This section has 4 verses.
Titus 3:12-15
12 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus
[TIK-uh-kus], be
diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis [nih-KOP-uh-lis]:
for I have determined there to winter.
13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their
journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto
them.
14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works
for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that
love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
We will begin with the Barclay commentary.
FINAL GREETINGS
First, the paraphrase of verses 12-15:
When I send Artemas or Tychicus [TIK-uh-kus]
to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis [nih-KOP-uh-lis],
for I have decided to spend the winter there.
Do your best to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on
their way. See to it that nothing is lacking to
them. And let our people too learn to practice fine
deeds, that they may be able to supply all necessary
needs, and that they may not live useless lives.
All who are with me send you their greetings. Greet
those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all. Amen.
AS usual, Paul ends his letter with personal
messages and greetings. Of Artemas, we know nothing
at all. Tychicus [TIK-uh-kus]
was one of Paul’s most trusted messengers. He was
the bearer of the letters to the Colossian and the
Ephesian churches (Colossians 4:7; Ephesians 6:21).
Nicopolis [nih-KOP-uh-lis]
was in Epirus [ih-PI-ruhs]
and was the best centre for work in the Roman
province of Dalmatia. It is interesting to remember
that it was there that Epictetus [eh'pih-KYUR-uhs],
the great Stoic philosopher, later had his school.
Quoted verses:
Colossians 4:7
All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is
a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and
fellowservant in the Lord:
Ephesians 6:21
But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do,
Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in
the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
Apollos was the well-known teacher (Acts 18:24). Of
Zenas [ZEE-nuhs],
we know nothing at all. He is here called a nomikos.
That could mean one of two things. Nomikos is the
regular word for a scribe, and Zenas may have been a
converted Jewish Rabbi. It is also the normal Greek
for a lawyer; and, if that is its meaning, Zenas has
the distinction of being the only lawyer mentioned
in the New Testament.
Quoted verse:
Acts 18:24
And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria,
an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came
to Ephesus.
Paul’s last piece of advice is that the Christian
people should practice good deeds, so that they
themselves should be independent and also able to
help others who are in need. Christian workers work
not only to have enough for themselves but also to
have something to give away.
Next come the final greetings; and then, as in every
letter,
Paul’s last word is grace.
~Barclay Commentary
Now to the other
commentaries. As usual, we will begin with the
general and go to the specific. First to the
Matthew Henry. We are going to pick it up where we
left off last time. It is finishing up with verse
13 and then goes into verse 14.
2. The other
personal charge to Titus is that he would bring two
of his friends on their journey diligently, and see
them furnished, so that nothing should be wanting to
them. This was to be done, not as a piece of common
civility only, but of Christian piety, out of
respect both to them and the work they were sent
about, which probably was to preach the gospel, or
to be in some way serviceable to the churches. Zenas
is styled the lawyer, whether in reference to the
Roman or the Mosaic law, as having some time been
his profession, is doubtful. Apollos was an eminent
and faithful minister. Accompanying such persons
part of their way, and accommodating them for their
work and journeys, was a pious and needful service;
and to further this, and lay in for it, what the
apostle had before exhorted Titus to teach (Titus
3:8) he repeats here: Let ours also learn to
maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be
not unfruitful, Titus 3:14. Let Christians, those
who have believed in God, learn to maintain good
works, especially such as these, supporting
ministers in their work of preaching and spreading
the gospel, hereby becoming fellow-helpers to the
truth, 3 John 1:5-8. That they be not unfruitful.
Christianity is not a fruitless profession; the
professors of it must be filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the
glory and praise of God. It is not enough that they
be harmless, but they must be profitable, doing
good, as well as eschewing evil. - “Let ours set up
and maintain some honest labour and employment, to
provide for themselves and their families, that they
be not unprofitable burdens on the earth;” so some
understand it. Let them not think that Christianity
gives them a writ of ease; no, it lays an obligation
upon them to seek some honest work and calling, and
therein to abide with God. This is of good report,
will credit religion and be good to mankind; they
will not be unprofitable members of the body, not
burdensome and chargeable to others, but enabled to
be helpful to those in want. To maintain good works
for necessary uses; not living like drones on the
labours of others, but themselves fruitful to the
common benefit. ~Matthew
Henry Main
Quoted verses:
Titus
3:8 [see
Lesson]
This is a faithful saying, and these things I
will that thou affirm constantly, that they which
have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works. These things are good and profitable
unto men.
3 John 1:5-8
5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever
thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the
church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey
after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth,
taking nothing of the Gentiles.
8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might
be fellowhelpers to the truth.
Now the Matthew
Henry concise. It covers verses 12-15.
Christianity is not
a fruitless profession; and its professors must be
filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are
by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
They must be doing good, as well as keeping away
from evil. Let “ours” follow some honest labour and
employment, to provide for themselves and their
families. Christianity obliges all to seek some
honest work and calling, and therein to abide with
God. The apostle concludes with expressions of kind
regard and fervent prayer. Grace be with you all;
the love and favour of God, with the fruits and
effects thereof, according to need; and the increase
and feeling of them more and more in your souls.
This is the apostle's wish and prayer, showing his
affection to them, and desire for their good, and
would be a means of obtaining for them, and bringing
down on them, the thing requested. Grace is the
chief thing to be wished and prayed for, with
respect to ourselves or others; it is “all good.”
~Matthew Henry concise
That they be not unfruitful
Christianity
fruitful
The
metaphor implieth that as the Church is God’s
orchard or garden, and His ministers are His
planters and waterers, so the faithful are the
trees, even trees of righteousness, the planting of
the Lord, and planted by the rivers of waters, that
they might bring forth their fruit in due season;
and teacheth that true Christianity is not a barren
but a fruitful profession, unto which Christians are
everywhere called.
Quoted verse in next
section of text:
Ezekiel 47:12
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side
and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat,
whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit
thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit
according to his months, because their waters they
issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof
shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for
medicine.
In Ezekiel 47:12, we have a notable resemblance of
those manifold fruits, which by the power of the
gospel should be by believers produced in the Church
of the New Testament. The vision was of waters which
ran from the Temple, and from under the threshold of
the sanctuary. And wheresoever these waters should
run, they should cause admirable fruitfulness, in so
much as on both sides of the river shall grow all
kind of fruitful trees, whose leaves shall not fade,
and their fruit shall not fail. These waters are the
gospel which issue from under the threshold: that
is, from Christ the door, typified by that beautiful
gate of the Temple; from the Temple at Jerusalem
these waters were with swift current to run not only
over Judaea, but all the world in a short space:
hence was the Church mightily increased, for though
these waters run into the dead sea, wherein (if
we believe [man’s]
histories)
abideth no living thing, yet such a quickening power
they carry with them, as even there everything shall
live; such as were dead in trespasses and sins are
hereby quickened, and become trees of righteousness
green and flourishing, yea, and constantly fruitful
in all godly conversation [conduct].
Quoted verse in next
section of text:
John 15:17
These things I command you, that ye love one
another.
And this the same which our Saviour noteth (John
15:17), that His Father is the husbandman, Himself
is the Vine, Christians are the branches of that
vine, who if they be found, His Father purgeth that
they may bring forth more fruit; teaching us hereby
that it is the Lord’s scope and aim that Christians
should be abundant in fruits beseeming their
profession. The Apostle Paul accordingly exhorteth
the Philippians to be much in goodness, to abound in
love, in knowledge, and in all judgment; yea, to be
filled with fruits of righteousness which are by
Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. And
the same apostle calleth rich men to be rich in good
works.
I.
The conditions of
this fruitfulness.
1.
Every Christian must be fruitful; for every fruitless branch is cut down
and made fuel for the fire.
2.
Every Christian must bring forth good fruit.
3.
This fruitfulness must proceed from good causes.
(1) The tree must be good, for men gather not grapes of thistles.
(2) He must have a good root (John 15:4),
Quoted verse:
John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except
ye abide in me.
(3) He must draw thence good sap and
juice through the fellowship and communion of
Christ’s death and resurrection.
(4) He must have the Spirit of the Son to be a principal agent in the
setting and ripening of these fruits.
(5) He must have the love of God within him, constraining him, which will
be as the sun helping on these fruits to their
perfection.
(6) He must have good ends in his eye, viz., God’s glory and man’s good
(Philippians 1:2).
Quoted verse:
Philippians 1:2
Grace be unto
you, and peace, from God our Father, and
from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
4.
Every Christian must bring forth much fruit, and not for clusters scarce
berries, trees of righteousness are: laden with the
fruits of the Spirit; and herein is the Father
glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit (John
15:8).
Quoted verse:
John 15:8
Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be
my disciples.
5.
Christians must continue fruitful and grow daily more fruitful (John
15:2).
Quoted verse:
John 15:2
Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every
branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that
it may bring forth more fruit.
~Biblical Illustrator
Now to the specific
commentaries.
I see this verse in four parts as the Barnes Notes
commentary has it.
1] And let ours.
2] Also learn to maintain good works.
3] For necessary uses.
4] That they be not unfruitful.
I am going to take them one at a time this week.
First the Barnes Notes.
And let ours - Our
friends; that is, those who were Christians Paul had
just directed Titus to aid Zenas and Apollos
himself, and he here adds that he wished that others
who were Christians would be characterized by good
works of all kinds.
To
maintain good works - Margin, profess honest
trades. The Greek will admit of the interpretation
in the margin, or will include that, but there is no
reason why the direction should be supposed to have
any special reference to an honest mode of
livelihood, or why it should be confined to that. It
rather means, that they should be distinguished for
good works, including benevolent deeds, acts of
charity, honest toil, and whatever would enter into
the conception of an upright life; see the notes at
Titus 3:8.
Quoted verse:
Titus 3:8
[see
Lesson]
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will
that thou affirm constantly, that they which have
believed in God might be careful to maintain good
works. These things are good and profitable unto
men.
For
necessary uses - Such as are required by
their duty to their families, and by the demands of
charity; see Titus 3:8.
That they be not unfruitful
- - That it may be seen that their religion is not
barren and worthless, but that it produces a happy
effect on themselves and on society; compare the
John 15:16 note; Ephesians 4:28 note.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it you.
Ephesians 4:28
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him
labour, working with his hands the thing which is
good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
We go now to Adam Clark commentary.
And let others also learn to
maintain good works - There is something very
remarkable in this expression. The words which we
translate to maintain good works, occur also in
Titus 3:8 [mentioned above];
and some think they mean, to provide for our own,
and the necessities of others, by working at some
honest occupation; and that this was necessary to be
taught to the Cretans, let Ours also learn, etc.,
who were naturally and practically idle gluttons.
Kypke observed that the words mean,
1. To be employed in good works.
2. To defend good works, and to recommend the
performance of them.
3. To promote and forward good works; to be always
first in them.
For necessary uses -
That they may be able at all times to help the
Church of God, and those that are in want.
That they be not unfruitful
- As they must be if they indulge themselves in
their idle, slothful disposition.
~Adam Clarke
Here is something from the John Gill that adds to
our clarity.
And let ours also learn to
maintain good works - By which are not only
meant honest trades, as some choose to render the
words: it is true, that a trade is a work; and an
honest lawful employment of life is a good work; and
which ought to be maintained, attended to, and
followed, and to be learnt, in order to be followed.
The Jews say, that he that does not teach his son a
trade, it is all one as if he taught him to rob or
steal; hence their doctors were brought up to
trades; See Gill on Mark 6:3; as was the Apostle
Paul, though he had an education under Gamaliel [guh-MAY-lee-uhl]:
and such an one is to be learned and maintained for
necessary uses, for the good of a man's self, and
for the supply of his family; for the assistance of
others that are in need; for the support of the
Gospel, and the interest of Christ; and for the
relief of poor saints; that such may not be
unfruitful and useless, in commonwealths,
neighborhoods, churches, and families.
~John Gill
Quoted verse:
Mark 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the
son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of
Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with
us? And they were offended at him.
All this is a call to you as
firstfruits. Learn all you can about good
works and the invoking of the power of the Holy
Spirit. Maintain and do these works constantly
and continually for the sake of the church and to
those in need. Be the fruitful branch and stay
connected to Christ [the vine]. These are the
lessons of verse 14.
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