Titus 3:4

“But after that, etc.] After all this series and course of wickedness; notwithstanding all this foolishness, disobedience, deception, bondage to sin, envy, malice, and malignity; or “when” all this was, as the word may be rendered, amidst all this iniquity; when these persons were in the full career of sin, and so had done no preparatory works, or had any previous qualifications and dispositions for the grace of God: the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; unto them; and the Ethiopic version adds, “unto us”. The apostle takes the advantage of the above character of himself, and others in their former state, to set off and magnify the grace of God in their conversion; so…”

“To show how little reason the Cretan Christians had to be proud of themselves, and despise others not Christians (see on Tit 3:2-3). It is to the "kindness and love of God," not to their own merits, that they owe salvation. kindness--Greek, "goodness," "benignity," which manifests His grace. love . . . toward man--teaching us to have such "love (benevolence) toward man" (Greek, "philanthropy"), "showing all meekness unto all men" (Tit 3:2), even as God had "toward man" (Tit 2:11); opposed to the "hateful and hating" characteristics of unrenewed men, whose wretchedness moved God's benevolent kindness. of God our Saviour--Greek, "of our Saviour God," namely, the Father (Tit 1:3), who "saved…”

“But after that - Greek, when - ὅτε hote The meaning is, that “when the love of God was manifested in the plan of salvation, he saved us from this state God appeared” after we had sinned in this way, but that when his mercy was thus displayed we were converted from our sins, and made pure in his sight. The kindness - χρηστότης chrēstotēs - “the goodness, or the benignity.” The word is rendered “goodness” and “good” in Romans 2:4; Romans 3:12; Romans 11:22, thrice; “kindness,” 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:4; and “gentleness,” Galatians 5:22. The act of redeeming us was one of great kindness, or goodness. And love of God - Margin, “pity.” The Greek word is…”

“When the love of God appeared - By the light of his Spirit to our inmost soul. Titus 3:5”

“3:4-7 This passage might be a summary or quote from traditional teaching (see 1 Tim 1:15; 2:5-6). 3:4 We should behave toward our compatriots as God acted toward us—in kindness and love. God’s salvation makes this possible. • revealed (literally appeared): The Greek word relates to the coming of Christ (also in 2:11, 13; see study note on 1 Tim 6:14).”

“the kindness: Tit 2:11; Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21; Eph 2:4-10 love: or, pity God: Tit 1:3, Tit 2:10; Ti1 1:1, Ti1 2:3, Ti1 4:10 appeared: Tit 2:11; Ti2 1:10; Heb 9:26 Titus 3:5”