["Granville Sharp's first rule", so often referred to in discussions on these texts, is as follows: "When the copulative KAI connects two nouns of the same case (viz. nouns—either substantive, or adjective, or participles—of personal description respecting office, dignity, affinity, or connection, and attributes, properties or qualities good or ill), if the article hO, or any of its cases, precedes the first of the said nouns or participles, and is not repeated before the second noun or participle, the latter always relates to the same person that is expressed or described by the first noun or participle; i.e. it denotes a further description of the first-named person." Remarks on the uses of the definitive article in the Greek text of the N.T. p. 3 (2d ed. 1802). He adduces the following examples: Acts. 20:28 (with the reading KURIOU KAI QEOU), Ephesians 5:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:12, 1 Timothy 5:21, (Received Text)., 2 Timothy 4:1 (Received Text., but KURIOU instead of TOU KURIOU), Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 4 (Received Text). "The rule is sound in principle, but, in the case of proper names or quasi-proper names, cannot safely be pressed": Ellicott in Aids to Faith p. 462. See also Ellicott and Alford in loce., Middleton p. 60 sqq., Green, Gr. p. 73 sqq.]
In Titus 2:13, EPIFANEIAN THS DOXHS TOU MEGALOU QEOU KAI SWTHROS HMWN IHSOU CRISTOU, considerations derived from Paul's system of doctrine lead me to believe that SWTHROS is not a second predicate, coordinate with QEOU,—Christ being first called O MEGAS QEOS, and then SWTHR. The article is omitted before SWTHROS, because this word is defined by the genitive HMWN, and because the apposition precedes the proper name: of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.* Similarly in 2 Peter 1:1, where there is not even a pronoun with SWTHROS. So also in Jude 4 we might suppose two different subjects to be referred to, for KURIOS, being defined by HMWN, does not need the-article: KURION HMWN IHSOUN CRISTON is equivalent to IHS. CR. OS ESTI KURIOS HMWN. (In 2 Th. 1:12 we have simply an instance of KURIOS for O KURIOS.)
* In the above remarks I had no intention to deny that, in point of grammar, SWTHROS HMWN may be regarded as a second predicate, jointly depending on the article TOU; but the dogmatic conviction derived from Paul's writings that this apostle cannot have called Christ the great God induced me to show that there is no grammatical obstacle to our taking the clause KAI SWTHROS HMWN IHSOU CRISTOU by itself, as referring to a second subject. As the anonymous writer in Tholuck's Lit. Anz. (1837, No. 5) has not proved that my explanation of this passage would require a second article before SWTHROS; (the parallels adduced are moreover dissimilar, see Fritz. Rom. II. 268), and still less that to call Christ O MEGAS QEOS would harmonise with Paul's view of the relation of Christ to God, I adhere to the opinion expressed above. Any unprejudiced mind will at once perceive that such examples as are adduced in § 19. 2 prove that the artICLE was not required with SWTHROS, and the question whether SWTHR is elsewhere applied to God is nothing to the purpose. It is sufficient that SWTHR HMWN, our Saviour, is a perfectly definite predicate,—as truly so as "his face": PROSWPON indeed is applied to many more individuals than SWTHR is! The words on p. 38, "SWTHR HMWN were used in the N. T. of one definite individual only &C.", contain an arbitrary assumption. Matthies has contributed nothing decisive towards the settlement of the dispute. [This passage is very carefully examined by Bp. Ellicott and Dean Alford in loc.; and though these writers come to different conclusions (the latter agreeing with Winer, the former rendering the words, "of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ"), they are entirely agreed, as to the admissibility of both renderings in point of grammar. See also Green, Or. p. 75, Scholefield, Hints, Middleton p. 393 sq.]
(In online discussions Granville Sharp's Rule is also referred to as the article-noun-KAI-noun construction or TSKS: the-substantive-KAI-substantive construction)
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