Titus 1:10-16

THE DESCRIPTION AND REFUTATION OF FALSE TEACHERS Titus 1:10-16.

Text 1:10-16

10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said,

Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.

13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate,

Thought Questions 1:10-16

42.

Please show the connection of verse ten with the preceding verses.

43.

In what sense would the men described in verse ten be unruly or vain talkers?

44.

Is Paul discussing the Jews in Titus 1:10?

45.

Just how was Titus going to gag such false teachers?

46.

Is Paul discussing a problem in the churches of Crete? Prove your answer,

47.

Why would anyone be willing to pay to hear such false teaching?

48.

Why quote from one of the Cretan prophets? Can we identify him?

49.

Why would Cretans be tempted above others to be liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons?

50.

Who is to be reproved sharply?

51.

From Titus 1:13 it would seem the ones to be reproved sharply are Cretan Christiansis this true?are they also the unruly men?

52.

A discussion of Jewish fables has already been consideredwhere? Discuss.

53.

Show how Titus 1:15 relates to the context.

54.

Discuss a very basic principle of psychology involved in Titus 1:15.

55.

How are the words mind and conscience used in Titus 1:15?

56.

How was God denied in the works of certain men?

57.

What is the meaning and use of the word abominable in Titus 1:16?

58.

Discuss the term reprobate.

Paraphrase 1:10-16

10 For there are many teachers, who, being unsubjected to us, talk in a foolish manner concerning genealogies and fables, and deceive others; of this sort especially are the Jewish teachers,
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, neither by persecution nor force, but by clear and strong reasoning, because they carry off whole families to Judaism, teaching things which they ought not, for the sordid purpose of drawing money from their disciples.
12 The Judaizers in this are true Cretians, agreeably to what one of themselves, a prophet of their own, hath said, The Cretians are exceedingly addicted to lying, and of a savage noxious disposition, and lazy gluttons.
13 This testimony concerning the Cretians is just; for which cause I order thee to rebuke them and their disciples sharply, that, laying aside their wicked principles and practices, they may be healthy in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables concerning the law, and to precepts concerning meats, enjoined by men who turn away true doctrine from themselves and others as a thing noxious.
15 All meats indeed are pure to the well-informed and well-disposed: but to those who are polluted by intemperance, and who are unfaithful to Christ, no kind of meat is pure; for both their understanding and conscience is polluted by their intemperate use of the meats which the law reckons clean.
16 They of the circumcision profess to know the will of God better than others; but by their works they deny himbeing abominable on account of their sensuality, and disobedient to the express commands of God, and to every good work without discernment: They neither know nor approve of any good work.

Comment 1:10-16

Titus 1:10. We are now introduced to the gainsayers or those who contradict. Paul says four things about them: (1) they are insubordinate, (2) they are empty talkers, (3) they are deceivers, (4) they are Jewish.

Such men were very numerous on the isle of Crete. Are we to understand that they were Christians? If they were not members of the church they were very closely associated, because they were upsetting whole houses in the church.

Timothy had the same problem in Ephesusand must deal with it in the same manner (Cf. 1 Timothy 1:6-8). The admonition to gag such persons can be understood when we look at their character: insubordinate, proud, and deceitful or dishonest. Such persons are not all Jews, but most of them are. The elders are to be so taught that they could recognize such teachers.

Titus 1:11. With some heretics it is better to ignore them than to challenge their teaching; not so with these teachers. They must be muzzled! A simple authoritative charge to cease teaching, backed up with an apostolic letter, would stop such mouths.

It does make a vast difference what is taught! It is always a constant wonder why there are some among the saints who will hear and heed a false teacher, Paul knew of whole families who were being infected by this diseased doctrine. The deceived members of the churches on Crete were paying money to be duped! Such a tragic condition must be changed; elders were to be appointed for this purpose,

Titus 1:12. Paul characterizes the Cretans by the words of Epimenides, one of the prophets of this people, Epimenides lived about 600 B.C. and was held in almost divine regard. His testimony concerning his own countrymen was anything but complimentary. Three things are said of Cretans: (1) they are habitual liars, (2) evil, brute-like people, (3) indolent belly-worshippers, What is known from all sources confirms this testimony, A special expression was coined to describe the lying of the Cretans. The expression -to Cretize-' meant -to lie,-' and -to play the Cretan with a Cretan-' meant -to out-trick a trickster-' (Hiebert) The expression evil beasts indicated the level on which they were livingtheir lower natures were in full control, No attempt was made to curb any selfish, sensual or vengeful desire, The expression lumpish greedy-guts is used by Simpson to describe the third quality of such persons. When no attempt is made to control the appetites of the body, such a person will carry around an advertisement of his lack of self-control. It will be a large stomach!

Titus 1:13. Paul used the words of a respected prophetnot that he believed in the prophetic powers of suchto say with sharper meaning and condemnation what he also wanted to say. It is not to be imagined that all Cretans were under such condemnation, for some of them were new creatures in Christ Jesus, but some among the believers were being influenced, To such members of the churches, Titus was to deliver a charge with the force and cutting power of a sharp ax. Such diseased teaching must be cut off with an accurate clean stroke! The result will be very good: health and vigor will return and they will be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

Titus 1:14. The Jewish fables have been discussed before in I Timothy, Please notice Paul's estimate of such teachingfables, and commandments of men. There is no foundation in reality, and no divine authority behind such teachings. The expression turn away means that they continue turning away. Such men are willful and do not want to follow the truth. There is Satanic influence at work in these men to blind their eyes to the truth; such influence is to be avoided at all costs, hence the urgency of the admonition.

Titus 1:15. Paul states in this verse a principle that will both cure and condemn. To the pure all things are pure. Please keep this principle in its context. The distinctions made by the Jewish law to clean and unclean meats and men, is probably in view. The apostle is saying that such distinctions have been removed, and therefore, such teaching is to be ignored. The point implicit in Paul's principle is: You, not the meats, are impure! When the heart is clean, then all non-moral objects are clean, but when your heart is polluted, then all you use is also unclean.

To such law teachers in Crete (even as in Ephesus) Paul has no hesitancy in saying they are defiled and unbelieving, When we will not believe the truth, we must look deeper than an intellectual difficulty. The defilement of the heart precedes the disbelief of the mind. The effects of moral dishonesty are tragic: nothing is puremind diseasedconscience seared. Only in humble acceptance of God's word is there moral and intellectual purity.

Titus 1:16. Profession without possession spells condemnation. To claim a knowledge and association with the infinitely holy God, while we live the loose life of the self-indulgent, is to make ourselves liars and to deny the very one we profess to follow. Such persons are seen by God as detestable and loathsome. The hypocrisy of those who declare their faith, and live in denial of it, are plainly willful in their conduct; such men are not sick or maladjusted, they are disobedient. The word reprobate has reference to the testing of coins for genuineness. The errorists have been tested and have been found spurious. Their works have been examined and have been found worthless.

Fact Questions 1:10-16

23.

Show the distinction in the use of the words unrulyvain talkersdeceivers.

24.

How was Titus going to carry out the injunctions of Paul to gag or muzzle certain men?

25.

Were the false teachers on the inside, or the outside of the church? Explain.

26.

Try to reconstruct the situation in which certain men would be paid to deceive,

27.

Wouldn-'t Paul antagonize the very ones he was trying to help, in citing the very critical comment of Epimenides? Discuss.

28.

Who was to be reproved sharply? Why?

29.

Are Jewish fables, and the commandments of men the same thing? Explain.

30.

Give your exegesis of Titus 1:15. Please relate this verse to the context.

31.

Show how the principle stated in Titus 1:15 relates to our life.

32.

Is it possible to defile the conscience beyond repair? Discuss.

33.

If professing we know God will not make it sowhat will?

34.

Is Paul saying in Titus 1:16 b that the works of such men are worthless, or that they are worthless regardless of their works?