226 linda l. belleville
title Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, found twenty-five times in the Pastorals (compare
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός found only six times).26 the only other new testament
letter where Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς is equally frequent is galatians, where hetero-
doxy is also at issue (gal 2:16; 3:26, 28; 4:14; 5:6). the word order Χριστὸς
Ἰησοῦς is significant. Ἰησοῦς is descriptive—“Christ the saving one,”
rather than the more usual Ἰησοῦς Χριστός—Jesus the “anointed one” or
“messiah.”
the title Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς and soteriology are intimately connected in
the Pastorals. grace and peace comes from god the father and Christ
Jesus τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν (titus 1:4). it is a grace poured out upon us richly
through Jesus Christ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν (titus 3:6) and manifested in the
appearing of σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Christ Jesus, whose coming abolished death
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 tim 1:10).
it is Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς who came into the world to save sinners (1 tim 1:15)
and gave himself as a ransom for all (1 tim 2:5). salvation is an expression
of god’s grace (titus 2:11) and is found in Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς and in him alone
(2 tim 2:10). as such, he is the σωτήρ who “gave himself for us to redeem
us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own pos-
session” (titus 2:13–14). Christ Jesus is our hope who breaks the power of
death and shows us the way to everlasting life (2 tim 1:10). those who
believe in him will receive eternal life (1 tim 1:16; cf. 2 tim 3:15). Χριστὸς
Ἰησοῦς is singularly said to have made a good confession when he testified
before Pontius Pilate (1 tim 6:13). Christ Jesus is our hope who “breaks
the power of death and shows us the way to everlasting life” (2 tim 1:10).
those who believe, believe in Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς for salvation (1 tim 1:14; 3:13;
2 tim 3:15).27 those who believe in him will receive eternal life (1 tim 1:16;
cf. 2 tim 3:15). now we await our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory
of our great god and τοῦ σωτῆρος Jesus Christ (titus 2:13).
if the title Christ Jesus τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν captures the essence of Christ’s
first coming, the title Christ Jesus τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν captures his second
coming. “grace, mercy, and peace” come from the father and “Christ Jesus
τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν” (1 tim 1:2; 2 tim 1:2). When “Christ Jesus τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν”
appears again (1 tim 6:14), it will be as the “righteous Judge” of “the living
and the dead” (2 tim 4:1, 8), who “will repay us in accordance with our
deeds” (2 tim 4:14). those who disown him, he will also disown (2 tim
2:12b). But for those who remain faithful, there is the promise of enjoying
26 P. trummer, Die Paulustradition der Pastoralbriefe (BBet 8; frankfurt: Peter lang,
1978), 193–94, 204.
27 Cf. Wieland, The Significance of Salvation.