What does Titus 3:6 mean?
Verse 5 ended with a reference to the Holy Spirit. Verse 6 specifies that He is what is "poured out." The Holy Spirit came in power at Pentecost, which was the birth of the church (Acts 2). Here, Paul emphasizes the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the life of each individual as he or she comes to faith in Christ. This is not a later experience, but something that takes places when a person is saved.It's important to know that the spirit is referred to using the Greek word hou, which is a masculine "personal pronoun." This is a fancy way of saying that the term means "whom," in reference to a person. The Holy Spirit is being described in personal terms, not as an object or impersonal force.
The Holy Spirit was poured out "richly" or "abundantly." Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, as described in Acts 1:4–5. Paul again refers to Jesus Christ as "our Savior." This stresses the fact that both Paul and Titus are followers of Christ, and of the same Savior. This is despite the fact that Paul was a Jew and Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile.
Titus 3:4–7 is a poetic description of how God saves us. Rather than depending on our good deeds, God rescues us on the basis of His mercy. When a person accepts Christ, they experience “regeneration,” meaning a spiritual cleansing. God generously gives us the Holy Spirit and forgives our sin through His grace.
Paul reminds Titus of seven positive behaviors, and seven contrasting sins, which he is to insist on teaching correctly. False teachers are to be cut off, not given a public platform. Believers are not to waste time bickering, but focus on good works and urgent needs. This passage also explains how salvation is entirely the result of God’s grace, not our own good deeds.
