Толкование К Титу послание ап. Павла 1 глава 2 стих - Экзегет

The one who had said, not by way of humility, as many think, but truly, “And if I am unskilled in speech, but not in knowledge,” the “Hebrew of Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee,” does not unfold profound meanings in the Greek language. Moreover, he scarcely expresses in words what he is thinking. Therefore let us discuss each of these details, as they are written, in accordance with the sequence of thought and the composition of the realities, rather than of the words.
He says, “according to the faith of God’s chosen ones.” This refers to what is higher up, what he began with: “Paul a slave of God, but an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen ones”;that is to say, faith of those who have not only been called, but have been chosen. In view of the variety of their works, thoughts, and words, there is a great diversity even among the chosen ones themselves. The one who is chosen by God does not immediately possess “faith in accordance with election,” or have the “knowledge of the truth in accordance with the faith.” And this is why the Savior said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” And the evangelist testifies that he said these things to those who indeed believed, but who did not know the truth, which they were able to attain, if they would have abided in his words. And having become free, they would have ceased being slaves.
It is asked, why does he add to what he says, “according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth,” the words, “which is in accordance with piety.” Is there a truth recorded that is not “in piety”? And is “knowledge of the truth” now introduced to distinguish it from that which is “in accordance with piety”? Plainly there is truth that does not have piety: if someone knows the art of grammar, or dialectics, so that he possess the means of speaking correctly and judges with discernment between what is true and false. Geometry too and arithmetic and music have truth the knowledge of their subject matter; but that knowledge does not belong to piety.
The knowledge of piety is to know the law, to understand the prophets, to believe the gospel, not to ignore the apostles. And, on the other hand, there are many who have true knowledge of piety, but they do not automatically also possess the truth of other arts and of those that we mentioned above. This truth, therefore, the knowledge of which is “in accordance with piety” is recorded as “in the hope of eternal life,” which immediately bestows the reward of immortality to him who knows himself. Apart from piety, however, the knowledge of the truth delights for the moment, but it does not possess an eternity of rewards, an eternity “which God, who does not lie, promised before the eternal ages and manifested it in his own time in Christ Jesus.”
Now to whom did he “promise beforehand,” and afterward acted to make it “manifest,” if not to his own wisdom, which was always with the Father, when he “was glad in the perfected world and rejoiced over the sons of men”? And he promised that whosoever would believe in that wisdom would possess eternal life. Before he laid the foundations of the world, before he diffused the seas, established the mountains, suspended the sky, made the land solid by driving it into a mass, God, in whom there is no lying, promised these things. It is not that he is capable of lying and is unwilling to bring forth false words, but that he who is the Father of truth has no lie in him, according to this: “But let God be true, but every man a liar.” So this is why he is called the “God who does not lie” and when he promises certain things in the prophets with an oath, this is in order that we may become more certain, that we may hope all the more that the things which were spoken will happen, and by believing this with our whole mind, we will be prepared for the attainment of the things that are coming.
It does not seem off topic to glance briefly at the question: Why is it said with the voice of the apostle that God alone is true, and every man a liar. And unless I am mistaken, just as he alone is said to have immortality, though he made both angels and many rational creatures to which he gave immortality, so also he alone is called true. It is not that the others are not immortal and lovers of truth, but that he  alone is by nature both immortal and true. The others, however, attain to immortality and truth as a gift from him. And it is one thing to be true, to have something by means of oneself; it is something else to be under the authority of one who gives what you possess.
But I do not think the following point should be silently passed over: How did the “God who does not lie” promise eternal life “before the eternal ages”? According to the history of Genesis the world was created by him. Through the alternation of nights and days, and also of months and years, time was created. In this cycle and circuit of the world, time passes and comes, and it will either come or it has been. This is why some philosophers do not think that time is present, but either past or future. For everything that we say, do, or think, is awaited, either while it is happening, passes by, or if it has not yet happened.Before the time of this world, then, one should believe that there was a certain eternity of the ages in which the Father was always with the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And thus I would say that God’s time alone is an entire eternity; or rather, time is incalculable, since he himself is infinite, who being prior to times transcends all time. But a thousand years of our world are not yet fulfilled, and what great prior eternities, how much time, what great beginnings of ages must one think have existed in which angels, thrones, dominions, and other powers served God! And they existed at God’s command, apart from the alternations and measure of time! And so, before all this time, which neither words dare to utter, nor mind to comprehend, nor hidden thought to reach, God the Father of his own wisdom promised that his own Word, both his own very wisdom itself and the life of those who would believe, would come into the world.