We Must Promote Unity, Stability, Maturity, and Partnering.
How the Church Family Functions....
A study of the NT book of Titus
by Pastor Frank Rice
Titus 1:10-16
How are the objectives of the local church to be promoted & protected? We must begin by embracing truth, then establishing qualified leader-ship to ensure the truth is lived out and defended. Against what? Whatever contradicts the truth and undermines God’s objectives.
I. The Flock Must Be Protected Against Disruptive Elements (V. 10).
v Don’t overlook the context (v. 10a)! The initial “for” emphasizes the assignment for which the elders must be qualified (vv. 5 & 9)!
1. “Wherever God sows truth, Satan shows up to sow lies.” Here it’s a mix of Jewish legalism, man-made traditions, & mysticism.
2. The “disruptive elements” (usually men) come from w/in the professing church and are described by three undesirable qualities.
(a) These men are outright rebels; they refuse to subordinate themselves to any authority! No one tells them what to do!
(b) They are mere talkers; they accomplish nothing constructive or of any worth with their smooth and impressive words.
(c) They are deceivers; they captivate their listeners with their “deep teaching” and “super-spirituality.” “Of all bad men, religious men are the worse.” (C S Lewis)
v Don’t just ignore these disruptive elements! Shepherds must keep their eyes and ears open for danger and then take appropriate action to protect those for whom they are responsible.
II. The Flock Must Be Protected from Disunity (Vv. 11-13a).
v The proper response to destructive teaching is to silence it (v. 11)!
1. They must be muzzled like the noisy, dangerous, and annoying animals they are. This is not a trivial thing!
2. They must be refused opportunities to spread error, to “have the floor.” Churches cannot tolerate obvious and blatant error being taught within their sphere of authority, particularly when the issue concerns Christ and salvation.
3. They must be silenced by a logical Biblical refutation of their views; their teaching must be exposed as aberrant, abnormal, and non-Christian or they’ll turn the whole church upside-down!
4. They must be exposed for what they really are, mercenary malcontents who use religion to line their own pockets!
v Their behavior is proof of their unregenerate condition (v. 12)!
1. Some caution should be used in pointing out their condition; so the apostle quotes from one of their revered prophets.
2. They were a product of their depraved culture in which an honest Jew or Cretan was a rarity!
(a) Liars are not in the habit of telling the truth!
(b) Evil beasts are cruel, discompassionate, brutal, and malicious, preying on the unsuspecting and vulnerable!
(c) Lazy gluttons are guilty of uncontrolled greed, pleasure seeking, and avoiding honest employment!
v The truth of this charge is tactfully & skillfully endorsed (v. 13a). He’s made his point without “getting his hands dirty!” “They must either admit the truthfulness of his verdict concerning them or deny the charge and brand their own prophet a liar!” (Hiebert)
III. The Flock Must Be Protected from Casualties (Vv. 13b-16).
v Leaders have no other alternative than to rebuke them severely (v. 13b)! Failing to do this invites disunity, instability, immaturity, and disconnectedness! (The “therefore” calls for action!)
1. The rebuke is to be sharp and decisive, like the cutting of a knife! This may not be pleasant or enjoyable!
2. Their rebuke should be double-focused; those teaching error must be corrected and those susceptible to listening and being led astray by the error must be sternly warned.
3. “The fear of giving offense and a highly individualized view of personal faith may discourage church leaders from following the biblical mandate to rebuke.” (Lea-Griffin)
v Leaders must keep in mind their ultimate objectives (vv. 13c-16).
1. So that they (the flock) will be sound in the faith (v. 13b). This is supposed to be educative and restorative, NOT vindictive.
2. So they’ll be able to identify and steer clear of false teachers (v. 14; Acts 20:28-31). The most important and relevant question is, “What is your source of authority for what you believe and how you live?”
3. So that they’ll be able to recognize the character of false teachers which led to their destructive conduct (v. 15). “Fellowship with God acts to clarify moral perception, but indulgence in evil stultifies the powers of moral distinction.” “Their ‘minds,’… have become polluted, and their conscience has lost its ability to make correct moral judgments, leaving them unable to make true distinctions between good and evil.” (Hiebert)
4. So they will be able to recognize the hypocrisy by the conduct of false teachers (v. 16a). Can you spot hypocrisy? They publicly proclaim they know God and have an intimate relationship with Him; and it sounds good! But it is the moral quality of their lives that determines the validity of their religious profession!
5. So they’ll have God’s perspective on false teachers (v. 16b).
(a) In God’s eyes, these men are detestable and disgusting!
(b) In God’s eyes, these men are disobedient (understated)!
(c) In God’s eyes, these men are disqualified and unfit for anything good! They fail the test miserably! Beware of them (Matt 7:15-23)!
“While there are certainly numerous areas in belief and practice where modern Christians must allow differences to exist side-by-side, there are also too many situations where indiscriminate ‘open-mindedness’ has allowed the historical gospel to be diluted to suit modern and postmodern sensibilities. A text such as this one might be regarded as a study in religious bigotry and narrow-mindedness, or it might be read as an authoritative wake-up call for many of us today.” (Towner)
The responsibility for the spiritual health of the flock is a shared responsibility. Leaders and followers must each do their part!