storiesofvalue

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. (Titus 2:1)

Remember, the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible are man-made.  This statement goes well with everything else Paul has just said in reference to rebuking false teachers.  It is also, as we will see later, a good transition statement leading into his next section.

I would like to focus on the word “doctrine” for a moment.  Its Greek source is “didaskalia,” which means “teaching.”  So doctrine is simply teaching, and sound doctrine is good teaching, or true teaching. 

Several years ago I heard a community Bible study leader say, “We don’t get into doctrine.  We just teach the Bible.”  I know what he meant.  He meant as a community Bible study leader he attempted to avoid church denominational positions that have a tendency to polarize a discussion, and cannot always be supported Biblically.

Of course the flaw in this perspective is that a leader almost always infuses his respective positions into his teaching.  The better approach, I think, is to come clean and say, “In the church I am a part of, this is a position we take on this passage, but I realize there may be some other positions that also have validity.”

It is also impossible to teach the Bible without teaching doctrine.  Sound doctrine is good teaching, which means the word “doctrine” is synonymous with Biblical truth. 

If I were to identify three roles doctrine plays in our walk with the Lord they would be 1) the basic facts regarding Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, burial and resurrection, 2) the “whole counsel of God” which refers to the broader themes and teaching of the Bible (such as sin, grace, love), and 3) the instructions for a holy life, for individuals and the church community. 

There are many other categories, to be sure, but these seem to cover most of the areas we focus on as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Respectively, what we know about Jesus is the foundation of our relationship with Him, what we know about the “whole counsel of God” teaches us to live through His eyes, and instructions for holiness give us the practical advice we need to outwit the devil and be the salt and light to the world.

I am a self-proclaimed handy-man and love to fix mechanical devices, including appliances, cars, and small electronics.  I am not saying I am that good at it, but I have learned the key to any level of success is a good set of schematics and the right part.  All of the effort in the world won’t help if I am working off of the wrong page and am trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

So it is with doctrine.  Doctrine matters because my perceptions of reality are skewed by my fallen nature, and my sense of right and wrong are corrupted by my own deceptions and delusions.  Looks like I need to spend as much time as possible with the Word of God.

Dear God, thank You for teaching me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. (Titus 1:16)

Wow!  On occasion in the scriptures Paul is tactful, and when needed, full of compassion.  Not this time.

Is there any question how he feels about the false teachers in the churches in Crete?  Detestable…disobedient…unfit for doing anything good?  Paul is ruthless!

But then, so are the false teachers.  They think nothing of putting the work of the kingdom in jeopardy in pursuit of their personal ambition.  And they are more concerned with pleasing their critics than loving their brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Detestable!

Not only this, but they deny their knowledge of God’s grace by trampling on the cross and reverting to a crude form of self-righteousness.

Disobedient!

They are blinded by worldly success and given over to divisive behavior.

Unfit for doing anything good!

And yet, there is hope, not only for good people who are being harassed in the churches of Crete but for these who reject the truth.  Remember, Paul wants Titus and the elder’s he selects to rebuke them, for the purpose of turning them back to sound doctrine. 

So do they really know God, or not?   

I think they do.  I believe in their hearts, they know better.  If one were to give them a theology test or interview them for a position in the church, I think they could say the right things.  But somewhere along the way they have been misled into thinking the church is a vehicle to be used for their own purposes.  And so, while they know God, they have grown distant from his heart.

Now their claims do not match their actions. 

Paul’s words are a challenge.  They are a challenge to Titus to rebuke the false teachers before it is too late, and a challenge to the false teachers to turn back. 

On occasion all of us need to test our beliefs against our behaviors.  Do the things we do match up with the things we say…the way we see ourselves…the way others see us?

If Paul’s words accurately describe those who fail to walk the walk, I am going to be a lot more careful how I live.  “Unfit for doing anything good?”  Man, that harsh!

Dear God, test me for my own good.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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. (Titus 1:15)

This morning’s verse requires a context.  

The issue at hand is false teachers in the churches of Crete who are attempting to bind people with unnecessary Jewish traditions.  The traditions are not sinful, but when they are required they diminish the importance of the cross.  Righteous acts cannot save.  Only the blood of Jesus can wash away sin.

Paul’s use of the words “pure” and “corrupted” are his way of contrasting those who live by grace with those who attempt to justify themselves with righteous works. 

We must be careful not to take this morning’s verse in the wrong way.  Paul is not saying, “As long as you think something is good, then it is.”  This is not a proof-text for the erroneous “that’s truth to me” philosophy that is so prevalent in our culture.  Instead, this is a lesson on one’s attitude about the nature of salvation.

Let me put things a little differently.  In fact, let me wake you up a little this morning…

Sexual intimacy is one of purest expressions of love between a husband and wife.  Yet, it does not define their relationship.  The relationship of a husband and wife is defined by deep devotion and a longing to live as one.  Sexual intimacy brings joy to a relationship between a husband and wife, but it does not produce devotion.  Rather, true devotion produces its own intimacy of which sex is a part.  This is why sex outside of marriage disappoints people when infatuation (that’s right…not love, by definition) wanes and they discover their relationship is hollow.

Are you awake yet?

On the other hand, the same sexual act that brings such joy in a marriage can also be used to degrade and destroy.  It can be the product of a vile, corrupt mind, and reduce people to animals.  This is the nature of our cultures’ sex trade, and the spirit that reduces love to a physiological behavior. 

Now back to the issue of grace and legalism.  When we live in the grace of Jesus, the good things we do are a joyous expression of our love for Him.  As soon as we begin doing righteous acts to find acceptance by God or by others, and try to survive outside of grace, our deeds become burdensome and corrupted.  We also fall victim to those who want to enlist us in the “self-righteousness trade.” 

So don’t let anyone turn the joy you have in Jesus into something dirty by making you think you have to earn your way into His heart.  If that were the case every one of us would still be bankrupt.

Dear God, help me have a pure religion.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.      

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.  (Titus 1:13-14)

What “testimony” is true?  It is the stereotypical statement we viewed in our last devotion:  that all Cretans are liars, brutes and gluttons. 

Obviously, Paul is speaking in generalities.  Otherwise it would be impossible to find the kind of people he is asking Titus to enlist as elders in the churches in Crete.  However, those who were among the false teachers were “Cretan” though and through, in the metaphorical sense of the word.

It appears to me there are three groups referenced in Paul’s letter to Titus.  There are the “manipulated”, or the common church members who are being misled and disrupted by false teaching.  The sincere desire of these dear folks to do the right thing makes them easy “prey” for those who bind them with unnecessary rules and regulations, and targets to be “played” for the selfish purposes of others.

Those who “prey” and “play” are the “manipulators.”  They are a part of the church family, but have both eyes on personal success and care less about the welfare of the church than their own advancement. 

And finally, there are the “instigators.” These are most likely not a part of the church family, but continue to pressure the “manipulators” and reward them accordingly when they comply.

These are only my characterizations, but hopefully they help you see the complexity of the situation.  The “manipulated” in Crete needed to be warned, the “manipulators” needed to be rebuked, and the “instigators” needed to be stopped, or at the very least marginalized. 

This morning’s passage is about the “manipulators.”  They are those who are a part of the church body, but have been influenced by friends and relatives who want them to make their faith in Jesus more palatable to the broader religious community.  As a result of this influence in their lives, they have allowed the blood of Jesus to become less sufficient and the expectations of man to make them fearful.

The “manipulators” are to be rebuked that they might be “sound in the faith.”  You see, a well orchestrated rebuke always has restoration as the ultimate goal.  In fact, if successful, those who are able to see the error of their theology and thinking are better prepared to protect the church.  In this case, once those who were trying to bind their brothers and sisters with unnecessary rules and regulations realized they were trivializing the blood of Jesus, they would be better equipped to identify legalism and more committed to elevating the teaching of the cross.

Sometimes, the best leadership lessons emerge from the worst circumstances.

Dear God, help us understand the wideness of Your grace.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12)

This quote has been attributed to Epimenides, a 6^th century philosopher and religious prophet.  Epimenides, and the quote are actually quite famous.

Epimenides was making the case to the Cretans that Zeus, the pagan God of the Greeks was immortal.  He wrote this Poem: “They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one.  The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!  But thou are not dead: thou livest and abidest forever, for in thee we live and move and have our being.”     

This quote isn’t just famous because it is in scripture, but also because it presents a paradox for logic geeks to solve.  Epimenides was Cretan.  The paradox is that if all Cretans are liars, and Epimenides is one of them, then his words in his poem cannot be believed.  Of course, if they cannot be believed, then perhaps all Cretans are not liars, in which case he might possibly be believed…a case that could be made if it can be proved one Cretan is not a liar. 

I am not an expert in logic, and these thoughts make me dizzy.  But it is safe to assume, Titus would have been very familiar with the quote in this morning’s verse.  How do you know when a Cretan is lying?

When their lips are moving, of course…

I must admit, it seems to me as though Paul was being a little harsh.  Even though some false teachers were defrauding people and destroying households in their quest for personal gain, that doesn’t mean every Cretan was dishonest.  Yet, the stereotype was so well established, he chose to use it to make his point.

In our culture we hate stereotypes.  Maybe you are a part of an ethnic group that people associate with certain attitudes, characteristics, or flaws.  My father was from Eastern Kentucky, and through the years I have heard his people (my people) called “hillbillies”, and ridiculed for their ignorance, violence and love for moonshine. 

Ok, so there are some threads of truth to these statements.  But some of our family members also went on to become Governor, Secretary of State, and earn a host of doctorate degrees.

Labels are hard to live down.  It’s bad when they become so ingrained in a culture that an apostle of the Lord can use one to illustrate a point.

I guess none of us are immune from stereotypes, but maybe a good goal in life is to live in such a way we never become a negative metaphor.  For starters, there are a lot of things in life more important than “keeping up with the Joneses.” 

See what I am talking about?

Dear God, help me be a positive metaphor.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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. (Titus 1:10-11)

We have already considered some theological falsehoods present in the churches on Crete.  Here is a summary statement of the situation from an earlier devotion: “This explains why those who considered circumcision and adherence to other Jewish traditions as a sign of righteousness were so destructive.  They preyed on the guilt of their Jewish friends who desperately wanted to please God.  And they played into the inflated egos of those who were inclined to self-righteousness.” 

Now we are told a little more about the nature of these teachers.  They ruined whole “households” and did what they did for “dishonest gain.”

It is a little hard to determine whether Paul is talking about core family units or “households of faith” (i.e. churches) in our passage.  Perhaps the term “household” applies to both.  The two were intertwined since people often learned how to treat others at home by modeling brothers and sister in Christ who were a part of their church family.     

Why are false teaching and greed so often mentioned in the same sentence in the Bible?  And why are they so toxic to human relationships?  Here are some possibilities:

1.  False teachers model unhealthy principles of conflict resolution.  They speak and act without grace, and encourage others to do the same.  Then they complain about their own mistreatment. 

2. People who use others as a vehicle for their own purposes foster an attitude of criticism and condemnation.  They rally people around causes and love to define their own brand of spirituality. 

3. Greedy people are frequently self-absorbed. Their obsession with being the center of attention sets the tone for an unhealthy competitive spirit in every kind of household, whether it be the church, or one’s core family.

This cycle is an old refrain repeated in churches, governments, organization and corporations for generations.  The exploiter uses moralistic jargon or god-talk to distort the truth and spiritualised his cause, mocks the heart and ability of those he opposes, and insists people follow him (together with their money). 

Unfortunately, in the environment of the church where people try hard to be gracious and understanding, they are often unaware they are being “preyed” and “played”.  And some people are so desperate for acceptance they will follow anyone who makes them feel important.

Such is the danger of false teaching in the body of Christ.  It is not always enough that we know the truth.  Sometimes we have to recognize the characteristics of those who see the church as their vessel instead of the other way around. 

No wonder Titus needed to take his time finding the best leaders possible.

Dear God, give me the insight I need not to be taken in.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

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. (Titus 1:9) 

Allow me to repeat our verse from yesterday so we can spend some time with the two words “encourage” and “refute.”  What pictures form in your mind when you hear them?

When you think of encouraging others by sound doctrine, you might envision a living room where a small group is gathered for Bible study.  Or perhaps you think of a mentor sharing with his student over a soft drink at the local fast-food restaurant.  Since I am a preacher, I think of the foundational subjects I have attempted to teach from a platform on Sunday.  When we encourage, we teach, reinforce, and praise.  And on occasion, we rescue people from one of life’s storms by reminding them of the promises of God.

But how do we refute?  This word conjures up images of confrontation and armed conflict.  “Repent false prophet, before you burn in the everlasting fires of hell!”  Try that one out on your small group leader who accidentally mispronounces “Revelation” as “Revelations.”  How and when do we refute? 

The word used for refute in the Greek language does not necessary suggest a battle.  I say this, but at the same time I recognize this probably is what it meant for Titus.  He was facing false teachers who cared more about their selfish ambitions than Christ’s church, and he needed to find elders who could fiercely defend the gospel.  Note, they were going to be dealing with people who “opposed” sound doctrine.

On the other hand, there were certainly people in the churches of Crete who wanted to do the right thing, and had no intention of defrauding others or distorting the gospel.  If their teaching was out of line, it still needed to be refuted, but in a kind, gentle manner. 

You may remember the occasion of Aquila and Priscilla’s meeting with Apollos in Acts 18:18-28.  When the meeting took place Apollos was already powerfully proclaiming the gospel of Jesus.  However, he had only heard about the baptism of John the Baptist for repentance (Matthew 3:1-7) and had not heard about Peter’s instructions that those on the Day of Pentecost be baptized “for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).  John’s baptism was to prepare.  The baptism practiced in the church was to identify with the good news of Jesus, crucified, buried and risen.

When Aquila and Priscilla discovered Apollos’ teaching was incomplete, they invited him to their home and “explained to him the way of God more adequately.”  And then Apollos went right back to preaching, the better for it.

On Crete, Titus and the elders needed to be able to battle a strong opposition, and my guess is they didn’t do that very often at the dinner table.  Yet, whether we do battle against false teachers, or gently correct a brother, we need to continue to increase our knowledge of the Word of God, and especially its core message of salvation.  If we know it, and if we try to treat people with respect, I believe God will make us effective. 

Dear God, use me to keep Your message true and clear.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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. (Titus 1:9)

In our study of Titus, we must not overlook context.  The elder traits we have been considering are vitally important, and they parallel a similar list in Paul’s first letter to Timothy (3:1-7).  However, neither list occurs in a vacuum. 

In his letter to Titus Paul is concerned about false teaches on Crete, and specifically those who are stirring up trouble between Greeks and Jews by burdening people with unnecessary expectations.  It is good to review the issue of the Old Testament Law and why it sometimes created strife in the early church. 

The Law was beautiful and good, but no one could keep it perfectly.  In the Old Testament, God asked His people to practice a system of sacrifice to demonstrate their sorrow over sin.  The sacrificial system was not the means to salvation.  Rather, it was the heart of the person offering the sacrifice to God that mattered. 

In the same way, the act of circumcision did not make one righteous, but it was performed as a symbol of obedience and to identify with God’s promise to Abraham.  God expected His people to be obedient to the sign, but what He desired most of all were sincere hearts.  This meant if a child was circumcised, but later refused to worship God, the sign meant nothing.    

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid our debt of sin and fulfilled the requirement of the Law on our behalf.  Through Him, we can now be completely cleansed of our sin.  And we are saved by the same thing that made God’s servants in the Old Testament righteous: our faith.  Incidentally, as I have mentioned in earlier devotions, I believe the blood of Jesus was applied retroactively to those who followed God by faith prior to the cross. 

This explains why those who considered circumcision and adherence to other Jewish traditions as a sign of righteousness were so destructive.  They preyed on the guilt of their Jewish friends who desperately wanted to please God.  And they played into the inflated egos of those who were inclined to self-righteousness.  It wasn’t that their righteous acts were displeasing to God, but rather that they put more faith in them than in the blood of Jesus.  Their sin was in condemning their brothers and sisters in Christ for not practicing things that had been rendered obsolete by the cross.

Leaders needed to maintain a clear head to keep this twisted scandal in check.  They also needed to focus on the simple message of Christ crucified and risen from the dead.  Leaders today need to do the same, since there are still those who prey on guilt and play on people’s egos. 

But this only helps explain the theological root of the problem.  False teaching is also driven by one’s desire to be the center of attention.  And I have discovered, once someone makes this the ultimate goal, nothing anyone else ever does is good enough.

Dear God, help me remember grace isn’t that complicated.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

…disciplined (Titus 1:8f)

How is the word “disciplined” different than the word “self-controlled” which we have already addressed in verse 8?

In some ways they are the same.  In fact, both can be translated using the synonym “temperate.”  However, they are different words. 

“Sophron”, the word for “self-controlled”, has the primary meaning of one who is sane, or in his right mind, while “egkrates”, has the primary meaning of strong and robust.  So what does strong and robust have to do with being disciplined? 

Many years ago I was a youth minister in a small Ohio town.  One of our youth sponsors was a horse trainer of Tennessee Walkers.  Sometimes he would take me with him to state fairs so I could supervise his 5 year-old daughter on the midway while he did some horse trading.  I will never forget our first trip.  The trainer asked his daughter to lead one of the horses out of the trailer.  At one point the huge Walker pulled back and kicked his hoof on the ramp.  But the trainer’s daughter jerked on the rein and shouted, “Stop that, you stupid horse!  Get out of there!”  The horse calmed down and walked down the ramp.   

No doubt about it…this little girl was in control.  I have always wondered what it was like for her parents when she hit adolescence. 

I think “egkrates” is about being in control of the things in our lives that could hurt us, including our own weaknesses.  It is all about the ability to “rein” ourselves in (hence the horse illustration), when something in our life challenges us.

There is a sense in which this characteristic is tied to some of the other character traits we have already seen in relation to church leadership.  Anger, drunkenness, physical violence and dishonest gain are all activities that can be prevented when a leader takes charge of his impulses and redirects his emotions. 

But, here is a problem:  Our culture isn’t designed for “egkrates.”  How many times have you sent an e-mail you wish you had back?  I have.  Someone catches me at the wrong time, and at the click of a button I tell them what I think.  Or more accurately, since I am not usually thinking, I tell them something I don’t mean.

This means we have to design discipline into our lives.  We need personal rules about speaking before we think, and acting without complete information.  This might be a good morning to reference James 3, where the brother of Jesus tells us about the havoc our words can cause. 

Simply put, a leader cannot afford to always say what he thinks (or isn’t thinking), whether it be in written form or verbal gossip.  Nor can he always do what he feels like doing.  In fact, the ability to process one’s feelings and act with discernment is one of the most important traits of any leader.  If we can’t manage this, we should give the reins to someone else.

Dear God, make me strong and robust.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

…holy (Titus 1:8e) 

You can still be holy, even if you are a sinner.  I know this seems inconsistent, but let me explain. 

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 the apostle Paul referred to early Christians as “clay vessels.”  In every home people used everyday clay pottery for their family meals.  The good tableware, if they had it, only came out for special occasions.  Paul used this analogy to show that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes so His strength will be seen in their weakness.

Therefore, clay vessels can be used for a holy purpose, but they are still made out of clay.  They are likely cracked and chipped from use, but in God’s hands, they do a mighty work.

We all have flaws, whether we lead or follow.  As we have seen in our study of Titus, some of these weaknesses might disqualify us from leadership, at least until we are able to adequately address or overcome them.  However, even those with good leadership traits sin.  So how holy is holy?

Biblical holiness is two-fold.  We are made holy by the blood of Jesus and we become holy through a process of cleaning things out of our lives that don’t belong and putting things in them that do.  Some people refer to these two kinds of holiness as “salvation” and “sanctification.”    

A holy leader is someone who has given his life in full surrender to Jesus.  He is someone who walks humbly in the grace that covers him, and is intentional about pleasing the One who saved him.  Holy leaders care about how they live, because they know their example matters.  And more than anything, they want to be like Jesus.  Yet, they realize they are still sinners, and look to God for a constant flow of forgiveness. 

Holy leaders also guard against false holiness, sometimes called “self-righteousness.”  They refuse to trust in their own perfection, but hold tightly to the cross. 

Don’t be surprised if you catch a leader sinning.  But don’t be disillusioned either.  Ask yourself these questions:

“Are they arrogant, or do they clearly sense their need for God’s grace?”

“When they recognize their sin, do they ask forgiveness of others and seek accountability?”

 “Are they willing to use the lessons they have learned to help others?

Please don’t misunderstand.  All sin is serious.  But how one responds to personal sin will either make him a useful vessel for the Lord or an embarrassment to the kingdom.   

I don’t have all of the answers to this subject, but I do know the holiest place to be is on our knees at the foot of the cross.  It is hard to imagine what Jesus suffered and ever look at sin the same way again.

Dear God, help me on the path to holiness.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.