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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Tit_3:12-14
12When 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. 13Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. 14Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
Tit_3:12 "Artemas" This man is unknown to us, but not to God.
▣ "Tychicus" He is mentioned in Act_20:4; Eph_6:21-22; Col_4:7-8 and 2Ti_4:12. He is the bearer of Paul's Prison Letters. These two men were to take Titus' leadership place on Crete so that he could join Paul for the winter.
This shows that the letter, although written to Titus, was meant to inform, instruct, and encourage the entire church on Crete. Many of Paul's statements to Titus do not make much sense if Titus were to leave soon after the letter was received unless it was obvious to the Christians that Paul was addressing them through his words to Titus.
▣ "make every effort to come to me" This is an aorist active imperative. Paul did not want to be alone (cf. 2Ti_4:9; 2Ti_4:21), I think because he had severe eye problems probably dating back to his conversion on the Damascus road (cf. Act_9:3-9; Act_9:12; Act_9:17-18). I believe his "thorn in the flesh" (cf. 2Co_12:7) was probably this eye problem. Notice the unusual statement in Gal_4:15. Also in Gal_6:11 Paul comments about his own handwriting being very large. He wrote the last few lines of his letters to authenticate them (cf. 2Th_2:2; 2Th_3:17; 1Co_16:21; Col_4:18; Phm_1:19).
▣ "Nicopolis" There are several cities by this name, which means "victory-town." This was probably the coastal town close to the site of the battle of Actium.
Tit_3:13
NASB "diligently help. . .on their way"
NKJV "send. . .on their journey with haste"
NRSV "make every effort to send. . .on their way"
TEV "do your best to help. . .to get started on their travels"
NJB "help eagerly on their way"
This is the adverb spoudaiôs, which means "earnestly" or "eagerly" or "diligently" (cf. Luk_7:4 and a related term in Php_2:28). It is combined with the aorist active imperative propempô, which meant to furnish everything needed for a journey (cf. 3Jn_1:6; and Act_15:3). Apparently Zenas and Apollos were undertaking a mission activity. Paul asks for similar help from the house churches at Rome in Rom_15:24.
▣ "Zenas the lawyer" Whether he was a Jewish or Greek lawyer is unknown.
▣ "Apollos" He was a very eloquent preacher from Alexandria who was helped to fully understand the gospel by Priscilla and Aquila (cf. Act_18:24; Act_18:28; Act_19:1; 1Co_1:12; 1Co_3:5-6; 1Co_3:22; 1Co_4:6; 1Co_16:12). These two men were probably the bearers of Paul's letter to Titus.
Tit_3:14 "Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds" This is a Present active imperative (cf. Tit_1:16; Tit_2:7; Tit_2:14; Titus 3:18), encouraging missionaries is an evangelistic activity (cf. Tit_2:7; Tit_2:14; Tit_3:8).
▣ "so that they will not be unfruitful" The term "unfruitful" is ambiguous. I think it is parallel to Paul's "in vain" (cf. eikç in 1Co_15:2; Gal_3:4; Gal_4:11 or kenos in 1Co_15:10; 1Co_15:58; 2Co_6:1; Gal_2:2; Php_2:16; 1Th_2:1; 1Th_3:5), which refers to the establishment of effective evangelistic and mission-minded churches. Paul started churches in selected areas for the purpose of evangelizing the entire region. If for some reasonthese initial congregations lost sight of their "great commission" purpose, then their planting was in vain!