Titus 3:12-15 meaning

Titus 3:12-15 contain Paul's farewells and personal instructions to Titus. While this entire letter has been directed to Titus, it is probable Paul wanted portions of it to be read to the churches in Crete (Titus 2:15). These closing remarks contain information for Titus in how to interact with other specific believers:

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 (v. 12).

From the opening remarks in Titus, Paul contextualized why Titus was still on Crete while Paul had departed: "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you" (Titus 1:5).

From these closing remarks we can see that the plan is for Artemas or Tychicus to come to Crete, after Titus has finished establishing elders and setting “in order what remains.” Titus’s time on Crete was only temporary. He and Paul had planted these churches, but when it came time to leave, the churches were apparently in disarray from lack of leadership and false teachers seeking to gain influence (Titus 1:10-11).

Titus was left behind to institute strong leaders, to guide the Cretan believers toward sensible living, and to deal with the false teachers in their midst. Paul’s intent was to send either Artemas or Tychicus to bring Titus to Paul, or perhaps to take over from Titus the role of interim elder, to further ensure the growth and integrity of the Cretan churches.

Tychicus was a loyal friend and helper to Paul. He accompanied Paul at the end of his third missionary trip back to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4) before Paul’s imprisonment. Tychicus also ran many errands for Paul across the Mediterranean world, serving as Paul’s courier to deliver several of his church letters during his imprisonment.

Tychicus is mentioned multiple times in Paul's letters as someone reliable, helpful, and encouraging. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul sends Tychicus—whom he called a "beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord"—to update the Ephesians on Paul’s condition and ministry as a Roman prisoner, and to "comfort your hearts" (Ephesians 6:21-22, 2 Timothy 4:12). In his letter to the Colossians, Paul once more called Tychicus "beloved," "faithful," and a "fellow bond-servant in the Lord," sending him to likewise update the Colossians on Paul's circumstances and encourage them (Colossians 4:7-8). 

Probably on the same journey to update the Colossians, Tychicus accompanied the runaway slave, Onesimus, back to Colossae, carrying Paul's letter to Onesimus's employer, Philemon, a fellow believer, urging Philemon to free Onesimus, who had also become a believer in Jesus (Colossians 4:9, Philemon 1:10-19).

As for Artemas, this is the only reference to him by name in the New Testament. He was obviously someone whom Paul trusted. Some church traditions claim he was one of the seventy whom Jesus sent out during His ministry (Luke 10:1-12), and later became the bishop of Lystra.

Once either Artemas or Tychicus came to Titus on Paul's behalf, Paul wanted Titus to leave Crete and make every effort to come to him at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Nicopolis was a city on the western coast of Greece, opposite Italy (Titus 3:12). Travel across the Mediterranean Sea was not always certain. Throughout his missionary journeys and voyage to Rome, Paul and his companions had to hop from ship to ship in various harbors to get to particular destinations (Acts 13:4, 13, 16:11, 27:1-2, 6, 28:11). Paul was urging Titus to make every effort to get to Nicopolis.

Perhaps he wrote with urgency so that Titus would reach Nicopolis before the winter season was in full stride. Paul knew from personal experience how impassable the Mediterranean Sea was during the late autumn and winter months due to storms and violent winds (Acts 27:7-44). This bit of information also gives us some idea of how brief Titus's time on Crete was intended to be. While we don't know when he received the letter, it would seem the plan was for him to leave before winter or even autumn of that same year.

Paul names some others who are part of his ministry team: Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them (v. 13). Based on this verse, it would seem that perhaps Zenas and Apollos had delivered this letter to Titus from Paul. This is the only mention of Zenas the lawyer in the Bible. His name means "gift of Zeus," so he was probably Greek.

Apollos was probably the same Apollos who preached in Ephesus and later Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:5-6, 16:12). He was a Jew born in Alexandria, Egypt. Luke, the author of Acts, describes Apollos in glowing terms, that he was an "eloquent man...mighty in the Scriptures…instructed in the way of the Lord...being fervent in spirit...he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ" (Acts 18:24-28).

If Apollos was one of the deliverers of this letter, he was probably a powerful help to Titus in teaching the Cretan believers and rebuffing any of the false teachers during his time in Crete. But it seems both Zenas and Apollos were not in Crete for long, as Paul urges Titus to help take care of them and fund their departure, telling him to Diligently help them on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. This would include things like money to buy passage on a ship and food. Every need they have must be met.

The first-century believers were generous in distributing financial support for the poor and needy in their own church or other churches, as well as support for missionaries and Apostles (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35, 11:29-30, Romans 15:25-27, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:1-15, Galatians 2:10, Philippians 4:15-18)

Paul seems to present an opportunity for the new Cretan believers to carry out good works in supporting the return journey of Zenas and Apollos: Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful (v. 14).

Our people would seem to refer to the young believers who are the subject of this letter, and that in addition to the various good deeds and good behaviors Paul has identified for them to engage in, this was one more good deed and way in which they could show obedience to God, that they must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs.

The reference to pressing needs made right after the instruction to help Zenas and Apollos on their way, lacking nothing, seems to indicate that Paul wanted Titus to take up an offering from the Cretan churches to ensure the two messengers had sufficient means to journey from Crete to their next assigned destination.

The phrase good deeds to meet pressing needs seems to refer to charitable giving, donating money to be used to help the needy. Zenas and Apollos had pressing needs, apparently having bought only a one-way ticket to Crete. But so that they will not be unfruitful, the Cretan believers could do good deeds by raising enough money for the pressing needs Paul’s messengers had in leaving Crete.

In Galatians 6:6-8, Paul taught the believers there that they ought to share financially with those who ministered the word to them. He promised that God would reward richly those who sow into His kingdom. This same teaching is reflected here. This is even though Paul manifestly refused to ask for offerings for his own support (1 Corinthians 9:15).

Paul signs off: All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all (v. 15).

Paul does not specify who All who are with me are. We cannot confidently say where Paul is sending this letter from, only that his future plans are to winter in Nicopolis on the western seaboard of Greece. But Paul was often accompanied by ministry partners and helpers (Acts 13:4-5, 20:4, 27:2, Colossians 4:7-14, Philemon 1:23-24). Whoever was with Paul at that time knew Titus as well and wanted to greet him and wish him well as he further established the new church plants on Crete.

Paul also asks Titus to Greet those who love us in the faith. Since Titus is on Crete, Paul would seem to be referring to some of the Cretan believers, perhaps those who had befriended Paul and Titus during their mission, and were helping Titus clear out the false teachers and disciple the immature Cretan believers, possibly men whom Titus would appoint to eldership (Titus 1:5-9). These were believers who love Paul and his ministry partners in the faith. There is unity and fellowship between these parties, contrasting the division and immaturity which was troubling the other Cretan believers.

Paul concludes his letter with a common but meaningful blessing: Grace be with you all. Grace (Greek, "charis") means favor. In the biblical context, it most often refers to God’s favor toward man, though it can refer generally to favor (such as Jesus growing "in favor with God and man," meaning the people He grew up around found Him favorable, someone they liked—Luke 2:52).

Here Paul is simply tying up his epistle with a statement of "best wishes." He hopes and prays that God's favor will be with you all—Titus, the new elders, the young Cretan believers, and even the false teachers, that they might come to know the truth and walk in it, repenting of their former inaccurate teachings and disruptions.

God's favor is never something that can be demanded. There is no standard outside of God to which we can point and say, "I deserve your favor because I did this." God is the standard. All standards that are reflect Him. So to pray for God's mercy to grant His favor is always appropriate, even if we believe we are walking well (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Paul's hope is for the Cretan churches to thrive, to be sensible, and to obey God's word, not the competing human systems seeking to exploit them. He desired all believers to be "sound in the faith," "to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Titus 1:13, 2:12-13).