Titus 3.14-15-Final Instructions and Greetings
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 5, 2014
Titus: Titus 3:14-15-Final Instructions and Greetings
Lesson # 40
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 3:14.
Titus 3:14 Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. (NASB95)
This verse presents an emphatic affirmation.
“Our people” refers to the Christian community and specifically to the Cretan Christian community.
“Must learn to engage” is composed of the verb manthanō (μανθάνω), “must learn” and the verb proistemi (προΐστημι), “to engage in.”
The verb manthanō refers to the Cretan Christian community being devoted to, dedicated to or fully occupied with performing good deeds.
The present imperative form of this verb manthanō is a “customary present imperative,” which indicates that as a general precept, the Cretan Christian community must be devoted to performing good deeds and denotes that they are to be characterized as performing good deeds.
The verb proistemi means “to perform” since it pertains to action that follows established procedures or fulfills agreed upon requirements.
It indicates that Paul wanted the Cretan Christian community to make it their habit of being devoted to “performing” excellent works in the sense that these actions are the direct result of Paul’s Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in this epistle.
It speaks of being involved in the activity of performing excellent works on behalf of others and expresses the idea of commitment or being committed to performing excellent works.
The present tense of the verb proistemi is a customary present used to indicate that Paul wanted the Cretan Christian community to make it their habit of being devoted to making it their habit of performing excellent works.
“Good works” is composed of the adjective kalos (καλός), “good” and the noun ergon (ἒργον), “works.”
The noun ergon means “works, actions” referring to actions performed by the church while in fellowship with God.
They are actions produced by the Holy Spirit through the Christian when they exercise faith in the Word of God.
This faith results in obedience to the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God.
It speaks of the works or actions that the Holy Spirit performs through the Christian as a result of the Christian’s obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God, which are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The adjective kalos describes these works or actions as being of the highest moral quality or character because they were done by the power of the Spirit as a result of obedience to the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
The implication is that these works or actions are useful and a great benefit to the Christian community, the entire human race and to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“Pressing needs” is composed of the adjective anagkaios (ἀναγκαῖος), “pressing” and the noun chreia (χρεία), “needs.”
The noun chreia is in the plural and means “needs” referring to that which other Christians were lacking and particularly necessary or essential for proper human existence.
These “needs” were material ones such as food, shelter and clothing.
This word is used in the same manner in other places in the New Testament (Acts 2:45; 4:35; 20:34; 28:10; Ephesians 4:28; Philippians 2:25; 4:16, 19; Titus 3:14; 1 John 3:17).
Therefore, in Titus 3:14, the noun chreia means “needs” and functions as the object of the preposition eis which is functioning as a marker of purpose meaning it is presenting Paul’s purpose for wanting the Cretan Christian community to make it their habit of being devoted to performing excellent works.
The comparative adjective anagkaios refers to “essential” needs of people and is speaking of the necessities of life or in other words that which is essential to maintaining human life.
“So that they will not be unfruitful” presents the purpose for which Paul is commanding the Cretan Christian community to make it their habit of being devoted to performing excellent works for essential needs.
“Unfruitful” is the adjective akarpos (ἄκαρπος), which speaks of the Christian being unproductive for God in the sense that they do not perform excellent works which are the result of obeying the Spirit inspired apostolic commands in the New Testament to perform excellent works.
Thus, it speaks of the absence of performing good works which fulfill the purpose for God the Father saving the Christian through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ and having the Holy Spirit appropriate the benefits of His Son’s death and resurrection at their conversion.
Titus 3:14 Yes, indeed, our people must make it their habit of being devoted to performing excellent works for essential needs in order that they would not be unfruitful. (My translation)
The first century apostolic church practiced providing for the needs of its own (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37; 9:36-41; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 9:1-15).
In God’s love, there is to be reciprocation between believers in the sense that there is to be a mutual exchange of care and concern among believers for one another.
Divine love involves a reciprocal relationship among believers in the sense of there being a mutual sharing of feelings, actions, responsibilities and attitudes between believers.
It involves reciprocation among believers in the sense that believers are to share together as partners in the needs, burdens, concerns, joys, and blessings for the purpose of encouragement, comfort, challenge or exhortation, praise, prayer and physical help according to the needs and ability (cf. Phil. 1:5 with 1:19; and 2:4 with 1:27; also 4:3; Rom. 12:15; and 1 Thess. 5:11,14,15; Heb. 10:33).
Titus 3:15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. (NASB95)
“All who are with me greet you” is used of those individuals with Paul in Philippi giving their regards or greeting to Titus.
“Greet those who love us in the faith” is used of Paul and his companions giving their regards or greeting those Christians on the island of Crete who loved them by means of faith in the Word of God.
“Those who love us” is the verb phileō (φιλέω), which speaks of those Christians on the island of Crete who love Paul and his companions based upon their association with the Christian faith or in other words based upon their obedience to the apostolic doctrine.
“In the faith” is composed of the preposition en (ἐν), “in” and the noun pistis (πίστις), “the faith.”
The noun pistis is referring to faith in the Word of God indicating that Paul was sending along his greetings to those Christians in Crete who loved him because of their faith in the Word of God.
It is the object of the preposition en which is a marker of means indicating the means by which they loved Paul indicating that these Christians in Crete loved Paul “by means of” faith in the Word of God.
“Grace be with you all” refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God.
It refers to the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to Titus and the Cretan Christian community with regards to the Father’s will for their lives.
Here grace is put for the Word of God which effects grace.
Therefore, the Spirit of God speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for Titus and the Cretan Christian community is the means by which grace is received by them as believers.
Titus 3:15 Each and every one of those who are with me give their regards to you. Please give our regards to those who love us by means of faith. May this grace cause itself to be manifested among all of you as a corporate unit. (My translation)
Paul closes his letter to Titus and the Cretan Christian community by informing Titus that all those Christians who were with him in Philippi when he wrote this letter gave their regards to him.
Paul also requests that Titus give their regards to the Cretan Christian community and specifically to those who affectionately loved Paul by means of faith in the Word of God.
This faith of course produces obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God, thus they were faithful believers.
Paul obviously distinguishes these faithful believers in Crete with those who were in apostasy as a result of adhering to the teaching of apostate pastors who were influenced by the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers.
Then, Paul issues a final benediction by communicating to Titus and the Cretan Christian community that the grace of God expressed in this epistle would manifest itself among all of them as a corporate unit.
Here “grace” refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God.
It refers to the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to Titus and the Cretan Christian community with regards to the Father’s will for their lives.