This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.
This formula occurs five times in the evangelistic epistles (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:1; 1 Timothy 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8). A similar expression occurs twice in Revelation (21:5; 22:6)--"these words are faithful and true." Presumably, this formula was used often to emphasize important truths and to make them easy to memorize. In the first two occurrences in the evangelistic epistles, the faithful saying comes after the formula as it does in 2 Timothy 2:11. In Titus 3:8, however, it obviously precedes the formula. Here it is not absolutely certain whether the faithful saying is in verse 8 or verse 10. Writers are easily discovered on both sides. Yet it seems almost certain that the saying is in verse 8 for two reasons. The word "for" (gar) in verse 10 seems to serve as an introduction to supporting information rather than to the "faithful saying" itself. Second, verse 8 certainly sounds more like an oft-quoted proverbial saying than does verse 10.