Titus 3:3 (DRB)

Passage

For we ourselves also were some time unwise, incredulous, erring, slaves to divers desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Nearby Context

Titus 3:1 Admonish them to be subject to princes and powers, to obey at a word, to be ready to every good work.

Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, not to be litigious but gentle: shewing all mildness towards all men.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were some time unwise, incredulous, erring, slaves to divers desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared:

Titus 3:5 Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ourselves", "some", "time", "unwise", "incredulous", "erring", "slaves", and "divers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ourselves" and "some", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "To speak evil of no man not..." into verse 4's "But when the goodness and kindness of...", so "ourselves" and "some" belong inside that flow. In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "ourselves" and "some" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.