed before Paul preached it. It was always true. But it wasn't always public. God chose specific seasons — "due times" — to manifest what had been concealed. And the method He chose for the unveiling wasn't writing in the sky or thundering from heaven. It was preaching. A human being, opening a human mouth, speaking divine words.
That's the scandal of God's communication strategy: He entrusts the most important message in the universe to human voices. Not angels. Not burning bushes. Preaching. The word that created galaxies is delivered by a man standing in a room.
"Committed unto me" — Paul holds this with the weight of someone carrying something that isn't his. The message was deposited. Entrusted. Given for delivery. Paul is the courier, not the author. And the authorization is divine: "according to the commandment of God."
The due time came. God chose the moment. He chose the method (preaching). He chose the messenger (Paul). And through that combination — right time, right method, right person — the hidden word became manifest.
You might be the right person, at the right time, carrying a word that God has been waiting to manifest. The preaching isn't less because it comes through you. It's miraculous because it does.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But hath in due times manifested his word,.... Either Christ, his essential Word; or the word of truth, the Gospel of…
But hath in due times - At the proper time; the time which he had intended; the best time: see the notes at 1Ti 2:6;…
But hath in due times - Καιροις ιδιοις· In its own times. See Ti1 2:6; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:10; Eph 2:7. God caused the Gospel…
Here is the preface to the epistle, showing,
I. The writer. Paul, a Gentile name taken by the apostle of the Gentiles,…
but hath in due times See note on 1Ti 6:15: and compare Gal 6:9. The phrase may well be thought the Hellenistic…
Cross References
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