Lexical Summary
Artemas: Artemas
Original Word:Ἀρτεμᾶς
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:Artemas
Pronunciation:ar-teh-MAS
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-tem-as')
KJV: Artemas
NASB:Artemas
Word Origin:[contracted from a compound ofG735 (Ἄρτεμις - Artemis) andG1435 (δῶρον - gifts)]
1. gift of Artemis
2. Artemas (or Artemidorus), a Christian
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Artemas.
Contracted from a compound ofArtemis anddoron; gift of Artemis; Artemas (or Artemidorus), a Christian -- Artemas.
see GREEKArtemis
see GREEKdoron
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originprobably a contr. from a comp. of
Artemis and
dóronDefinition"gift of Artemis," Artemas, a friend of the apostle Paul
NASB TranslationArtemas (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 734: ἈρτεμᾶςἈρτεμᾶς,
Ἀρτεμα,
ὁ (abbreviated from
Ἀρτεμιδωρος (i. e. gift of Artemis), cf.
Winers Grammar, 102 (97); (
Buttmann, 20 (17f); Lob. Pathol. Proleg., p. 505f;
Chandler § 32)),
Artemas, a friend of Paul the apostle:
Titus 3:12. (Cf.
B. D. under the word.)
Topical Lexicon
Scriptural Record“When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there.” (Titus 3:12)
This lone reference situates Artemas among the apostle Paul’s inner circle of trustworthy messengers who could assume pastoral oversight when needed.
Historical Background
Artemas bears a common Greek name associated with Artemis, yet New Testament believers routinely retained pagan-origin names after turning to Christ (compare Dionysius inActs 17:34). His presence in Paul’s team illustrates the gospel’s advance into Gentile society and the cultural breadth of the early Church (Ephesians 2:14).
Ministry Role and Character
By pairing Artemas with Tychicus—Paul’s seasoned courier to Ephesus and Colossae (Ephesians 6:21;Colossians 4:7)—Paul signals equal confidence in both men. The intended assignment on Crete required:
• Doctrinal soundness to reinforce elders against false teachers (Titus 1:9-11).
• Pastoral maturity to model good works (Titus 2:7).
• Mobility to release Titus for fresh service with Paul.
Artemas thus belonged to a cadre of itinerant delegates (2 Timothy 4:9-12) who preserved apostolic teaching across scattered congregations.
Connection with Paul’s Apostolic Strategy
Paul routinely redeployed co-workers to address emerging needs (Acts 19:22;Philippians 2:19-24). Sending Artemas to Crete while summoning Titus to Nicopolis reveals a flexible, team-oriented pattern in which no church was left leaderless (2 Corinthians 8:23) and relationships remained mutually supportive.
Early Church Tradition
Later ecclesiastical lists of the Seventy identify Artemas as a bishop in Lystra or Iconium, though such claims rest on post-biblical sources. The tradition nevertheless preserves his reputation as a missionary overseer in Asia Minor.
Theological Significance
1. Hidden yet honored service – Scripture immortalizes a man mentioned only once, affirming that God values faithful anonymity (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Apostolic continuity – Artemas’ prospective commission underscores Paul’s practice of guarding doctrine through delegated authority (1 Corinthians 4:17).
3. Redeemed culture – A name linked to a pagan deity becomes a banner of Christian ministry, displaying the gospel’s transformative reach (1 Corinthians 9:22).
Practical Lessons for Believers
• Availability to Christ’s call matters more than public recognition.
• Shared leadership and orderly transitions strengthen local churches.
• Cultural background does not hinder usefulness when surrendered to the Lord.
Related Biblical Themes and References
Shared ministry:Acts 20:4;Romans 16:21.
Pastoral delegation:1 Timothy 1:3;Philippians 2:19-23.
Unity in diversity:Romans 10:12;Galatians 3:28.
Forms and Transliterations
Αρτεμαν Ἀρτεμᾶν Arteman ArtemânLinks
Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts
