An Epiphany of Kindness

Titus 3:4-8a

Philip Comfort has translated this passage, which was a poem in the original greek, into modern English verse. Watch the video below then read silently through the poem. After taking time on the video to familiarise yourself with the poem, take time on the second reading, to ponder and notice.

The “Saying” of the Savior’s Epiphany

Titus 3:4-8a

4–5 Not because of righteous works we have done, 

but by his mercy, God our Savior rescued us. 

His epiphany came with love and kindness. 


He lavishly poured his sacred Spirit upon us. 

6 This Spirit regenerates, renews, and washes— 

thanks to the grace of Jesus Christ our Savior 

7 who made us right with God and heirs of eternal life. 


8 We can count on this trustworthy saying.

(Philip Comfort, The Poems and Hymns of the New Testament. Used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com)

In looking previously at 1 Peter on Patience, it focused on not doing certain things, namely not retaliating, instead… waiting. Here again in Titus it is what we have not done but what God has done for us that is the focus.

It is of two sendings; the incarnation of Jesus and the pouring out of the Spirit. One to rescue us the other to regenerate us. We not only need rescuing from sin, but renewing within, in order to be right with God. Just like in 1 Peter looking at patience, the end purpose is a right relationship with God, an eternal one.

The use of the term Savior is repeated in both stanzas highlighting both the act of our rescue and our need of it. Also, both times it is in the context of mercy/grace.

However the line that always hits me is “His epiphany came with love and kindness”. The reason for the incarnation (and the sending of the Spirit) plus the motivation for all that Jesus did while he was here, was due to the love and kindness of the God (as a trinity). Something we can count on….

As to the piano music, the main image in the music comes from the fifth line of the poem i.e. the idea of the Spirit’s work of kindness in renewing and washing.  I had in mind rain or water droplets leading to a river/lake with this piece.  There are also strong references to the Spirit motif from the opening of Love.

(Here is the music on Spotify and Youtube)