Titus 01.10-16 | Expo$e Fal$e Teacher$ pt01 (02. Severely Reprove False Teachers)

Titus 01.10-16 “10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers & deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths & commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled & unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind & their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable & disobedient & worthless for any good deed.”

Last time we saw that Titus was to set up Quality Leaders (Titus 01.05-09) in the churches on Crete. So w/that as a backdrop & even as a contrast, Paul now instructs Titus on how to Biblically Expo$e Fal$e Teacher$. 01. Identify False Teachers (Titus 01.10-13a); 02. Severely Reprove False Teachers (Titus 01.13b-14); & 03. Watch How False Teachers Live (Titus 01.15-16).

02. Severely Reprove False Teachers (Titus 01.13b-14)

Titus 01.13b-14 “13 …For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths & commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”

Paul now says that these false teachers are to be exposed & “severely” (or literally sharply) confronted!

“13 reprove” G1651. elegcho el-eng'-kho; of uncertain affinity; to confute, admonish:-- convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.

Thayer-used of the exposure & confrontation of false teachers of Christianity

This goes in line w/what Paul said previously about a requirement of a Quality Leader in the church to both Titus & to Timothy.

Titus 01.09 “9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance w/the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine & to refute those who contradict.”

1Timothy 05.20 “20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

2Timothy 04.02 “2 preach the word; be ready in season & out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, w/great patience & instruction.”

Paul knows that when you are dealing w/false teachers, being gentle would not make a difference since they are so perverse & gone in their sin.

Why are these false teachers to be dealt w/so severely? So that those who have been seduced by the false teachers may be brought back to soundness in the faith.

“13 sound” Thayer-to be sound, to be well, to be in good health. Is used of one whose Christian opinions are free from any admixture of error.

Biblical usage…to be sound, to be well, to be in good health

A true shepherd wants his flock to be sound in their faith that Jesus is the Messiah. He wants them to be healthy, not going after the con man, the snake oil salesman who swindles the naïve.

1Timothy 04.06 “6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith & of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

Paul knew that some of the people who were not sound or healthy in the faith were paying attention to unhealthy doctrine & not the truth.

Titus 01.14 “14 not paying attention to Jewish myths & commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”

“14 not paying attention” G4337. prosecho pros-ekh'-o; from 4314 & 2192; (figuratively) to hold the mind (3563 implied) towards, i.e. pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to:-- (give) attend(-ance, -ance at, -ance to, unto), beware, be given to, give (take) heed (to unto); have regard.

        

Thayer-to apply one’s self to, attach one’s self to, hold or cleave to a person or thing, in this case a thing

“14 Jewish myths” G3454. muthos moo'-thos; perhaps from the same as 3453 (through the idea of tuition); a tale, i.e. fiction ("myth"):-- fable.

        

Thayer-a narrative story; an invention, falsehood; the fictions of the Jewish theosophists & Gnostics, esp. concerning the emanations & orders of the aeons, fables

Paul dealt w/this as well in his letters to Timothy.

1Timothy 01.04-07 “4 nor to pay attention to myths & endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart & a good conscience & a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

2Timothy 04.04 “4 & will turn away their ears from the truth & will turn aside to myths.”

“14 …& commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”

“14 commandments” G1785. entole en-tol-ay'; from 1781; injunction, i.e. an authoritative prescription:-- commandment, precept.

        

“14 turn away from” G654. apostrepho ap-os-tref'-o; from 575 & 4762; to turn away or back (literally or figuratively):-- bring again, pervert, turn away (from).

        

Thayer-to reject, refuse. To turn away

These “commandments of men” are mans attempt to be righteous. They are about earning your salvation, which than causes you to “turn away from the truth” because we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 02.08-09).

We see that this was happening in Isaiah’s day.

Isaiah 29.13 “13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near w/their words And honor Me w/their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”