Titus 1:9-11

Titus 1:10-16 goes well with 1 Timothy 1:3-11 where Paul charges Timothy to tell certain men to teach no other doctrine than the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to Paul.  The same problems are envisioned: Jewish fables, genealogies and idle talk (cf. 1 Tim. 1:4,6; Titus 1:10.14; 3:9).  Both at Ephesus and Crete there were Jewish communities (remember, Cretans were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost, Ac. 2:11).  Professing believers from Jewish background presented a particular problem in that they knew the Old Testament well and often failed to transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.  

The “sect” of Christians was spoken against everywhere (Acts 28:22).  Thus on Crete the elders needed to be able to use sound doctrine to deal with those who contradict (Titus 1:9) which was no surprise because it was predicted of Christ that He would be spoken against (Luke 2:34; in each case the same Greek term).

This fact, that there are many who contradict the gospel, is no surprise.  After all, the gospel itself contradicts the world.  Using 1 John 2:16, the world calls people to live for the things they can see (materialism); the gospel of grace considers the spiritual freedom of the slave girl as a higher priority than the income of her owners (Acts 16:16-19).  The world calls people to do what feels good (lust of the flesh, hedonism); the gospel calls Herod a sinner for stealing his brother’s wife (Matt. 14::3-4).  The world calls people to exalt themselves (pride of life); the gospel calls people to embrace servanthood (Mark 10:42-45).

The result is that the world, which contradicted Christ, contradicts His gospel and those who preach it.  They do it with in subordination (unruliness), idle talk and deceit (1:10).  The New Testament bears this out.  In Thessalonica the Jews rounded up a mob and attacked the home of one of the believers (Acts 17:5-9).  They used name-calling (calling Paul a plague and the ringleader of the Nazarenes) to try to influence Felix (Acts 24:5-9).  They also lied charging Paul with profaning the temple (Acts 24:6).  In Gal. 6:11-15 the Judaizers contradicted the gospel by twisting grace so that they looked more religious (lust of the eyes), avoided persecution (lust of the flesh) and attracted a larger following (pride of life).  In places where we have served, it is religion that is the primary enemy of the gospel (the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Buddhists in Sri Lanka, etc.).  And they use the same gimmicks: unruliness, empty talk and deceit.

How was the Church to deal with this contradiction?  When found inside the Church it needed to be exhorted and convicted (1:9), rebuked sharply (1:13), avoided and removed (3:9-10).  When found outside the Church it is to be expected; through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:21-22).  And we should be prepared to give an answer for those who question us (1 Peter 3:13-16).  We are not so much called to be contradictors as we are contenders for the faith (Phil. 1:27-30).  So let us stand firm, together!