Final Instructions, Greetings, and Blessing (Titus 3:12–15)

Here St. Paul: a) gives certain instructions (Tit. 3:12–14); b) sends greetings (Tit. 3:15); and c) gives a final blessing (Tit. 3:15).

A) Certain instructions of the Apostle (Tit. 3:12–14).

Tit. 3:12. When I shall send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.

He had left holy Titus in Crete “to set in order the things that are lacking” (Tit. 1:5), and now he calls him to himself again. How so? But there is no need to suppose that this occurred soon after St. Paul’s departure from Crete. Some half-year or so may have passed in the interim, during which holy Titus could have brought the affairs of the Church of Crete into sufficient order. It was natural for St. Paul to desire to learn what had been accomplished there and how, so that, having reviewed and deliberated upon everything, he could give him the necessary instructions for further action. So say holy Chrysostom, Oecumenius, and Theophylact. Here are their words: “What are you saying? Having appointed Titus in Crete, you are calling him to yourself again? Not in order to withdraw him from his duty, but to establish him more firmly” (holy Chrysostom). “In order to better fit him for his work and to give advice as to what and how is to be done going forward” (Oecumenius). “This is for his own benefit, so as to better prepare him for his task, having considered how he has fulfilled what was entrusted to him” (blessed Theophylact). Ambrosiaster adds that in calling Titus to himself after the epistle, St. Paul acts not only to confirm him in his ecclesiastical labors, but also out of a desire to see his beloved.

Which Nicopolis is meant here? Holy Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Oecumenius understand it to be Nicopolis in Thrace, near the border between Thrace and Macedonia, midway between Philippi on the seacoast and Philippopolis on the Maritsa. Theophylact understands it to be Nicopolis on the Danube, which appears on ancient maps in the same location where it stands today. Blessed Jerome understands it to be Nicopolis in Epirus, which received its name from the victory won by Augustus over Antony and Cleopatra. Today this is Preveza. There was also a Nicopolis in Cilicia, not far from Tarsus, near the border with Syria and Armenia. On which shall one settle? Any of them is possible, depending on how one imagines the route of the Apostle Paul’s journey. One may imagine it thus: St. Paul had written to Philemon from Rome, asking him to prepare a room, and the needs of the Church of Colossae and the neighboring churches required his special care. It is therefore not surprising that from Crete he directed his course along the same route he had previously followed to Rome, namely through Myra. From there he went up to Colossae and, having arranged affairs there, hastened eastward to visit the churches of Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Cilicia—his own firstborn children—intending also to visit Antioch. But as he approached the borders of Syria, he learned that devastating attacks upon the Jews had begun there, and decided not to go there but to winter in Nicopolis of Cilicia, since winter was drawing near. This is where he was inviting Titus. Tychicus he had taken at Colossae, whither he had been sent to deliver the Epistle. Having wintered at Nicopolis, the Apostle again directed his course westward, visited the churches of Cilicia, Phrygia, and Galatia, stopped at Ephesus, Macedonia, and Achaia, and by way of Nicopolis of Epirus, or some other route, proceeded further to Spain. We propose this itinerary because it seems the most fitting. This has already been discussed in the introduction.

Tychicus was mentioned in other Epistles. Artemas is mentioned here for the first time and nothing more is known of him. Tradition relates that he later became bishop of Lystra. He is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. His feast day is October 30.

Blessed Jerome gives the reason why Artemas or Tychicus is being sent to Crete: in order to remain there in place of Titus, so that the Church of Crete would not be left as an orphan without an apostolic man. “From this the fatherly love of the Apostle for the Cretans is evident. He needed to meet with Titus on matters of the Gospel proclamation; but he does not bid him to set out until either Tychicus or Artemas has arrived, to take his place.”

Tit. 3:13. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting to them.

“Zenas the lawyer”—mentioned only here; because he had thoroughly studied and knew the law, he received this designation, which remained with him after his conversion. “Apollos”—the well-known master of Scripture, a man mighty in word. They had not yet received particular dioceses to govern, but were co-laboring with the Apostle Paul (holy Chrysostom and others). Concerning them St. Paul writes: “bring on their journey diligently. — Bring on their journey,” προπεμψον,—either send them further on their way as quickly as possible, or send them to me ahead of yourself without waiting for my summons. St. Paul had already used this word in both senses—in the first, when he hoped to be “brought on his way” by the Romans to Spain (Rom. 15:24), and in the second, when he wrote to the Corinthians to send holy Timothy to him in peace (1 Cor. 16:11).

In the first case we obtain the following sense: Zenas and Apollos were with St. Paul. Having need, in the matter of preaching, to send them somewhere—perhaps to Achaia—he, by circumstances, directed them there by way of Crete, and writes to Titus not to detain them but to send them on their way as quickly as possible, furnishing them with all they need. One may suppose in connection with this that the Epistle to Titus was dispatched with them, or that they were sent with the bearer of the Epistle—or perhaps this Epistle was written on the occasion of their being directed along this route.

In the second case the sense will be as follows: Zenas and Apollos were in Crete and were laboring there in the preaching of the Gospel even before St. Paul passed through on his journey. On departing from Crete, St. Paul left them there to continue the work of preaching together with Titus. But now, having need of them for the same work of preaching in the region where he himself was, he writes to Titus to send them to him as quickly as possible, before he himself is summoned—immediately upon receiving this Epistle.

“That nothing be wanting to them.” Supply them with all they need—food, clothing, and a certain sum of money for travel expenses (blessed Jerome, Oecumenius, blessed Theophylact)—so that they lack nothing.

“Zenas” shepherded Christ’s Church in Diospolis. His feast day is September 27. He is numbered among the Seventy. Apollos, according to Jerome, was bishop of Corinth; but the menologia record that he was bishop of Smyrna before St. Polycarp; he is numbered among the Seventy; his feast days are September 10 and December 8.

Tit. 3:14. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

He had written: supply them with all they need; but where is it to come from? Titus, like all preachers of the faith, had nothing of his own, of course. So the reader might think. The Apostle points to the source: let “ours” do this—that is, the believing Cretans. Let them learn good works by helping in the needs of all who are in need. But if all, then all the more those who toil in preaching. By acting thus they will show the fruit of faith and grace, and this fruit will redound to their own benefit. Blessed Jerome, having said that with these words St. Paul answers a possible question—where is Titus to obtain what is needed? — adds: “By ‘ours,’ his own, the Apostle called those who had believed in Christ, who, inasmuch as they are Christ’s, could rightly be called Paul’s and Titus’s. You have, he says, as it were, authority over the disciples; teach them not to be unfruitful, but let them serve the Evangelists and apostolic men engaged in the saving labors of preaching—and serve not in everything, but in necessary needs, which are defined thus: ‘having food and’ ‘clothing,’ ‘with these let us be content’ (1 Tim. 6:8). For those who serve the altar ought to live from the altar, and those who have become partakers of our spiritual goods ought to make us partakers of their material goods. Lest the Cretans should disregard these words of the Epistle or the exhortations of Titus, the Apostle calls unfruitful those who are unwilling to serve the Evangelists from their possessions. But of the unfruitful it is written: ‘every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire’ (Mt. 7:19). And again: ‘he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly’ (2 Cor. 9:6). To refuse to supply the needs of apostolic men and the Evangelists of Christ is to convict oneself of unfruitfulness.” The Apostle is urging Titus, writes blessed Theodoret: “teach those who have believed to take care of the bodily needs of those to whom the teaching of divine things has been entrusted. For they ought to bring forth such fruits as well.”

“Do you see,” continues holy Chrysostom in the same vein, “how the Apostle is more concerned about the believing givers than about the preachers who receive? He could have supplied them through many others, but I, he says, am concerned about ours. For what profit would there be, tell me, if others who were gathering treasures fed the teachers? Our people would have had no benefit then; they would have remained unfruitful. — Tell me, could not Christ, who fed five thousand with five loaves and four thousand with seven, have sustained Himself and those with Him? Why then did He accept food from the women? ‘Certain women,’ says Scripture, ‘followed Him and served Him’ (Mk. 15:41). He did this to teach us that He cares for those who do good. Likewise Paul, who helped others with his own hands—could he not have accepted sustenance from no one? But see how he both accepted and asked—and here is why: ‘not because I desire a gift,’ he says, ‘but I desire fruit that may abound to your account’ (Phil. 4:17).”

B) Greetings (Tit. 3:15).

Tit. 3:15. All that are with me salute you. Greet them that love us in the faith.

“Those who are with me”—co-laborers in the work of preaching, known to Titus and who know Titus in friendship. The Apostle says this both in fulfillment of custom and at the same time as a testimony to the dignity of Titus, in that “he is such a man as to have merited the love of all who are with Paul. It is great praise for Titus to be greeted by all through Paul” (blessed Jerome).

“Those who love us in the faith”—greet “either those who love us faithfully and sincerely, or the faithful who love us, that is, Christians” (blessed Theophylact). Blessed Jerome understands it thus: those who love us in the spirit of faith, or by virtue of faith. “If every person who loves,” he writes, “loved in faith, and there were no people who love without faith, then the Apostle would never have added faith to love, saying: ‘greet those who love us in the faith’. Mothers love their children to the point of being ready to die for them, yet they love not in faith; wives love their husbands, but that love is not from faith. The one love that loves in faith is the love of the saints—to such a degree that, even if the beloved were among the unbelievers, the saint loves him in faith, according to the word of Scripture: ‘love your enemies’ (Lk. 6:35). The saint loves his enemies, and therefore loves in faith: for he believes in Him who promised to repay with a merciful recompense those who fulfill His commandment.” Ambrosiaster adds: “The Apostle designates as worthy of his greeting those who love him out of love for Christ our Lord.”

C) The final blessing (Tit. 3:15).

Tit. 3:15. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Imparting the final blessing at last, the Apostle says: “grace be with you all.” “He prayerfully wishes them well, that God’s gift, or God’s loving-kindness, may abide with them continually, preserving them by grace and in grace. Or—may grace ever abide with them, who are especially in need of it, guarding both their souls and their bodies in the Holy Spirit” (blessed Theophylact). “As the other Apostles, by the Lord’s word, when entering a house would say: ‘peace to this house’ (Mt. 10:12); and if the house was worthy, their peace rested upon it, while if it proved unworthy, it returned to those who had wished to bless it with their peace: so now holy Paul prayerfully wished grace upon the believers—and this, of course, along with the prayerful wish, had its effect, if those being blessed showed themselves to be what the one blessing them wished them to be.”

Let us add the words of blessed Theodoret, with which he concluded his Commentary on this Epistle. “This the divine Apostle wrote to blessed Titus; but he also provided for all of us the benefit contained herein; for we too, as from a common treasury, draw riches from it. May God grant us also to preserve what has been gathered in Christ Jesus our Lord! To Him, with the Father and the All-Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and dominion, now and ever and to the ages of ages! Amen.”