12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. 14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Commentary
Vs. 12 “When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent
to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.”
Having concluded his commandments for us through Titus, the Apostle Paul now ends his epistle with some finial instructions for Titus. Saying that he is going to send either Artemas or Tychicus to him to relieve him so that Titus may be able to come to the Apostle at Nicopolis (a city in western Greece) where he has decided to remain at during the winter months when sea travel is too dangerous. Now as to Titus’ replacements Artemas or Tychius, the man named Artemas is first mentioned here in the N.T., while Tychius is positively referenced in Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7.
Vs. 13 “Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.”
Apparently, Paul was sending, or had already sent to more men to Titus; Zenas the lawyer (first mentioned here) and Apollos (which may have been the Apollos who was a mighty preacher of the Scriptures, who is first mentioned in Acts 18:24-28). These two men were going to be coming to Titus, and so the Apostle Paul expected him to receive them hospitably, yes, but also to make sure that whatever endeavors they were then going on from there to do, that they were equipped to do so, so they could do so in all haste and urgency.
Vs. 14 “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”
In closing out his epistle the Apostle Paul now for the third time makes it clear that he wants us to all learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, so that we do not become unfruitful as disciples of Christ (vs. 14).
Vs. 15 “All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.”
In closing the Apostle Paul wants the brethren to in Crete to know that they are loved and greeted not only by him but all those brethren who are with him. And so once again we see the bond of love that transcended cultural and historical differences, and kept the early church and believers going forward in faith, in spite of persecutions and unjust oppositions. Having then extended His own personal greetings to the believers there, the Apostle Paul now says that they are to likewise greet all of those who love him and those with him, who like them, are also truly in the faith. His finial word then is one that he wishes to guide not only them, but us all, as we all make our way home, and that is, “Grace be with you all. Amen.”
Scripture Quotations
No comments:
Post a Comment