Take your Bible and open now to the book of Titus. We're still trying to get our way through this introduction and we find ourselves at verse 4.   Some of the messages that we have given have been somewhat deep and doctrinal as we've sort of moved through this. This will be more practical and personal, a refreshing look at the man Titus and something about the whole life and ministry of Paul as it relates to people.   Let me read you the opening four verses.

带上你的圣经，现在打开提多书。我们仍在努力完成这个引言，我们发现自己在第 4 节。我们所传达的一些信息在某种程度上是深刻的和教义性的。这将更加实际和个人化，对提多这个人进行令人耳目一新的审视，以及保罗的整个生活和事工与人有关的东西。让我读开头的四节经文。

"Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God in the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

“保罗，神的奴仆，耶稣基督的使徒，为着神所拣选的人，信得按着敬虔的真理，对永生的盼望，就是神不能说谎的，在很久以前所应许的永生，就是在适当的时候，就是他的话，就是照着我们救主神的诫命，所托付给我的宣告， 致提多，我真正的孩子，有共同的信仰：愿恩典与平安来自父神和我们的救主基督耶稣。

Just a notation of Titus' name here brings to mind the tremendous devotion of Paul to partners in ministry.   And as I was looking at this verse and wondering how we could just take one verse and talk about it for a whole Sunday morning, one which is so very apparently simple in what it ascribes, I thought to myself, "What better way than to come to grips with Paul in terms of his relationship to other people."   In fact, you will remember that as we've moved through this section we've had a little outline based upon Paul's commitments.   We said that what made him the unique man he was was he had commitments.   He was committed to God's mastery.   We saw that in that he designates himself as a bond-servant and a messenger of Jesus Christ - one under command, under orders - that he was also committed to God's mission, and we noted that in verses 1 and 2 that mission involved evangelism, edification, and encouragement.   And then we said he was committed to God's message, namely the Word, God's Word, noted in verse 3. And then last time that he was committed to God's means, which is the kērugma, the proclamation with which he had been entrusted by the commandment of God.

这里只要记下提多的名字，就会让人想起保罗对事工伙伴的巨大奉献。当我看着这节经文，想知道我们怎么能只拿一节经文来谈论它，用一整个星期天早上来谈论它，这节经文显然很简单，我心想，“还有什么比了解保罗与他人的关系更好的方法呢？事实上，你会记得，当我们读完这一部分时，我们根据保罗的承诺做了一个小大纲。我们说，让他成为独特的人是因为他有承诺。他委身于上帝的掌控。我们看到，他自称是耶稣基督的仆人和使者——受命令、受命令——他也委身于上帝的使命，我们注意到在第1节和第2节中，这一使命涉及传福音、造就和鼓励。然后我们说他委身于神的信息，即话语，神的话语，在第 3 节中提到。最后一次，他委身于上帝的手段，即 kērugma，上帝的诫命托付给他的宣言。

Here was a man then who had as the foundation to his ministry certain commitments - a commitment to God's mastery, mission, message, and means.   And that leads us to the fifth point, which we find in verse 4, and we could simply call it he was also committed to God's men.   He had a way of multiplying himself by pouring himself into the lives of others.   And that's really the word here that I think the Lord would have us look at.   Titus is a part of Paul's team. He's a major player.   In fact, it wouldn't be stretching the point at all to say as Paul looks to the end of his life, he writes to two men - Timothy and Titus - and we could conclude from that they were the two most important leaders for the next generation.   So here is a man about whom we know less than we do Timothy, but about whom we need to know more because Paul gives him weighty responsibility in this letter, and in other places has already done that and will yet do that as we shall see when we get through this message.   Here then is Paul's devotion or commitment to others.

当时有一个人，他以某些委身作为他事工的基础——对上帝的掌管、使命、信息和手段的委身。这就引出了第五点，我们在第4节找到了这一点，我们可以简单地称之为他也委身于神的子民。他有办法通过将自己投入到他人的生活中来使自己倍增。这确实是我认为主要我们看的词。提多是保罗团队的一员。他是一个主要球员。事实上，当保罗展望他生命的尽头时，他写信给两个人——提摩太和提多——我们可以得出结论，他们是下一代最重要的两位领袖。因此，这里有一个人，我们对他的了解比提摩太少，但我们需要更多地了解他，因为保罗在这封信中赋予了他重大的责任，在其他地方已经这样做了，并且还会这样做，正如我们读完这封信息时将看到的那样。这就是保罗对他人的奉献或承诺。

And this is certainly a part of powerful leadership.   Nobody is a powerful or effective leader who can't delegate.   Nobody is a powerful or effective leader who can't disciple other people to do what he does - that's precisely what Paul was involved in.   He functioned in a very, very large network of people that he was continually influencing in one way or another.

这当然是强大领导力的一部分。没有人是不能授权的强大或有效的领导者。没有人是一个强大或有效的领导者，不能门训别人去做他所做的事——这正是保罗所参与的。他在一个非常非常大的人群网络中发挥作用，他不断以这样或那样的方式影响着这些人。

When you think about Paul you probably start out thinking about his early companion, “Barnabas.”   You probably think about “Silas” or as he is called, “Silvanus.” You probably even think about “Luke,” or as Paul calls him on occasion, “Lucas.”   Paul had from the very outset association with men who were partners in ministry. And as his ministry went on from the early days, the network of people around him just grew and grew and grew.

当你想到保罗时，你可能会想到他早期的同伴“巴拿巴”。你可能会想到“塞拉斯”，或者他被称为“西尔瓦努斯”。你甚至可能会想到“路加”，或者保罗有时称他为“卢卡斯”。保罗从一开始就与作为事工伙伴的人交往。随着他从早期开始的事工，他周围的人际网络也越来越大。

To illustrate the point of how involved he was in a common ministry with other people, we need only to look at Romans chapter 16.   And I want you to look at it just by way of an introduction this morning, and I want you to meet some of the people in Paul's life - some of his friends who came alongside him and assisted him, because I think the greater point to be made is this man was very intensely and on a very wide scale involved in the lives of people. And that is why his ministry was so far-reaching.   He was not an isolationist; quite the contrary, he was a people guy and he was involved on all kinds of fronts in relationships with people, which he encouraged and which he thanked God for repeatedly.

为了说明他如何与其他人一起参与共同的事工，我们只需要看看罗马书第16章。我希望你们今天早上通过介绍来看看它，我希望你们见见保罗生命中的一些人——他的一些朋友，他们与他并肩作战并帮助他，因为我认为要强调的更重要的一点是，这个人非常强烈地、非常广泛地参与了人们的生活。这就是为什么他的事工如此影响深远。他不是一个孤立主义者;恰恰相反，他是一个善于交际的人，他参与了与人关系的各个方面，他鼓励并为此一再感谢上帝。

Let's look at Romans 16, because more than any other chapter in the New Testament in relation to the life of Paul we get a feeling for his involvement with people.   Having written fifteen chapters of great theology as we all know the book of Romans to be - and culminating with some tremendous practical truth from chapter 12 on - he comes to the last chapter of Romans and all of a sudden we get a long, long recitation of the names of people and somewhat minimal information about what it was they were engaged in with regard to partnership and ministry alongside Paul.   But it is a good look at how involved he was in team building.

让我们看看罗马书 16 章，因为与保罗生平有关的新约中任何其他章节，我们都更能感受到他与人的交往。他写了十五章伟大的神学，正如我们所知道的那样——从第 12 章开始，他以一些巨大的实际真理达到高潮——来到罗马书的最后一章，突然间，我们得到了很长很长的背诵人的名字，以及关于他们与保罗一起从事的伙伴关系和事工的信息很少。但这很好地展示了他对团队建设的参与程度。

He starts out in verse 1, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well."   Having written this glorious epistle, which is so marvelous in terms of its doctrinal content, when it was completed he gave it to this woman named Phoebe, no doubt, who took it to Rome to deliver it to the church.   He had been writing in the city of Corinth, and it was somewhat of a journey to get it there, and Paul put it into her care to be delivered. She was a very special woman in his life.   He designates her in three ways: “sister” in verse 1; “servant,” that's diakonos, “one who waits on tables,” “one who serves”; and then as “supporter” down at the bottom of verse 2, the word "helper" means “to support.”   It's an old Jewish word usage - I should say an old Jewish usage of this word referring to “a patron,” someone who financially underwrote some kind of activity.

他在第 1 节开始说：“我向你们推荐我们的妹妹菲比，她是 Cenchrea 教会的仆人;你要以配得上圣徒的方式在主里接待她，无论她需要你什么事，你都要帮助她;因为她自己也帮助了许多人，我自己也是如此。写了这封荣耀的书信，就其教义内容而言，它是如此奇妙，当它完成时，他把它交给了这位名叫菲比的女人，毫无疑问，她把它带到了罗马，把它送到了教会。他一直在哥林多城写信，把它送到那里有点像一段旅程，保罗把它交给她看管，以便被交付。她是他生命中一个非常特别的女人。他用三种方式来称呼她：第1节中的“妹妹”;“仆人”，即迪亚科诺斯，“在桌子上等待的人”，“服务的人”;然后，在第2节的底部，“帮助者”这个词的意思是“支持”。这是一个古老的犹太词用法——我应该说这个词的古老犹太用法，指的是“赞助人”，即在经济上资助某种活动的人。

So here was a woman, maybe wealthy.   She was a servant of the church at Cenchrea, a port of Corinth about nine miles from Corinth on the Saronic Gulf, probably a sister church to the Corinthian church which Paul planted over an eighteen-month period - had been planted there - it may well have met in her house.   She was a supporter of the church. She had been a supporter of Paul as well, probably meaning she had contributed to his needs, perhaps in a very generous way.   God has always used women in His kingdom, still does, and all of us who minister are dependent on many of them who serve loyally with joy and devotion and sacrifice.   So Paul starts the chapter by introducing this wonderful lady who has been such a tremendous helper of many, and even of the apostle Paul.

所以这里有一个女人，也许很富有。她是哥林多港口 Cenchrea 教会的仆人，该港口距离哥林多约 9 英里，位于撒罗尼克湾，可能是保罗在 18 个月内建立的哥林多教会的姊妹教会 - 已经在那里种植 - 很可能是在她的房子里聚会的。她是教会的支持者。她也是保罗的支持者，可能意味着她为保罗的需求做出了贡献，也许是以一种非常慷慨的方式。上帝在祂的国度中一直使用妇女，现在仍然如此，我们所有服事的人都依赖于她们中的许多人，她们以喜乐、奉献和牺牲忠诚地服事。因此，保罗在本章开始时介绍了这位奇妙的女士，她是许多人，甚至使徒保罗的巨大帮助者。

Then in verse 3 he introduces some more of his friends – “Prisca,” which is a diminutive form or a familiar form or sort of a nickname form of the word "Priscilla."   This woman is called “Priscilla” a number of times in the New Testament. Paul prefers to call her “Prisca,” which is certainly because he had familiarity with she and her husband; they were good friends.   "Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus."   They were also tentmakers, by the way, who met in the synagogue because synagogues seated people according to trade.   And on one occasion the apostle Paul was allowed the privilege to sit with these people and consequently to make their acquaintance.   You can read about that in Acts chapter 18.   He calls her by this diminutive form four out of the six times she appears.   Her name is first; it could well be because she was a noble Roman who married a humble Jewish tentmaker - we're not too sure about that.   But Paul had met them in Corinth there in the synagogue in chapter 18, and a really great friendship ensued.   Two years later they moved to Ephesus, and now they're back at Rome.   They show up later on in Ephesus again, according to 2 Timothy 4:19, after Paul's first imprisonment.   They're best known, I think, for discipling Apollos, the great and powerful Old Testament preacher. They're also well-known for having a church in their house in Ephesus, according to 1 Corinthians 16:19.   They had a church when they lived in Ephesus and now here.   Obviously these people are again giving their lives, and probably in verse 5 we are safe to say that there's this major church that meets in their house, again noting they may have been people of means.   So they were very devout; they were ministering; they were discipling; they were teaching people; they were having church in their own home, very sacrificially giving up their home for that purpose.

然后在第 3 节中，他介绍了更多的朋友——“百利”，这是“百基拉”一词的缩小形式或熟悉的形式或昵称形式。这个女人在新约中多次被称为“百基拉”。保罗更喜欢称她为“普里斯卡”，这当然是因为他熟悉她和她的丈夫;他们是好朋友。“问候百基加和亚居拉，我在基督耶稣里的同工。”顺便说一句，他们也是帐篷制造商，他们在犹太教堂聚会，因为犹太教堂按行业安排人们就座。有一次，使徒保罗被允许与这些人坐在一起，从而结识了他们。你可以在使徒行传第18章读到这一点。在她出现的六次中，他用这种小形式称呼她有四次。她的名字是第一位的;这很可能是因为她是一个高贵的罗马人，嫁给了一个卑微的犹太帐篷匠——我们不太确定这一点。但保罗在第18章在哥林多的会堂里遇见了他们，从此建立了非常伟大的友谊。两年后，他们搬到了以弗所，现在他们又回到了罗马。根据提摩太后书 4：19，保罗第一次被监禁后，他们后来再次出现在以弗所。我认为，他们最出名的是门训亚波罗，这位伟大而有力的旧约传道人。根据哥林多前书 16：19，他们还因在以弗所的家中拥有一座教堂而闻名。他们住在以弗所时有一座教堂，现在在这里。显然，这些人再次献出自己的生命，也许在第 5 节中，我们可以肯定地说，有一家主要的教会在他们的家里聚会，再次指出他们可能是有钱人。所以他们非常虔诚;他们正在服事;他们正在门徒训练;他们在教导人们;他们在自己的家里做教会，为此非常牺牲地放弃了他们的家。

Their service is commended in verse 4 in a unique way.   It says, "For my life they risked their own necks” - they put their heads on the chopping block. We don't know what incident that records.   We don't know the specifics of where and when.   So he says, "I am not only the one giving thanks, ‘but all the churches of the Gentiles.’"   Everybody is thankful that they were willing to sacrifice their lives for my sake because, of course, of the effect of the apostle Paul.   Everybody would be grateful for their endangerment of themselves because the ministry of Paul was benefited and carried on because of their sacrifice.

他们的服务在第 4 节以一种独特的方式得到了赞扬。它说，“为了我的生命，他们冒着生命危险”--他们把头放在砧板上。我们不知道这记录了什么事件。我们不知道具体地点和时间。所以他说，“我不仅是感谢的人，'乃是外邦人所有的教会。每个人都感谢他们愿意为我的缘故牺牲自己的生命，当然，因为使徒保罗的功效。每个人都会感谢他们对自己的危险，因为保罗的事工因他们的牺牲而受益并得以延续。

So all the churches were indebted to them for sacrificial service.   Here is a couple in whom Paul put great trust and made great effort for their own development spiritually, and they paid immense dividends in his life.   In verse 5 we note that the church in their house is to be greeted.

因此，所有的教会都欠他们的祭祀服务。这是保罗非常信任的夫妇，并为他们自己的属灵发展付出了巨大的努力，他们在他的生命中付出了巨大的红利。在第5节，我们注意到他们家里的教会要受到欢迎。

Then in verse 5 also we start to get another list of people, "Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia."   Asia Minor, the area of the seven churches of Asia Minor noted in Revelation 2 and 3, that region which would be modern Turkey.   He says the first convert there was a man named Epaenetus.   The fact that he says “the first convert” is indication that there were a lot more to follow, but this man was first and was of special note and well-beloved by the apostle Paul.

然后在第5节，我们也开始看到另一个人的名单，“问候以帕涅图，我所爱的，他是第一个从亚细亚归信基督的人。小亚细亚，启示录 2 章和 3 章中提到的小亚细亚七个教会的地区，即现代土耳其。他说那里第一个皈依者是一个名叫以帕涅图斯的人。他说“第一个归信者”这一事实表明还有更多人要跟随，但这个人是第一个，特别值得注意，深受使徒保罗的喜爱。

Verse 6, he says, "Greet Mary."   Now there are six Marys in the Bible; this is one of them, an unfamiliar one.   All we know about her is she “worked hard for you.” She was very hard working, kopiaō, “to the point of sweat and exhaustion.” With regard to the church at Rome she was a servant, a diligent, hard-working servant of that church.   Paul had come somehow to know her, and she was a part of his life, and a part of the team, and a very faithful friend of those in Rome.

第6节，他说：“问候马利亚。现在圣经中有六位马利亚;这是其中之一，一个陌生的。我们对她的了解是她“为你努力工作”。她非常努力，kopiaō，“以至于出汗和疲惫”。关于罗马教会，她是那个教会的仆人，一个勤奋、勤奋的仆人。保罗以某种方式认识了她，她是他生活的一部分，是团队的一部分，是罗马人非常忠实的朋友。

Verse 7, we meet “Andronicus and Junias,” and frankly, we are not sure whether they are male or female names, so we can't make any conclusion about them. They could be a couple.   They could be two men.   In fact, they probably could be two women.   He says, "My kinsmen" - it could mean they were Jewish. "And my fellow prisoners" certainly means that in their ministry they had also experienced imprisonment like the apostle Paul had.   He had many imprisonments, according to 2 Corinthians 11.   And here were some who also had been imprisoned in the preaching of the Word of God.

第7节，我们遇到了“安德罗尼库斯和朱尼亚斯”，坦率地说，我们不确定他们是男性名字还是女性名字，所以我们无法对他们做出任何结论。他们可能是一对。他们可能是两个人。事实上，她们可能是两个女人。他说，“我的亲戚”——这可能意味着他们是犹太人。“我的囚友们”当然意味着，在他们的传道工作中，他们也像使徒保罗一样经历过被监禁。根据哥林多后书 11 章，他曾多次入狱。这里有一些人也在传讲上帝的话语时被囚禁。

He then says about them, thirdly, they “are outstanding among the apostles,” and they “were also in Christ before me."   They came to know Christ before the apostle Paul.   In fact, they may have been targets for the persecution that was led by Saul of Tarsus against the Christians while they were still in the Jerusalem church. For if indeed they are Jews, as noted by “kinsmen,” then they were probably a part of the church at Jerusalem, having been converted before Paul's conversion and may well have been feeling the heat that was breathing on their necks from his own fury. They may have prayed for his conversion.   Who knows?   But by now when once they were converted they were such faithful servants they have become of note “among the apostles.” That is, they're highly esteemed by the apostles; they have an eminent reputation as godly people, fellow servants of the King of kings, and Paul notes that about them.

然后，他谈到他们，第三，他们“在使徒中是杰出的”，并且他们“在我之前也在基督里”。他们在使徒保罗之前认识了基督。事实上，他们可能是大数的扫罗在耶路撒冷教会中领导的对基督徒的迫害的目标。因为如果他们确实是犹太人，正如“亲属”所指出的那样，那么他们很可能是耶路撒冷教会的一部分，在保罗归信之前就已经皈依了，并且很可能感受到了他自己的愤怒在他们脖子上呼吸的热气。他们可能为他的转变祈祷。谁知道呢？但现在，当他们归信后，他们是如此忠心的仆人，他们已经成为“使徒中”的著名人物。也就是说，他们受到使徒们的高度尊重;他们作为敬虔的人，是万王之王的仆人，享有盛誉，保罗注意到他们这一点。

Then in verse 8 there's an interesting name, “Ampliatus,” and he says, "my beloved in the Lord."   Here's another guy we don't know much about. That's a slave name.   In fact, freemen usually had three names; slaves only had one.   This particular slave name was somewhat common in the imperial household.   Just a thought of note - I'm not sure we can make an absolute connection, but it's an interesting thing as a possibility. There's a cemetery that is one of the earliest catacombs.   You remember, the Christians buried their dead in catacombs in the ground.   I've traversed through those catacombs in the city of Rome; it's quite a fascinating experience.   They were the graves of the early Christians. And one of the very earliest ones has a tomb that is highly decorated, and there's only one name over it.   That's a bit unusual because freemen always had three names, and very often there were more than one person - there was more than one person put in one of those little tombs with slits. But this one has one name, and a single burial apparently took place there. It's a very ornate tomb, and the one name that is over it is “Ampliatus,” this very name.   We know it's a slave name, again because it is a singular name, and freemen always had three names at least. And so here we find a tomb, obviously a tomb of some note because it is decorated the way it is.   And what it tells us is that in Christ there is neither bond nor free.   There was no respect of persons.   Here was a simple and humble slave name with a very ornate tomb, which means he became highly beloved and honored by the church.   Rank and social strata meant nothing in the early church, as it should not mean.

然后在第8节有一个有趣的名字，“安普利亚图斯”，他说，“我在耶和华里的爱人”。这是另一个我们不太了解的人。这是一个奴隶的名字。事实上，自由民通常有三个名字;奴隶只有一个。这个特殊的奴隶名字在皇室中有些常见。只是一个值得注意的想法 - 我不确定我们能否建立绝对的联系，但作为一种可能性，这是一件有趣的事情。有一个墓地是最早的地下墓穴之一。你还记得，基督徒把死者埋在地下墓穴里。我穿过罗马城的那些地下墓穴;这是一次非常迷人的经历。它们是早期基督徒的坟墓。最早的坟墓之一有一座装饰精美的坟墓，上面只有一个名字。这有点不寻常，因为自由人总是有三个名字，而且经常有不止一个人——在那些有缝隙的小坟墓中放了不止一个人。但这个只有一个名字，而且显然在那里发生过一次墓葬。这是一座非常华丽的坟墓，上面有一个名字是“Amplitus”，这个名字就是这个名字。我们知道这是一个奴隶名字，同样因为它是一个单数名字，而自由民总是至少有三个名字。所以在这里我们找到了一座坟墓，显然是一座值得注意的坟墓，因为它的装饰方式是这样的。它告诉我们的是，在基督里既没有奴役，也没有自由。没有尊重人。这是一个简单而卑微的奴隶名字，有一个非常华丽的坟墓，这意味着他受到了教会的高度爱戴和尊敬。等级和社会阶层在早期教会中毫无意义，因为它不应该意味着。

Then in verse 9 it gives us the name of “Urbanus.” Again that's a common name, suggesting a native Roman, probably a Gentile.   He says, "our fellow worker in Christ" – “our helper in Christ” - both Paul and the church. The "us" there would incorporate the church and Paul - this guy had helped them both.

然后在第 9 节中，它给了我们“乌尔巴努斯”的名字。这又是一个常见的名字，暗示着一个土生土长的罗马人，可能是外邦人。他说，“我们在基督里的同工”——“我们在基督里的帮助者”——保罗和教会。那里的“我们”将教会和保罗合并在一起——这个人帮助了他们俩。

Then you meet “Stachys, my beloved.”   He has tremendous love and affection for these people.   “Stachys” is really a funny name, an uncommon Greek name meaning "ear of corn."   I can't imagine a mother in her right mind naming her child after an ear of corn, but this poor guy bore that stigma all his life.   And he is identified – actually, if you want to know what his name really means, if you're wondering about that, it's "cob."   So he was "cob."   And in spite of his name he was beloved by the apostle Paul for ministry.

然后你会遇到“Stachys，我心爱的人”。他对这些人有着巨大的爱和感情。“Stachys”确实是一个有趣的名字，一个不常见的希腊名字，意思是“玉米穗”。我无法想象一个头脑正常的母亲会以玉米穗为她的孩子命名，但这个可怜的家伙一生都背负着这种耻辱。他被识别出来了——实际上，如果你想知道他的名字的真正含义，如果你想知道这一点，那就是“玉米棒子”。所以他是“玉米棒子”。尽管他的名字如此，他仍受到使徒保罗的喜爱。

And then in verse 10, "Greet Apelles” – “Apelles” – “the approved one in Christ" - a tried man, a tested man, a proven man, faithful and dependable, lived up to the standard of faith which Paul had established by revelation. What a wonderful commendation.   Here's another team member we don't know much about.

然后在第10节，“问候亚佩勒斯”——“亚佩勒斯”——“在基督里蒙蒙认可的那位”——一个受考验的人，一个受考验的人，一个经过考验的人，一个忠心和可靠的人，活出了保罗通过启示所确立的信心标准。多么美妙的赞扬。这是另一个我们不太了解的团队成员。

And then interestingly enough in verse 10 he says, "Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus."   Now we would say here probably “Aristobulus” is not a believer. That's safe to say, or he would have said, "Greet Aristobulus and his household," perhaps.   There's reason to think that “Aristobulus” may not have been a believer, but there were many in his household or some in his household who were.   So that's why he says, "Greet those of Aristobulus,” or “of the household of Aristobulus."   Lightfoot has an interesting suggestion - Lightfoot is an eminent Greek scholar - he says, "This man, Aristobulus, was the brother of Herod Agrippa I and the grandson of Herod the Great" - the one who would have killed the Lord Jesus Christ.   "This man also,” says Lightfoot, "was on very intimate terms with Claudius."   Claudius was the current Roman emperor, the current Caesar.   And so, "Aristobulus was a very intimate friend of Claudius.   When Aristobulus died, his entire household and everything he possessed became the property of the emperor.   So the household of Aristobulus would have passed into the control of Claudius; therefore whoever the Christians were in the household of Aristobulus would have been Christians right in the imperial court - right in the very palace of the Caesar."   Servants of the Lord, fellow Christians with Paul, right in the main heart of emperor worship, cultic life, faithful in the hardest place, and Paul wants to be sure they're greeted in Rome.

有趣的是，在第10节，他说：“问候亚里士多布卢斯家的人。现在我们在这里说，“亚里士多布卢斯”可能不是信徒。可以肯定地说，或者他会说，“问候亚里士多布卢斯和他的家人”，也许。有理由认为“亚里士多布卢斯”可能不是信徒，但他的家里有很多人，或者他的家里有些人是信徒。所以这就是为什么他说，“问候亚里士多布卢斯的人”或“亚里士多布卢斯的家人”。莱特富特有一个有趣的建议——莱特富特是一位杰出的希腊学者——他说，“这个人，亚里士多布卢斯，是希律·阿格里帕一世的兄弟，也是希律大帝的孙子”——他会杀死主耶稣基督。“这个人，”莱特富特说，“与克劳狄斯关系非常亲密。克劳狄斯是现任罗马皇帝，即现任凯撒。因此，“亚里士多布卢斯是克劳狄斯非常亲密的朋友。亚里士多布卢斯死后，他的整个家庭和他所拥有的一切都成为了皇帝的财产。因此，亚里士多布卢斯的家族将落入克劳狄乌斯的控制之下;因此，无论亚里士多布卢斯家中的基督徒是谁，在宫廷中都是基督徒——就在凯撒的宫殿里。主的仆人，与保罗一起的基督徒同工，就在皇帝崇拜、邪教生活的主要中心，在最艰难的地方忠心，保罗希望确保他们在罗马受到欢迎。

Then in verse 11, "Greet Herodion, my kinsmen," another Jew identified there as such - perhaps by the “kinsmen” term he does mean those who are Jewish.   Some think that because there may be some Jews in here who aren't identified as kinsmen. He may be referring to someone who is his relative, but we can't be certain.

然后在第11节，“我的亲戚们，你们要问候希律王”，另一位犹太人在那里认出了这样的身份——也许他所说的“亲戚”一词确实指的是那些犹太人。有些人认为，因为这里可能有一些犹太人没有被认定为亲属。他可能指的是他的亲戚，但我们无法确定。

Then he says, "Greet those of the household of Narcissus." Again, like “Aristobulus,” “Narcissus” appears not to have been a Christian, but there were in his household some who are in the Lord, those of his household who are in the Lord.   This is quite an interesting thing because the most famous man named “Narcissus” at this time was a freeman who was the secretary to Claudius.   You can find this in some of the Roman history.   Claudius the emperor had a secretary.   And the secretary did what any secretary does - secretary opened his mail, that's basically it.   And the secretary therefore determined what he saw.   Now that was a position of tremendous power, tremendous power because you could literally filter what got to the emperor.   The record tells us that this man, “Narcissus,” became a multi-millionaire by today's terms; accumulated a massive fortune because of the notorious influence he exercised over Claudius.   And how did he do it?   Basically bribery.   Everything that came to the emperor had to come through him.   And if you wanted to make sure the emperor saw it, you paid.   So he was literally in a position to make a fortune, which he did.

然后他说，“问候纳西索斯家的人。”同样，就像“亚里士多布卢斯”一样，“纳西索斯”似乎不是基督徒，但他的家里有一些在主里的人，他的家人在主里的人。这是一件非常有趣的事情，因为当时最著名的人叫“纳西索斯”是一个自由人，他是克劳狄斯的秘书。你可以在一些罗马历史中找到这一点。克劳狄斯皇帝有一个秘书。秘书做任何秘书所做的事情——秘书打开他的邮件，基本上就是这样。因此，秘书决定了他所看到的东西。现在，这是一个拥有巨大权力的职位，巨大的权力，因为你可以真正过滤到达皇帝手中的东西。记录告诉我们，这个人，“纳西索斯”，以今天的话来说，成为了千万富翁;由于他对克劳狄斯施加了臭名昭著的影响力，积累了巨额财富。他是怎么做到的？基本上是贿赂。所有来到皇帝手中的东西都必须通过他。如果你想确保皇帝看到它，你就付钱。所以他确实有能力发财，他做到了。

When Claudius was murdered and Nero came to power, “Narcissus” survived a little while longer and eventually committed suicide. When “Narcissus” committed suicide, by the time he had done that he had a huge fortune which would show up in possessions and slaves.   And his whole fortune passed immediately into the possession of Nero.   So when the apostle Paul here in verse 11 identifies Christians in the Lord, “in the household of Narcissus,” again he may be making clear reference to a group of slaves who belonged to this household which had now passed into control - which eventually, I should say - passed into the control of Nero when he took charge, right there in the palace, right in the heart of Rome, right in the imperial court.   Christianity had penetrated to the slaves of the emperor himself, and they were part of the ministry team of Paul in strategic places.

当克劳狄斯被谋杀，尼禄掌权时，“纳西索斯”多活了一段时间，最终自杀了。当“纳西索斯”自杀时，当他自杀时，他已经拥有了一笔巨额财富，这些财富将出现在财产和奴隶身上。他的全部财产立即落入尼禄的手中。因此，当使徒保罗在第11节中指出在主里的基督徒，“在纳西索的家中”时，他可能再次明确提到了属于这个家庭的一群奴隶，这些奴隶现在已经掌握了控制权——最终，我应该说——当尼禄掌权时，就在宫殿里，就在罗马的中心地带，就在宫廷里，就在尼禄的控制之下。基督教已经渗透到皇帝本人的奴隶中，他们是保罗在战略要地的事工团队的一部分。

Then in verse 13 - I'm sorry, verse 12 - you have those two names, probably women and maybe twins: “Tryphaena and Tryphosa.”   It says about them that they were “workers in the Lord,” kopiaō again - their work was exhausting, they worked to the point of sweat and exhaustion again.   Their names mean "delicate and dainty."   Now I hope they were small, because if they weren't they probably had to battle snickers all their life.   But anyway, Delicate and Dainty were two women who, whose work wasn't delicate or dainty - they worked very hard; two precious friends.

然后在第 13 节——对不起，第 12 节——你有这两个名字，可能是女人，也许是双胞胎：“特里斐娜和特里弗萨。它说他们是“在主里的工人”，又是kopiaō——他们的工作很累，他们又工作到流汗和疲惫的地步。他们的名字的意思是“精致而精致”。现在我希望它们很小，因为如果它们不小，他们可能一辈子都得与士力架作斗争。但无论如何，精致和精致是两个女人，她们的工作并不精致或精致——她们非常努力地工作;两个珍贵的朋友。

And then there is “Persis,” which literally means “a Persian woman.”   We don't know much about this woman, but she was the beloved who also worked hard. And the indication is there she may have worked harder than Delicate and Dainty even - labored much, beyond the two prior names.   Perhaps she was older, since the past tense is used - her working was in the past.   But she also is distinguished as one who is beloved, deeply loved by Paul as a part of his team.

然后是“波斯”，字面意思是“波斯女人”。我们对这个女人了解不多，但她是心爱的人，也努力工作。有迹象表明，她可能比 Delicate 和 Dainty 更努力——比之前的两个名字还要努力。也许她年纪大了，因为使用过去式--她的工作已经过去了。但她也是一位深受保罗爱戴的人，作为保罗团队的一员。

And then in verse 13, "Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine."   Now this is really fascinating.   “Rufus” had a brother named Alexander. Apparently Alexander wasn't a believer; both of them are mentioned in Mark 15:21.   You know why they're mentioned?   Because they were the two sons of Simon the Cyrene, the man who carried the cross of Jesus.   And this man who carried the cross of Christ obviously became a believer. His wife obviously became a believer because in speaking of his wife Paul says that the mother of “Rufus” was “also my mother.” So somehow this dear Christian woman, not only the mother of “Rufus” - making her the wife of Simon - but also in some way had a motherly role in the life of the apostle Paul.   She was a part of ministry, a partner in some way in meeting the needs of this dear apostle.   And her son “Rufus, a choice man in the Lord,” likely refers to him being selected for special leadership, in contrast sadly to his brother Alexander, who apparently was not a Christian at all.   Must have been a heartache to the family, such a sad thing when your father could tell you the wonderful story about carrying the cross of Jesus Christ, to have you reject the Christ whose cross your father carried.

然后在第 13 节中，“求你问安鲁弗斯，这是耶和华里有拣选的人，也是他的母亲和我的母亲。现在这真的很迷人。“鲁弗斯”有一个名叫亚历山大的兄弟。显然亚历山大不是一个信徒;马可福音 15：21 提到了他们俩。你知道为什么提到他们吗？因为他们是古利奈人西门的两个儿子，就是背负耶稣十字架的人。而这个背负基督十字架的人显然成为了信徒。他的妻子显然成为信徒，因为保罗在谈到他的妻子时说，“鲁弗斯”的母亲“也是我的母亲”。因此，不知何故，这位亲爱的基督徒妇女不仅是“鲁弗斯”的母亲——使她成为西门的妻子——而且在使徒保罗的生活中也以某种方式扮演了母亲的角色。她是事工的一部分，在某种程度上是满足这位亲爱的使徒需要的伙伴。而她的儿子“鲁弗斯，主里的拣选人”，可能指的是他被选为特别的领导人，可悲的是，与他的兄弟亚历山大形成鲜明对比，亚历山大显然根本不是基督徒。当你的父亲可以告诉你背负耶稣基督十字架的美妙故事时，你拒绝你父亲背负的十字架的基督，这一定是一件令人心痛的事情。

In verse 14 he goes on to say, "Greet Asyncritus, Phelgon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them."   And we don't know who these people are - five men, perhaps of one household, maybe the leaders of a local house church within the larger Roman church.

在第14节，他接着说：“问候阿西克里特、费尔贡、赫耳墨斯、帕特罗巴斯、赫尔马斯和弟兄们。我们不知道这些人是谁——五个人，也许是一个家庭，也许是更大的罗马教会中一个地方家庭教会的领袖。

And then in verse 15, "Greet Philologus and Julia," and again we don't know much about them, but some more team members.   Then this interesting name, "Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them."   Now what about this “Nereus?”   Well, it's an interesting note.   In A.D. 95 there was a great event that shocked Rome.   Two of the most distinguished people in the imperial court, two of the highest people in Caesar's court, were condemned to death.   And the reason they were condemned to death was they had become Christians. They were husband and wife, and the husband was named Flavius Clemens. He had been the consul of Rome.   The wife was Domitia who was of royal blood. And so they were a very prominent - in fact, I guess, by name you would have to say the most prominent Christians that we know about in ancient times.   She was the granddaughter of Emperor Vespasian. Titus Vespasian had conquered and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.   She was the niece of Domitian, who was the reigning emperor at the time in A.D. 95.   In fact, the two sons of this couple had been designated to be the successors of Domitian in imperial power.   So this is a royal family. And this is a very high-up family, and they become Christians, the husband and wife.   Flavius was executed.   Domitia was exiled, banished to the island of Pontia.

然后在第15节，“问候菲洛洛古斯和朱莉娅”，我们对他们了解不多，但更多的团队成员。然后是这个有趣的名字，“尼柔斯和他的妹妹，奥林巴斯，以及所有与他们在一起的圣徒。现在这个“海神星”呢？嗯，这是一个有趣的笔记。公元 95 年，发生了一件震惊罗马的重大事件。朝廷中最尊贵的两位，凯撒宫廷中的两位最高人物，被判处死刑。他们被判处死刑的原因是他们已经成为基督徒。他们是夫妻，丈夫名叫弗拉维乌斯·克莱门斯。他曾是罗马的执政官。妻子是多米蒂亚，有皇室血统。因此，他们是一位非常杰出的人——事实上，我想，你必须说我们所知道的古代最杰出的基督徒。她是维斯帕芗皇帝的孙女。提图斯·维斯帕芗 （Titus Vespasian） 在公元 70 年征服并摧毁了耶路撒冷。她是图密善的侄女，图密善是公元 95 年当时的在位皇帝。事实上，这对夫妇的两个儿子已被指定为图密善的皇权继承人。所以这是一个王室。这是一个非常高的家庭，他们成为基督徒，成为夫妻。弗拉维乌斯被处决。多米提亚被流放，流放到本提亚岛。

You say, "What's the point?"   The point is, when you look at the Roman records they had a chamberlain, that is, one who was most intimately associated with their personal family life.   And the chamberlain who took care of their personal needs was named “Nereus,” the very same name that is used here in verse 15 – “and his sister.”   Could it be that slave “Nereus” was the instrument whom God used to bring the gospel to this couple which ultimately resulted in the husband losing his life and the wife being banished.   Interesting.

你说，“有什么意义？关键是，当你查看罗马记录时，他们有一位侍从，也就是说，一个与他们的个人家庭生活关系最密切的人。照顾他们个人需求的内侍被命名为“尼柔斯”，与第15节中使用的“和他的妹妹”的名字完全相同。难道奴隶“尼柔斯”是上帝用来将福音带给这对夫妇的工具，最终导致丈夫失去生命，妻子被放逐。有趣。

Now all of these looks and glimpses here - you say, "Why did the Lord include all of this?"   Well, the Lord included it to let you know that Paul was a man who was involved with people, that he was not isolated.   And there were more, and so he just says “all the saints who are with him,” and just give everybody “a holy kiss,” and “all the churches of Christ greet you.”   I mean, his life was just filled with people.   And so he gives greeting to all of those people.

现在，所有这些目光和瞥见——你会说，“为什么主要包括这一切？好吧，主把它包括在内，是为了让你知道保罗是一个与人打交道的人，他不是孤立的。还有更多，所以他只是说 “所有与他同在的圣徒”，并给每个人 “一个圣洁的吻”，并且 “基督的所有教会都向你们问好”。我的意思是，他的生活充满了人。所以他向所有这些人打招呼。

Drop down to verse 21 and find that he sends greeting.   He not only gives it, he sends it from some folks.   "Timothy my fellow worker greets you."   We all know “Timothy,” his protege, son in the faith and beloved. Then he says, "so do Lucius." That is perhaps a form of the word “Lucus,” which Paul used on a number of occasions, such as Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:11 to refer to “Luke.” And then he also mentions “Jason.”   “Jason” was Paul's host on his first visit to Thessalonica, according to Acts 17.   “Sosipater” was a traveling companion with Paul at this time.   You'll see his name in Acts 20 and verse 4, another of his kinsmen, a Jew.   And then he notes “Tertius,” who was the amanuensis writing down Paul's dictation in the letter of Romans. And then there was “Gaius,” also called “Titus Justus” in Acts 18, a man who worshiped God and lived next door to the Corinthian synagogue - a Gentile whom Paul baptized, as noted in 1 Corinthians 1:14. And then there was “Erastus.”   By the way, “Gaius” was also a host, not only to Paul but the whole church - he had a church in his house.   “Erastus” was the city treasurer.   Interestingly enough, in the city of Corinth where Romans was written there is a plaque with his name on it that archaeologists found.   And then there's “Quartus, the brother,” maybe the Christian brother or the brother of “Erastus,” we don't know.

下到第 21 节，发现他送来问候。他不仅给它，还从一些人那里发送。“蒂莫西，我的同事向你打招呼。”我们都认识“提摩太”，他的门徒，信仰中的儿子和挚爱。然后他说，“卢修斯也是。这也许是“路库斯”一词的一种形式，保罗在许多场合都使用过这个词，例如歌罗西书 4：14、腓利门书 24 章、提摩太后书 4：11 来指代“路加”。然后他还提到了“杰森”。根据使徒行传 17 章，“伊阿孙”是保罗第一次访问帖撒罗尼迦时的主人。“索西帕特”此时是保罗的旅伴。你会在使徒行传 20 章和第 4 节看到他的名字，他的另一个亲戚，一个犹太人。然后他注意到“特提乌斯”，他是阿曼努西斯，在罗马书中写下保罗的口述。然后是“该牛”，在使徒行传18章中也被称为“提多·犹斯都”，他是一个敬拜上帝的人，住在哥林多会堂的隔壁——正如哥林多前书1：14所指出的，保罗为他施洗的外邦人。然后是“埃拉斯特斯”。顺便说一句，“该牛”不仅是保罗的主人，也是整个教会的主人——他家里有一座教堂。“埃拉斯特斯”是城市财务主管。有趣的是，在写罗马书的科林多市，考古学家发现了一块写有他名字的牌匾。然后是“夸图斯，兄弟”，也许是基督徒的兄弟或“埃拉斯特斯”的兄弟，我们不知道。

But all of these people just make up Paul's life.   Now Romans 16 gives you the biggest family portrait, the biggest team photo.   But there are some names that aren't here.   You know them - Apollos, the household of Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Tychicus, Epaphroditus, Epaphras, Mark, Onesimus, Philemon, Jesus Justus, Carpus, Aristarchus, Crescens, Demas, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, the household of Onesiphorus, Trophimus - and he's putting his arm around all of these people, and I suppose you could accumulate well, the forty to fifty names. There were 24, at least just in Romans 16 in the list that he greeted.

但所有这些人只是保罗的生活。现在，罗马书 16 章为您提供了最大的全家福，最大的团队照片。但有些名字不在这里。你认识他们——亚波罗、斯蒂芬纳斯、福图纳图斯、亚该古、推基古、以巴弗提、以巴弗拉、马可、阿尼西母、腓利门、耶稣犹士都、卡普斯、亚里斯塔古、克雷森斯、底马斯、欧布卢斯、普登斯、莱努斯、克劳迪娅、阿尼西弗鲁斯、特罗非摩斯的家人——他搂着所有这些人，我想你可以积累好四五十个名字。他打招呼的名单上有 24 人，至少在罗马书 16 章中是这样。

So his life is filled with people.   And so when you come from there - let's go over to Titus - and you see Paul say, “To Titus, my true child in a common faith," all of a sudden the bigger context comes into focus, doesn't it?   We're being taught here that Paul was a man who built his life on principle.   He was committed to God's mastery and God's mission and God's message and God's means. And he was also committed to God's men, and we might add women.   Here in the case of Titus he was a man as, of course, all those pastors who are addressed, Timothy and Titus. So Paul was committed to God's people.   He extended himself through others.   He had to live an exemplary life.   He had to share love.   He had to be willing to meet needs, make sacrifices, to build deep relationships, to teach, to correct, to rebuke, to reprove, to exhort, to pray for, to give wisdom to.   He knew that the Lord didn't expect or desire him to function alone. He knew the Lord didn't want him out there all by himself.   He knew to spread the work he had to pour his life into the lives of others.   He had to delegate things to gifted, faithful, and beloved friends who had both responsibility and authority.   He was into the very principle of 2 Timothy 2:2, "The things you heard from me, the same commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also."   You've got to pass it on and multiply your team.

所以他的生活充满了人。因此，当你从那里来时——让我们来看看提多书——你看到保罗说：“致提多，我有共同信仰的真孩子”，突然间，更大的背景就成为焦点，不是吗？我们在这里被教导说，保罗是一个以原则为生的人。他致力于上帝的掌控和上帝的使命、上帝的信息和上帝的手段。他也委身于上帝的男人，我们可以加上女人。就提多而言，他当然是一个人，就像所有被称呼的牧师一样，提摩太和提多。因此，保罗委身于上帝的子民。他通过他人扩展了自己。他必须过一种模范的生活。他必须分享爱。他必须愿意满足需要，做出牺牲，建立深厚的关系，教导，纠正，责备，责备，劝勉，祈祷，赐智慧。他知道主并不期望或希望他独自工作。他知道主不希望他一个人在那里。他知道要传播他必须将自己的生命倾注到他人生活中的工作。他必须将事情委托给有天赋、忠诚和心爱的朋友，他们既有责任又有权威。他很喜欢提摩太后书 2：2 的原则，“你们从我那里听见的，也是交托在忠心的人身上，他们也必能教导别人。你必须把它传递下去，让你的团队倍增。

Now let's look at the name “Titus,” and what do we know about Titus?   Well, one interesting curiosity about Titus is that his name never appears in the book of Acts.   With all the names that are woven through the book of Acts, Titus isn't.   And what that does is make it difficult for us to identify the time zone for him.   We can't stick him anywhere in Acts because he's not named, and it gives us a little bit of difficulty in identifying precisely when he was converted and precisely when the things that he's engaged in with regard to ministry occur.   I might add for you that I think the ministry in Crete here that he's following up on will be after the book of Acts, after Paul's first imprisonment noted in the end of Acts.   Paul has been released from prison, and then Paul meets him in Crete and they do a ministry there. And so this is post-Acts.   But he really got into the flow during the time of the book of Acts, but is not mentioned there.   He was another of the men Paul discipled and depended upon for strategic service and strategic leadership, and we don't know as much about him as we do about Timothy, but he certainly is a very important person.   I personally believe that, as I said earlier, Timothy and Titus would be the two men that Paul would most like to hand the work over to - very gifted.   Of all these men that we listed, these are the two that he identifies for strategic letters to wrap up his ministry as he knows he's moving on to glory.

现在让我们看看“提多”这个名字，我们对提多了解多少？关于提多的一个有趣的好奇心是，他的名字从未出现在使徒行传中。使徒行传中编织着所有的名字，提多却不是。这样做使我们很难确定他的时区。我们不能把他放在使徒行传的任何地方，因为他没有名字，这给我们带来了一点困难，很难准确地确定他何时获得转变，以及他所从事的事工何时发生。我想为你们补充一点，我认为他在这里跟进的克里特岛事工将在使徒行传之后，在使徒行传结尾提到保罗第一次被监禁之后。保罗出狱了，然后保罗在克里特岛遇见了他，他们在那里做事工。所以这是使徒行传之后的。但他在使徒行传时期真正进入了流程，但那里没有提到。他是保罗门徒训练和依靠的另一位人，在战略服务和战略领导方面，我们对他的了解不如我们对提摩太那么了解，但他确实是一个非常重要的人。我个人相信，正如我之前所说，提摩太和提多将是保罗最想把工作交给的两个人——非常有恩赐。在我们列出的所有这些人中，这是他确定的两人，作为战略信件来结束他的事工，因为他知道他正在走向荣耀。

Notice how he identifies Titus, and we'll say more about Titus. "My true child in a common faith," almost the exact same designation he gave to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2, where he calls Timothy, "My true child in the faith."   Here he says essentially the same thing.   “Child” is teknon; it means “a born child,” that is to say, he's emphasizing the relationship of life between the parent and the child.   He is saying “Titus owes his spiritual life to God through me. I was the human agent by which God brought him spiritual life.”   And it was real.   He is gnēsios. He is “legitimate,” not illegitimate. He's not a bastard son. He's a real Christian. He's a real convert.   His spiritual birth came by the will of God and the power of God through Paul's preaching and Paul's witness.   And so, like Timothy, he is a true child of Paul. He has been brought to faith by the influence of the great apostle.   And there is a wonderful attachment; there is a spiritually filial relationship between Titus and Paul.   In fact we'll see in 2 Corinthians their hearts beat together in the same kind of zeal and the same kind of passion.   He really caught the fire of Paul's heart, as well as doctrine.

请注意他如何识别提多，我们将更多地谈论提多。“我在共同信仰中的真孩子”，几乎与他在提摩太前书 1：2 中对提摩太的称呼完全相同，他在提摩太前书中称提摩太为“我在信仰中真正的孩子”。在这里，他说的基本上是一样的。“孩子”是 teknon;意思是“生来的孩子”，也就是说，他强调的是父母和孩子之间的生命关系。他说：“提多的属灵生命通过我归功于神。我是上帝给他带来属灵生命的人类代理人。这是真实的。他是 gnēsios。他是“合法的”，而不是非法的。他不是一个私生子。他是一个真正的基督徒。他是一个真正的皈依者。他的属灵诞生是凭着神的旨意和神的大能，通过保罗的讲道和保罗的见证而来的。因此，他和提摩太一样，是保罗真正的孩子。他因伟大使徒的影响而信主。还有一种奇妙的依恋;提多和保罗之间有属灵的孝顺关系。事实上，我们将在哥林多后书中看到他们的心在同样的热情和激情中一起跳动。他确实抓住了保罗的心火，也触动了教义。

To really get a fix on the uniqueness of this man, you need to go back to the book of Galatians.   He is not mentioned in the book of Acts.   He is mentioned twice in the book of Galatians.   He is mentioned once in 2 Timothy and once in Titus.   The nine other times he's mentioned is in 2 Corinthians, are in 2 Corinthians.   But look at Galatians.   We run into him in chapter 2.   "Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also."

要真正了解这个人的独特性，你需要回到加拉太书。使徒行传中没有提到他。加拉太书中两次提到他。他在提摩太后书中被提及过一次，在提多书中被提及过一次。他提到的其他九次是在哥林多后书中，在哥林多后书中。但请看加拉太书。我们在第二章遇到了他。“过了十四年，我又和巴拿巴一起上耶路撒冷去，也带着提多去。”

Now this is very important.   We get a little bit of a time frame here. This is seventeen years after Paul's conversion - seventeen years have passed.   You remember he was converted; he talks about the fact that he was converted.   In the book of Acts, chapter 9, we have the record, and then he talks about it later on in the book of Acts when he's giving testimony to the authorities.   His conversion was a very remarkable and unique situation.   But immediately after his conversion, early in the first chapter there of Galatians, he says that the Lord began to instruct him.   No man instructed him.   The Lord sent him out into the wilderness.   In fact, in verse 17 he says, "I didn't even go to Jerusalem; I didn't go to those who were apostles; I went to Arabia" - that's Nabataean Arabia, the wilderness desert.   And he went to that place. Then in verse 18 he says, "Three years later I went to Jerusalem."   There was a three-year period from his miraculous conversion, which he gives testimony to, to the time that he went to Jerusalem.   It was during that three years that he received his calling and his revelation from God personally.   He did not come second-hand; he was a true apostle.   As the others had seen the living Christ, heard the living Christ, so did he during that time as things were revealed to him by God Himself in his wilderness experience.   So three years after that he went to Jerusalem.

现在这非常重要。我们在这里得到了一些时间框架。这是保罗转变后的十七年——十七年过去了。你还记得他已经皈依了;他谈到了他被转变的事实。在使徒行传第9章，我们有记录，然后他在使徒行传后面向当局作见证时谈到了这一点。他的皈依是一个非常了不起和独特的情况。但在他转变之后，在加拉太书第一章的开头，他说主开始教导他。没有人指导他。耶和华差遣他到旷野去。事实上，在第17节，他说：“我甚至没有去耶路撒冷;我没有去找那些使徒;我去了阿拉伯“——那是纳巴泰阿拉伯，旷野沙漠。他就去了那个地方。然后在第18节，他说：“三年后，我往耶路撒冷去。从他奇迹般的转变到他去耶路撒冷，有三年的时间。正是在那三年里，他亲自接受了上帝的呼召和启示。他不是二手的;他是一位真正的使徒。正如其他人看到活着的基督，听见活着的基督一样，在那段时间里，神亲自在旷野经历中向他启示了事情，他也是如此。三年后，他去了耶路撒冷。

He stayed in Jerusalem, according to verse 18, “fifteen days,” and even then “didn't see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.”   So he's trying to say to the Galatians, "I didn't get my message from man; I got it from the Lord." But that just gives us a little time understanding.

根据第18节，他在耶路撒冷住了“十五天”，即使这样，“除了主的兄弟雅各之外，没有见到任何其他使徒”。所以他试图对加拉太人说：“我的信息不是从人那里得到的;我是从主那里得到的。但这只是给了我们一点时间来理解。

Now in verse 1 of chapter 2, after fourteen years later (that's a total seventeen years), “I went to Jerusalem.”   He hadn't been to Jerusalem except for two weeks, and that was fourteen years before.   And all this time he's been preaching among the Gentiles that Jesus is Christ and he's been calling them to salvation.

现在在第2章的第1节中，十四年后（总共十七年），“我往耶路撒冷去了”。除了两个星期之外，他没有去过耶路撒冷，那是十四年前的事了。一直以来，他一直在外邦人中传讲耶稣是基督，并呼召他们得救。

Now he goes to Jerusalem after fourteen years, and he takes Barnabas, who has been his companion, and he also takes Titus.   Titus is apparently a new convert.   Why does he go?   Verse 2, "It was because of a revelation that I went up."   In other words, God instructed him directly to go.   "And I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain."   In other words, “if I was going to get rebuked I wanted it to be in private.   So I went into those who were the authorities, and I gave them the gospel as I had been preaching it to the Gentiles."   Now remember, he hasn't been instructed by any of the apostles. He hasn't been instructed by any of the authorities. He hasn't been around for fourteen years.   He's been giving the gospel that was directly revealed to him by God to give.   But now he goes to Jerusalem.   You say, “Why?”   Because this was the Jerusalem Council.   This was the council in Jerusalem when the decision had to be made about what do we say when we go around the world and preach the gospel.   There were Jews called Judaizers who said, "It's fine to preach the gospel, but you also have to preach circumcision and Mosaic ceremony and that people need to know they have to become circumcised physically, and they have to keep the Mosaic law as well as believe the gospel."   And so the debate at the Jerusalem Council basically is, “What is the content of the evangelistic message?   And what do we say to the Gentile about that?   And what do we say to the Jew about that?”   That was the discussion.

十四年后，他往耶路撒冷去，带着他同伴的巴拿巴，也带着提多。提多显然是一个新皈依者。他为什么要去？第2节，“我因着启示，才上去。换句话说，上帝直接指示他去。“我把我在外邦人中传的福音交给他们，却私下里对那些有声望的人说，怕我逃跑了，或者已经逃跑了。”换句话说，“如果我要受到责备，我希望它能私下进行。我就往那些掌权的人那里去，把福音传给外邦人，就把福音传给他们。现在请记住，他没有受到任何使徒的教导。他没有得到任何当局的指示。他已经十四年没有出现了。他一直在传福音，这是神直接启示给他的。但现在他去了耶路撒冷。你说，“为什么？因为这是耶路撒冷大公会议。这是耶路撒冷的会议，当时必须决定当我们环游世界并传福音时该说什么。有些犹太人被称为犹太教徒，他们说：“传福音很好，但你也必须传割礼和摩西仪式，人们需要知道他们必须在身体上受割礼，他们必须遵守摩西律法并相信福音。因此，耶路撒冷大公会议的辩论基本上是，“福音信息的内容是什么？关于这一点，我们该怎么对外邦人说呢？我们对犹太人说什么呢？这就是讨论。

So Paul went - Barnabas went - and they took Titus, and Titus is the key player because verse 3 says, "Not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek” - or a Gentile – “was compelled to be circumcised, but it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus in order to bring us into bondage."   Here they arrive and Paul's got a trophy. He's got a Gentile convert by the name of Titus.   And the Judaizers see this guy and they compel him to be circumcised.   You've got to circumcise this guy or he'll not enter the covenant.   Circumcision and ceremony - that was the Judaizing message.   Salvation is not by grace through faith alone - it is grace; it is faith; it is also circumcision; it is also law-keeping, ceremonies.

于是保罗去了，巴拿巴去了，他们抓住了提多，而提多是关键人物，因为第3节说，“连提多虽然是希腊人，也没有和我同在的”，也不是外邦人，“是被迫受割礼的，但那是因为假弟兄偷偷进来，窥探我们在基督耶稣里所拥有的自由，要把我们带到奴役中。他们来到了这里，保罗拿到了一座奖杯。他有一个外邦人皈依者，名叫提多。犹太教徒看到这个人，就强迫他受割礼。你必须给这个人行割礼，否则他就不会立约。割礼和仪式——这就是犹太化的信息。救恩不是单单通过信心的恩典——它是恩典;这是信心;这也是割礼;它也是守法仪式。

And so Paul is instructed by the Lord.   He brings along Titus as a living illustration of a converted, redeemed, and saved Gentile who has never been circumcised.   This is the unarguable illustration.   You can see in his life; certainly the conversation was his love for Christ.   You can see in his life his love for holiness.   You can see the transformation of his life.   You can see his passion for God.   You can see the man is genuinely converted, just as he is called in Titus “a genuine child in a common faith,” a true believer.   He's real.

因此，保罗受到主的指示。他带来了提多书，作为一个从未受过割礼的转变、被救赎和得救的外邦人的活生生的例子。这是无可争辩的比喻。你可以在他的生活中看到;当然，谈话是他对基督的爱。你可以在他的生活中看到他对圣洁的爱。你可以看到他生命的转变。你可以看到他对神的热情。你可以看到这个人是真正得主的，正如他在提多书中被称为 “一个有共同信仰的真孩子”，一个真正的信徒。他是真实的。

And so verse 5 says, "We didn't yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you."   In other words, we weren't about to succumb to those Judaizers and have him circumcised - no way.   We didn't, we wouldn't do that for - in our vernacular we'd say - for a second.   They said “for an hour.”   We wouldn't do it.   Titus was living and unarguable proof that circumcision and Mosaic ceremonies are not necessary for salvation because here is a saved man who has subscribed to neither.   And the Jerusalem Council, strengthened certainly by the illustrative testimony of Titus, refused to accede to the Judaizers and have all the Gentiles circumcised, which is what they wanted.   Perhaps as a note I should mention Paul did have Timothy circumcised, but that's because he was half Jewish and he wanted him to have access to the synagogues for sake of ministry.   It would give him that opportunity; his circumcision - Timothy's - had no relation to his salvation. It did give him access to the Jews and the synagogues.   Titus wouldn't have that anyway because he was a Gentile.   To have him circumcised would have been to undercut grace and bring believers into legal bondage.   And he calls the Jewish people who were pushing this, verse 4, "false brethren who are trying to spy out liberty and bring us into bondage."   Paul would not adulterate the gospel of grace and faith by confusing the issue.

因此，第5节说，“我们一小时也不顺服他们，为要使福音的真理常在你们心里。”换句话说，我们不打算屈服于那些犹太教徒，让他受割礼——不可能。我们没有，我们不会这样做，因为——用我们的白话来说，我们会说——一秒钟。他们说“一个小时”。我们不会这样做。提多是活生生的、无可争辩的证明，证明割礼和摩西仪式不是得救所必需的，因为这里有一个得救的人，他两者都不服从。耶路撒冷公会议，当然因提多的说明性见证而得到加强，拒绝加入犹太教徒，拒绝让所有外邦人都受割礼，这是他们想要的。也许作为注释，我应该提到保罗确实让提摩太受了割礼，但那是因为他有一半犹太血统，他希望他为了事奉而进入会堂。这会给他这个机会;他的割礼——提摩太的——与他的救恩没有关系。它确实让他有机会接触犹太人和会堂。无论如何，提多不会这样做，因为他是外邦人。让他受割礼会削弱恩典，将信徒置于法律的奴役中。他称推动这节第4节的犹太人是“假弟兄，他们试图窥探自由，使我们成为奴役”。保罗不会通过混淆问题来掺杂恩典和信心的福音。

So Titus, you know, from that moment on was well-known.   Everybody knew Titus.   That was, as I said, the Jerusalem Council, seventeen years after Paul's conversion.   Now at what point prior to that council Titus was saved we don't know.   But his salvation was very real in every sense, and the testimony of God's power in his life set the council in motion.

所以，你知道，从那一刻起，提多就广为人知了。每个人都认识提多。正如我所说，那是保罗皈依十七年后的耶路撒冷大公会议。现在，我们不知道在那次会议之前的什么时候提多得救了。但他的救恩在各个方面都是非常真实的，对上帝在他生命中的大能的见证推动了大公会议的启动。

Now notice also in Titus, back to Titus chapter 1, that Paul says he was a “true child in a common faith.”   That phrase can be objective or subjective, it's hard to decide which. That is to say subjective, meaning he's talking about saving faith; he shares the same kind of saving faith that all the saved share.   We all come by faith, and it's the same faith that makes us, as it were, the faithful sons of Abraham.   Or it could mean objectively he came into the common faith, that is, Christianity.   Our faith is called Christianity objectively. Our believing is the subjective part. Either case you might as well allow for both and say he experienced a common saving faith, which ushered him into a common faith or a common set of doctrines and truths.   He was a genuine Christian. Either way you cut it he had the kind of faith that saves and he was in the Christian faith.

现在也请注意，在提多书中，回到提多书第1章，保罗说他是一个“有共同信仰的真孩子”。这句话可以是客观的，也可以是主观的，很难决定是哪一个。也就是说，主观的，意思是他谈论的是得救的信心;他与所有得救的人一样，有着同样的得救信心。我们都是凭信心来的，正是这种信心使我们成为亚伯拉罕忠心的子孙。或者客观上，这可能意味着他进入了共同的信仰，即基督教。我们的信仰客观上被称为基督教。我们的信仰是主观的部分。无论哪种情况，你都不妨同时考虑到这两种情况，并说他经历了共同的得救信仰，这引导他进入了共同的信仰或一套共同的教义和真理。他是一个真正的基督徒。不管怎样，他都有那种拯救的信仰，而且他信奉基督教。

Now as you look at him a little more closely, later on in his life - and it's hard, as I said, to track him - he came into Paul's life obviously during Paul's second missionary journey.   We don't see him specifically doing any missionary work, however, until his third journey, shortly after Paul's time at Ephesus, recorded in Acts 19.   But he really begins to shine, he really begins to shine in reference to the Corinthian church.   Now just a little bit about that.   He's mentioned nine times in 2 Corinthians.   Obviously he was an intimate associate with Paul; I mean, very intimate.   To look at just some of those, in 2 Corinthians 8, verse 23, listen to this: "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you."   Now that's a very great commendation of this man – “he's my partner and my fellow worker among you.”   Now if I were to ask you who studied the Scripture what is the, probably the worst church in the New Testament, you would, you would know that it was the church at Corinth, right? They had the most problems, or at least their problems are the most highlighted and detailed for us.   Anybody that the apostle Paul would send to straighten out Corinth would have to be a fairly formidable person - for sure.   Here was a man who was Paul's “partner and fellow worker.”   Also, he must have been a very effective guy in terms of spiritual leadership.   Chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians, back to verse 16, "Thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.   For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord."

现在，当你更仔细地观察他时，在他生命的后期——正如我所说，很难追踪他——他显然是在保罗的第二次宣教之旅中进入保罗的生命中。然而，我们没有看到他具体从事任何宣教工作，直到他的第三次旅程，即保罗在以弗所之后不久，记录在使徒行传 19 章中。但他真的开始发光了，他真的开始发光了，指的是哥林多教会。现在只是关于这一点。哥林多后书中提到过他九次。显然，他与保罗是亲密的伙伴;我的意思是，非常亲密。仅看其中的一些，在哥林多后书 8 章 23 节中，请听这句话：“至于提多，他是我的伙伴，在你们中间同工。这是对这个人的极大赞扬——“他是我的伙伴，也是我在你们中间的同工。现在，如果我问你那些研究圣经的人，可能是新约中最糟糕的教会是什么，你会知道那是哥林多的教会，对吧？他们遇到的问题最多，或者至少他们的问题对我们来说是最突出和最详细的。使徒保罗要派人去纠正哥林多的人，一定是一个相当可怕的人——当然。这里有一个人，他是保罗的“伙伴和同工”。此外，就精神领导而言，他一定是一个非常有效的人。哥林多后书第8章，回到第16节，“感谢神，他把同样的恳切放在提多的心里。因为他不仅接受了我们的请求，而且他自己非常恳切，所以他自愿去找你。

Now we really don't know anything about this guy, to be honest with you, in his own personal life, in terms of how he uniquely was put together.   But all we hear about him - and this is the only characterization of the man - all we hear about him is that he had the same earnestness and the same passion as Paul.   And really that's enough said, isn't it?   Whatever Paul's concern was about the Corinthians, he had the same concern.   So Paul chooses him to be the key guy working with the Corinthian church.   He had the, the unenviable task of being Paul's special envoy to the Corinthian church.   It is possible that he even delivered the letter 1 Corinthians.   If he didn't actually deliver it, he came soon after to follow it up.

现在我们真的对这个人一无所知，老实说，在他自己的个人生活中，就他是如何独特地组合在一起而言的。但我们所听到的关于他的一切——这是对这个人的唯一描述——我们所听到的关于他的只是他与保罗一样的热切和热情。真的，这已经足够了，不是吗？无论保罗对哥林多人有什么担忧，他也有同样的担忧。因此，保罗选择他作为哥林多教会的关键人物。他肩负着一项令人羡慕的任务，就是保罗在哥林多教会的特使。他甚至有可能递交了哥林多前书。如果他没有真正交付，他很快就会来跟进。

In that letter, you remember, chapter 4 Paul says, "I might send Timothy," but apparently he did send Titus.   It was a very strong letter to a very troubled church, and Titus had a very difficult assignment.   He had the task of working with that sinful mess in Corinth and try to straighten it out and then report back to Paul.   So Paul sent him after the first letter or with it and said, "I'll meet you at Troas," and they wanted to meet before early November when the ships stopped sailing so that the rendezvous date would be early.   So he said “I want to meet you at Troas.”   In 2 Corinthians 2:13, when Paul got to Troas, Titus didn't show.   The job was more difficult perhaps than originally thought, and he was working hard there, and Paul arrives at Troas, and he's not there.   And then it's too late because the ships don't sail after early November because of the storms, and Paul knows that, and so rather than sit around at Troas, he determines he's going to get on the road and head to Macedonia.   As he gets on the road and travels along on the way to Macedonia it's likely that they met.   Titus trying to get to him, and he trying to get to Titus, and they crossed on the road. And when they met, Paul was so eager; he wanted to hear, "What did they say?   What did they say?"   Because obviously there weren't any FAXs, and there weren't any telephones, and you had to wait for the report.

在那封信中，你记得，保罗在第四章说，“我可以打发提摩太”，但显然他确实打发了提多。这是一封写给一个非常困难的教会的非常有力的信，提多有一个非常艰巨的任务。他的任务是处理哥林多那罪恶的烂摊子，并试图纠正它，然后向保罗报告。保罗在写完第一封信之后或连同信一起打发他，说：“我要在特罗亚与你会面”，他们想在十一月初船停止航行之前见面，以便会合日期提前。“于是他说：”我想在特罗亚见你。在哥林多后书 2：13 中，当保罗到达特罗亚时，提多没有出现。这份工作可能比最初想象的要困难，他在那里努力工作，保罗到了特罗亚，但他不在那里。然后为时已晚，因为由于暴风雨，船在11月初之后就不能航行了，保罗知道这一点，所以他没有在特罗亚坐以待毙，而是决定上路前往马其顿。当他上路并前往马其顿的路上时，他们很可能相遇了。提多试图接近他，他也试图接近提多，他们在路上过了马路。当他们见面时，保罗非常热切;他想听，“他们说了什么？他们说了什么？因为显然没有传真，也没有电话，你必须等待报告。

Second Corinthians 7, verse 6, he says, "We were coming in to Macedonia and our flesh had no rest” - verse 5 – “we were afflicted on every side: we had conflict all over the place and fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of” - Whom? – “Titus; and not only by his coming” - I mean, it was enough just to see the dear guy – “but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more."   He brought a good report.   He said it's all working out.   Their longings are right.   They're mourning over their sin.   They're zealous for you.   It's okay.   Then in verse 8 he says, "Though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I don't regret it; though I did regret it."   He had a little afterthought after he had sent it; it was pretty tough.   "But now I see that the letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—and I rejoice that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance."   They repented under the leadership of Titus.

哥林多后书 7 章第 6 节，他说：“我们进到马其顿，我们的肉体没有安息”——第 5 节——“我们四面受苦，到处都有冲突，里面有恐惧。但安慰抑郁者的上帝，通过降临安慰了我们“——谁？– “提多;不仅因为他的到来“——我的意思是，只要见到这位亲爱的人就足够了——”而且当他向我们报告你的思念、哀悼和对我的热情时，他对你感到安慰;使我更加高兴。他带来了一份很好的报告。他说一切都在顺利进行。他们的渴望是正确的。他们正在为自己的罪哀悼。他们对你很热心。没关系。然后在第8节，他说：“我虽然用我的信使你们忧伤，但我并不后悔;虽然我确实后悔了。寄出后，他有一点后想;这非常艰难。“但现在我看到这封信使你感到悲伤，尽管只是暂时的——我很高兴你被使人悲伤，但你被使人悲伤到悔改的地步。”他们在提多的带领下悔改。

Verse 11, "You had godly sorrow."   Oh, he's so glad about that.   He's so thrilled about that.   “Godly sorrow.”   And verse 13, "For this reason we've been comforted...besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we all spoke, as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth."   “I told him you were good folks.   I told him you would respond.   I boasted about you.   I went out on a limb, and you've vindicated my boast.”   So they met and it was all a good word. Titus had gone into a buzz saw, a chain saw, and come out to tell a story of joy.

第11节，“你有属神的忧愁。哦，他对此感到非常高兴。他对此感到非常兴奋。“属神的忧愁。”第13节，“因此，我们得了安慰......除了我们的安慰之外，我们更为提多的喜乐而欢喜，因为他的灵已经被你们众人更新了。因为我若在什么事上向他夸耀你，我没有感到羞愧;我们众人怎样说话，怎样诚实地对你们说一切事，我们在提多面前夸口也照样证明是真理的。“我告诉他你们是好人。我告诉他你会回应的。我夸耀你。我死了，你已经证明了我的夸耀。所以他们见面了，这一切都是一个好词。提图斯走进了电锯、电锯，出来讲了一个欢乐的故事。

What a wonderful servant he must have been.   He succeeded in establishing an effective relationship with the church and with Paul, getting them back on track, bringing them through repentance.   Paul then sent him back, probably sent him back with the second letter, the one which refers to him so often.   He probably carried that back because he was going back not only to take the letter but to collect more money for the poor saints in Jerusalem.   And that's discussed, as you know, in chapter 8, verse 6, "Consequently, we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you the gracious work as well."   Titus, when he was there the first time, started the collection; he sent him back to finish it up, take the money, bring it to Paul. Paul would take it to Jerusalem to give the poor Christians living in Jerusalem.   Titus was wonderfully successful, not only with Corinth; but he collected a large offering, gave it to Paul, and Paul went off to Jerusalem with the money.

他一定是一个多么出色的仆人。他成功地与教会和保罗建立了有效的关系，使他们回到正轨，带领他们悔改。然后保罗把他送回去，可能连同第二封信一起送他回去，那封信经常提到他。他可能把这封信带回去，因为他回去不仅是为了拿信，也是为了为耶路撒冷的可怜圣徒收集更多的钱。正如你所知，在第8章第6节中讨论过这一点，“因此，我们劝提多，他既像从前所立的开始，也要在你们身上完成恩典的工作。提图斯第一次来那里时，就开始了收集;他派他回去完成这件事，拿走钱，带给保罗。保罗会把它带到耶路撒冷，把住在耶路撒冷的贫穷基督徒送给他们。提多非常成功，不仅在哥林多;保罗却收了大祭，交给保罗，保罗就带着银子往耶路撒冷去。

He must have been a great guy - to take a tough, tough assignment.   Well now he's got another one.   Now he's on the island of Crete - you can go back to Titus.   He's on the island of Crete, and in verse 5 it tells us that he's supposed to “set in order what remains.”   In other words, fix up what's broken, and then appoint elders everywhere.   It's tough, but he was up to this. He was a powerful guy - a pioneer, a builder, a church planter, an equipper of leaders, a peacemaker - obviously a man of conviction, zeal, passion.

他一定是一个很棒的人——接受一项艰巨的任务。好吧，现在他又有了另一个。现在他在克里特岛——你可以回到提图斯那里。他在克里特岛，在第5节告诉我们，他应该“整理剩下的”。换句话说，修复坏掉的东西，然后到处任命长老。这很艰难，但他做到了这一点。他是一个有能力的人——一个先驱、一个建造者、一个植堂者、一个装备领袖的人、一个和平缔造者——显然是一个有信念、热忱、热情的人。

In chapter 3 of Titus, look at verse 12.   He says, "When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there."   He says, “Now you're going to do this work in Crete, but I'm going to send somebody to take your place.   Once you get it established I'll send Artemas or Tychicus.”   See, he's working and managing all his people all the time.   And he says, “I want you to come to Nicopolis because I'm going to spend the winter there and that would be a commodious place to spend the winter.” And he wanted to meet with his dear friend Titus there at Nicopolis.

在提多书第3章，请看第12节。他说：“当我派阿尔忒玛或推基古到你那里去的时候，请尽一切努力到尼科波利斯来找我，因为我已经决定在那里过冬了。他说：“现在你要在克里特岛做这项工作，但我要派人来接替你的位置。一旦你确定了它，我就会派阿尔忒玛斯或推基古去去。看，他一直在工作和管理他所有的员工。他说，“我希望你来尼科波利斯，因为我要在那里过冬，那里会是一个过冬的宽敞地方。他想在尼科波利斯与他亲爱的朋友提多见面。

And then in 2 Timothy 4, the last mention of Titus, and this is the last letter of Paul, some time after Titus was written.   He says in the end of verse 10, "Titus has gone to Dalmatia."   So Titus was in Crete when he wrote this letter.   Sooner or later Artemas or Tychicus must have come and replaced him. He went to Nicopolis, spent some time with Paul in Nicopolis, and then was sent from there to Dalmatia by the time Paul wrote his last letter.   Dalmatia was on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and he was probably sent there to plant churches and build leaders just like he’d done everywhere else.   A remarkable man.

然后在提摩太后书第4章，最后一次提到提多，这是保罗的最后一封信，在提多书写成一段时间后。他在第10节的结尾说，“提多往达尔马提亚去了。所以提多写这封信的时候，他正在克里特岛。迟早，阿尔忒玛斯或推基古一定会来取代他。他去了尼科波利斯，在尼科波利斯与保罗共度了一段时间，然后在保罗写下最后一封信时从那里被派往达尔马提亚。达尔马提亚位于亚得里亚海的东岸，他可能被派往那里建立教会和培养领袖，就像他在其他地方所做的那样。一个了不起的人。

This man illustrates the way Paul was committed to people.   He poured his life into this man.   He used him when he needed to use him as an illustration to a council.   He gave him ministry responsibility when it suited his gifts.   He gave him the tough jobs because he knew he was that kind of person.   He moved him about where he thought his gifts could be most useful.   And he was a willing and effective servant.   And I submit to you that no one does the ministry of the kingdom of God effectively with any kind of far-reaching impact who doesn't know how to mobilize people.   It is to this precious child in the common faith named “Titus” that he gives the greeting, "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

这个人说明了保罗对人的委身方式。他把自己的生命倾注在这个人身上。当他需要用他作为议会的例子时，他就使用他。当适合他的恩赐时，他就把事工的责任交给了他。他给了他艰苦的工作，因为他知道他就是这样的人。他把他带到了他认为他的天赋最有用的地方。他是一个愿意和有效的仆人。我向你们提出，没有人不知道如何动员人们，而有效地完成神国度的事工，并产生任何深远的影响。正是对这个名叫“提多”的共同信仰的宝贝孩子，他向他致以问候：“愿恩典与平安来自父神和我们的救主基督耶稣。

Just a note - “grace” is what brings us salvation and “peace” is what comes from it.   “Grace” is what saves; “peace” is what we enjoy because we're saved.   Those two words became the common Christian greeting, and I never read them without thinking - Why have we lost that?   Why do we say, "Hello, how are you?" when we could say, "Grace and peace."   Just another note – “God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” Please remind yourself when you see that in the epistles of the New Testament, the emphasis is not “God the Father” in the sense that He's our Father, but “God the Father” in the sense that He is the Father of Christ Jesus, therefore linking Christ with the Father - one in essence, the deity of Christ is being affirmed.   It is noteworthy that at the end of verse 3, “God our Savior” appears, and the end of verse 4, “Christ Jesus our Savior” appears, which is to say that Christ Jesus and God both being our Savior are one and the same.   God who designs the saving plan effects it through His own incarnation in the form of Jesus Christ.   And he's talking here in a creedal sense.   There is a wonderful Christian greeting followed by an affirmation of a profound truth in the Christian creed, and that is that God is the Father of Christ, God the Savior is the Father of Christ, that is to say, God the Savior who is the Father is of the same essence as His Son who is the Savior.   Equal to each other.   And so he gives him that common greeting, and certainly through him to the rest of the folks in the churches on the island of Crete.

请注意 - “恩典”是给我们带来救恩的，而“平安”是从中来的。“恩典”是拯救的;“平安”是我们享受的，因为我们得救了。这两个词成为基督徒常见的问候语，我读到它们时从来不会不去想——为什么我们失去了这个词？为什么我们可以说“恩典与平安”，却要说“你好，你好吗？再说一句——”父神和我们的救主基督耶稣。当你看到新约的书信中，强调的不是“父神”，即他是我们的父，而是“父神”，因为他是基督耶稣的父，因此将基督与父联系在一起——在本质上，基督的神性正在被确认。值得注意的是，在第3节的结尾，出现了“我们的救主神”，在第4节的结尾，出现了“我们的救主基督耶稣”，也就是说，基督耶稣和神都是我们的救主，是一体的。设计拯救计划的神通过他自己以耶稣基督的形式道成肉身来影响它。他在这里说的是信条的意义。有一个美妙的基督教问候，然后肯定了基督教信条中一个深刻的真理，那就是上帝是基督的父亲，救主上帝是基督的父亲，也就是说，救主上帝是父亲，与他的儿子是救主，具有相同的本质。彼此平等。因此，他向他致以共同的问候，当然也通过他向克里特岛教会的其他人致以问候。

There shouldn't be any mystery just in those four verses about why Paul was a powerful leader really.   I mean, he was a man under orders.   He knew how to serve and he served the King of kings.   He was a man who understood his mission; it was very clearly defined. He knew exactly what he was to do - evangelize, edify, and encourage people in the light of eternal life.   He was a man who understood the message.   He knew the content of everything that was involved in his ministry was in the Word of God, which was promised long ago and properly revealed in its time.   He also knew the means by which God had ordained this communication to go forth was the kērugma, the preaching of the Word.   And he also realized that he had to multiply himself through the team members, and so he was committed to that.

仅仅在这四节经文中，保罗为什么真正是一位强大的领袖，就不应该有任何神秘之处。我的意思是，他是一个受命令的人。他知道如何服事，他事奉万王之王。他是一个了解自己使命的人;它的定义非常明确。他清楚地知道自己要做什么——在永生的光中传福音、造就和鼓励人们。他是一个理解信息的人。他知道他事工中涉及的一切内容都在上帝的话语中，这话语在很久以前就得到了应许，并在当时得到了适当的启示。他也知道上帝命定这种沟通的方式是 kērugma，即传道。他还意识到，他必须通过团队成员来倍增自己，所以他致力于这一点。

No surprises why Paul was so effective, and there shouldn't be any surprises in our lives as to our own effectiveness as we as Christians commit ourselves to submissive lives, as we become the doulos, “the messengers,” “the servants” of Christ, as we are busily engaged in the ministry of evangelism and edification and encouragement at whatever level God has put us in the church, as we are engaged in knowing the message and knowing the Word, as we are faithful in proclaiming its truths and in multiplying our lives through the lives of others, we too shall be effective.   This is, this is a marvelous pattern for ministry.   It's our prayer, of course, that this kind of thing that we see in Paul will be true in our own lives for the sake of effectiveness and the sake of fulfillment.   Let's pray.

保罗如此有效也就不足为奇了，当我们作为基督徒委身于顺服的生活时，当我们成为基督的“使者”和“仆人”时，当我们忙于传福音、造就和鼓励的事工时，我们自己的有效性也不应该有任何惊讶，无论神在教会中将我们放在什么层次上， 当我们致力于认识信息并认识圣言时，当我们忠心地宣扬其真理并通过他人的生活使我们的生命倍增时，我们也会有效。这就是，这是事工的奇妙模式。当然，我们祈求我们在保罗身上看到的这种事情在我们自己的生活中是真实的，为了有效和实现。让我们祷告。

Father, thank You for our time this morning.   We have rushed through so many lives, we have traversed, as it were, the team photo of the apostle Paul, and we've seen the faces and maybe a little bit about them.   And then there's Titus, who occupies center stage for us today, and we thank You for this dear man. We just thank You for the commendatory way in which he finds himself on the pages of holy Scripture.   There's never any kind of blur on his life.   There's never any slur. There's never any note of blame.   And there's never any defection.   There doesn't seem to be any weakness at all in his life, although we know those things are true in all of our lives.

天父，感谢你今天早上给我们时间。我们匆匆走过了这么多人生，我们穿越了使徒保罗的团队照片，我们看到了他们的面孔，也许还有一点关于他们的信息。然后是提多，他今天占据了我们的中心舞台，我们为这位亲爱的人感谢你。我们只是感谢你，因为他以一种赞美的方式发现自己出现在圣经的书页上。他的生活从来没有任何模糊。从来没有任何诽谤。从来没有任何责备的字条。而且从来没有任何叛逃。他的生活中似乎没有任何弱点，尽管我们知道这些事情在我们所有人的生活中都是真实的。

The Holy Spirit has left us with a testimony that leaves this man a man of integrity and virtue and godliness and loyalty and zeal and passion and faithfulness.   Lord, how wonderful it must have been for Paul to look at that man, to write him a letter here, to meet him at Nicopolis, spend a little time in the winter with him, and send him on to Dalmatia and look into his face, touch his hand, have a meal with him, take a walk with him.   How wonderful it must have been to see in him his own reflection.   How wonderful it must have been to see in that dear man Titus hope for his future, hope for the people that he had poured his life into, hope for the churches that were so precious to him, because he saw in that man the faithfulness and the ability to carry on the work he had begun.   How important it is even as parents that we pass things on to the generation in our own house.   How important it is that we as Christians disciple others to follow through.   How important it is that we as Christian leaders raise up other leaders as Paul did.   And what joy, what inexpressible joy to look into the faces of those who will carry the banner for us when we're gone, when we have to lay it down, that they'll pick it up and march with it to the next generation.

圣灵给我们留下了一个见证，使这个人成为一个正直、美德、敬虔、忠诚、热心、热情和信实的人。主啊，保罗看着那个人，在这里给他写一封信，在尼科波利斯与他会面，在冬天与他共度时光，并派他到达尔马提亚，看着他的脸，抚摸他的手，和他一起吃饭，和他一起散步，那一定是多么美妙啊。在他身上看到自己的倒影，该是多么美妙啊。看到提多在那个亲爱的人身上看到对他的未来的希望，对他倾注生命的人们的希望，对对他来说如此宝贵的教会的希望，因为他在那个人身上看到了信实和能力来继续他所开始的工作，这该是多么美妙。即使作为父母，我们也要把事情传给自己家里的一代人，这是多么重要。作为基督徒，我们门训他人坚持到底是多么重要。我们作为基督徒领袖，像保罗一样兴起其他领袖是多么重要。当我们离开时，当我们不得不放下旗帜时，看着那些为我们扛起旗帜的人的脸，他们会拿起旗帜并带着它走向下一代，这是多么高兴，多么难以言喻的喜悦。

Father, make us people who have a wide influence.   Make us the kind of people who have a long list of people we need to share our love with because they've carried the load alongside of us.   We thank You for a man who had so many to greet and from so many to send greetings because he was among so many to whom he gave himself, and who in turn gave themselves to carry out his great heart, his great vision.   Thank You for such friends.   How they enrich us.   How indebted we are to them.   How blessed.

天父啊，使我们成为具有广泛影响力的人。让我们成为那种有一长串需要分享爱的人的人，因为他们与我们肩负着重担。我们感谢你，因为他有这么多人要问候，有这么多人要问候，因为他是这么多人中的一员，他把自己献给了他，而他又献出了自己来实现他伟大的心，他的伟大异象。感谢你有这样的朋友。他们如何丰富我们。我们多么感激他们。多么有福气。

And make us the kind of person Paul was with the kind of commitments that he had to experience effectiveness in the way that he experienced it.   Use every person here, Lord, and help us to become committed to these principles which can make us fully useful.   We thank You in Christ's name.   Amen.

让我们成为保罗那样的那种人，他必须以他所经历的方式体验有效性。主啊，请使用这里的每一个人，帮助我们委身于这些原则，使我们完全有用。我们奉基督的名感谢你。阿门。