Titus Study #5

“Living Looking Upward”

Titus 2:11-14

Study #5 in Titus Series

 

INTRODUCTION: 

·       What is your “perspective” on life?

ü  Are you an optimist, or a pessimist?

ü  Are you a giver, or a taker?

ü  Are you a doer, or a watcher?

·       Our English word “perspective” comes from the Latin verb, perspicere, meaning “to see through, to inspect, to look through, or to look closely at,” as with a lens or a telescope.

·       We all see through some sort of lens:

ü  our education

ü  our beliefs

ü  our values

ü  our convictions

ü  our experiences, etc.

·       For a Christian, the New Birth, God’s Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit should determine our attitudes and everything we see or think.

·       A “new creature” should be new in every way. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

TRANSITION: 

Titus 2:11-14 tells us what our perspective should be. There are few passages in the NT that so vividly explain the moral and spiritual power of the Incarnation as this passage does. (i.e., God become a man so that He might redeem us to Himself through the Cross.)

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

·       “…the grace of God” (Greek χάρις, charis) = A gift freely given with no thought of receiving something in return; in this case shown even to enemies!

·       “…has appeared” = The Greek verb is ἐπιφαίνω from which we get our word, epiphany (see also in vs. 13). This occurred in the fulness of time in the past.

·       “…bringing salvation” = σωτήριος (sotérios) is a one-word Greek adjective qualifying the word grace, i.e., salvation bringing grace. (N.B. the word order does not change the meaning)

·       Note that Paul is not saying that all men are saved, but that God has graciously provided salvation all over the world for those who will take advantage of it.

 

Verse 12: …instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

·       “instructing us” = Greek παιδεύω, paideuō, is the word for teaching children, e.g., how to print their letters, brush their teeth, tie their shoes, etc.

·       “…to deny ungodliness and worldly desires” – (negative command). Deny = disown, not ignore. See Isaiah 1:16, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.” We are not born knowing how to live godly lives. We must be taught.

·       “…worldly desires” – Chrysostom, one of the Early Church Fathers, defined worldly desires as things which do not pass over with us into Heaven but are burned up together with this present world. They are kindling, thus a waste of time and effort.

·       “…to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age” = (a positive command). We live in a wicked world in wicked times. We need to be instructed in how to navigate our way through the swamp. 

 

[N.B. Past = Verse 11, Present = Verse 12, Future = Verse 13]

 

·       “…to live sensibly” = The word means soberly and prudently, with temperance. Thus, we must be careful and watchful, living life with our eyes wide open.

·       “…to live righteously” = This word focuses on our horizontal relationships with other people. We are to live justly, giving people their just due, treating them fairly.

·       “…to live godly” = A synonym is “reverently.” It refers to our relationship with God, and speaks of a life of devotion, faith, reverence, and obedience.

·       “…in this present age” = The Greek phrase is νῦν αἰών, nun aiōn. We are immersed in this world. It is like the very air we breathe. But the world is not to be in us, and we are not to be of the world. (e.g., A boat on the water is good; but water in the boat is bad, very bad.)

 

Verse 13: …looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

·       “…looking for” = Like the lookout up in the “crow’s-nest” of a ship watching out for icebergs; or like refugees coming into NY Harbor trying to catch a first glimpse of the Lady of Liberty; or like the families of the Colombia crew scanning the sky to see their loved ones coming back into the atmosphere.

·       “…the blessed hope and appearing”  – This is the same word, epiphany, that we saw up in verse 11. The “blessed hope” is the appearing of Christ. These are not two different things, but one and the same thing. In Greek grammar the Granville Sharp Rule states that when two nouns of the same case are joined by καί (and) with the first noun having the definite article, then the two nouns are equal. That means that “the blessed hope” and “the appearing” are equal, they are the same thing. The Blessed Hope equals the Appearing of Christ’s Glory. His glorious return is the blessed hope of the believer.

·       Paul is telling us that we are to “Live Looking Upward,” thus, the title of this study.

·       “…our great God and Savior” = The same Granville Sharp Rule applies to this verse. Paul is saying that Jesus is our Savior and our God. 

 

Verse 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.

·       “…who gave Himself for us” = He gave Himself in our place, on our behalf, in place of us. (e.g., “I’ll give you this for that.” = meaning in exchange for, in trade) – cf. 2 Cor. 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

·       “…to redeem us…for Himself” = Meaning to buy us back out of the slave market of sin.

·       N.B. The Negative (-) = Notice, He redeemed us from the power of lawlessness, sin, and iniquity.

·       The Positive (+) = He purifies us and makes us fit for Heaven to belong to God.

·       “…for His own possession” In Greek “His own possession” is just one word, περιούσιος, perioúsios. The KJV translates this as “…a peculiar people” which to us implies weird or strange. But that is not the meaning! The word actually means “special, set apart, reserved for.” The word was used for that part of the spoils of a battle or a campaign that the conquering king set aside, especially for himself. Through the work of Jesus Christ, the Christian becomes fit to be the special possession of God. He becomes good enough to belong to God through no effort of his own but by the purifying work of the Word and the Holy Spirit of God.

 

CONCLUSION:

That is the power of Christ’s redemptive work! – for the past, present, and future

1.    Past = Christ liberated us from the power and penalty of past sin.

2.    Present = He enables us to live a victorious godly life here and now.

3.    Future = He cleanses and transforms us to fit into the life to come as God’s own precious possession. 

 

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has increased and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you choose to use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. You can use the comment box or if you prefer, my email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your loved ones. Mike

Titus Study #4

“It Always Comes Down to Character” 

Titus 2:2-10

Study #4 in Titus Series 

 

INTRODUCTION: 

D.L. Moody famously said, “Character is what you are in the dark.”

 

Our English word, “character” comes to us by way of Latin and Greek. In Latin the word described an engraving instrument. In Greek it described the engraving itself. Our word more closely follows the Greek meaning. Character sums up those qualities that have been so deeply etched into a person’s life that they come to be seen as essential qualities. Character is what a person really is, not just what he thinks he is, or pretends to be, or what other people perceive him to be.

 

For example, a person can pretend...

·       To be moral, while secretly being a disgusting pedophile,

·       To be honest, but cheat or steal if he sees a personal advantage,

·       To be a Christian, but have no heart for God, for prayer, for the Word of God, or desire to congregate with God’s people.

 

CHARACTER is what you are when no one is looking, what you are when you think your actions will never be discovered. It is what you are when you are alone with your thoughts.

 

Here is an analysis I wrote several years ago about the difference between Reputation and Character.

Reputation VS. Character

The circumstances in which you live might determine your Reputation; the truths by which you live show your real Character.

Reputation is the photograph; Character is the true image behind the photo.

Reputation comes to one from without; Character grows from within.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you’re known by when you leave.

Reputation is what people think you are; Character is who you truly are.

Your Reputation may be earned in an hour; your Character is built over a lifetime.

Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak tree.

A single newspaper story can give you a Reputation; a life of toil establishes your Character.

Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you contented or makes you miserable.

Reputation is what men write on your tombstone; Character is what angels speak about you before the throne of God.

Some examples:

1.    I recall a scandal with the Portland Police Bureau back in 1999 that brought the issue of character into sharp focus. It involved 30+ officers from Central Precinct, including a Sergeant and the Precinct Commander. They were accused of padding their time sheets with overtime hours they had not worked but still got paid for. When no one was looking, the people who were supposed to be a cut above the average person on the street, revealed their true character. 

2.    Even before his election to the presidency there were serious scandals attached to Bill Clinton’s name, and his character was repeatedly called into question because of patterns of behavior. Whenever the right situation came along his weak character once again became obvious. Even with all that he managed to get elected. When his opponents were saying, “Character counts in a president!” the people in his camp shouted back, “It’s not about character, stupid, but about the economy!” But it was his flawed character that got him disqualified in the end.

 

The Bible sheds some helpful light on the human predicament. We all come into this life with a fatal character flaw called SIN. We are all sinners both by nature and by choice (cf. Romans 3:23). We may look good on the outside but on the inside, we are all rotten to the core (cf. Romans 3:10-18). Oh, we can do many good things, humanly speaking, and even fool ourselves and one another, but the Bible makes it clear that we are all flawed by sin, and thus unclean in God’s sight. 

 

Jesus had some fascinating discussions with the Pharisees about this subject. From a human perspective they were good, honest, upright, religious people and they were very proud of it. But Jesus looked at them through God’s eyes. He criticized them, not based on what they did or did not do, but on their motivations, and He repeatedly confronted them with the condition of their hearts (cf. Matthew 23). He called them “white-washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Then He said to them, “Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” They did not like hearing that, to say the least! 

 

Illustration: 

CHARACTER is like the foundation of a high-rise building. Everything depends on it. The righteous moral decisions we make, the integrity, the honesty, and the kindness we demonstrate, are the steel structure of our life. The whole rest of the life is built on and around these things. You can readily see that if the character (i.e., the foundation) is flawed, then the steel structure will automatically be jeopardized and the whole building is in serious trouble. Oh, it may look fine on the outside but with the first crisis the building’s lack of structural integrity will be revealed for all to see. 

 

From God’s standpoint, for the Christian, character not only counts, but it counts for everything! If the world cannot see godly character in a professing Christian’s life, then it’s not there! Let’s stop kidding ourselves! Godly character will always show through, because it cannot be hidden.

 

TRANSITION:

In Paul’s letter to Titus, it is obvious that Paul was concerned with the Christians in Crete demonstrating godly character both in the church and in their community. There were 

some who professed to be Christians (1:16) but their “walk” did not match their “talk.” Paul was concerned that the Christians in Crete should grow in Christ and in the Word of God, so that they would be “…sound in the faith” (1:13). He repeats this same desire in 2:1. But this whole passage has an underlying presupposition; namely, that he was talking to genuine believers whose lives had already been transformed by the power of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). Because without that, a person remains unchanged at the core and consequently unable to respond to this challenge to godly living.

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 2: Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance [patience].

·       “Older men” – Titus had some older men among the Christians in Crete. They had to be approached with love and wisdom and respect, or they might easily become offended when taught by a younger man like Titus.

·       Paul wanted Titus to teach the older men that they must live with the maturity and wisdom that their years should give them. This means temperate, dignified, and sensible lives. Paul’s command to teach these things means that they do not come automatically with age. I wish they did, but they don’t. They must be taught.

·       They must also have soundness (i.e., healthiness) in faith, in love, and in perseverance. As we get older, we tend to “harden” in our ways. Of course, this is a good thing if we “harden” in the ways of faith, love, and perseverance.

·       Perseverance here is the Greek word, hupomene. It literally means, “to abide under.” It implies steadfast and active endurance, not passive waiting. Older men are not to just patiently sit around and wait to die. They are to actively endure the challenges of life, even the challenges of old age.

 

Verse 3: Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

·       “Older women likewise” – Just as Titus had to give special consideration to the older men in the church, he must also take care in how to approach the older women. They have their own set of temptations and opportunities.

·       “…reverent in their behavior” – This adjective, reverent, means “suitable to a sacred office.” The conduct of the older Christian women must reveal that they regard life as sacred in all aspects. This includes how she dresses and carries herself.

·        “…not malicious gossips” – The word for gossips is diaboloi, the same word used for “devils.” When the older women – or anyone else, for that matter – maliciously slander and gossip, they are doing the devils’ work.

·       “…nor enslaved to much wine” – This was a common failing of older women in Roman and Greek culture, due to their cloistered lives. Paul recognizes that this special challenge needs special instruction.

·       “…teaching what is good.” Here Paul uses an interesting compound Greek word here, kalodidáskaloi, which means, “teachers of good things.” If the older women have special challenges, they also have special opportunities. God can use their wisdom and experience as they teach, admonish, and encourage the young women. This gives the older women something positive to live towards, instead of the negative things of slander and alcohol abuse.

 

Verses 4-5: …so that they [i.e., the older women] may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

·       Notice that according to Paul’s instruction, Titus was not to make it his ministry to teach the young women directly. Instead, he was to equip and encourage the older women to teach the young women. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the young women were barred from listening to Titus teach and preach. It simply means that it was wrong, and dangerous, for Titus to make the young women a focus of his ministry, which is true for pastors today as well. If there was a young women’s Bible Study group, Titus shouldn’t teach it. The older women should.

·       “The older women teaching the young women to love their husbands, to love their children” – Instruction for the young women begins with home matters. God has given them a strategic position from which to influence and assist their husbands and their children, and love should be the driving force behind that.

·       Paul says that love for husbands and children must be taught. Certainly, aspects of this love are inborn, to be sure. But other aspects – especially aspects that reflect the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus – must be taught.

·       “…to be sensible, pure, workers at home” – Young Christian women must be taught these attitudes and skills.

·       “…kind, being subject to their own husbands” – Goodness isn’t always easy in a world that blurs the line between good and evil, so the older women need to teach the younger to be good. “Subject to their own husbands” is another way of expressing the wife’s duty of obedience and submission in the marriage relationship (cf. Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18).

·       “…so that the word of God will not be dishonored [blasphemed]” – This shows how important it is for the older women to teach these things, and for the younger women to learn them. There is much at stake here. When Christians do not live in a Biblical, godly manner it means that the Word of God may be blasphemed among the ungodly. We know that many young Christian women struggle with this teaching because it runs counter to the attitudes and beliefs of our modern Post-Christian world. Nevertheless, this is the Word of God and must take precedence even if the world doesn’t like it.

 

Verses 6-8: Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

·       “Likewise” – This is a linking word. It shows that what the young men need to learn isn’t all that different from what the younger women, the older women, and the older men need to learn. We may need a slightly different emphasis depending on our station in life, but the essential message of godly Christian living is the same.

·       “…to be sensible” [or sober-minded] – The Living Bible translates the thought well: “Urge the young men to behave carefully, taking life seriously.” This is the only command Titus is told to emphasize to young men, but sometimes it is a difficult one for younger men. The Greek word for sensible used here is sophron, and according to William Barclay, “It describes the man with the mind which has everything under control…. strength of mind which has learned to govern every instinct and passion until each has its proper place and no more.”

·       “…in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds” – Here Paul turns his focus specifically onto Titus, who himself was a young man. Titus had to be more than a teacher; he also had to be an example. His guidance of others could not be taken seriously if he himself was not walking after the Lord, and living out loud the things he was teaching.

·       “…with purity in doctrine, dignified” – Titus had to be an example in doctrinal stability and integrity. If he wasn’t comfortably settled in his understanding of the Scriptures, he wasn’t ready to lead and teach.

·       “…sound in speech which is beyond reproach” – How many times in these letters to Timothy and Titus have we heard this phrase, “beyond or above reproach”? Paul is urging Titus to make sure that the words that come out of his mouth leave no room for criticism or attack.

·       “…so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say [i.e., report] about us.” – Notice that Paul ends this sentence with the word “us.” His Christian reputation was on the line right along with Titus’. So that your accusers will be embarrassed, having nothing bad to report about us. Jesus could say to an angry mob, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46)

 

Verses 9-10: Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

·       “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative” – Titus was to teach bondservants about their specific duties as Christians. In the ancient world, Christians shocked the larger culture by mixing slaves and masters in the social setting of the church service. This meant that a slave might go to church and be an elder over his own master. That sort of thing was unthinkable in the broader culture.

·       Much to the frustration of many modern people, not even once did Jesus, or Paul, or any of the other biblical writers ever address, much less condemn, the practice of slavery as an evil social institution. For many of us that offends our modern sensibilities and ideas about justice and fairness. However, we should also not jump to the conclusion that Jesus and Paul and the others condoned slavery, because I’m sure they did not. C.H. Spurgeon explained the situation this way: “I do not think for a moment Paul believed that the practice of slavery ought to exist. He believed to the fullest extent that the great principles of Christianity would overthrow slavery anywhere, and the sooner they did so the better pleased would he be; but, for the time being, as it was the custom to have slaves, they must adorn the doctrine of God their Savior in the position in which they were.”   

·       “…subject to their own masters” – Paul does not say that bondslaves should be obedient to every free man, only to their own masters. Paul recognized that bondslaves had obligations, but only to their own masters. At the same time, as in every arena of human submission, our obedience and submission is limited by our higher responsibility to obey God first and foremost. As Peter explained in Acts 5:29, whenever there is a conflict between the two, we must obey God rather than men.

·       “…not pilfering but showing all good faith” – This type of offence was so common in the ancient world that sometimes the words servant and thief were used interchangeably. It was assumed that servants would steal from their masters in these small ways every time they got a chance. The word pilfering signifies not only stealing but embezzling another’s property; keeping back a part of the price of any commodity sold on the master’s account. In Acts 5:2, this was the crime of which Ananias and Saphira were guilty. They “kept back” i.e., pilfered, part of the price, then lied about it.

·       “…showing all good faith” – Simply, Titus must direct servants to be good workers in all ways. By their hard work and humble submission, they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

·       “…so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” – In one sense the Gospel does not need adornment. At the same time, we can show the beauty of the Gospel by the way we live. We often think we need better words to adorn the Gospel. Better words are fine, but what we really need are better lives.

 

CONCLUSION:

Ironically, in this context those who best have the ability to adorn the doctrine of God are bondslaves. This shows that even a Christian in a low or disadvantaged station in life has the potential to beautify God’s truth by the way they live. The Gospel is adorned when its effects on life and character are expressed in Christlike conduct.

Titus Study #3

“How to Spot Smoke-Blowers and Snake-Oil Salesmen”

Titus 1:10-16; 2:1

Study #3 in Titus Series

 

INTRODUCTION: 

Satan is a counterfeiter. He fakes whatever God does and twists whatever God says. He is most effective when he comes up with something really close to the original. One of his best techniques is to mix lies in with the truth (i.e., adulterating the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 4:2, like putting one tiny drop of strychnine into a glass of cool, fresh water). He has been doing this from the beginning.

·       Jesus repeatedly tangled with the Pharisees over their flawed OT interpretations

·       Paul debated the Gnostics and Judaizers, combating their heresies

·       We fend off the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other cults who twist God’s Word

 

Truth is powerful and compelling, with a strong flavor. The poison can easily be slipped in behind it so that it is not detected, the way poisoners slip antifreeze into a sweet drink, or politicians slip “pork” into nearly every House and Senate bill. It just slides through without people even noticing. 

 

TRANSITION: 

In this letter Paul advises Titus on what to watch out for with those who were stirring up trouble in the Christian churches on the Island of Crete. This comes in the flow of thought coming out of verse 9, that a leader of the church must “be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verses 10-11: 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.  

·       Note: There were “many” of these kinds of men in the churches in Crete. 

·       CHARACTER: What were they like?

Ø  “Rebellious men” = undisciplined, unruly; like disloyal soldiers who refuse to obey the word of command.

ü  They refused to accept the guidance of the leadership of the church.

ü  They refused to accept the teachings of the church.

ü  They refused to accept the control of the church.

Ø  “Empty talkers” = vain, profitless, producing nothing of value.

ü  They could talk glibly and fluently about religion but could not bring people closer to God.

ü  N.B. Being “spiritual” counts for nothing.

Ø  “Deceivers” = (lit. mind-deceivers)

ü  Instead of leading men to the Truth, they led them away from the Truth, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons of today who go from house to house selling magazines and offering “Bible studies.”

·       “…especially those of the circumcision”

Ø  Paul here refers to the people known as “Judaizers,” a 1^st Century cult that mixed Christian teaching, Greek Gnosticism, and Pharisaical Judaism.

Ø  They professed to be Christians but denied many of the fundamental truths.

Ø  They taught that Christ’s death on the cross was not sufficient to pay for all our sin. = Heresy! (N.B. Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others teach this.)

Ø  They taught that grace alone cannot save = Heresy! Any group or any preacher that tries to persuade people that they need more than Christ and more than grace to be saved is a CULT!

Ø  They thought that Paul’s message was too simple and too good to be true. They wanted to intellectualize everything (the Gnostic influence).

Ø  Paul had much to say about these people because they were showing up everywhere. (cf. Colossians, Galatians, and 1 John)

Ø  cf. verse 14 – They were teaching “Jewish myths” as though they were the Gospel truth. They were teaching the “oral traditions” that Jesus condemned in Mark 7:1-13. Paul accused them of teaching the commandments of men rather than those of God.

Ø  In doing this they had hundreds of rules and regulations about everything: clean vs unclean, circumcision, sabbath keeping, etc. 

·       ACTIONS: What were they doing? 

Ø  Paul says they were “upsetting whole families” (οἴκους, i.e., households) – Their teaching was fundamentally upsetting by its very nature. Teaching that ends in doubts, confusion, and questionings is BAD TEACHING. In GOOD TEACHING, outside of the mental disturbance which truth so often causes, there should come in the end a greater certainty than ever. A good and noble teacher seeks to shed light on the truth, not to obscure it or twist it for his own purposes.

Ø  “Teaching things they should not teach” – Not only was their teaching upsetting, but it was also just plain wrong! The truth can be upsetting enough without mixing in a bunch of rubbish.

·       MOTIVES: Why did they do what they did?

Ø  Cf. Verse 11 – “…for the sake of sordid gain.”

Ø  They were in it for what they could get out of it. Beware of information peddlers offering high-priced seminars to “help” you do anything. These guys were more concerned about what they could get out of the people, than what they could put into them. 

 

Question: What is the relationship between Character, Actions, and Motives? 

Answer: Your character is defined by your motivations; but your character is displayed by your actions.

 

Or in other words, the things that motivate you will shape your character, which in turn will be revealed by the things you do and the choices that you make. 

 

So, Paul’s conclusion in verse 11 is that these troublemakers “must be silenced” (lit. “whose mouths must be muzzled or stopped). N.B. The best way to combat false teaching is to offer the truth in such a way that people can see it clearly and act upon it. (cf. Matthew 5:16; 2 Cor. 4:4ff)

 

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

·       Cretans had a bad reputation in the whole Roman Empire. Sometimes stereotypes are exaggerated but more often they have at least a grain of truth. In this verse Paul quotes Epimenides of Knossos, a Cretan poet and philosopher who lived about 600 BC and was considered to be one of the 7 wisest men of Greece.

·       The common view was that Cretans were liars, gluttons, drunks, cruel, untrustworthy, greedy, and rude. (This was a common stereotype of the same order as that Blacks are all musical, Mexicans are lazy, Russians steal cars, Arabs will always cheat you, etc.)

·       The Greeks coined a verb, kretídzein, which in English would be something like “to Cretanize.” It meant to act like a Cretan and was invented as a word synonymous with “to deceive,” and “to lie.” It was used in the same way as another 1^st Century pejorative, corínthiazein, which in English would be “to corínthianize,” and meant to take part in sordid, debauched, and immoral behavior. They also had a well-known phrase, “…to play the Cretan with a Cretan” meaning to out-swindle a swindler.

 

Verses 13-14: 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.

·       “This testimony is true.” Paul does not beat around the bush. Apparently, he had dealt with them enough to form a strong personal opinion, and it is obvious that even he did not have a very high view of the Cretans, but that is just the point. No one, no matter how bad they are or how misguided, is beyond the power of the Gospel and the help that Christ brings. Salvation transforms the very worst of men and turns them into true saints of God.

·       To this end Paul tells Titus to “reprove them sharply or severely” so that they will turn from their wicked, ignorant path and become “sound (i.e., healthy) in the faith” (cf. 2 Tim. 2:23-26). This is the goal of Biblical teaching (cf. Acts 26:18). God is in the business of Life Transformation, Character Development, and Attitude Adjustment.

·       “…not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the faith” – These were the same people Paul was talking about up in verse 10 (“…rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision”). The point of contention in the churches of Crete had to do with Jewish legalism. It was not centered on God’s Word, but on Jewish fables and the teachings of men who valued their own ideas and religious theories over the authoritative Word of God.

 

Verse 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.

·       Paul is referring to the Judaizers’ teachings about things clean and unclean, pure, and impure. Jesus taught about this in Mark 7:14-23. Here Paul echoes Christ’s words and says that the sin and impurity was within them, dirtying everything they touched (cf. Rom. 14:20).

·       “…but to those who are defiled and unbelieving” (lit. stained with dye) – N.B., A sick, impure heart and mind hears and sees impurity everywhere. A pure mind and heart see goodness, purity, and beauty. (e.g., Have you ever known someone who could turn any statement or any conversation into something dirty or sordid?)

·       Paul says, “…but both their mind (intellect) and their conscience (heart) are defiled” and therefore must be changed. Only God can do this! (cf. Rom. 12:1-2; Phil. 4:7-8) 

 

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

·       In verse 16 Paul tells how you can spot these Spiritual Smoke-Blowers and Religious Snake-oil Salesmen.

·       FIRST, with their mouths they profess loud and long that they know God. They are good talkers, BUT

·       SECOND, by their deeds they deny Him (i.e., disown Him). They are good talkers but rotten livers.

·       And in their sinful condition, they are...

1.    “detestable” = They are repulsive, ugly, an abomination. N.B. Sin is ugly to God and should be to us as well, especially when worn by a professing Christian.

2.    “disobedient” = They cannot obey the will of God. They have a darkened conscience and a twisted mind and everything they touch gets polluted. This is from God’s viewpoint.

3.    “…worthless for any good deed” = They are reprobates, and sinful men cannot do righteous deeds.

a.    Paul here uses the Greek adjective ἀδόκιμος (adókimos). In biblical usage it is translated as unapproved, i.e., rejected; by implication it is worthless (literally or morally), and thus castaway like rubbish.  

b.    The word is used to describe counterfeit coins that are below the standard weight and therefore pulled out of circulation.

c.     It is used for soldiers who run away in battle.

d.    It is used for rejected candidates for office.

e.    It is used for a stone that the masons rejected. It was marked with a capital alpha (Α) and thrown to the side as unfit for use because of some flaw.

 

Chapter 2, Verse 1: But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

·       Strangely, all our versions group this verse into chapter two. However, I believe that is a mistake. You must remember that Paul wrote this as a letter with no chapter or verse divisions, and contextually, this verse fits better as the conclusion of Paul’s argument in Chapter 1 than it does as the introduction to Chapter 2.

·       “But as for you” – Paul expected something different from Titus than what these troublesome legalistic Judaizers were dishing out. Titus knew the Word, he knew the truth, and Paul encouraged him to take his stand on sound doctrine and godly living and to raise up leaders who would do the same.

 

CONCLUSION: 

If we are to be useful to God in any way, we must first be changed at the core of our being through the New Birth. Without that heart transplant we cannot do anything to please God! Our good works are as “filthy rags” to Him (Isaiah 64:6).

 

But even as Christians we need to take a hard look at our character, our motives, and our actions. Is your motivation pure and unselfish and godly? Is your character Christlike and mature? And are your actions Spirit-controlled? Only then can we truly please God and accomplish His will.

 

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has risen and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. My email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your ones. Mike