Titus 3:14-15 14And let our people also learn to devote themselves to good works for necessary needs, in order that they will not be unfruitful. 15All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
As Paul often does at the end of his letters, he gives a summary in verse 14 of the key thought of the letter: doing good works. These are not good works to earn salvation but good works that result from responding to God’s grace. This is essentially what James called for his epistle. Some of the church with Jewish background may have struggled with understanding that good works do not save. They interpreted the law narrowly and self-righteously. Some of the church with Gentile background may have thought that faith was enough and were not changing their lifestyle.
Authentic Christian faith is practical and impacts daily life. Hard work and productivity are a witness of God’s transforming grace within us. Doing good is something that must be learned. It will not happen accidently but only with obedient faith. The Holy Spirit will give us new life, but we must do our part in following the guidance of the Spirit. Paul focuses in on the necessary needs of people. These needs are not described but listening to the Holy Spirit will help us see these needs. They can be as varied as people. Some people may have physical needs for food, shelter, or clothing. Others may have emotional needs of comfort or counseling. Following through with these good works will lead to bearing fruit. Becoming selfish and getting caught up in controversies, arguments, and trivial matters will result in being unfruitful.
The letter ends in verse 15 with a final greeting and simple blessing. When early Christians sent greetings, this was also sending a prayer for God’s blessings. They did not say a shallow “hi” or “how’s it going?” They extended themselves because they prayed for one another. Paul was not alone when he wrote this letter. His other letters suggest that he often had people with him. His ending is short here, so it is difficult to know who was with him. It could have included people like Timothy, Luke, Mark, Artemas, Tychicus, and others who were present with him in Rome. The closing blessing is short but recounts one of the key themes of the letter: God’s grace. Grace is what Tychicus needed most. This verse also hints that this letter was not intended for Titus only but for the whole church in Crete.
This letter is relatively short but packs a powerful message of practical transformation that God’s grace can make in how we live every day. We must pay attention to what we are taught, especially by leaders of the church. These leaders must be chosen carefully. Any compromise in preparation and character can lead to problems later on. Theological education of ministers must involve character formation. When a local church calls a pastor, the church must carefully vet the character qualities, not in a legalistic way but in a discerning way. Paul makes it clear in this letter that people can change, but also that those who want to be leaders must meet a high standard. These two things must be balanced. The key thought of the letter is that God’s grace in Christ can change people, but people must also respond in faithful obedience.
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