Titus Lesson #21

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
TITUS 1:6-16
LESSON #21
DEALING WITH SINS OF THE TONGUE IN THE CHURCH

MEMORY VERSE: JAMES 3:8

• THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN ELDER:
• IN 1TIMOTHY, WE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN ELDER, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF A DEACON. PAUL WROTE THE BOOK OF TITUS AT THE SAME TIME HE WROTE 1TIMOTHY. THEREFORE, YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT THE LISTS OF REQUIREMENTS IN BOTH OF THESE BOOKS WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR. WE WILL, THEREFORE, NOT SPEND MUCH TIME ON THEM IN THIS BOOK.
• READ TITUS 1:6-9 THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN ELDER
• THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONS IN TITUS THAT PAUL DID NOT MENTION SPECIFICALLY IN 1TIMOTHY.
• THE ELDER’S CHILDREN SHOULD BE OBEDIENT BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. THAT IDEA IS PRESENTED IN VERSE 6 WITH THE WORDS “FAITHFUL CHILDREN”.
• WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
• IF A MAN CANNOT LEAD HIS OWN CHILDREN TO CHRIST, HE WILL NOT QUALIFY TO LEAD OTHER PEOPLE TO CHRIST. THE ASSUMPTION HERE IS THAT HE HAS NO INTEREST IN SPREADING THE WORD OF SALVATION.
• IN 1TIMOTHY, THIS IDEA COMES UNDER THE PHRASE, “ONE THAT RULETH WELL HIS OWN HOUSE.” (1TIM 3:4)
• AN ELDER HAS TO BE ABLE TO CONFRONT ANOTHER’S PERSON’S REBELLIOUS CHILD WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.
• “A STEWARD OF GOD” (7)
• A STEWARD DOES NOT OWN ANYTHING. HE IS ONLY AN OVERSEER FOR HIS MASTER. THIS IS THE ROLE OF THE ELDER.
• HE MANAGES THE THINGS THAT GOD GIVES HIM.
• NOTICE IN THE BOOK OF TITUS THAT PAUL TELLS TITUS TO ORDAIN ELDERS. (1:5)
• THE NEW TESTAMENT ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT MORE THAN ONE ELDER IN A CHURCH. THERE SHOULD BE A GROUP OF ELDERS WHO ARE STEWARDS OF THE PEOPLE, THE BUILDINGS, THE EQUIPMENT, THE MINISTRY, AND EVERYTHING SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL THAT GOD GIVES TO THIS CONGREGATION. THEREFORE, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF THE CHURCH.
• THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLE IS JOSEPH IN GENESIS. HE WAS A STEWARD OVER EVERYTHING IN POTIPHAR’S HOUSEHOLD, AND THEN OVER EVERYTHING IN PHARAOH’S KINGDOM.

• READ TITUS 1:10-14 THE REPUTATION OF THE PEOPLE OF CRETE
• THIS CHURCH IN CRETE WAS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAD A “MOUTH PROBLEM”. WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE?
• PAUL SAYS THEY WERE “OF THE CIRCUMCISION” (10).
• PAUL MEANS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE JEWS WHO HAD TURNED TO CHRIST. THE TERM “CIRCUMCISION” REFERS TO JEWS.
• WHAT WAS THEIR “MOUTH PROBLEM”?
• THEY WERE VAIN TALKERS. (10)
• WHAT ARE VAIN TALKERS?
• IT LITERALLY MEANS PEOPLE WHO CHATTER ENDLESSLY WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING OF VALUE.
• THEY WERE DECEIVERS BY THEIR WORDS (10)
• THEY WERE TURNING WHOLE FAMILIES OF CHRISTIANS AWAY FROM THE DOCTRINE PAUL HAD PREACHED TO THEM.
• THEY WERE TEACHERS TEACHING FALSE DOCTRINE FOR MONEY. (11)
• WHAT FALSE DOCTRINES WERE THESE PEOPLE TEACHING?
• IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS, PAUL DEALS WITH A GROUP OF JEWS WHO HAD BECOME CHRISTIANS. THIS GROUP TAUGHT THAT THE NON-BELIEVER MUST BE CIRCUMCISED AND KEEP THE JEWISH FEAST DAYS ALONG WITH RECEIVING CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR IN ORDER TO BE SAVED. THEY WERE MIXING GRACE AND LEGALISM.
• PAUL’S WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF GALATIANS WAS TO STOP THIS FALSE TEACHING AND TELL THE PEOPLE THAT GRACE ALONE IS SUFFICIENT.
• THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS IN CRETE PROBABLY TAUGHT THIS SAME FALSE DOCTRINE. THROUGHOUT CHURCH HISTORY THIS GROUP OF JEWISH CHRISTIANS WAS CALLED “THE JUDAIZERS”. HOWEVER, YOU WILL NOT FIND THAT NAME IN THE BIBLE.
• THIS GROUP OF JUDAIZERS BECAME SUCH A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM WITH GREAT INFLUENCE IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH THAT A BIG CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN JERUSALEM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
• READ ACTS 15:1-2, 5-6
• IT WAS AT THIS JERUSALEM COUNCIL THAT THE APOSTLES DECIDED THAT GRACE WAS SUFFICIENT FOR SALVATION AND THAT ADDED LEGALISM RESULTED IN FALSE DOCTRINE.
• THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THE CRETANS HAD A BAD REPUTATION FOR LYING.
• PAUL INDICATES THAT ONE OF THEIR OWN POETS ACCUSED HIS PEOPLE OF BEING LIARS. (12) THIS WAS A WELL-KNOWN POET OF THAT TIME NAMED, EPIMENIDES.
• PAUL DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYONE IN CRETE WAS A LIAR. WE ALL KNOW THAT CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS SEEM TO BUILD UP A SPECIFIC REPUTATION OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER. WHETHER THAT REPUTATION IS DESERVED OR NOT IS BESIDE THE POINT. PAUL’S POINT HERE IS THAT LYING WAS THE REPUTATION OF THE PEOPLE OF CRETE.
• PAUL IS USING THAT STEREOTYPED REPUTATION FOR THE JUDAIZERS WHO WERE PREACHING LIES ABOUT SALVATION.
• THIS POET ALSO SAID THAT THE CRETANS WERE “EVIL BEASTS” AND “SLOW BELLIES” (12). WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN BY THIS?
• “EVIL BEASTS” = RUDE AND CRUEL PEOPLE
• “SLOW BELLIES” = LAZY GLUTTONS.
• PAUL TELLS TITUS TO REBUKE THESE LYING JUDAIZERS BECAUSE THEY ARE LIVING UP TO THE CRETAN REPUTATION. (13) AND IT IS HURTING THE GOSPEL.
• PAUL WANTS THESE PEOPLE TO LET CHRIST CHANGE THEM SO THEY BECOME GOOD EXAMPLES OF CHRISTIANS SAVED AND CHANGED BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
• PAUL WANTS THEM TO GIVE UP THEIR “JEWISH FABLES” (14)
• WHAT ARE JEWISH FABLES?
• THERE ARE MANY WRITINGS OF SUPERSTITIOUS FABLES AMONG JEWISH LITERATURE THAT ATTACHED THEMSELVES TO JUDAISM. THESE ARE THINGS NOT GIVEN BY GOD BUT BY MEN.
• REMEMBER THAT JESUS REBUKED THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR ADDING TRADITIONS TO GOD’S LAW.
• A SPIRITUAL TRUTH:
• NO MATTER WHAT ETHNIC REPUTATION, OR FAMILY REPUTATION YOU COME FROM, CHRIST CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU INTO SOMETHING NEW AND PERFECT FOR HIS GLORY. THIS IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY ANYTHING THAT WE DO, BUT SOLELY BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

• READ TITUS 1:15-16 THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO EXTREMES OF LEGALISM AND LIBERTINISM
• VERSE 15 IS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD. THEREFORE, WE MUST UNDERSTAND IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS WHOLE CHAPTER IN TITUS.
• LEGALISM:
• LEGALISM OCCURS IN 2 FORMS:
• 1. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT YOU MUST LIVE ACCORDING THE LAW OF GOD (10 COMMANDMENTS) IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.
• THIS IS A DOCTRINE OF WORKS UNTO SALVATION. HOWEVER, THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT SAVED BY OUR OWN WORKS (ROM 3:28 EPH 2:8-9), BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
• 2. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT ONCE YOU ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD, YOU MUST LIVE ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF GOD (10 COMMANDMENTS).
• THIS IS A DOCTRINE OF WORKS UNTO THE PRESERVATION OF SALVATION. HOWEVER, IF THE JEWS COULDN’T KEEP THE LAW PERFECTLY, NEITHER CAN WE. INSTEAD, THE CHRISTIAN IS TO LIVE ON A HIGHER LEVEL THAN JUST THE OUTWARD KEEPING OF THE LAW. WE ARE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES GOD SHOWS US BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE ARE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE INTENT OF THE LAW AND NOT ACCORDING TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW. (MAT 5:17-48)
• LIBERTINISM:
• WHAT IS IT?
• IT IS THE DISREGARD FOR SOCIAL CONVENTION REGARDING SEXUAL AND MORAL MATTERS.
• THERE WERE SOME CHRISTIANS WHO SAID THAT ONCE A PERSON WAS SAVED BY GOD’S GRACE, HE COULD LIVE ANY WAY HE WANTED TO LIVE EVEN THOUGH OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT CONSIDER HIS ACTIONS SINFUL.
• SOME OF THE GNOSTICS BELIEVED THIS AND USED VERSE 15 TO PROVE THAT PAUL TAUGHT LIBERTINISM.
• PAUL DID NOT TEACH LIBERTINISM. IN THIS VERSE HE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT MORAL ISSUES. HE IS TALKING ABOUT JEWISH LEGALISM THAT SAID YOU MUST KEEP A RESTRICTED DIET.
• PAUL IS SAYING THAT TO THE SAVED CHRISTIAN, ALL THINGS ARE PURE FOR HIM TO EAT. BUT TO THE UNSAVED JEWISH PERSON, EVEN THE RESTRICTIVE, PURE DIET OF THE JEWISH LAW WILL NOT SAVE HIM.
• APPLICATION:
• WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A CHURCH WITH A “MOUTH PROBLEM”?
• ACCORDING TO PAUL, HE TELLS TITO TO REBUKE THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE CAUSING A HINDRANCE TO THE GOSPEL.
• PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT LEGALISM AND FALSE DOCTRINE, LIES AND DECEPTIONS. HOWEVER, WE CAN LEGITIMATELY EXTEND THIS COUNSEL TO COVER ANY PERSON IN THE CHURCH WITH A CHRONIC “MOUTH PROBLEM” WHEN IT SERIOUSLY DISRUPTS THE FUNCTIONING OF THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE OR WHEN IT HINDERS THE SPREAD AND REPUTATION OF THE GOSPEL.
• READ JAMES 3:2-12
• SATAN USES GOSSIP AND FALSE ACCUSATION TO DESTROY A CHURCH.

• PRINCIPLE #54
  CHURCH ELDERS SHOULD REBUKE A PERSON WITH A CHRONIC “MOUTH PROBLEM” WHEN IT DISRUPTS THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CHURCH OR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL

HOMEWORK

TITUS 2:1-15

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF TITUS 1:6-16
• ARE YOU PLAGUED WITH ANY “MOUTH PROBLEMS” (SINS OF THE TONGUE) THAT WE DISCUSSED IN TITUS 1?
• LYING
• DECEPTIONS
• GOSSIP
• FALSE ACCUSATIONS

• IF THIS HAS BEEN A CHRONIC PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE, REPENT OF THESE SINS AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU.

• ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU STRENGTH TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM.

• ASK GOD TO REMIND YOU EVERY TIME YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUBMIT YOURSELF TO THIS SIN.

• PREPARATION FOR TITUS 2:1-15
• READ TITUS 2:1-15
• WRITE DOWN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF “THE GRACE OF GOD”.

• EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF VERSE 11.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES FOR LEADERSHIP IN THIS CHAPTER?

• MEMORY VERSE: TITUS 2:11