Titus 1.16-The Actions of the Unregenerate Judaizer Contradict Their Profession of Knowing God Resulting in a State of Being Rejected by God and Useless for His Purpose
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 2, 2014
Titus: Titus 1:16-The Actions of the Unregenerate Judaizer Contradict Their Profession of Knowing God Resulting in a State of Being Rejected by God and Useless for His Purpose
Lesson # 12
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 1:1.
Titus 1:1 From Paul, God’s servant indeed an apostle of Jesus, who is the Christ for the purpose of producing faith in God’s chosen out ones resulting in an experiential knowledge of the truth, which is for the purpose of producing godliness 2 resulting in the confident expectation of eternal life, which the truthful God promised before eternal ages. 3 However, He has manifested His message at His own appointed time through the proclamation which I myself was entrusted with because of the decree originating from God the Father, our Savior. 4 To Titus, a legitimate spiritual child on the basis of a mutual faith: Grace resulting in peace from God the Father as well as the Christ who is Jesus, who is our Savior. 5 For this purpose, I left you behind in Crete so as to set in order that which is lacking, specifically, so as to appoint in each and every town elders as I myself commanded you. 6 If and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that any man is of a good reputation, a one-woman man, possessing faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation or rebellion, then you are to appoint them. 7 For it is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely imperative the overseer as God’s steward be of a good reputation, not arrogant, not prone to anger, not an alcoholic, not violent, not greedy 8 but rather hospitable, loving what is divine good in quality and character, sound-minded, righteous, holy, self-controlled. 9 He must, as an eternal spiritual truth be characterized as firmly adhering to the trustworthy message which is according to the teaching in order that he would be able to exhort by means of that which is sound doctrine as well as to refute those who oppose. 10 For many are rebellious, empty talkers as well as deceivers, especially those from the circumcision 11 who must be silenced who because of their evil and sinful character are upsetting whole families by habitually teaching things which are improper for dishonest gain. 12 A certain one from them, their own prophet said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason, begin the process of severely rebuking them and continue to do so in order that they would be sound with regards to the Christian faith 14 so that they would not be occupied with Jewish myths as well as commandments originating from men who cause themselves to reject the truth. 15 For the benefit of those who are clean, all things are, as an eternal spiritual truth existing in the state of being clean. However, to the detriment of those who cause themselves to exist in the state of being defiled, yes unbelievers, absolutely nothing is, as an eternal spiritual truth existing in the state of being clean. But rather, they cause both their minds as well as conscience to exist in the state of being defiled. (My translation)
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. (NASB95)
“They profess to know God” is used of the unregenerate Jew or Judaizer who emphatically asserts or declares they possess an intimate knowledge of God and thus a close relationship with Him in contrast to the Gentile.
“But by their deeds they deny Him” emphasizes with the reader that the actions of the unregenerate Judaizer contradict their profession of possessing a close relationship with God.
The actions of the unregenerate Judaizer are the means by which they cause themselves to deny any association with God.
“Being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed” presents the result of the unregenerate Judaizer denying any association with God by their actions.
Titus 1:16 They profess to possess an intimate knowledge of God. However, they cause themselves to deny any association with God by their actions. Consequently, they exist in a state of being detestable ones as well as disobedient ones and in addition worthless ones for any kind of divine good work of intrinsic quality and character. (My translation)
In Titus 1:15, the apostle Paul discussed the impure or unclean state of the unregenerate Jew and Gentile.
Now, here in Titus 1:16, he narrows the discussion down to the state of the unregenerate Jew and specifically the state of the unregenerate Judaizer since they contended that they possessed an intimate knowledge of God.
This was not the case with the unregenerate Gentile who in some cases denied the existence of God, not so with the unregenerate Jew in Paul’s day.
The Scriptures teach that the Jews were chosen by God to be His people and not the Gentiles.
As Paul taught in Romans 9:1-5, the Jews and not the Gentiles were adopted by God as sons and they were given the Shekinah Glory, the covenants as well as the Law, the temple service and the promises and not the Gentiles and the Messiah is a Jew and not a Gentile.
Thus because of these privileges the unregenerate Jew in Paul’s day believed he possessed an intimate knowledge of God.
Now, here in Titus 1:16, he says “they” profess to possess an intimate knowledge of God which is a reference to an unregenerate Jew since it is referring to the individuals mentioned in Titus 1:15 who Paul describes explicitly as “unbelievers.”
Titus 1:16 begins with the declarative statement “they profess to possess an intimate knowledge of God.”
This expresses the fact that the unregenerate Judaizer emphatically asserted or declared that they possessed an intimate knowledge of God so that they possessed a close relationship with Him.
This again is due to the privileges given to them by God which are listed by Paul in Romans 9:1-5.
The unregenerate Jew was of the conviction that they knew God in the sense that they possessed an intimate knowledge of God and thus a close relationship with Him in contrast to the Gentile.
This declarative statement is followed by an adversative clause “they cause themselves to deny any association with God by their actions.”
This speaks of the unregenerate Judaizer renouncing any association with God by their sinful actions which are the direct result of their sinful unregenerate state.
It means that they denied God in the sense that they divorced themselves from any association with God and refused to have anything to do with God by means of their sinful actions, which was the result of their sinful unregenerate state which is mentioned in Titus 1:15.
Thus the actions of the unregenerate Judaizer contradicted their profession of possessing a close relationship with God.
Consequently, the unregenerate Judaizer was detestable to God or abhorrent to Him because God is holy and they were sinners by nature and practice.
Another consequence of denying any association with God by their sinful actions was that they were existing in a state of being disobedient to God.
They would not be persuaded to obey God’s sovereign authority which is expressed through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
These individuals were also worthless for any kind of good work meaning that they were of no use to God as a result of their actions which cause themselves to deny any association with God.
Their sinful unregenerate state meant that they could not perform actions which were pleasing to God.
It meant that they had no capacity whatsoever to perform an action which was divine in quality and character which was in accordance with God’s will.
They had no capacity whatsoever to perform an action that was profitable, useful, and beneficial to others or benevolent because their actions were not based upon and motivated by the teaching of the Spirit in the Word of God.
The sinful state and actions of the unregenerate Judaizer is the direct result of their rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their detestable and disobedient state as well as their being of no usefulness to God for any kind of good work was the direct result of their rejection of the gospel.
If they had accepted the gospel by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, they would be regenerated which would give them the capacity to perform actions which were pleasing to God.
Also they would have been identified with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session.
Thus they would have died to the Law and thus they would no longer be condemned by the Law.
Consequently, they would not have been abhorrent to God or detestable to Him.
If they exercised faith in Christ they would have been indwelt by the Trinity and thus possess eternal life.
All of this would have given them the capacity to produce divine good, which is pleasing and acceptable to God.
Thus acceptance of the gospel by faith in Christ would have regenerated them and thus given them the capacity to be of use to God and pleasing to Him.
Now, Paul mentions all this about the unregenerate Judaizer here in Titus 1:16 since the Judaizers were leading pastors in Crete away from obedience to the gospel and their freedom in Christ which comes from obedience to the gospel.
So he is saying that in effect that if the Judaizers are this repulsive to God, then why adhere to their legalistic teaching?
If they are abhorrent to God because of their unregenerate state and sinful actions, what could they possibly teach a Christian which would be a benefit to them.
Thus, the sinful state of the unregenerate Judaizer and their sinful actions discredit their legalistic teaching.
In other words, if the unregenerate Judaizer was in bondage to sin and Satan, how could their teaching be of any benefit to a Christian and thus why would any pastor want to follow their teaching?
Thus, we can see why Paul wanted Titus and the Cretan church to administer church discipline to these apostate pastors on that island.