Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Summary: These words give us a peek into Paul’s world. Today we meditate on the meaning of camaraderie and what that means to us.
There is a sense of community in this last verse of Paul’s letter. “Everyone with me…” is a reference to the people who tended to gather around Paul.
Some of the more well-known names that come to mind include Luke, Silas, Timothy, and Barnabas. Artemas and Tychicus could have been with Paul when he wrote his letter (Titus 3: 12). All of these people shared a sense of camaraderie.
Have you ever noticed that the people with the deepest sense of camaraderie are also the ones who have suffered the greatest hardships?
Take Paul, for example. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he details a sampling of what his life in the service of Jesus was like. He writes:
“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)
Those that knew Paul best and served the Lord with him shared some of these adventures. All those who knew Paul well understood that these things happened. His body carried the scars that testified to the truth of his words. The relationships with other believers also testified to the truth.
These relationships ran deep. Paul called Timothy his son on more than one occasion (1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Timothy 1:2, 18; 2 Timothy 1:2, 2:1). He also referred to Titus and Onesimus as his sons (Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:10).
“Everyone with me” would mean something to Titus. Even if he did not know precisely who was with Paul, he would know the kind of people Paul was referring to. Like a soldier on the front lines, Titus would have been encouraged by this heartfelt greeting from headquarters.
In a similar vein, Paul does not say, “Greet everyone.” Instead, he says, “Greet those who love us in the faith.” Those who love Paul and his comrades might be the people Paul preached to and taught before leaving Titus on Crete. Once again, the sense of camaraderie is unmistakable.
In those days, Paul and his companions were on the cusp of a new movement. They were at the leading edge of the New Covenant between God and man.
Today, two thousand years later, the cusp of this era is far behind us. Satan has been seeding his lies every place he can. The clarity of those first years has faded for many. Now we wait on the Lord’s return. As we wait, we do the best we can to carry on.
Application: The deepest friendships are based on shared struggles.
Food for Thought: What would it be like to be one of those with Paul?
As you pointed out Paul wrote about a hard life, so I think to one of those with Paul would means living a hard life. They didn’t complain about t but rather recognized tat their life together set them apart and gave them an opportunity for real friendship. When I read todays’ mediation it made me think of the folks I served with in Iraq, and the common bond I have with them that I do not have with other friends. When I think about what it would be like to be one of those with Paul I think of something similar to that. I think too, there would be a a greater sense of community closeness with the Lord. What I mean by that is that you can get a group together for a service and everyone can still be disconnected with each other. But that same group would have a greater worship if they were to have lived through hardships together, all trusting in the Lord, but also helping each other.
1 Corinthians 12:14The body of Christ, or the people that are the whole of humanity, are a team. The body is not supported by one person, but by all of us. We are one, we are strongest working together in unity. Teamwork is the key to living life in harmony, so that we can do God’s will.
Chris,
Very well said! And thank you for your service to our country!
Thank you Jeff and Chris. All very good.
I think to be a friend of Paul, you do so at great risk, sharing in his struggles. 2 Timothy 1: 8 sounds like a strange invite to our ears today. 2 Timothy 4: 5 – 13.
Thank you, Rich.
Good point! We are not called to party for God, we are called to suffer for the Gospel.
What would it be like to be one of those with Paul?
Empowered with the Holy Spirit, Paul served our Lord with great enthusiasm. He and his companions endured hardships, and made great sacrifices as they faithfully made spreading the Truths of God their priority and stood as witnesses for Jesus Christ, against the forces of evil in this world. We can only know what it would be like by Joining him.
The battle of Good against evil has been going on for thousands of years, longer than any single human lifetime. All believers have their opportunity to serve as Paul served, in our preassigned time slot. The Holy Spirit, the Truths of God have not changed. The forces of evil have grown and individual believers today are instructed to put on the full armor of God which includes the Word of God so that we can effectively take our stand against the devils schemes.
Romans 8:29, Ephesians 6:10-18,
To know what it would be like to be one of those with Paul, accept the peace given to us by Jesus, always remembering God is faithful, and He will not let us be tempted beyond our ability and give thanks in all circumstances, knowing all things work together for good
John 14:27, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Romans 8:28,
Put off the old self and be renewed in the spirit of our minds as we put on the new self, for to this we have been called by God.
Ephesians, 4:22-24, 1 Peter 2:21
Ron,
Very well said. I like your point that “All believers have their opportunity to serve as Paul served, in our preassigned time slot.” Now is our time….
Yes indeed Brother!
Keep up the great work.
Ron
I am afraid I made some choices about who I would share the good news with based on their openness to receive it.
A group I was engaged in conversation denied any witness of intelligent design, hated all religions, denied conscience as an inhibiting factor unless your viewpoint coincided with their own. Denied the supernatural and affirmed evolution as fact. Rather complete God deniers.
They did however come to the conclusion without me saying a word that I was wrong I was wasting my life. Also if I was right they were headed for an eternity in hell.
Since they were predisposed and committed to reject God and nearly 100 percent certain to reject the gospel, I did not share it with them.
Should I have endured potential persecution, violence or harm for the sake of those who are relatively committed to perishing are are guilty of worshipping not God but themselves and their own desires?
I came to the conclusion it might be the better part of wisdom not to give information to those who would reject it. Does anyone have thoughts on this?
Hi Jeff,
Sounds like an interesting conundrum! Not having been there with you it is unfair for me to judge. Yet, I think we all make similar decisions every day. Who do we share with today? Our neighbor? The passerby on the street? The kid on the skateboard?
There are many things that come together to create an opportunity to share Jesus. I think the most reliable indicator is the leading of the Holy Spirit. The question then is are we willing to follow that leading?