Biblical Elders | Titus 1:10-16 | Men who must be silenced
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Notes
Opener
Opener
We have a story in Church history from Irenaeus who say under the teaching of Polycarp who was a disciple of the Apostle John. That John while in Ephesus went to what was a public bathhouse. If you watch the movie “Risen” you can see what that is like. And being in their he percieves through the steam that a man named Cerinthus was inside. And this is what happened:
going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.
Cerinthus was an early gnostic heretic that denied fundamentals of the Christian faith. Who Christ is and what he accomplished.
Polycarp himself encounter the heretic Marcion: who chopped up the Bible and only took the parts he liked, said (Again from Irenaeus):
And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, Do you know me? I do know you, the first-born of Satan. Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth; as Paul also says, A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins, being condemned of himself.
Do you know where Irenaeus quotes from at the end there? Titus 3:10! A factious man.
But notice his understanding of the Apostles and their disciples and how seriously they took the warning of false teachers.
We of course have this in Scripture as well. Paul saying things like:
9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
Or Peter in
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Jude and John give similar warnings.
And of course they got this from Jesus:
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Todays message is “Men who must be silenced”.
Main Text
Main Text
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.
Doctrine Matters |
Doctrine Matters |
Now as our series today is on Biblical Elders we should point out right way the obvious. There are not only men who should not be elders but there are men as Paul says in verse 11 “who must be silenced.” They must be thouroughly refuted, rebuked, corrected and if necesary dismissed. This doesn’t mean anyone who disagrees with you, you dismiss these are men who are “shutting up the Kingdom of heaven” to others. Their doctrine, deeds, and motives are so bad they are destroying souls.
Remember these Biblical elders needed to be able to “refute those who contradict” by holding fast to the Faithful Word, the Gospel, found in our New Testament Scriptures.
Not Surprised there are false teachers
Not Surprised there are false teachers
We shouldn’t be surprised that there are false teachers. The Apostles again and again and again warn this would happen. There are so many Christians who leave the faith because they get hurt by the church. I want to just say to every Christian. It is terribly important that YOU PERSONALLY hold fast to the faithful WORD. YOU personally hold fast to Jesus.
My job as Pastor and Elder isn’t to hold to Jesus for YOU! My job is to be an example. To encourage you to. To help you. to Push you toward Christ. But you yourself must hold fast even if all else do not! And I want to say it makes sense.
ANALOGY Of leaving the faith because of other Christians. baby with the bath water. Janna’s Dad said one time.... you dont give up on food because you had a bad burger. But
Doctrine Matters
Doctrine Matters
If we believe that it is not by your good deeds that get to heaven. That is by the saving work of Christ, “by grave you have been saved” or as Paul says in titus 3:5
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Doctrine matters because we can’t save ourselves.
If hop on an airplane that I think is going to England but it is really going to Japan… I have a problem with objective truth. It doesn’t matter that I am sincere. It doesn’t matter if I buy snacks for everyone on the plane. I am objevtively on the wrong plane. Doctrine matters.
If Jesus is the way , the truth, and the life and no one comes to the father but through Him then doctrine matters.
Anyone ever try to follow baking instructions were missing an ingredient in your house and tried to substitute something or just misread the instructions and put the wrong thing in and completely ruined it. I don’t bake often but when i do… i do a bad job. was it baking powder or baking soda? Look if our recipes are important that they are followed correctly how much more our FAITH!
The consequences of getting this wrong our high! We don’t want to as Jesus said to shut up the kingdom of God for people and not enter ourself. So doctrine matters.
Good elders refute those who contradict. But all Christians should be growing in the faith and sound doctrine. I love the second part of verse 11 “because they are upsetting whole families.” I have had plenty of times people come to me and someone is upset because of a teaching they heard. I want to say to you GOOD! You should be upset! Some teachings are upsetting! They are wrong and dangerous!
Now some people are just bad teachers and not false teachers. They just need a little help. And if they will humble themselves and receive instruction… be teachable… all is well very quickly. But when people are conceited, they double down and dangerous teaching, they can quickly go from being wrong to being dangerously wrong and begin to ship wreck their faith.
Majoring on the most important
Majoring on the most important
One of the things I say often is we are a “Jesus focused” church. We are going to major on what Scripture Majors on. That is Jesus.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
This is of first importance.
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Jesus said:
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
He said:
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Understanding who Jesus is and what He did is absolutely core to our faith. And sometimes false teaching isn’t so much that it wants to change who Jesus is as much as it wants to minimize it!
Jesus said,
24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
Oh they loved to argue about minute things of doctrine but miss the big picture. Paul could say in Titus 3:9
9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
So when of the big checks we must have… is our the things I am arguing out is it minute? Is it meaningless? Or am I majoring on the major.
We do not dismiss any Scripture. Paul could also say the entire Old Testament was written for our instruction. We as disciples are to be tought “everything Jesus has commanded”. But we must have tiered approach to this where the major things are still the major things.
Paul does this when he, speaking on Spiritual Gifts that were very important to Him, still I will show you a MORE excellent way. And he would go on to say If I fathom all mysteries and knowledge but have not love… i am nothing.
Jesus of course taught that some commandments were greater than others. One commandment was the greatest: to love God.
Let me give you an analogy. If I as a husband am great at finances. Hang with me here. I am not great at that btw. Just pretend with me. If I was great at finances. like the best ever. I was the world’s best husband when it came to finances. I was a good provider.i made lots of money I led my family in having a budget. we tithed. we were generous. every family members every monetary need and most desires were met. But I was also a glutten, a sluggard, and a drunkard. would I be a good husband? Absolutely not. and finances are not unimportant. but majoring only on that one aspect leaves me desperately far from being a good husband. So we too as Christians must ask what are the things, according to His Word, that are most important to God?Jesus is at the center of the answer to this. and Jesus modelded perfectly what this looks like as well.
Nevertheless those who teach false doctrine must be silinced. Let me just say something about heresy. Heresy is denying a core tenant of the faith that by such allegience to this belief we are saying you are outside the faith. There is plenty of room to be plaine wrong, tons of room to be learning and growing, and there is infinite grace for when we misspeak. In fact it iritates me when one Christian group jumps down another Christian groups throat because they mispeak or even say something poorly. If we are going to refute those who contradict we need to refute the best frosm of their arguments. tipping over strawmen is not convincing to those who are following such teachers.
Nevertheless when someone gets that correction and doubles down on false teaching they are outside the faith. and as Paul says these men must be silinced. they must be refuted. the integrity of the Gospe must be preserved.
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Scripture is Clear
Scripture is Clear
2 things in Titus that the false teachers were doing that I think we can learn from and guard against.
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.
Notice the two ideas were are Jewish Myths and Commandments of men. Both of these seem to be referencing Jewish interpretation of the law. There explanation became so elaborate, there traditions so vast, that they would some times start teaching the exact opposite of the command in Question. Jesus calls the Pharisees out for this very thing:
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 7
6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’
8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
This happens in our day.
Or how about those who try to read into Scripture jsutification for a homosexual lifestyle using stories from the Old Testament like God passing before Moses when he puts him into the cleff of a rock or the story of David and Jonathan.
These things are so unprofitable and rediculous elaborate interpretation of Scripture we must not even entertain them. We dismiss them. If we wanter to honor the commands of God and the pure doctrine of the Gospel we must appraoch the Scriptures as they are intended to be read. Understanding they were written to an original audience that the author believed would understand them. It doesn’t mean everything is easy. some things take study. but we understand that general intent of Scripture is that it is meant, it is given by God, to man to be understood!
If you need magical stones to interpret it you are doing it wrong.
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I once met a man in GA that said he only read the red letters. some Bibles will highlight the words of Jesus in red. He doesn’t read anything else. First of all he probably didnt read much of that. but second of all who do you get the red letters from? Who gave you that? The Apostles did! So you will read the words of the Apostles quoting Jesus but you won’t read the words of Jesus telling us about Him? I mean if I want to be technical about that then technically Jesus didn’t die on the cross because the words “and they crucified Him” are not in red. it is just non sense.
IN our day in age “fanciful interpretations” of the text sometimes fly under scholarly guise. Have you ever heard someone say “the eye of the needle” was a gate in Jerusalem. ANd a camel had to get on its knees and take off all his stuff to go through it. So Jesus is saying it is easer for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man enter the kingdom.... means you must layaside everything and follow Jesus. Now this one basically teaches the point of the story but the problem is its not true! That didn’t exist in Jesus’ day. That is not what he was saying. He is literally talking about the eye of the needle. He is challenging us much more than that analogy would have you believe. The point it is “impossible with man” for the rich to be saved. but what is impossible for man is possible with God. ANd of course in Luke, next chapter who is getting saved.... the old wrotten tax collector Zacheaus.
We must be weary of fanciful interpretations that undermind the plain meaning of Scripture friends!
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.
People love to add to God’s Word. When you change the meaning of Scripture do to fanciful and elaborate teaching this is dangerous in itself. But so is simply adding to what is written. Going beyond what is written.
6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
This is unfruitful to add to God’s word. We may even have certain practices that we have established in our life that are good as we follow Jesus. You may give up social media and find that it has given you more time to pray. Better interaction with family. you sleep better not having blue light shined in your eyes late at night. And in that extra time with God you may have really grown in some areas. You can certainly be a good example to others in this but you must be careful to not go beyond what is written. and start coming up with your own doctrine and imposing it on others outside your family going: though shall not murder, though shall not steal… and though shall not use social media.
Now you have gone from being a good example to emphasizing the commandments of men. So we must be careful how we build. Core doctrine and precepts must be found in the Scripture. The things we major on must be found in the Scripture and emphasized in the Scripture. and we must be careful, even if good motives, not add to God’s Word.
It takes humility to do this. Those who go deep down this path can become incredibly conceited. Think about it. If the doctrines of Steve become necessary for your own Christian walk who just became indespensible. Steve did. But I have elevated the doctrine of man… or in this case the doctrine of Steve to a place where only God’s doctrine should be. I have actually now pushed people away from Jesus. We must not do that. Obey commands embrace principles of Scripture.
Someone can get so focused on minor things they go outside the faith. Their are groups that get dangerously close to this. There is a group that so firmly believes in their way of sabbath observance that they believe those who get the mark of the beast (swear allegience to the anti christ) and those who remain faithful to Christ are those who keep the sabbath the way they do or not. Isnt that crazy. Paul makes it clear in Colossians 2 that no one is to be your judge inregard to Sabbath. Jesus made it clear He was Lord of the Sabbath. and Hebrews speaks of a better Sabbath (rest) in Christ. Don’t let minor things eclipse big things. Who Christ is and what He has done for us.
Watch for Bad Motives & Bad Actions
Watch for Bad Motives & Bad Actions
11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
Motive and Actions matter. Sometimes false teachers can wear all three ideas: bad doctrine, bad motives, and bad actions right on their sleve. But often times it is much harder to notice. They will say alot of good things… alot of right things before they get to the tricky stuff.
If Mormon missionaries (which are a cult) show up at your door they will probably use a KJV Bible transation. Why not the one Joseph Smith revised (which he called the inspired version) and made over 3000 changes to? Because they are up to something.
So you don’t just wait for the hammer to fall. You look at some other things as well.
We can’t judge motives perectly. Sometimes it is wrong to judge motives. because we are to judge with righteous judgement (as Jesus said… yes Jesus really said that). And humanly speaking that means we judge what we can see not what we can’t see. We can’t see hearts. But we can see actions. So if there actions and attitude seem to be after sordid gain we can thus assume that they are up to no good.
Certainly their are many badly motivated churches today. Ones that try to tickle your ears. I heard a preacher on TV onetime telling the Bible story of the axe head floating and in the Old Testament. a guy loses his axe head in a river and the prohet of God makes it float. And so what does this preacher do? He said what is it that you have lost? is it your job, a relationship, a dream, a car what is it? God is going to make that float today all you have to do is donate to this ministry and God is going to make your axe head float.... sordid gain.
Be weary of those who just tell you what you want to hear. They sound more like a pyramid scheme then a preacher. Just sign up now. You will be rich.
Secondly look at the conduct of their life.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
In our day in age I have to remind people that person you are watching online… you don’t really know them. You don’t know how they live. Some churches are so big you can’t talk to the leaders. Some have security. Peter showed me one where the main guy… a prophet I believe roles up in a limo and walks out on a red carpet. He is saluted not sure why.... we are called to live in community and you can’t have real biblical discipleship you must have relationship. And so you need shephereds in your life that are local. We want to be a church that is involved in eachothrees life and that brings some safe guards. You get to see the pattern and conduct of a persons life.
How many times have we been shoked by the failings of a celebrity pastor or apologist. But should we be? We didn’t know them from Sam. We only saw their stage persona at best. We all need eachother. We are the body of Christ.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
If we have no conflict in our church. I would actually be concerned. Are people really involved in eachothers life. We have to work through that. We have to do that in relationship. We have to genuinely love one another. We have to love and spend time with people who are different then us. We must genuine forgive one another. be patient with one another. be willing to speak the truth to one another as well. Jesus says if your brother sins rebuke him. if he repents forgive him. this doesn’t ahve to be complicated.
1 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Here in this short passage you have the full gamit of our discusion today. You never want to be a stumbling block for a child of God. You don’t want to lead people away from Jesus. But the body of Christ can handle plenty of conflict and sin. And has unlimited forgiveness.
Paul does give some special instruction in 1 Timothy 5 on what to do when an Elder is caught in sin.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 5
19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.
22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
Like I said a few sundays back. Elders aren’t perfect. they need all the grace and bearing with one another and striving side by side as anyone else in the church. But this is talking about those who are doing wrong by those they were charged with keeping and even persisting in sin. On the one hand they get more protection. As someone who was made an elder by the consistent patern of their life… unusual and unsubstantiated clames should be rejected. On the other hand if they are doubling down and unrepentent and are found out the consequences are more severe as well. They are rebuked in the presence of all. But most importantly is probably verse 21. They don’t get special treatment. We must be committed to truth above all. Truth in love but truth without compromise. The Gospel hinges on that. Jesus is the truth.
We are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior.
14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Jesus, The Truth, as He is called in John 14:6, died on the cross for every lawless deed inlcuding lying. Including false teaching. Even false teachers are reedemable friends. The chief opponent of the church God turned into the churches greatest missionary. The Apostle Paul who writes this book of the Bible. God’s grace is powerful to save. But lets remember we help no one when compromise on truth.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What was the solution to false teachers?
The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus (d. Their Errors (1:14b–16))
He refused to give in to it in a feeble spirit of defeat. He did not remain idle or silent on the ground that everybody has a right to his or her own opinion. He did not secede from the church in the belief that it was irredeemable. No, Paul was neither a defeatist, nor a pluralist, nor a secessionist. So what was his strategy in fighting the good fight of the faith? It was this: when false teachers increase, we must multiply the number of true teachers. Titus was to appoint elders in every town (5), who would hold fast God’s reliable word, teach it faithfully and refute those who contradicted it (9). Why? Because of the number of rebellious people or deceivers (10). So the more false teachers there are, the more true teachers are needed.
John Stott