Titus 1:10-16 Be Pure

Church of Christ Dapto The Letter to Titus Lesson 2—Be Pure Titus 1:10-16 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.          False Teachers show the need for Elders Titus 1:10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. This verse indicates why an Elder must hold firmly to the truth, encouraging the faithful and refuting the opponents. Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. False teachers are rebellious They do not submit their minds and hearts to Christ, nor do they believe and obey Him, although they pretend to by attending church meetings. They rebel against anyone in the Church who dares oppose them with truth or criticise their lives. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. False teachers are mere talkers. 1 Timothy 1:6-7 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. Their faith is just words without action, which is hypocrisy. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. They will “discuss” anything and everything but never reach a decision or commit themselves to their words. Their aim is not to build up the church but to lead its members astray by deceitful tactics and words. The worst at the time were those who had come from the Jews, but had not given up their teachings. Acts 15:1 Some men … were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” The false teachers were proclaiming that you could only be saved by obedience to rules and regulations whether from the Old Testament, or their own imaginations, not through the saving power of Christ. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:15 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to Titus Lesson2 Chapter 1:10-16 March 17, 2019 Page 2 False teachers are deceivers Jude 1:4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Jude 1:16 These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. The truth about these false teachers is they are not seeking the blessing and encouragement of the people to whom they preach. They are trying to bring ruin on their followers by teaching things which are not true so that they can gain followers and financial benefit from them. Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. False teachers always appear to be good and seek to show themselves as better than the Christian leaders. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. It is not by their appearance, or their apparent works that we are to judge them, but by their teaching. They coat their lies with attractive coverings to deceive those who are easily led, and destroy their faith. False Teachers must be refuted Titus 1:11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 1 Timothy 1:3-4 As I urged you … command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work— which is by faith. The message is imperative. These false teachers must be stopped. The Cretan church is still young in the faith and its members may be easily misled. These new Christians must be protected from themselves. 2 Timothy 3:6-7 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, (7) always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.          These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:15 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to Titus Lesson2 Chapter 1:10-16 March 17, 2019 The background of the people Page 3 Titus 1:12-13 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. To emphasise his point Paul quoted from Epimenides, a Cretan poet and philosopher from the sixth century B.C. who was widely believed to be a religious prophet. 1 Crete also had a bad reputation for arrogance, treachery and greed. “Gluttony” was associated with love of pleasure as opposed to love of knowledge.2 Cretans were seen as greedy, lovers of gain and wealth. Their lying was legendary—it was considered a way of life on Crete, so much so that “to play the Cretan” was to speak of deception. They were a martial race who provided the Mediterranean world with mercenaries and on their days off they took to piracy. The absence of wild animals on the island was contrasted with the fact that this was amply made up for by the people themselves who were characterised by enmity, envy, rivalry and contention. It was out of this unpromising mess of humanity that Titus was tasked with putting things straight. Nothing short of a miracle could transform such people, and the miracle was provided by the Gospel of Grace.3 Paul is reminding the people of what they were. They have been changed by Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. They must not try to justify or excuse themselves because of their culture or their past. The solution to false teachers Titus 1:13-14 Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. Rebuke their followers sharply This verse refers to the Church members who are Christians, and less to the false teachers. The false teachers are to be refuted and in that way rebuked by making clear their lies and self-centredness. The members are to be rebuked for listening to the false teachers, and being tempted to follow their lies and commands. Make them sound in the faith The rebuke is not aimed at destroying the members, but saving them! If they listen to Titus, and obey what Paul has taught them all through the Holy Spirit, which is contrary to that which the false teachers are commanding, then they will remain sound in the faith and not fall away. Chapter Two goes into further detail about what is to be taught to ensure that we are Christ’s people, not the disciples of a false teacher. Command them to ignore myths or false commands 1 Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. The rebuke is to point out to the members that they are listening to those who teach myths, traditions, and made-up stories, and who command obedience, but not obedience to Christ. 1 Litfin, A. D. (1985). Titus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 763). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 2 Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Tt 1:12). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 3 NIV Proclamation Bible—Notes on Titus – Melvin Tinker These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:15 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to Titus Lesson2 Chapter 1:10-16 March 17, 2019 Page 4 The contrast Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. The call of the Holy Spirit is to remind those who are tempted to be misled, that they are giving up the purity that Christ gives them. This purity brings an understanding of the world so that things do not possess us, or corrupt us, but have their rightful place in our lives. It is only when things are put to corrupt use that they turn and corrupt the user. But to those who are already corrupt, because they do not know Christ, there is no way of controlling or identifying that which is good in the world because they cannot think properly, and nor do they have effective and accurate consciences. Those who do not know Christ do not know what good is, and nor can it guide their lives. 1 Timothy 4:3-5 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. Identify false teachers Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. We are given they means to identify false teachers. First we are to examine their teaching and measure it against Scripture, then we are to examine their lives and determine if their actions match their words. Consider the aim and effect of the false teacher. Is he building up the people to bring them closer to Christ through teaching only the Scripture? Is he using the people for his own ends and his own gratification? Is he making himself rich through his ministry? Once they are identified, and it is not difficult if you want to do it, then you must accept the labels Paul applies to them. Detestable Proverbs 3:32 for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence. Disobedient John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. Incapable of Good Matthew 12:35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. They cannot achieve anything that is good in God’s terms: they cannot do God’s Work! These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:15 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to Titus Lesson2 Chapter 1:10-16 March 17, 2019 Page 5 What are you to learn? There are false teachers in the Church. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. It is naive to believe that everyone who calls themselves a Christian, no matter how long they have claimed to be, or all those who are in a leadership position in any Church, must be a real Christian. This naivety is dangerous because it makes you easy prey for these false teachers. Their work is aimed a destroying you and your faith. They are not “sincerely wrong”. They are deliberate deceivers who aim only to benefit themselves. It is not difficult to identify a false teacher if you want to. Too many Christians fall prey to these false teachers because they do not want to apply the tests that Jesus, and the rest of the New Testament, gave us to identify them. False teachers are easily identified by their works and the effect of those works. It may be hard to tell them just by their words because they are very practised and convincing liars. False teachers will say all the right things and may even be the noisiest and most insistent pray-ers in the Church. Their actions show that they deny God. They are not seeking the benefit of all the members of the Church by speaking the Truth at all times. All they do is aimed to benefit themselves and even make a financial profit! They cannot do good because they do not know God. They even corrupt what is good because they have corrupted consciences. They will not submit to the authority of Scripture but rewrite it in terms to suit themselves. Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. So Accept the rebuke if you are allowing yourself to be misled. Realise that godly rebukes are of great benefit! Turn back to the sound faith you were given by turning away from the myths and lies of the false teachers no matter who those false teachers are. Realise and accept the blessing of being pure because of Christ, and know that, in Him, all things are pure. Ensure that your conscience is controlled by the Holy Spirit so that you will feel and know Godly sorrow, not worldly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  Next Lesson:         Live out sound doctrine Titus 2:1-6 Focus Verse: Titus 2:1 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:15