Titus Study #8

“Good Deeds to Meet Pressing Needs”

Titus 3:12-15

Study #8 in Titus Series

INTRODUCTION:

·       Paul lived by 2 Timothy 2:2, which says, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

·       Titus was one of the many “faithful men” trained by Paul.

·       Titus was working on the Island of Crete, helping the churches.

·       Paul wrote this letter between his two Roman imprisonments.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 12: When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

·       “Artemas” = Artemas is the masculine version of the Greek name, Artemis, who was the mythical goddess of the hunt. He was probably a Greek convert but other than having a Greek name we know nothing about him, as this is the only time he is mentioned in the Scriptures. However, church tradition in both the Orthodox and Roman Churches claim that he served for some time as the bishop of Lystra and he is venerated in both traditions. His feast day is 30 October.

·       “Tychicus” = He was one of Paul’s close associates, one of his “faithful men.” A native of the province of Asia in Turkey (Acts 20:4), he probably accompanied Paul to Jerusalem on his 3^rd missionary journey. During his 1^st imprisonment in Rome, Paul chose Tychicus to carry both the Ephesian and Colossian letters. In Colossians Paul describes Tychicus as “the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant of the Lord.” Notice the “or.” Apparently, at the time of this writing Paul had not yet decided which of these men he was going to send to replace Titus.

·       “…make every effort” = “be diligent to...” It is the same Greek word translated as “study” in 2 Timothy 2:15 in the KJV. Paul really needed Titus to be with him.

·       “Nicopolis” – The name means, “city of victory” (Nike + polis). It was in Epirus in Dalmatia on the Greek peninsula.

·       N.B. Paul wanted Titus with him, so he was changing the guard in Crete. For those in ministry, do not ever get so settled-in that you think you are irreplaceable. Remember, “one plants, another waters, and still another reaps.”

Verse 13: Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.

·       “Diligently help…” – Pull out all the stops, spare nothing, do your utmost to help them.

·       “Zenus, the lawyer” – Greek, nomikos. The word can refer to what we would call an “attorney” or to a religious lawyer, meaning an expert in the Mosaic Law. Some have theorized that he was possibly a converted Jewish scribe. I find that improbable because of his Greek name. I tend to think that, like Artemas, he was probably a Greek convert to Christianity. His name, Zenus, is almost certainly a variant of “Zenon,” which itself derives from the Greek name “Zeno,” meaning “gift of Zeus.”

·       “Apollos” – These two men carried the letter to Titus on their way to another assignment. Paul tells Titus to help them continue their mission. Apollos was Paul’s good friend and co-worker. As a Greek orator he could have been a threat to Paul but obviously was not seen as such.

·       Diligently help [them] so that nothing is lacking for them.” – These final words concerning Zenus and Apollos clearly show the duty of members of the Christian Church to contribute to the support of those devoted to the work of the ministry. Also, these personal words of Paul in verses 12-13, which were common at the end of his letters, may at first seem insignificant, but are really very important. They communicate that Paul was a real man in a real world with real friends for whom he cared deeply and with whom he had regular contact.

Verse 14: Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

·       This is THE GOLD NUGGET of the passage.

·       “…our people” = Paul means Christians in general, our folks.

·       “…must also learn” = because it is a process, which takes time and patience. We are not born already knowing these things. They must be taught and learned.

·       “…learn to engage in good deeds” – Here Paul chooses the Greek word prohistemi, which literally means “to stand before,” to stand up for, or to take the lead in. It implies proactive involvement:

ü  Not waiting until a need comes begging.

ü  Looking for holes we can fill.

ü  Aggressive involvement like “riot troops.”

·       “…to meet pressing needs” = lit. “necessary needs.” This is a redundancy for emphasis. (N.B. There are “needs” and then there are “NEEDS!” Our challenge is to recognize real needs and then meet them.)

·       So, what is the role of Good Works in the life of the believer?

ü  They give us purpose (Eph. 2:10)

ü  They give us joy (2 Cor. 8:1-5)

ü  They provide opportunities to witness (Matt. 5:16)

ü  They make us spiritually strong and develop faith muscles.

ü  They bring Glory to God (Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 10:31)

·       “…that they (i.e., Christians) may not be unfruitful” = This is the worst nightmare of the Christian life. N.B. a Christian cannot lose his/her salvation, but he can lose all hope of reward. This is a recurring theme through Paul’s letter to Titus. Paul was concerned that Christians might be barren and unfruitful yet still have a “wonderfully” confident assurance of their standing in the Lord. Instead of being unfruitful, God’s people must learn to maintain good works and to meet urgent needs.

ü  God is a Fruit Inspector (cf. John 15; Matt. 7:15-23)

ü  Paul was concerned with fruit (Col. 1:9-10)

ü  The Holy Spirit is concerned with fruitfulness (Gal. 5:22)

ü  Therefore, we should be concerned too!

Verse 15: All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

·       Thus ends this lovely little epistle. Paul sends his love and greetings to Titus, his beloved “son in the Lord” and to the Christians in Crete and includes the love and best wishes of those who were with him.

·       “The closing benediction harmonizes with the opening salutation. It is a benediction of grace, the only difference being that whereas at the beginning it was addressed to Titus, at the close all those to whom he ministered were included.” (Morgan)