Daily Thoughts from Titus: Empty Talkers and Deceivers (3)

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.  (Titus 1:10-16 ESV)

Why does Paul get so worked up about false teaching and false teachers?  It’s all about rescuing people for eternal life.  Doctrine matters.  If someone is teaching that a Gentile needs to submit to the Law of Moses as symbolized by getting circumcised, then the gospel of Christ has been compromised.  Salvation does not come by keeping the law but by trusting in Jesus as our law-keeper and sacrifice.

For this reason Paul tells Titus to silence these teachers who send families into disarray, and who are doing so for personal gain.  These Cretan teachers are living out the proverb that says Cretans are liars, beasts and gluttons.  

Titus is also to rebuke those who have been influenced by these teachers.  If by Titus’ sharp rebuke those who listen to these teachers repent and become sound in their faith and teaching, and give up the Jewish myths and human commands they teach, they become the purity they sought through rituals found in the law.  But if they remain defiled by this teaching then nothing they observe as far as ritual will cleanse their consciences and minds.  Like the false teachers they will prove themselves not believers at all, but deniers of God.

There are clearly falsely-called Christian teachings out there that need to be named as such so that the flock may not be turned away from the truth.  Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, Christian Scientists, and Scientology are the most prominent examples.  There are some that have been turned to the truth (Worldwide Church of God) and others that never really strayed from the gospel (Seventh Day Adventism) but were wrongly branded as false teaching.  There are still others who are certainly on the cusp of heresy and have come back from the edge (T.D. Jakes) and some who are still being questioned (Joel Osteen).  Those who preach the ‘prosperity gospel’ are in danger of leading believers away from the true gospel, no matter how much they affirm salvation by faith in Christ alone.