Three Strikes and You're Out!

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once then twice, have nothing more to do with him” (Titus 3:10).

Some baseball players are great two-strike hitters. Just when it seems like the pitcher has them right where he wants them, these dudes are at their best. There’s something about being down to their last strike that gets them going. Instead of walking back to the dugout with a K on the scorecard, these guys are standing on second after scorching a double to the gap. This is not the kind of two-strike hitters Paul is talking about to his protege Titus. When it comes to dealing with folks clearly stirring up trouble and division within the local church, they get two warnings. If it happens a third time, you’re outta here. It’s three strikes and you’re out! 

You might remember that one of the items on Titus’ checklist is shutting down a pesky posse of false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). These knuckleheads aren’t just instigating problems for new believers, they’re padding their bank accounts in the process. They’re using all sorts of spiritual slight of hand to confuse and frustrate folks from following Jesus. And it sure looks like these con artists are using “foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law” (Titus 3:9) to keep people from the main idea of a relationship with Christ. After teaching believers not to get drawn into their smoke and mirrors, Titus is to turn his attention to the troublemakers. Warn them once. Warn them twice. If they do it again, kick ’em to the curb.

The apostle describes one of these knuckleheads as a “person who stirs up division” (v10). The Greek word here is hairetikos, which paints an ugly portrait of one loyal to a separatist group, or a person who causes factions. It’s the schemer who’s looking to tear apart and divide. This is actually where we get our term heretic. These false teachers are using every trick in their heretical bag of tricks to tear churches and believers apart. These goobers are still pulling the same crap 2,000 years later. False teachers and troublemakers are stirring the pot today. They divide small groups. They separate ministries. They split churches. They look for areas of weakness and use it tear us apart. They encourage folks to take sides. They attempt to divide and in order to conquer.

Let me be very clear about who I’m NOT talking about. I’m not talking about people who have honest questions and legitimate doubts about following Jesus. Can we all admit that every last one of us scratches our head about some part of our faith? Nobody has it all in one bag with a twist tie. Nobody has it down pat. We all have questions. We all have doubts. At some point, we all need to take our questions and lack of faith to Jesus, just like the father of the sick boy in the Book of Mark. “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24). We should let our questions drive us closer to the truth and closer to Jesus. 

Take a look around. Are their folks tearing others apart in your church? In your community group? In your area of service? Now let me ask an even harder question. Is that you? Is it me? Am I part of the problem? Am I a divider? Am I a troublemaker? Solomon made it clear that God’s Most Hated list includes seven things, including “one who sows discord among brothers” (Prov 6:16-19). I don’t know about you, but that’s one list I don’t want my name anywhere near. 

That’s exactly the opposite of what Jesus wants for His church. Instead of division, He wants unity. On the night before His execution, Christ pleaded with His Dad “that they may be one, even as we are one” (Jn 17:11). Our Savior didn’t just pray for His personal posse of disciples, but for you and me. He prayed that believers “may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (Jn 17:20-21). In other words, our unity will be key in convincing the watching world that Jesus is EXACTLY who He said He is. So instead of division, our unity leads to multiplication. 

Paul tells Titus that once troublemakers are identified, they must be cautioned firmly and strongly. He’s to go to any agitator, “warning him once and then twice” (v10). The apostle drops the word nouthesia here. He’s talking about corrective teaching, an admonition, instruction in regard to belief or behavior, or advise given concerning dangerous consequences. When people are causing division among God’s people, friends need to step up. Leaders need to step in. Someone in authority under the authority of Scripture has to speak the truth in love. They need to know what they’re doing. Hey, maybe they have no clue the damage they’re causing. To keep silent is incredibly unloving to all involved, including the one causing trouble. Think of this as a yellow card in soccer. Think umpires warning both benches after a bean ball. The Big T is put a stop to it their shenanigans right here and right now. Be VERY clear about the consequences if they continue. These rabble rousers have the chance to stop and repent. Strike one. They even get a second chance just in case they slip up. Strike two.

But what happens the third time? What happens when they mess up just once more? Simple, says Paul, “have nothing more to do with him” (v10). After they’ve been warned not once, but twice, there’s really no choice. The troublemakers made the decision for leaders at this point. They know what they’re doing wrong and they know the consequences. Once they swing and miss for strike three, they are gone. Now my first response to such action is probably “good riddance to bad rubbish.” That’s exactly how I should NOT react. This is an absolutely heartbreaking situation. No doubt, people will be hurt. No doubt, some people will not understand. Leaders must do everything they can during the first two strikes to both convince these troublemakers to stop and explain to the church exactly what’s going on. Pray that it never comes to this. But when it does, the Bible is clear. They’ve gotta go.

Three strikes and you’re out!