1 The Text
Greek (NA28)
τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Key feature highlighted: the SINGLE article tou governs both nouns (theou and sōtēros) — the Granville Sharp construction
NIV
while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
ESV
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
NRSVue
while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
NASBRE
as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ
REV
looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Christ Jesus
2 Context
Titus is one of the Pastoral Epistles, attributed to Paul but widely considered by scholars to be pseudonymous — written by a later follower in Paul's name, possibly in the early second century. This dating matters for the debate: if Titus reflects a later stage of theological development, a higher Christology (including calling Jesus "God") becomes more historically plausible than it would be in Paul's undisputed letters.
The verse describes the Christian hope: the future "appearing" (epiphaneia) of glory. The question is whether one figure or two will appear — the glory of "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (one person) or "the glory of the great God" manifested through "our Savior Jesus Christ" (two figures, one appearing).
The grammatical crux is the Granville Sharp Rule (GSR): when a single article governs two singular personal nouns joined by kai, they typically refer to the same person. Here, tou (the article) governs both theou (God) and sōtēros (Savior). If the rule applies, "God" and "Savior" are the same person — Jesus Christ. The debate is whether exceptions exist for this particular construction.
3 The Debate
Trinitarian
Reading
The Granville Sharp Rule applies: "our great God and Savior" refers to one person, Jesus Christ. This is an unambiguous attribution of theos to Jesus. The single article binds both nouns to the same referent, and the name "Jesus Christ" at the end identifies who that referent is.
Reasoning
Daniel Wallace's extensive analysis of Granville Sharp constructions in the NT shows that the rule is statistically reliable for singular, personal, non-proper nouns joined by kai under a single article. Both theos and sōtēr meet these criteria. Wallace found no clear NT exceptions. The one-person reading is further supported by the Pastoral Epistles' pattern of calling Jesus "Savior" (2 Tim 1:10; Titus 1:4, 3:6).
Strongest counterargument
The GSR has known exceptions for proper nouns and for figures well-established as distinct. Paul consistently distinguishes "God" from "Jesus Christ" throughout his letters — 1 Timothy 2:5 explicitly states: "one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." If the author's broader pattern is to separate these figures, a single grammatical construction may not override that pattern.
Key scholars: Daniel Wallace, Murray Harris, Philip Towner
Biblical Unitarian
Reading
The construction describes two figures: the great God (the Father) whose glory appears, and our Savior Jesus Christ who is the manifestation of that glory. The alternative reading: "the glory of the great God, appearing through our Savior Jesus Christ." Two figures, one event.
Reasoning
The GSR is disputed for this construction. Even within the Pastoral Epistles, 1 Timothy 2:5 explicitly distinguishes "one God" from "the man Christ Jesus." Paul's (or the Pauline author's) consistent theology separates God from Jesus. Furthermore, "God" and "Savior" were commonly paired in imperial cult language without referring to the same person. Even if the grammar favours a one-person reading, Titus is a disputed letter and may reflect later Christological development. Dale Tuggy notes that the Granville Sharp rule has known exceptions with proper nouns and quasi-proper nouns. "God" (theos) may function as a proper noun here, referring to a well-known, distinct figure (the Father). The rendering "the great God AND our Saviour Jesus Christ" — two figures, not one — is grammatically possible and theologically consistent with Paul's pattern (see Tuggy, "Trinity," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Dustin Smith argues that even if "our great God and Saviour" refers to one person (Jesus), this may use "God" in the agency or functional sense — as in John 20:28 and Hebrews 1:8 — rather than as an ontological identification with the one God of Israel (see BiblicalUnitarian.com).
Strongest counterargument
The single-article construction is the most natural one-person reading in Koine Greek. Most modern Greek grammarians — including those without a Trinitarian agenda — agree that the grammar favours identifying "God and Savior" as one person. Arguing against the grammar requires strong theological reasons.
Key scholars: Anthony Buzzard, Joseph Priestley (historically), George Winstanley
Grammatical
Reading
The Granville Sharp Rule is statistically reliable but has exceptions. The grammar slightly favours the one-person reading. However, even if this verse calls Jesus "God," this may reflect the developing high Christology of the later Pauline tradition rather than the historical Paul's own theology.
Reasoning
Granville Sharp himself identified the rule in 1798, and subsequent analysis has largely confirmed its reliability for the specified construction (article + singular personal noun + kai + singular personal noun). Wallace's data shows strong statistical support. But statistical probability does not determine meaning in any single instance — it raises probability, not certainty. The broader theological and literary context must also be weighed.
Strongest counterargument
Statistical probability does not determine meaning in any single instance. A rule that works 95% of the time still allows for the 5% exception. Whether this verse is the exception depends on judgments beyond grammar — namely, what Christology this author could have held.
Key scholars: Daniel Wallace, Granville Sharp (historically), Karl-Josef Kuschel
? Questions to Ask This Text
Does the Granville Sharp Rule settle this question, or is it a probability argument that still allows for alternative readings?
Does it matter if Titus was written by Paul or by a later follower? Would a later author be more likely to call Jesus "God"?
How does 1 Timothy 2:5 ("one God, and one mediator … the man Christ Jesus") relate to this verse? Can both come from the same author?
Is it one figure appearing or two? Can the "glory of the great God" appear through the Savior without them being the same person?
How does your translation handle this verse? Does it footnote the alternative reading, or present only one option?
Even if the grammar identifies Jesus as "God" here, does this require ontological deity — or could "God" function as a title of supreme agency, as it does for Moses (Ex 7:1) and the Davidic king (Ps 45:6)?
Key Concepts for This Passage
Understanding these concepts will help you evaluate the arguments above:
4 Related Passages
5 Go Deeper
Trinitarian perspective
Murray Harris, Jesus as God: The New Testament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus (1992). Philip Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus (NICNT, 2006).
Biblical Unitarian perspective
Anthony Buzzard, The Doctrine of the Trinity (1998). George Winstanley, Jesus Monotheism, vol. 1 (2015). Dale Tuggy, "Trinity," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Dustin Smith, BiblicalUnitarian.com.
Granville Sharp Rule
Daniel Wallace, Granville Sharp's Canon and Its Kin (2009). Granville Sharp, Remarks on the Uses of the Definitive Article (1798).
Pastoral Epistles authorship
I. Howard Marshall, The Pastoral Epistles (ICC, 1999). Luke Timothy Johnson, The First and Second Letters to Timothy (Anchor Bible, 2001).