Titus 1:10-16

Titus 1:10-16

In the opening of this chapter, Paul expresses both the importance of authority and the excellent character of those men who hold authority. In this section, he points out why authority in the hands of the best of men is essential. While not every threat to the church comes from Judaizers (Christians who insist on keeping Mosaic ceremonial law), they posed a significant threat to the early church. In the context of a society with loose morals, like the Cretins, there was a special problem. Cretins were notorious for their low moral standards. Even their own philosophers, specifically Epimenides, were highly critical of their behaviors. The combination of the Judaizers and the low moral culture was the perfect storm to do great harm to the church. If set in our day, we might see this as a charlatan televangelist descending on a white trash trailer park community. For some it is a con to be enjoyed and from which they profited. For others, honest people seeking the Lord, it was a path into false doctrine.

Paul's direction to Titus is that these false teachers must be silenced. The word “silence” in verse 11 is a compound word. The first part means “over or upon,” and the second means “mouth.” This is not to be applied to honest discussions and debate. But where there is public false teaching or leading, it must be silenced directly and aggressively. Do not allow the wrong-headed leader to continue to teach and hope to correct them in private. Anyone who is leading others astray must be powerfully and quickly silenced. The failure to do so, for whatever reason, is an invitation to disaster. In verse 16, Paul uses three words to describe the false teacher/leaders. First is “detestable,” from the word literally meaning “to reek with stench or emit a foul odor.” The best picture of this is a rotting carcass. The second word is “disobedient”; this means “unwilling to be convinced of the truth” and to act out their “preferred falsehood.” Third, they are “worthless.” The word means counterfeit or forgery. Counterfeit money has no value, and so do these false teachers. Counterfeit money must be removed from circulation so that it will not continue to deceive, so too these leaders. The three characteristics Paul used to describe them are evidenced in their conduct.

As a society, we tend to be weak and afraid to confront false teachers and evil leaders in the church. The issue of doctrine and moral conduct must be addressed in the most aggressive way possible. We can never have tolerance or a truce with cancer in our body nor within the church. To do so is to assure the congregation's death.

“Lord, help the church to never form an alliance with false teachers. AMEN”