Scripture Introduction
It seems that many congregations will tolerate unbiblical preaching as long as the pastor is not rude or mean or sharp with them. Most pastors lose their jobs pretty quickly if they cannot figure out how to preach nicely to the church.
So our passage this morning shocks us. Paul tells a young pastor that part of the work of shepherding the church includes the sharp rebuke. Let’s hear the Apostle’s strong admonition, then see what God would teach us from it.
[Read Titus 1.10-16. Pray.]
Introduction
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, calling October 31, “Halloween,” traces back to at least the 16th century as a Scottish variant of the full title, “All-Hallows-Even,” or the evening before All Hallows Day. In fact, into the early 1900s, the word was still spelled, “Hallowe’en.”
The idea of setting aside November 1 to remember all the saints who have gone before us (known and unknown) originated much sooner. Pope Gregory the Third, in the mid-700s, instituted the festival of All-Saints, in the memory “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world.”
In spite of those interesting ideas about Halloween, those in our tradition usually remember October 31 for a different reason. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 disagreements with the teaching and practice of the Roman Catholic Church, the end result of which was the Protestant Reformation.
I give you that history lesson because I like church history and think it is interesting. But also so that you will remember, every October 31, that Protestants believe the church is built on the Word of God. The Spirit uses primarily the preaching and teaching of the Scriptures both for making followers of Christ and for ordering the life of his people.
Clearly that was the situation on Crete. The Apostle Paul and his young trainee, Titus, engaged in an evangelistic ministry that saw many people profess faith in Jesus. Unfortunately, the culture in which the church was born was not very conducive to Christianity; in fact, the island of Crete was known for its immorality. So how does a young pastor disciple new converts whose lives are a mess? How does he teach new believers to adorn the doctrine of God (which they now professed to believe) with a life lived to the glory of God (which was not yet happening)?
Last week we began to see God’s answer. First, in verse 5, Paul says to Titus, I left you on Crete bring order to the church—it is the pastor’s ministry to direct the church. Then Paul reminds Titus to ordain other godly men to help him, elders, whose lives had been transformed by grace sufficiently that they were examples to follow. This is the work of discipling, not simply telling others what they ought to do, but sharing our lives as imitators of Jesus. The elders especially are those of whom we can confidently say, follow his example as he follows Christ.
So the pastor in partnership with the elders are, first, to direct the church, then, second, to disciple the believers, then third, they are to instruct in Biblical doctrine: Titus 1.9: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught [holding Biblical convictions], so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine [practicing Biblical counseling] and also to rebuke those who contradict it [engaging in Biblical confrontation].” The text we are studying this morning (verses 10-16) expands on that last phrase, the work of Biblical confrontation, the elders’ duty to rebuke those who contradict the trustworthy word of God. Since those of us in the church must support our elders, I worded their three responsibilities in terms of our response to them.
1. We Must Accept the Elders’ Ministry of Silencing Unhealthy Teaching (Titus 1.10-11)
Paul sounds angry as he refuses any tolerance for those who disagree. Just as in our day, I expect some in Titus’ congregation would probably think this too severe a reaction on the part of the pastor. But he treats this so seriously because false teaching damages God’s people.
FitzSimons Allison entitled his book defending historic Christian doctrines, The Cruelty of Heresy. He chose that title because, as he explains, “We are susceptible to heretical teachings because, in one form or another, they nurture and reflect the way we would have it be rather than the way God has provided, which is infinitely better for us. As they lead us into the blind alleys of self-indulgence and escape from life, heresies pander to the most unworthy tendencies of the human heart. It is astonishing how little attention has been given to these two aspects of heresy: its cruelty and its pandering to sin” (17).
In an age of tolerance, Allison (like Paul) seems extreme. But doctrine is not simply true or false, it is healthy or harmful. Error damages and eventually destroys; it is not neutral. Like those little vine borers which tunneled into my squash plants this summer, false teaching eats away at the insides of the church, undetected until the people die spiritually. Loving elders care for the congregation by silencing unbiblical teaching.
2. We Must Support the Elders’ Ministry of Rebuking Unsound Teachers (Titus 1.12-14)
Again, these words sound harsh, but notice that it is not simply Pastor Titus who rebukes. The elders must speak firmly to those whose teaching is wrong. And remember their qualifications: men who are above reproach, the husband of one wife, and whose children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. They are not arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. In other words, these men are proven and respected, so their “verbal spanking,” though difficult to receive, is preceded by their trustworthy character. They are known by the congregation as those who “walk the walk,” before they talk tough to the church.
So what is it about this false teaching that evokes such a “harsh” response from Paul? Three clues are given. First, in verse 10, they are “of the circumcision party.” Second, in verse 14, they “devote themselves to Jewish myths,” and third, also in verse 14, they are following the “commands of people.” Put those together and we have a fairly vivid description of the false teachers. Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, they add works to faith as a requirement for salvation.
So these Jewish converts wanted all others to commit to Judaism before they were accepted as full-fledged Christians. Faith alone in Christ alone is not enough; if you want to be sure that you are a Christian, then obey the Old Testament laws and conform to the standards we have devised. Do not eat pork or drink wine; keep the festival days and Sabbaths: “do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.”
It seems so reasonable: since God tells us what behaviors are sin, would not be wise to build a fence inside the boundary to prevent our stepping outside the line? Since drunkenness is sin, maybe good Christians should not drink alcohol at all. Since God’s people are to rest and worship one day in seven, let’s make a list of rules for what can and cannot be done on Sunday. Since Christians are to be generous in supporting the work of the church, we should tell people how much to give. Since Christians are to ask fellow believers for help and prayer in running the race of faith, then we ought to pray to saints and angels and get their help too.
To human thinking, such ideas seem credible. But whenever teaching focuses on outward conformity or submits to man-made rules, rather than on inward conformity and God’s Word, God’s people are hurt rather than healed.
Legalism is no different than licentiousness in this respect: both appeal to the flesh. Legalism feeds the pride that imagines it can attain righteousness apart from being humbled before the cross. Licentiousness feeds the pride that imagines it knows better than God what is good and makes for happiness. Both forms of pride are contrary to the humility required to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Elders must rebuke those who fall on either side so as to bring them back to the transforming grace of the gospel.
3. We Must Receive the Elders’ Ministry of Inside-Out Transformation (Titus 1.15-16)
These false teachers were saying to the church, “If you really want to grow in godliness, you need to go the extra mile, abstaining from more than the apostles are teaching you.” In sharp contrast, Paul says “to the pure, all things are pure.” This somewhat unusual sentence does not mean that if you think something is not sinful, then it is okay. Rather, he refers to the rules the circumcision party sought to press on Gentile converts. They claimed personal purity from keeping the law. But the Bible says that only the sacrifice of Jesus can cleanse from sin.
Purity cannot be worked into us by outward conformity; it must work outward from a heart cleansed by God’s grace. That is why to the unbelieving, nothing is pure. I can obey all the ceremonies and rules, and practice every outward discipline, and still cannot cleanse my conscience.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for just this problem: “Like whitewashed tombs, you outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Outward changes cannot cleanse the heart; godliness never works from the outside-in.
So what is the true religion? The answer is coming in chapter two, but let’s read it now so we are not left with the negative answer.
Titus 2.11-14: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
4. Conclusion
Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica and needed supplies. He knew that a lunar eclipse was to occur the next day. He told the tribal chief, “Unless you give me supplies, the God who protects me will punish you. The moon shall lose its light!” When the eclipse darkened the sky, Columbus got all the supplies that he needed.
In the early 1900’s, an Englishman tried the same trick on a Sudanese chief. “If you do not follow my orders,” he warned, “vengeance will fall upon you and the moon will lose its light.” The chief replied, “If you refer to the lunar eclipse, that doesn’t happen until the day after tomorrow.”
That Sudanese chief was protected from deception because he knew the truth. It is the job of elders to protect the flock from deception by teaching God’s truth and by refuting the many false teachings that prey upon the untaught in our day.
