In 1 Timothy 1:7 he warns against some who, desiring to be teachers of

the law, understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.  The

apostle asserts that the law is good if used lawfully.  For this reason, if

for no other, the word `godliness' appears so frequently in these later

epistles.  When the apostle writes the epistle to the Ephesians, the

relationship of `good works' to salvation by grace is clearly and

categorically stated:

`By grace are ye saved through faith ... Not Of works ... (but) Unto

good works' (Eph. 2:8 -10).

So, in Titus 3, he places in apposition but not in opposition verses 5 and 8.

In connection with the phrase `peculiar people', see article People3.

`Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey

magistrates' (Titus 3:1).

These words introduce a controversial point.  Some maintain that the

apostle is exhorting obedience to civil authorities, others argue that the

principalities and powers are names and titles of spiritual rulers in the

church, and as the subject is of very practical interest, let us give

something more than a passing attention to it.  We will leave this epistle to

Titus and consider the testimony of other Scriptures.  It is easy to take one

side of a controversy or to take the other, but in many cases the truth lies

midway between, and both extremes are seen to be partisan in nature.  When

the Pharisees and the Herodians put the question `Is it lawful to give

tribute unto Caesar, or not?' they expected that the Lord would be impaled on

the horns of a dilemma, for if He said `the people of God, who worship Him

alone, and abominate idolatry, must never give tribute to Caesar, otherwise

they have complicity with his evil rule', the Pharisees would have

immediately denounced Him to Pilate, as a rebel and sedition -monger.  If on

the other hand He said `Yes, the people of Israel must render tribute to the

Roman Power, for it has been ordained of God, and we must obey', then the

Pharisees would have turned to the people and to His disciples and said `Can

He be the Messiah, the true King and deliverer of Israel, of whom it was

predicted that He would save them from their enemies?' (Luke 1:71).  What

they did not expect, was to be shown the middle course:

`Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto

God the things that are God's' (Matt. 22:15 -21).

If believers in such circumstances could be enjoined to be subject to the

powers that be, to pray for kings and all that are in authority, how much

more should we, who live in days when the powers that be are at least

superficially on the side not only of civic righteousness, but are supporters

of Christian principles.

`If the passage (Rom. 13:1 -7) is read through as a whole, it will be

seen that the apostle does not by any means suggest an abject

submission to civil rule, whatever its demands.  There is to be

no prostration of the conscience before any successor to

Nebuchadnezzar's image, even though that image be now called "The

State" or even "The Church by law established".  What the apostle

maintains is that no Christian is justified in opposing government, or