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Here Saint Paul: a) makes some orders (Titus 3:12 – 14); b) sends kisses (Tit.3, 15) and c) gives the last blessing (Tit.3, 15) a) Some orders of the Apostle (Tit.3, 12 – 14) Titus 3:12. Whenever I send Artem or Tychicus to you, try to come to me in Nikopol: there you will know about the judges. He left Saint Titus in Crete with “unfinished correction” (Titus 1:5), and now he is calling him again. How so? But there is no need to assume that this incident took place soon after the departure of St. Paul from Crete. Some six months could have passed after that, at which time Saint Titus could sufficiently put in order the affairs of the Cretan Church. It was natural for Saint Paul to come to the desire to find out what and how he arranged it there, so that, having reviewed everything and discussed it, he could be given the necessary instructions for further action. So Saint Chrysostom, Ecumenius, Theophylact. These are their words: “What are you saying? Having installed Titus in Crete, are you calling him to you again? Not in order to distract him from his position, but in order to strengthen him more” (St. Chrysostom). “To better adapt him to the task and give advice on what and how to do next” (Ecumenius). “This is for his own benefit, in order to better set him up for business, having discussed how he fulfilled what was entrusted to him” (Blessed Theophylact). Ambrosiast adds that after the letter, Saint Paul calls Titus to himself, not to confirm him only in church affairs, but also out of desire to see him, his beloved. What do we mean here Nikopol? Saint Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ecumenius mean Nicopolis of Thracia, near the border between Thrace and Macedonia, half the distance between Philippi, on the seashore, and Philippopolis, on Maritsa. Theophylact means Nikopol on the Danube, which is also listed in ancient maps in the same place where it now stands. Blessed Jerome means Nicopolis of Epirus, which received its name from the victory won by Augustus over Anthony and Cleopatra. Now it is Preveza. There was also Nicopolis of Cilicia, not far from Tarsus, near the border with Syria and Armenia. Which one should you choose? Each one is possible, judging by how one imagines the path of the Apostle Paul’s procession. You can imagine it like this: Saint Paul wrote from Rome to Philemon to prepare a room for him, and the needs of the Church of Colossia and those adjacent to it required his special care. Therefore, it is not surprising that he headed from Crete along the same path that he had previously followed to Rome, that is, Myra. From here he went up to Colossae and, having arranged his affairs here, hurried to the east to visit the Churches of Pisidia, Lycaonia and Cilicia, his firstborn children, having in mind to visit Antioch. But, approaching the borders of Syria, he learned that exterminatory attacks on the Jews had begun there, and decided not to go there, but to winter in Nicopolis in Cilicia, since winter was close. It was here that he invited Titus. He took Tychicus in Colossae, where he was sent to carry the Message. Having spent the winter in Nicopolis, the Apostle again headed to the West, visited the Churches of Cilicia, Phrygia, Galatia, visited Ephesus, Macedonia and Achaia, and through Nicopolis of Epirus, or otherwise, went further to Spain. We suggest this path outline because it seems more appropriate. This has already been discussed in the introduction. Tychicus was already mentioned in other Epistles. Artem is mentioned for the first time and nothing more is known about him. Tradition says that he later was a bishop in Lystra. He is numbered among the 70 Apostles. His memory is October 30. Blessed Jerome explains why Artema or Tychicus was sent to Crete. Then, in order to remain there instead of Titus and so that the Church of Crete would not be orphaned without the Apostolic husband. “From this one can see the fatherly love of the Apostle for the Cretans. He needed to see Titus on matters of the Gospel preaching; but not before he orders him to move towards himself, as when Tychicus or Artema arrives to him, to take his place.” Titus 3:13. Zina the lawyer and Apollos were soon preceded, and nothing else would be scarce for them. “Zina the lawyer” - only mentioned here because he studied and knew the law well, received such a nickname; it remained with him and after his conversion. "Apollos" is a famous scholar of the Scriptures, a strong man in speech. They had not yet received special dioceses to administer, but collaborated with the Apostle Paul (St. Chrysostom and others). Regarding them, St. Paul writes: “soon before. “Preceded”, προπεμψον, - either quickly see them off, or quickly come to me before you, without waiting for me to call you. Saint Paul already used this word in both senses - in the first, when he hoped to be “conducted” by the Romans to Spain (Rom. 15:24), in the second, when he wrote to the Corinthians to conduct Saint Timothy to him in peace (1 Cor. 16:11). In the first case, we get the following thought: Zina and Apollos were with St. Paul. Having a need, on the matter of preaching, to send them somewhere, perhaps to Achaia, he, due to circumstances, sent them there through Crete and writes to Titus not to delay them, but to send them further as quickly as possible, providing them with everything they need. At the same time, it can be assumed that the Epistle to Titus was sent with them or they were sent with the carrier of the Epistle - and perhaps this Epistle was written about sending them along this road. In the second case, there will be the following thought: Zina and Apollos were in Crete and worked there preaching the Gospel even before St. Paul arrived there in passing. Departing from Crete, Saint Paul left them there to continue the work of preaching, together with Titus. But now, having a need for them, on the same matter of preaching in the area where he himself was, he writes to Titus to quickly send them to him before he himself is called - immediately upon receiving this Epistle. “And let nothing be scarce for them.” Provide them with everything they need, food, clothing and a certain amount of money for travel expenses (Blessed Jerome, Ecumenius, Blessed Theophylact); so that they lack nothing. "Zina" tended the Church of Christ in Diospolis. His memory is September 27th. Ranked among the 70. Apollos, according to Jerome, was a bishop in Corinth; but the monthologists write that he was a bishop in Smyrna, before St. Polycarp; ranked among the 70; his memory is on September 10th and December 8th. Titus 3:14. Let ours also learn through good deeds to be diligent in meeting the necessary demands, so that they will not be fruitless. Wrote: provide everything you need; where to get it? Titus, like all religious preachers, of course, had nothing. This is what the reader might think. The Apostle indicates the source: let “ours” do this, that is, the believing Cretans. Let them learn good deeds by helping those in need. But if for everyone, then all the more so for those who labor in preaching. By acting in this way, they will show the fruit of faith and grace, and this fruit will turn to their benefit. Blessed Jerome, having said that with these words St. Paul gives an answer to a possible question: where can Titus get what he needs? - adds: “ours, the Apostle called his own those who believed in Christ, who, since they are Christ’s, could rightly be called Paul’s and Titus’s. You have, as the Apostle says, power over your disciples; teach them not to be unfruitful, but let them serve the Evangelists and the Apostolic men engaged in the saving works of preaching - and they will serve not in everything, but in the necessary needs, which are defined as follows: “having this food and clothing we will be satisfied” (1 Tim. 6:8). For those who serve the altar must also eat from the altar, and those who have become partakers of our spiritual blessings must make us partakers of their material blessings. In case the Cretans did not pay attention to these words of the Epistle or to the suggestions of Titus, the Apostle calls those who do not want to serve the Evangelists from their property as unfruitful. And about the barren it is written: “Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). And again: “sow with poverty, and with poverty you will also reap” (2 Cor. 9:6). Not wanting to provide what is needed to the Apostolic men and Evangelists of Christ means convicting oneself of futility.” The Apostle inspires Titus, writes Blessed Theodoret: “teach those who believe to have care for bodily services to those who are entrusted to teach the Divine. For they must bear such fruits as well.” “Do you see,” Saint Chrysostom continues the same speech, “how the Apostle cares more about the believers who give than about the preachers who receive? It would be possible to supply them through many others, but I, he says, take care of our people. For what would it profit, tell me, if others who laid up treasures fed the teachers? Ours would then be of no use; they would remain sterile. “Tell me, Christ, who fed five thousand with five loaves and seven – four thousand, could not have fed Himself and those with Him?” Why did He accept food from women? “Women will walk after Him, says Scripture, and serve Him” (Mark 15:41). He did this to teach us that He cares for those who do good deeds. Likewise, Paul, who helped others with his own hands, could he not accept food from anyone? But look how he accepted and asked, and this is why: “I do not seek giving, he says, but I seek the fruit that abounds in your word” (Phil. 4:17). b) Kissing (Tit.3, 15) Titus 3:15. “Everyone who exists kisses you with me. Kiss us who love us in faith." “They that are with me” are co-workers in the work of preaching, known to Titus and familiar with Titus. The Apostle says this, both satisfying the custom and at the same time testifying to the dignity of Titus, that “he is such that he deserves the love of all who are with Paul. Great praise to Titus for being welcomed by everyone through Paul” (Blessed Jerome). “Those who love us in faith” - kiss “either those who love us faithfully and unfeignedly, or those who love us faithfully, that is, Christians” (Blessed Theophylact). Blessed Jerome understands this: those who love us in the spirit of faith, or in the power of faith. “If everyone who loves,” he writes, “loved in faith and there were no other lovers without faith, then the Apostle would not have added faith to love, saying: “kiss those who love us in faith.” Mothers also love their children, to the point that they are ready to die for them, but they do not love in faith; Wives also love their husbands, but this love is not from faith. One love of saints loves in faith - to the point that, even if the beloved were one of the unbelievers, the saint loves him in faith, according to the word of Scripture: “love your enemies” (Luke 6:35). The saint loves his enemies and therefore loves in faith: for he believes in Him who promised to reward Him with merciful reward for the fulfillment of His commandments.” Ambrosiastes adds: “The Apostle designates those worthy of his kiss who love him out of love for Christ our Lord.” c) The last blessing (Titus 3:15) Titus 3:15. “Grace be with you all. Amen." Finally, teaching the last blessing, the Apostle says: “grace be with you all.” “He prays well, may the gift of God be preserved in them, or may God’s love for mankind remain with them, preserving them with grace and in grace. Or - may grace always be with them, especially those in need of it, protecting both their souls and bodies in the Holy Spirit” (Blessed Theophylact). “As the other Apostles, according to the word of the Lord, entering the house, they said: “Peace to this house” (Matthew 10:12); and if the house was worthy, then their peace rested on it, and if it turned out to be unworthy, then it returned to those who wanted to bless it with them: so now Saint Paul prayerfully wished grace to the believers - and this, of course, together with prayerful goodwill, had its effect if those being blessed showed themselves as the one who blessed them wanted them to be.” Let us enclose the words of Blessed Theodoret, with which he concluded his Interpretation of this Epistle. “This was written by the Divine Apostle to blessed Titus; but he also brought us all the benefit contained in this; because we, as from common treasures, extract wealth from this. May God grant us to keep what we have collected in Christ Jesus our Lord! With Him be glory, honor and power to the Father and the All-Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages! Amen". You might be interested in: