The Plague of False Teachers in the Church

Welcome: Good morning church!

Pastoral Prayer: As always, before we dive into the text this morning, I’d like us first to petition the Lord and ask His blessing upon our time together today. So, with every head bowed and every eye closed, meditate upon these words of our Lord as we go before His throne of grace in prayer. Let us pray...

Isaiah 1:10–20 (NASB95)

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah. 11 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12 “When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. 19 “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; 20 “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Announce Text: Please take your bibles this morning and join me in Titus chapter one. Titus chapter one. If you are using one of our pew bibles today then you will find our text on page 1193. Titus 1:10-16. Pew bible page 1193.

Series Intro: Thus far in our study of this letter of the Apostle Paul to Titus, we have seen his lengthy introduction as well as his call for Titus to appoint qualified elders in the churches upon the island of Crete. This morning, we will see one of the major reasons that Paul wants these men appointed to office as soon as possible. False teachers were rising up and tearing down the church from the inside out with their dangerous and deceitful doctrine. So here, as Paul wraps up chapter one in verses 10-16, he is going to tell Titus how to identify these people so that he may deal with them before they spread their spiritually cancerous words any further.

Read Text: Let us now read through our text in its entirety. Follow along in your bibles or on the screen as I read aloud beginning in verse 10. Hear now, the word of the Lord...

Titus 1:10–16 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

May God add His blessing to the preaching and teaching of His word.

Sermon Intro: During our lunch last Sunday, Ted and I were talking about this week’s passage and the prevalence of false teachers in the global church today. We were especially mindful of all the false teachers rising up within our own ranks of the Southern Baptist Convention. And Ted mentioned something to the fact that there are plenty of personalities that I could mention when it comes to this subject of false teachers. Later that afternoon, as I was thinking about all this, I came across an article in the day’s news that reported the following:

Dr. Michael Banner, Dean of Trinity College at Cambridge University, is defending a highly graphic worship service in which a research fellow by the name of Dr. Joshua Heath likened the spear wound in Jesus Christ’s side to a female sex organ during menstruation. The stated point of this so-called “sermon” was to reveal that Jesus was actually transgender. And this isn't very surprising, since the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest office in the Church of England, claimed in 2018 that God the Father is, in fact, gender neutral.

Unfortunately, this woke Anglican church is not the only denomination to push a link between Christ and transgenderism in recent years. In 2020. the Church of Iceland ran a Sunday school advertisement showing a cartoon Jesus complete with make-up and female breasts. This Evangelical Lutheran Church in Iceland explained that, quote, “We’re trying to embrace society as it is. We have all sorts of people, and we need to train ourselves to talk about Jesus as being ‘all sorts’ in this context.”

My friends, we are living in the days of the apostate church just as the Bible predicted. It is a day where people profess Jesus as their savior, however, their Jesus is not the Jesus we see in Scripture. Instead, it is a Jesus that they have created after their own sinful image. It is a pseudo-Jesus that they have created to fit in with the wickedness of the current and popular cultural trends. It is a Jesus who knows nothing of judgement but only compassion and forgiveness. To many of these folks, Jesus is not the One who died on a cross to free mankind from our sin - no, he is the one who died simply to free us from any penalty of sin - therefore, sin all you want!

Between false teachings like the prosperity gospel, the name it & claim movement, oneness theology, universalism, the new age movement, the emergent church movement, legalism, antinomianism, the ecumenical movement, the egalitarian movement, and so on and so forth; it is of utmost importance that believers be grounded in the truth of God’s eternal word like never before! The wolves are no longer at the door, they are in the pew, and even worse, they are in the pulpit! This brings us to our central truth for today which is this:

Central Truth: Following his directions for Titus to appoint elders in the Cretan churches, Paul turns his attention next to why qualified men, who hold fast to the faithful word, are so urgently needed. False teachers were plaguing the churches, and Paul spared no words in describing their behavior and destructive influence.

Transition to Sermon: As we examine this passage this morning, I want to point out to you three characteristics of false teachers so that you may be able to better identify these scoundrels when they rear their ugly heads. If you will notice in your worship guides provided within the bulletin today, the first characteristic of the false teacher is this:

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I. False teachers preach a deceptive message (1:10-11).

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

10 For: gar is a conjunction that ties this passage to the one we studied last week in verse 5-9. It introduces the logical reason elders must refute those who contradict healthy doctrine. The reason being that… there are many rebellious men.

many: polys (pa-lise) speaks of a great number or quantity. Just like in our own day, there was no lack of heretics in the church. And Titus calls them first...

rebellious men: anupotaktos (ah-nu-po-tock-tos) describes those who will not be subjected to control. Those who are disobedient, unruly, and undisciplined. The rebellious man refuses submission to authority. They are unable to be governed for they refuse to be subject to any control. They are unruly, disregarding restraint, insubordinate, disorderly, headstrong, and out of control. In fact, this same word is used in Hebrew 2 where it is translated as “not subject.”

Hebrews 2:8 (NASB95)

8 For in subjecting all things to Him [God the Son] , He [God the Father] left nothing that is not subject [anupotaktos] to Him [God the Son].

If you will remember, we looked last week at Heb 13:17 were the church is told to:

Hebrews 13:17 (NASB95)

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

One telltale sign of a false teacher is his her refusal to submit to authority in the church. Very often, when a false teacher is placed under church discipline, they will rebel rather than repent. Watch out for those who refuse to be under biblical authority.

Now, not only are false teachers rebellious, they are also...

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

empty talkers: This is the Greek term mataiologos (ma-tie-oh-logos) which comes from the combination of two Greek terms. Mataios which literally means, “vain, profitless, fruitless, or aimless + lego which means, “to talk.” Together, this word refers to those who are vain talkers, idle talkers, foolish prattlers who speak only worthless nonsense. These folks are nothing but babblers with nothing real to say. Today we might call these empty talkers pompous windbags!

This is the only use of this particular word in the Bible. However, a very similar word that is directly related to this one can be found in 1 Timothy 1:6. There, while speaking of false teachers who stray from sound doctrine, Paul states:

1 Timothy 1:6 (NASB95)

6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion [mataiologia].

Now do not misunderstand, these false teachers in Crete could speak real well - they were fascinating orators, but all their talk was ineffective in bringing anyone one step nearer to God or His Kingdom. In all actuality, their talk not only produced absolutely no spiritual benefit, in fact, they robbed the hearers of the truth which ultimately leads them into error. They are fruitless mouth-breathers. Take my word that the church is full of such folks today. Worthless talkers… but Paul also adds…

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

and deceivers: phrenapates (fren-ah-pa-tays) is literally "a mind deceiver" or one who leads one's mind astray! Instead of leading men to the truth they led them away from it. They deliberately cause someone to believe something that is not true. They cause others to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid. In the church, deceivers disguise themselves as believers and as teachers of truth. They typically disguise their deceit in ''Biblese'' or “Christianse” language, because they are familiar with all the Christian buzz words. Paul mentions the deception of false teachers in 2 Timothy when he states:

2 Timothy 3:13 (NASB95)

13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Notice next what Paul says about these deceivers. He qualifies them as a certain group. He says, “especially those of the circumcision.”

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

especially: malista (ma-lee-stah) literally means “above all.” These false teachers are rebellious and deceptive, above all....

those of the circumcision: peritome (peri-toe-may) (from perí = around + témno = cut off) refers literally to the cutting and removal of the foreskin. However, in this context it is used figuratively as it refers to Jews who taught that for a person to be saved, they had to follow the OT law of Moses. This would include certain exterior works such as things like sabbath observance, ritual washings, festival keeping, dietary laws, and of course, circumcision, just to name a few. Paul first encountered these men at the end of his first missionary journey in Acts 15. There, the author Luke writes that:

Acts 15:1 (NASB95)

1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

These false teachers, known also in Scripture as Judaizers, are giving a false gospel here in Acts 15:1. They taught that faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection wasn't enough to secure the salvation of a sinner. They taught that a person had to first become a Jewish prostyle and then they could become a Christian. These false teachers were so influential that even Peter followed in their hypocrisy for a time.

In Galatians 2 Paul calls out the Apostle Peter for this hypocrisy by recounting the story of his failure.

Galatians 2:11–12 (NASB95)

11 But when Cephas [the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek name Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.

The party of the circumcision were so concerned with the physical act of circumcision that they forgot what it represented spiritually. The purpose of circumcision was to set apart men who were under God’s covenant from the rest of the unbelieving world. However, as followers of Christ, we are no longer bound to the OT law. Jesus fulfilled that law for us! We are set apart by the Holy Spirit of God - both men and women who claim the name of Christ!

Listen to what Paul says in his letter to Philippi. He warns believers to:

Philippians 3:2–3 (NASB95)

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,...

In fact, I think Paul chose Titus to help the churches in Crete because he was proof that one did not have to be physically circumcised to be saved. Notice what Paul told the church in Galatia:

Galatians 2:3–5 (NASB95)

3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

Listen to me when I tell you that there are still people today who teach similar heresy. Not only those of the Jewish religion. But the Roman Catholic church teaches that Jesus’ work is not enough to secure your salvation. They teach that one must also have good deeds that outweigh their sin.

Roman Catholics Teach a False Gospel:

Faith in Jesus + Good Works = Salvation

The Bible Teaches:

Faith in Jesus Alone = Salvation + Good Works

But Catholicism isn't the only works based religion out there! the denominations known as the Church of Christ, the United Church of God, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, Islam, and cult after cult… the list goes on! Listen, if all Jesus had to do was come down here and tell us how to live then why would go through the excruciation and humiliation of the cross? Your good works can’t save you! The Bible says apart from Jesus you best deeds are filthy rags before a holy God!

Isaiah 64:6 (NASB95)

6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

It is not until after one is born again by grace through faith that a person truly begins to commit deeds of genuine righteousness.

Ephesians 2:8–10 (NASB95)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Now, having described the character of these false teachers a bit, Paul moves on to telling us how to deal with them. Notice what he says next in verse 14. These rebellious, deceptive, windbags, above all the Judaizers, are those....

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

who must be silenced: Interesting enough, this word “silenced: is an ancient plumbing word that was used in the first century to speak of the act of stopping a drain pipe from spewing sewage. Similarly, the elder has the responsibility to stop the sewage that flows from the mouths of false teachers in the church.

The word “silenced” is in the present tense meaning it is to be acted out continually until the return of Christ! There is never a day this side of heaven when an elder should allow the spewing of false doctrine. It must be stopped immediately! Why? Notice what Paul says in verse 11.

because they are upsetting whole families: In the Greek this phrase can be rendered to say, “because they are overturning entire households thoroughly.” Entire families of men, women, and children were being negatively affected by the instruction of these pompous windbags. It was affecting everyone! These false teachers were “good” at...

teaching things they should not teach: Remember that doctrine determines behavior. When these false teachers filled these households with their deceptive message, it changed lives - but not for the better - but for the worse!

Now, one may say, Well, pastor, if these men believed the message that they were teaching, whether it was true or not, can we really call it a deceptive message? The answer is yes, because of what Paul says next. He tells us why they teach this deceptive message… They teach it...

for the sake of sordid gain: The Greek literally means, “On account of their sordid gain.” These false teachers were getting filthy rich off of God’s people!

Sordid gain: refers to profiting or advantaging from disgraceful, dishonorable, or indecent means; be it socially or morally. Basically, these men are prophets for profit! And let me tell you - they are getting filthy rich off the backs of God’s people. It’s no wonder that in the KJV Peter says in 2 Peter 2:3…

King James Version (2 Pet. 2:3a)

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you...

Listen, I looked up the the net worth of just a few of today’s most popular false teachers. As of 2022:

Kennth Copeland is worth $300 million dollars.

Pat Robertson is worth $100 Million

Joel Osteen $100 Million

Benny Hinn $60 Million

Southern Baptist Steven Furtick $55 million

Creflo Dollar $25 Million

Southern Baptist Rick Warren $25 Million

TD Jakes $20 Million

Jesse Duplantis $20 Million

Former Southern Baptist Beth Moore $10 Million

John Hagee $5 Million

Paula White $5 Million

Joyce Meyer $5 Million

I MEAN, THE LIST GOES ON!

Understand that there is nothing wrong with gain. But dishonest gain is wrong. And these people teach what people want to hear because they know that it will line their pockets. A real minister of God does not minister for the money, he ministers for the sake of the upward calling of Jesus Christ. But these false prophets refuse authority, confuse the gospel with their worthless talk, lead entire families astray, and preach a deceptive message in order to make a fast and easy buck! That is Paul’s first point. False teachers preach a deceptive message.

But not only do these false teachers preach a deceptive message, but they also perpetuate a depraved culture.

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II. False teachers perpetuate a depraved culture (1:12-14).

Titus 1:12–14 (NASB95)

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”: Now the person Paul is referring to here is a 6th century BC Cretan poet and philosopher named Epimenides. He died 600 years before the birth of Christ, however, by the first century some Greeks and Romans regarded him highly as a prophet.

The story goes that while tending his father's sheep, Epimenides fell asleep for fifty-seven years in a Cretan cave that was thought to be sacred to to the false Greek god named Zeus, When he woke up, he reportedly awoke saying that he was gifted by Zeus with the knowledge of medicine, history, and proper worship practices for the pantheon of pagan Greek gods.

The reason Paul quotes this man is to meet the churches of Crete on their own ground. He is driving home a point about the Cretans by a Cretan. He is supporting his argument by quoting a man from there own history that many venerated at the time. The point is that the Cretans knew good and well what type of people they were known to be. In fact, at the time this letter was written, the verb “to cretizo” was a slang that meant to lie or cheat.” The Cretan people were notorious for their moral decadence. So much so that the famed Greek philosopher Cicero once wrote:

“Moral principles are so divergent that the Cretans … consider highway robbery honorable” (Cicero in Republic, 3.9.15).

Paul continues in verse 13 to say...

Titus 1:13–14 (NASB95)

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely:

For this reason: This is a term of conclusion. Paul is saying that since these false teachers are a bunch of lazy, inhuman, evil liars, you need to act Titus by reproving them severely.

Reprove: elencho (e-lane-co) literally means to drag something that is hidden into the light that it may be revealed for what it is. It carries with it the implication that there is adequate proof of wrongdoing. To reprove someone means to convict and expose them in such a way that they are compelled to examine and to admit the error of their ways. To show someone that they have done something wrong and summon them to repent. In Greek grammar, this is a present tense imperative meaning that it is a continual command of God.

The same word is used in 1 Timothy 5:20 where it is translated as rebuke. Paul tells him that:

1 Timothy 5:20 (NASB95)

20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke [elencho] in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

Reproving false teaching is part and parcel with the responsibility of a biblical elder. In his second letter to Timothy, which we will study next after we finish Titus, Paul tells the young pastor:

2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB95)

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove [elencho], rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Now, not only is Titus to reprove these false teachers, Paul says he must do so severely.

Titus 1:13–14 (NASB95)

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

Severely: apotomos {apo-tomos) is an adverb which means literally "in a manner which cuts off". Figuratively this word means to act abruptly, harshly, or rigorously.

Verse 13 is telling us that false teachers because false teachers are such a plague to God’s people, they must be cut off from speaking and their deception dragged into the light of day for all to witness. But notice, this is not done to be mean or hateful. No, when done rightly, it is...

Titus 1:13–14 (NASB95)

13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

so that: This is a term of purpose or result. Here it is used as a term of purpose. The purpose being...

they may be sound in the faith: The word “sound” used here in the Greek is the word hugiaino (hu-ghe-I-no), and it is a word that means to be healthy or in good physical condition. We get our English word “hygiene” from this Greek term. The purpose of severely reproving the false teacher is ultimately not just to protect God’s people, but to help get the false teacher to a place where they become healthy in the faith.

the faith: Now, as always, when we see the definite article placed in front of the word “faith”, it is not referring to the subjective aspect of believing. Instead, it refers to the object of our faith. And here it is referencing the body of doctrine that originates in the word of God - the Bible. The divine revelation that acts as the foundation of our faith is Scripture. And to be sound in the faith is to be sound in the Scriptures. That is the goal when dealing with false teachers.

Unfortunately, and far too often, believers severely reprove false teachers not to help them but to hurt them. Not to win them to Christ but to win an argument. My friend, if that is you, then you are being disobedient to the word of God, and one day you will be forced to give an accounting for it in the presence of God.

14 not paying attention to Jewish myths: Now while many Christians today are unaware of this, there are several volumes of ancient Jewish writings that many Jews even today look at as if they are equal to the Scriptures. These books like the Talmud, the Midrash, the Mishnah, and the Targums are simply collections of sermons, theological works, and oral traditions that various rabbis have written throughout the centuries. The problem is that the party of the circumcision, the Judaizers, had elevated these texts to the high status of divine revelation. However, the writing were written by men who were not inspired by God like the writers of the Bible. Here in Titus 1:14 Pauls refers to these writings as the commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

The plain fact is that when Paul left Titus in Crete, he left him in the midst of a horribly depraved culture. A place where lying, laziness, larceny, and licentiousness was the meal of the day. And our culture in this day is no different. What was considered an abomination in America just 60 years ago is passed as today as gospel truth. And not just in secular culture, but as we saw in my introduction, in church culture as well. When the false teacher is given a platform, they will not reprove the culture - they will validate the culture - and when they validate the culture - they perpetuate the culture’s depravity to deeper and deeper depths.

Now, this brings us to our final point today. False teachers not only preach a deceptive message and perpetuate a depraved culture, they also possess a defiled conscience.

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III. False teachers possess a defiled conscience (1:15-16).

Titus 1:15–16 (NASB95)

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Pastor John MacArthur sums up this verses 15 and 16 well by noting that "Paul gives two divinely inspired evaluations of false teachers in the Cretan churches, evaluations that apply to false teachers in any age. First he assesses their inner lives and finds them to be corrupt. He then assesses their outer lives and finds them to be hypocritical and debauched (MacArthur. Titus: Moody Press). First, notice how Paul assesses the inner life of the false teacher. He gives a maxim in verse 15 that says:

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled: Now, when trying to understand what Paul means here in verse 15, it is important to remember who his opponents were. He said in verse 10

Titus 1:10 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

Remember that the Judaizers, the party of the circumcision, taught that to be saved a person had to follow all the ceremonies and rituals taught in the OT and those other ancient Jewish writings that we just talked about. If a person did not wash themselves in a particular way, or if they broke any old Jewish law, whether it be from the Law of Moses or not, they would be considered “unclean” or “defiled.” However, here Paul is reminding Titus and the people of Crete that when a person is born again, they are as pure as Christ Himself in the eyes of God. That is why Paul says to the pure all things are pure.

Titus 1:15 (NASB95)

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

The word pure literally means to be ritually or morally clean. Jesus lived a sinless life so that we who have placed our complete trust in Him can be both! However, to be defiled means to be stained, polluted, or corrupted. This is the state of the everyone who is unbelieving, including the false teacher! Paul says both their mind and conscience are corrupt.

Mind: The mind is the God given faculty of perception and understanding and it is the channel through which truth reaches the heart. However...

Conscience: The conscience is that instinctive sense of right and wrong that produces guilt when violated. When a person is born, they are born with a broken conscience due to inherent sin. When a person refuses to heed the warning of their conscience and choose sin over obedience to what is right, their consciences become even more defiled until eventually it is seared in its wickedness. Notice what Paul tell Timothy in 1 Timothy 4.

1 Timothy 4:1–2 (NASB95)

1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

One of my heroes in the faith, the late Aiden Wilson Tozer writes:

But when a conscience has become seared, when a man has played with the fire and burned his conscience and calloused it until he can handle the hot iron of sin without shrinking, there is no longer any safety for him.

A.W. Tozer, Echoes from Eden, 64-65.

This is the inevitable outcome of every false teacher who refuses to repent of his or her misdeeds. A seared and defiled conscience destined for the flame of hell.

Now, that is the inward assessment of the false teacher. Notice next their outward assessment in verse 16.

Titus 1:16 (NASB95)

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

First, we are told that these false teachers:

16 They profess to know God: The word “profess” used here in the Greek is homolegeo and it literally means “to say the same thing.” These false prophets will tell you that they believe in Jesus Christ but they do not really believe. Listen, not all belief is the same. James tells us that even demons have mere belief in His existence:

James 2:19 (NASB95)

19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Please understand, it is one thing to believe that Jesus Christ exists, it is another altogether to trust Him and take Him at His word. Millions claim to know God, but very few show the fruit of a real relationship. Jesus says in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:15–20 (NASB95)

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

This lines up with what Paul is saying of false teachers in Titus 1:16.

Titus 1:16 (NASB95)

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

but by their deeds they deny Him: Don’t tell me you are a Christian, show me by living the crucified life day in and day out! The Aposlte John tells us in his first epistle:

1 John 2:4 (NASB95)

4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

I agree with Spurgeon when he says:

If you profess to be a Christian, yet find full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false [Charles Spurgeon, Morning And Evening, Page 355]

Titus 1:16 (NASB95)

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed: The false teacher is worthless for any good deed because nothing they do is in service to God - it is in service to self. They operate not in the crucified life, but in the self life.

The false teacher preaches a deceptive message, to perpetuate a depraved culture, due to having a defiled conscience. The church today needs to do everything they can to tighten the belt of truth around their waist so as to spot these charlatans and call out there dangerous doctrine!

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Conclusion: History tells us that on March 1st, 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica and in desperate need of supplies. He knew that a lunar eclipse was to occur the following day. So, he went to a local tribal chief and said to him, “Unless you give me supplies, the God who protects me will punish you. The moon shall lose its light!” Of course, the next day, when the eclipse darkened the sky, Columbus got all the supplies that he needed from the ignorant tribesmen.

Again, in the early 1900’s, a certain Englishman tried to use that same trick on a Sudanese chief in Northeast Africa. He warned, “If you do not follow my orders, vengeance will fall upon you and the moon will lose its light.” To which the well informed chief replied, “If you are referring to the lunar eclipse, that doesn’t happen until the day after tomorrow.”

The point here is that the Sudanese chief was protected from deception because he knew the truth. It is the responsibility of the elders of the church to exhort sound truth and to refute false teachers from deceiving the untaught - but it is also the job of the people of Christ’s church to learn that pure and sound truth and be steeped in the Scriptures from which it originates.

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As we conclude today, let me quickly give you three applications by way of statement:

1. The best defense against false teaching is a firm knowledge of the truth.

One doesn’t have to know about every false teaching that is out there. They just need to be solid in the truth. When training FBI agents to identify counterfeit money, they don’t show them a bunch of fake bills. They have them study the real thing so that when the fake is presented, they will know.

2. If your religion fails to change your life then you need to change your religion.

Paul said that while some may profess to know Christ, they deny Him with their actions.

3. It is one thing to profess the existence of Christ, it is another to possess Him as Lord.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NASB95)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Invitation: Preach the Gospel!

God - Mankind - Jesus - You