Bible Diary - Titus 1:10-16
March 20, 2008
These words from Paul don’t seem to me to be very inspiring, but that may be because I am not in touch with the context of Titus’s situation. Paul’s readers probably knew exactly what he meant by “rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers,” I can almost understand, having known a few who seem to fit that description, in and out of the pulpit and from the printed page. When my discernment gift is working well, I can usually spot the phonies.
1:10 For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, 1:11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught. 1:12 A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 1:13 Such testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith 1:14 and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth. 1:15 All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Paul let’s the noisy deceivers have both barrels! They must be silenced. I can hear Titus saying to himself, “Yes, but how?”
Cretans aside, I think Paul’s answer is to understand what drives the deceivers. “But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. ” In short, they don’t know Jesus Christ. This described Paul himself before his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, so stern rebuke, love, patience and persistence are the order of the day.
Dave, still wondering about those Cretans.
-sdg-
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