Titus 1:10-16

As we finish chapter 1, three points of review.

Review #1 - The focus of chapter 1 is the character, reputation and doctrine of church leaders. We talked about those things last week.

Review #2 - Paul wrote this letter “for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which leads to godliness.” Titus had the mission of supervising a return to biblical truth. If Paul’s purpose and Titus’ mission was increased godliness in Crete, then we should understand today’s passage doesn’t automatically lean into judgment or condemnation due to an infected church leader. The goal of increased godliness always means people are led toward agreement with God and toward repentance. According to Matthew 18:15-19, the stubborn, unrepentant person eventually needs to be released from the church’s care.

Review #3 - A sacred stewardship of sound doctrine requires strong protections and strong responses so a congregation can be led toward godliness.

If godly character and sound doctrine is not protected and it seems a church leader has become infection, God’s mission, God’s message and God’s people could become jeopardized. Strong action is required to supervise a return to biblical truth.

Five problems of the infected church leaders. What was the biblical response Titus had to supervise?

Titus 1:10–16 ESV

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Look at verse 10. This verse talks about two different groups that were infected and teaching what they ought not teach. Verse 10 calls the first group, “the circumcision party.” I’ll call the second group, “the shameful gain party.” Their motivation separates them, but their commonalities unite them.

The motivation of the ‘shameful gain’ party was personal gain and the cultural trends of Crete.

The motivation of the ‘circumcision’ party was Jewish legalism and traditions. They were devoted to Jewish myths and common teachings of people that distorted the truth. They were the old guard that was strangling potential church growth because they didn’t want to do things differently.

Five problems of an infected church leader

#1 - Verse 10 - Their words are empty and their minds are deceptive.

Literally, empty-talking is translated as ‘no useful purpose.’ Empty talking is when a person keeps going but has no substance, no purpose and is uninterested in stopping. Years ago, I needed a CDL for our church. Part of the road test was walking around the vehicle and identifying various parts of the bus. Another guy from the church gave some advice on passing this part of the test. He said, “Just keep talking the entire time. Make sure you sound like you know what you’re talking about even if you have no clue if you’re right. Don’t provide an opportunity for the other person to question what you say.” There was plenty of empty-talk going on during that test. I went to that test believing I had to deceive a person into thinking I was right. Even though I wasn’t sure I was right through most of the test, I had to sound like I was right. I wasn’t going to stop until I proved I was right. That is an empty talker.

An empty-talker often is influenced by and gets his talking points from another person’s thoughts and philosophies. In our text, the talking points came from Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn from the truth. An empty-talker is often blown around by cultural trends. With the emphasis of ‘circumcision party’ and ‘shameful gain’, they were likely teaching the gospel plus “works” equals Christianity. Verses 12-13 gives a clue about the ungodly culture of Crete that had been shaped for centuries. If that culture had made its way into the preaching ministry of the church, they would have been teaching something contrary to the gospel. Verse 14 says they were devoted to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

Matthew 12:34 says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” An empty talker often has been deceived by a false truth while closely hovering authentic truth. When we are being deceived, we will try to deceive others, especially when we have to prove that we are right.

#2 - Verse 10 - Their life’s fruit has become separation from God.

It is possible the people that Paul warns Titus about were once faithful to the Lord and had a closeness with him. It could be that he was well-respected in his church, especially if he had been given a teaching role. Verse 10 says insubordinate. Last week, we learned this is rebellion against God. God said do this, a person chose the opposite. If we disagree with God on a topic he has been specific about, then we are guilty of spiritual insubordination. Rebellion against God never begins with large sins. It always begins with small compromises that might include, “I don’t believe that part of the Bible.” Over time, rebellion causes a person to say “I believe that part of the Bible, but I’m not doing it.” Any mindset that allows a person to pick and choose which parts of the Bible are followed is rebellion against God. All rebellion against God creates separation. Not a loss of salvation, if indeed the person is authentically saved. A circular pattern follows. The more we rebel, the more separation is created. The more created separation there is, the more comfortable we become with rebelling against God. Eventually, the fruit of our life is complete separation from God. Every summer at camp, I talk to at least one 14-year old that will tell me this is their story. Often, they admit they don’t know how it happened. I thought I was doing great with God and then I wasn’t. Some of them are Christian school kids who thought they would stay close to God by going to a building, but not seeking the Lord daily. Christianity had become an intellectual religion.

In 2026, the time lapse from a small compromise to complete separation is probably measured in weeks and not months. There are too many distractions in the world. It’s too easy to say you watched church online. It’s too easy to become an intellectual Christian or fall into the Christian cultural checklist. It’s too easy to be untruthful about your walk with Jesus.

#3 - Verse 11 - They are upsetting families.

Verse 11 says that whole families were upset because of what was taught by these men. Look at verse 14. They were devoted to Jewish myths and commands of people who turn away from the truth. The Jerusalem council in Acts 15 should have solved the problem of Jewish myths in the church. 15 years later, they were still present in the practices of the church. Paul told Titus that families were upset by what was being taught, how it was being taught and why it was being taught - shameful gain.

Here is a silly example:

Picture a children’s ministry scenario in 2026 that had presented the gospel at the end of their lesson. A young boy told the teacher that he wanted to be saved. The teacher was super excited for him, but told him that he couldn’t get saved today because he is wearing mismatched socks. The teacher didn’t know the family’s washing machine broke this week and those were the only clean socks he could find. The teacher didn’t know that he woke his entire family up that morning because he was excited to come to church. The teacher didn’t know how crushed the boy was after class. The young boy cried the entire way home and his parents spent all day trying to convince him that his teacher was incorrect. That family began looking for another church immediately. That is a silly example, but neglecting to accurately and intentionally disciple children kills churches.

No child should ever leave church in AD63 or 2026 without hearing the gospel is a grace-filled redemption story that introduces a person to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It’s a gift never fades or runs out. It’s a gift that restores and renews every day. It’s a gift that fills the believer the hope of eternal life.

#4 - Verse 15 - They are on a continued search for a pure and truthful message.

Look at verses 14-15. The teaching they were devoted to was not sound in faith. They were devoted to Jewish myths and commands of people who turn away from the truth. These infected church leaders were on a search for a pure and truthful message, but they never found it because their minds had become infected and defiled. Their search for truth took them to all sorts of places except the Bible alone. Is it possible they were devoted to Jewish myths and the Bible? Is it possible they were devoted to commands of people and the Bible? It is possible, but eventually one of the competing influences will gain traction in a person’s life and the other will fade into the background. If the authentic truth of God’s Word faded in these leader’s life, they became ignorant of truth. Rebellion and separation from God followed.

Verse 14 warns us - do not be devoted to myths and commands of people that distort the truth of God’s Word.

#5 - Verse 16 - They know the correct words to speak, but uninterested in biblical action.

Remember this from last week? Titus was left in Crete to supervise a return to biblical truth and biblical action. It is significantly easier to supervise a return to biblical truth intellectually than it is to supervise a return to biblical action, especially in a place like Crete that was full of laziness. Verse 12 calls Crete “lazy gluttons.”

Verse 16 repeats insubordinate ~ rebellion against God. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They know the right words to say. They claim to have biblical truth intellectually. Biblical action has never infected their lives.

I blame some American philosophies on youth sports. Don’t keep score. Everybody gets a trophy. An entire team can get a baseball trophy without scoring a single run the entire season. Show up sometimes, sit the bench, never play and you’re a winner. Americans have raised a generation that is raising another generation who is embracing this philosophy in every part of their life and family, including their walk with Jesus.

Paul raised the standard of godliness. Look at verse 16. If your claims and conduct do not match, you are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. Other versions use a variety of words in the 2nd half of verse 16, none of them will get you a trophy. All of them are serious spiritual infractions that require a serious spiritual response.

What is the biblical response?

Paul wrote this letter “for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which leads to godliness.” The biblical response isn’t about judgment or condemnation, it’s about godliness.

They must be rebuked and silenced

Look at verse 11. This is not a “lets get together in my office and find common ground” conversation. This is not a time to worry about who might get upset in the church. Ignoring the matter will cause more waves than one could imagine. This is a time for a grace-filled, loving, pointed conversation that says, “Stop talking until you repent and decide to agree with God. Your voice will no longer be heard on this matter until you are aligned with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

They must be given a break from ministry responsibilities

Look at verse 16. When the Bible says that our decisions make us unfit for any good work, the congregation better listen. A break from ministry doesn’t mean a permanent exit from ministry. A break from ministry means that we need to be led so our infection heals and godliness prevails so we, once again, become fit for any good work.

It’s serious stuff that we need to get right through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 18:15-19 are important verses that guide biblical responses to remove infection from the church.

We’ll come back to Titus after Easter.