Served and Serving > Titus 3:12-15
3:12 These final verses in Titus are all about people. Paul is looking to care for and build up the churches in Crete, but he also has use for Titus elsewhere. What’s the solution? To send the right person who will continue the work in Crete, which then allows Titus to return to Paul. This is what ministry cooperation looks like, and it will bless Titus, Paul, the churches in Crete, and whoever Paul sends to serve them.
3:13 Continuing the idea of people moving around to serve the Lord, Paul writes that Zenas and Apollos will be traveling through Crete. Before his own departure, Titus and the churches there will have an opportunity to not only show hospitality, but also to have a role in wider ministry.
3:14 This serving of missionaries, of one another, and of the church all stems from a desire to do good works that example our faith to each other and to the world around us.
3:15 A letter that began with grace ends with it as well.
Emphasis: Teamwork in the spreading of the Gospel matters.
Context: Paul has taught the Cretans about false teaching, about true leaders, about loving one another, and about serving those around them. Now he teaches them about being part of a team for the work of the ministry.
Theme: We support the spread of the Gospel when we are willing to send, welcome, and encourage others in the Lord.
Gospel: Jesus Himself exampled this kind of love in how He intentionally cared for and built up those around Him.
Applications: We are to learn how to give others to Gospel ministry, how to encourage those who come to us, and how to trust the Lord from now until Christ’s return.
