Industry For Others

“And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” (Tit 3:14 AV)

 

What an interesting verse.  Paul encourages Titus to teach those to whom he is ministering to be industrious concerning the necessities of life so that the stewardship of life is found fruitful.  The confusion is the direction of those good works.  To whom are the good works directed?  Who is the ‘ours’?  The verses preceding this mention two individuals.  Zenas the lawyer and Apollos are on a journey of ministry through Crete to either remain there to assist Titus or on their way to another destination.  In verse 13, Paul asks Titus to take care of them on their journey so that there be no wanting; or no needs which they must take care of themselves.  Some writers assume the ‘ours’ are the Cretians.  It appears Paul is comparing the two men who are arriving with the character of the Cretians.  He is comparing the benevolent service of Zenas and Apollos with the Cretians who are referred to as slow bellies.  To put that in today’s vernacular, the Cretians are referred to as lazy gluttons.  If comparing Zenas and Apollos with the Cretians and maintaining this comparison, Paul is not talking about their own necessary uses, but the necessary uses of others.  As Zenas and Apollos were generous with their time and talents for the needs of the saints, the Cretians are asked to do the same.

If we are not careful, we can begin to see time as our time.  We can see resources as our resources.  We can begin to see our paycheck as something primarily for our needs and the needs of those for whom we are responsible.  However, our lives are to touch others outside of our sphere.  Our spouses, parents, and children are not our only concerns.  We are to be concerned with the saints and humanity in general.  Especially when considering spiritual needs.  The above passage is a great missionary passage.  It encourages the church to be involved in meeting the needs of those who sacrifice their lives for the sake of others.  The verse means much more than that.  Sharing is not limited to meeting the needs of the missionary.  Paul meant this instruction to transcend all of life.  The fruitfulness of which it speaks is not limited to foreign missions.  The fruitfulness is the increase in one’s personal life, the glory of God, the edification of the church, and the increase of souls saved.  Paul is asking the Cretians to flip a switch.  They need to do a one-eighty.  They need to define their lives as bigger than themselves. 

There are greater objectives than keeping the cupboards filled, the heat on, the water running, and entertained whenever bored.  Life is bigger than that.  We do not live in a vacuum.  Our electronic world is pushing us to further isolation.  But we are social.  It was believed that the advent of DVD players, cable TV, pay-per-view, and so on would destroy the movie theatre industry.  Yet a bus went by me just this morning advertising a movie that just came out.  I was struck with the reality that people must be around people.  We are social in nature.  We have needs that only others can fill.  Our lives are bigger than ourselves and the church should be at the forefront of meeting those social, emotional, and especially spiritual needs.  We should labor for our own necessities.  But we should also labor for those of others.  This was the example that Zenas and Apollos set and the example that Paul wished to make.  As these two men sacrificed their life and calling to assist those in spiritual need, so too should the saint in the pew.  Then we can see fruit by our efforts.