Paul wraps up his letter to Titus with a final encouragement and an exchange of greetings. His final statement is his common expression of grace.

See this passage at Titus 3:14-15:

Paul gives Titus one last instruction in the first verse of this passage. He states that “Our people too must learn to devote themselves…”

This untranslated “too” ties this statement directly to the one before it where Paul tells Titus to help meet the needs of Zenas and Apollos. The believers on Crete, as well as you and I, must learn to meet the needs of others and do good works. This is not simply limited to the two men who brought Paul’s letter to Crete, but should be a way of life for all believers, meeting the needs of those around them.

Paul expands this though by giving two purposes for these good works.

They help provide for daily necessities

These are the things that we need each day to function. The idea behind this phrase means pressing needs or urgent necessities. In classical Greek, the idea is that of the necessary things of life. This would include things like food, clothing and shelter, but wouldn’t necessarily be limited to that. Indispensable wants would also be included in this idea as well.

They help us to not live unproductive lives

When we see and grasp each opportunity to do good works, we become fruitful. Paul encourages Titus to teach the believers on Crete to learn to seize these opportunities as they occur. Producing fruit is an indicator of our faith. If we do not display fruit, we show that we are not growing, and in John 15, Jesus warns that the unproductive branches will be pruned.

To wrap up his letter, Paul once again requests that greetings be passed on, and that greetings are sent. It isn’t known who was with Paul when he wrote this letter, but he normally had several associates and colleagues in ministry with him, and these individuals send their greetings.

On the other hand, he asks that greetings be passed on to those “who love us in the faith.” Some have read this to imply that there were people on Crete who had proven unfaithful to Paul and his ministry, and to the Gospel message. Again, we do not have enough information to state this unequivocally, but the possibility remains.

And finally, Paul ends with his standard prayer, “Grace be with you all.” This is a clear indication that he intended Titus to share the letter with the churches he worked with. The fact that “you” is plural adds credibility to this indication.

Thus ends the letter to Titus. It’s short, only forty-six verses long. But no other New Testament passage of the same length packs as much practical wisdom and instruction for ministry into so few words.

And with the end of the letter to Titus, the Pastoral Epistles are concluded as well. This letter, along with 1 and 2 Timothy, impart so much wisdom to those who desire to serve Christ as well as they can, whether in paid ministry or not.

We would do well to study these letters frequently.

Question: What passages from the Pastoral Epistles are your favorites? Why do they stand out to you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.