A Walk Talks

“They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (v16).

“A talk talks and a walk talks, but a walk talks louder than your talk talks.” Sounds like something you’d find in a book by Dr. Seuss, doesn’t it? This was something my old buddy Ross Turner used to say on a regular basis. His point is that we might say we’re followers of Jesus but our actions will give the real answer. It’s true. Actions do speak louder than words. Here in his letter to Titus, Paul tells his man on the island of Crete not to pay any attention to what the false teachers say. Listen to their actions. Their walk talks louder than their talk talks.

These false teachers are just one of three points on Titus’ to-do list. The Gospel of Jesus has washed across this Mediterranean island like a supernatural tsunami. Their are new believers everywhere. The Big T is to handpick leaders for all of the local churches (Titus 1:5). He’s to establish a sustainable system of discipleship for folks who place their trust in Christ (Titus 12:1-10). But a huge part of his assignment is to shut up and shut down a posse of spiritual con artists who are doing all sorts of damage to these baby believers (Titus 1:10-11). 

Paul gives Titus a description of these snake oil salesmen. As members of the “circumcision party” (Titus 1:10), they’re Jews who think Gentiles have to convert to Judaism before they can follow Jesus. They’re ripping apart families and out to make a fast buck (Titus 1:11). They’re liars, bullies, and lazy slobs (Titus 1:12). They’re distracting folks from the big story of God’s amazing rescue with all sorts of religious sounding mumbo jumbo (Titus 1:14) and stupid rules about what to eat (Titus 1:15). Just in case, Titus has any doubts about these false teachers, Paul gives him one more important description. “They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works” (v16). Don’t listen to what they’re saying. Watch what they’re doing.

The apostle goes on to say that these false teachers are “detestable, disobedient, unfit for every good work” (v16). A closer look at the original language kinda turns my stomach. First of all, they’re disgusting, vile, and foul. They stink like a dumpster on a hot August day. Second, they’re rebels and refuse to listen to anyone in authority. They shake their fists at anybody who tries to tell them what to do. Finally, they’ve failed the test and are disqualified. They’re repeated rule-breakers. Wretched, rebellious rejects. Or as the Message reads, “They’re real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings” (v16 The Message). Yeah, their walk talks alright. 

I have to say that this gets more than a little personal for me. For years, I told people that I believed in God and was a follower of Jesus. There was just one itty bitty problem. My actions continually threw my words under the bus. Craig Groeschel confesses to a similar sin. He says that he lived a significant portion of his life as a practical atheist. He said he was a Christian but you would never know it by his actions. I’m not sure if it was something I heard, something I read, or someone I met. But one day, God jumped all over me showed me that I was living a lie. I suddenly realized that a person lives what he actually believes. And my life shouted to the world that I didn’t believe in Jesus. My walk talked VERY loudly. It actually drowned out my talk. My heart sank and I confessed my disobedience and sin to my Savior. From that point on, I did everything I could to live a life that was an expression of my faith in Jesus. 

I’m constantly reminded of Ross’ words. Your talk talks and your walk talks. But your walk talks louder than your talk talks. 

Filthy Food

“To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled” (v15).

Gluten-free. Low fat. Low sodium. Low carb. Lactose intolerant. Vegan. Vegetarian. Fruitarian. It seems like just about everybody I know is on some sort of restricted diet. It’s amazing how much discipline these folks have when it comes to food. They know what they should eat. And they know what they should avoid. For the new believers on the island of Crete, a team of false teachers demand that they follow a diet as key part of their faith in Jesus. Here in his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul reminds his go-to guy that this idea of filthy food is crazy talk. 

As part of his assignment, Titus is to shut down and shut up a posse of spiritual snake oil salesmen who are distracting new Christ followers from the main thing (Titus 1:10-11). And that main thing is following Jesus! These con artists are members of the “circumcision party” (Titus 1:10). These are Jews who demand that Gentiles must convert to Judaism before they can ever consider following Messiah Jesus. Paul dealt with the same sort of knuckleheads in Galatia. This became such a hot button issue for the new church that they called a meeting back at the home office in Jerusalem to figure out what to do (Acts 15). They quickly decided that if God is saving non-Jews and bringing them into His kingdom, there’s no reason to burden these new believers with following the Old Testament and getting circumcised (whew!). A huge part of living life under the OT law is Jewish food regulations. In other words, there’s no requirement for Gentile believers to order the kosher meal.

Clearly, these new followers of Jesus understand the beauty of God’s creation and the glory of a good meal. “To the pure, all things are pure” (v15). In other words, when we place our trust in our pure and holy High Priest, we no longer have to worry about those incredibly complex rules of ritual purity God handed Moses in the Old Testament. Jesus is our ultimate High Priest (Heb 4:14-16). He makes EVERYTHING ritually pure and clean. The religious police challenged Jesus on this very same idea one night at dinner. The Pharisees’ jaws hit the floor when the Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee didn’t wash up before dinner (Lk 11:38). They didn’t give a hot hoot about sanitation. They were obsessed with Jewish regulations of religious purity. At that point, Christ busts their chops and tells them they are totally preoccupied with the wrong stuff. He told them that they were like bad dishwashers. They scrubbed clean the outside of cups and dishes but never even touched the inside (Lk 11:39). “You fools! Did He who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you” (Lk 11:40-41). 

Paul also ran into similar food controversies. No we’re NOT talking about who has the best barbecue (why can’t we all just get along?!?). It was huge point of contention for his friends in Rome. He let Roman believers know that we shouldn’t let food rules drive a wedge between each other. “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats” (Rom 14:20). Forbidden foods was also a controversial issue in Corinth. The apostle reminds the Corinthians to not get all hung up on what they should eat. The bottom line is to remember that food and religious diet is a big deal for a lot of fellow believers. Don’t let what’s served at dinner “become a stumbling block to the weak” (1Cor 8:9). We need to stop worrying about what we want and start concerning ourselves with the good of others. “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1Cor 10:23).

The problem with the false teachers is that they see the world like my wife looks at a service station restroom. It’s disgusting. It’s filthy. “But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure” (v15). This is WAY more than just whether or not there’s bacon on my cheeseburger. This is failing to trust that Jesus completely saved you and me. These Jewish circumcisers believe that Christ may have gotten us into God’s kingdom but it’s now up to us to stay in. And a big part of that is following a complicated list of religious rules and regs. Trusting in Jesus means wrapping your arms around His completed work. When He yelled from the cross “It is finished!” (Jn 19:3), He wasn’t kidding! He did it all. There’s nothing left for us to do except believe that He did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He lived the perfectly obedient life of purity that I completely failed to live. He died the death for my sinful disobedience that I should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life that I totally do not deserve. 

As a result, I don’t have to worry about my diet. Well, I probably do need to cut back on my red meat, but that’s a completely different issue. Jesus has freed us not just from the kosher food rules, but the obligation to follow the rules to self-salvation. It’s a reminder of God’s critique of His spectacular creation. “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31). Yeah, this idea of filthy food is crazy talk.

Fakes, Imitations & Cheap Knockoffs

“no devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (v14)

My wife and I were walking through the funky, cool neighborhoods of lower Manhattan a few years ago. We love Greenwich Village, Little Italy, and Chinatown. But something surprised us when my wife was looking at purses one tiny shop. The lady behind the counter made her an offer. “We can make it Fendi for you.” What’s she talking about? My lovely bride said, “No, thank you” and we walked out the door. I didn’t have a clue what was going on. Deb let me know that the woman was willing to turn one of the store’s generic purses into a designer bag. Yeah, I’m a little slow on the uptake. For just a few dollars, my wife could have walked out with purse with a Fendi logo. Well, at least one that LOOKED like a Fendi. That was just one of many stores that had to be making a fortune selling fakes, imitations, and cheap knockoffs. 

Here in this letter, Paul tells Titus to shut down a team of false teachers that are peddling a message that sure sounds like the Gospel. It sounds religious. As a matter of fact, it sounds VERY religious. They’re talking about all sorts of Jewish stuff. They sure seem to know what they’re talking about. There’s only one problem. It’s NOT the Gospel. It’s NOT about Jesus. Using a lot of religious mumbo jumbo, these snake oil salesmen aren’t drawing people closer to Christ but farther away. They are selling fakes, imitations, and cheap knockoffs.

One factor that makes any false teacher dangerous is when they seem to know what they are talking about. That’s the case with these Cretan con artists. You see, they’re members of what Paul calls the “circumcision party” (Titus 1:10). They’re Jewish Christians who believe that non-Jews must convert to Judaism before they can even think of following Jesus. This isn't the first time the apostle has run into such crazy talk. It happened in Galatia. Even Paul’s pals Peter and Barnabas got caught up in that mess (Gal 2:7-13). It’s hard for us to wrap our brains around what a huge controversy this was for the new church. Eventually they called a meeting at the home office in Jerusalem to figure out what to do (Acts 15). The leadership team decided that if God was bringing in Gentiles without making them become Jews first, who were they to get in His way.

The false teachers are dazzling these new Cretan Christians with a lot of scriptural hocus pocus. One of the rabbits they pull out of their hat are “Jewish myths and commands of people who turn people from the truth” (v14). They talk at length about stuff that sure sounds churchy and religious. They drop a lot of important sounding theological words. There’s just one little problem. It’s NOT true! It’s NOT God’s Word! And the same thing is still going on today. You’ve heard about this stuff. Kabbalah. The Bible Code. The Daniel Diet. The Search for Noah’s Ark. Folks get caught up in a lot of crap that sure seems religious but actually has very little to do with the Gospel. They’re just fakes, imitations, and cheap knockoffs.

We all need to take a step back and take a long, hard look at what’s being taught. Ultimately, is the message focused on Jesus? Is it telling us who He is and what He’s done? Is it drawing deeper and deeper into a relationship with our Savior? Are we being encouraged to focus on the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2)? Or are we simply being fed a big pile of religious sounding hooey? Is it all just spiritual smoke and mirrors? Here’s the bottom line, the entire Bible is about Jesus. He’s THE Hero of THE Story. Don’t major in the minors. As Stephen Covey says, “Keep the main thing, the main thing.” And the Main Thing is JESUS! When we spend all of our time looking at the trees with a microscope, we miss the beauty of the forest of the Gospel! Don’t fall for fakes, imitations, and cheap knockoffs.

A Rude Awakening

“This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in their faith” (v13).

A little boy is playing in the front yard. He’s kicking the ball around when it suddenly bounces out into the busy street. The kid doesn't even blink and runs to get it. He doesn’t see the danger. But his dad does. Just before the little dude jumps off the curb to retrieve his ball, his father grabs him by the arm and jerks him to safety. Dad’s move freaks him out. He doesn’t understand and starts to cry. He doesn’t see this as loving. He doesn’t see this as caring. Instead he thinks his dad is mean. Here in his letter to Titus, Paul tells him that there are going to be times when folks are going to think he’s rude and uncaring. There are times when folks might think you’re rude and rough. There are situations when God’s people are in danger and something has to be done right here and right now. They don’t see the danger. But sometimes folks need a rude awakening.

Paul lets Titus know that this is how he’s going to have to deal with a posse of false teachers on his mission to Crete. The Gospel of Jesus has radically transformed this Mediterranean island. There are new believers everywhere. But there are also spiritual con artists sneaking into local churches and getting folks off track with their religious hocus-pocus (Titus 1:10-11). They’re going so far as tearing apart families. They’re scamming folks out of their savings. What makes matters even worse is that these troublemakers are members of the so-called “circumcision party” (Titus 1:11). They’re Jews and believe these new Gentile Christians need to convert to Judaism before they can ever think of following Messiah Jesus. In other words, this is an inside job. It’s a huge reminder that the greatest threat to grace actually comes from inside the church. That’s exactly what’s going down right before Titus’ eyes. Something has to be done and be done quickly. They are in danger. These folks need a rude awakening.

The apostle first tells the Big T, “This testimony is true” (v13). He’s talking about Epimenides description of his Cretan home boys in the previous verse. In his best-selling poem, Epimenides wrote, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Paul uses this as the scouting report for the people Titus is dealing with on this very important assignment. But it also applies specifically to the false teachers who are stirring the pot. Epimenides calls them liars, bullies, and slobs. I mean, he ought to know. He grew up there! Paul tells Titus that this intel is the real deal. It’s spot on. “This testimony is true” (v13). True dat. You can take it to the bank. 

Something must be done and it must be done right now. “Therefore rebuke them sharply” (v13). Do not pass “go.” Do not collect $200. Shut them up and shut them down immediately. By using the word “rebuke” (Gr. elegcho), Paul tells Titus to convict them by bringing their sin to light and reprehend severely. He must show them what they have done wrong. This Greek term could be used as a legal term when an attorney cross-examines a witness or accuses a defendant of a crime. A rebuke isn’t just telling somebody to shut up. You’re also letting them know exactly why they need to put a sock in it. 

There are times when this correction must happen immediately. That’s the case on Crete. The man from Tarsus tells the Big T to act “sharply” (v13). A look at the original language reveals the word apotomos, which means severely, abruptly, or harshly. It literally conveys the idea of something being cut off. As Canadian rocker Bryan Adams sings, “Cuts like a knife and feels so right.” The action that must be taken seems severe. It seems abrupt. It seems harsh. But people don’t see the danger. These folks need a rude awakening. That includes me. If I’m teaching something that’s running others into the ditch, somebody needs to shut me up immediately. If I’m in the wrong, I desperately need a rude awakening.

A big reason for the urgency is that the impact these false teachers have on others. The false teachers are not sinning solo. They’re having a direct impact on these new believers. They leave families in shambles. They drain bank accounts. We’ll see in the next verse that they’re using the smoke and mirrors of Jewish myths to drive a wedge between their faith and Jesus. This is a reminder that no man is an island. Even my most secret sin has its effect on those around me. Because my sin impacts others, I need a wakeup call. I desperately need a rude awakening.

Don’t miss the fact that Paul doesn’t see these spiritual snake oil salesmen as a lost cause. He really hopes that once Titus gets their attention, “they may be sound in the faith” (13). You see, nobody is outside the reach of God’s love. Nobody is too bad a sinner for God to save. The apostle knows that firsthand. He was so opposed to Jesus and His new church that he dedicated his life to wiping them off the planet. But a funny thing happened when Paul was on his way to arrest, torture, and kill more Jesus’ followers in Damascus. The resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter blindsided and saved him. If Christ can save Paul, He can do the same for the Cretan false teachers. Take a look around. Who do you think is too sinful to save? We all need to remember that Jesus is a much better Savior than the worst of sinners. When God gets ahold of the so-called “bad guys,” we get a rude awakening.

Liars, Bullies & Slobs

“One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’” (v12).

American author Thomas Wolfe wrote, “You can’t go home again.” Well, that certainly would’ve been true of a dude named Epimenides. He was a celebrity Greek poet from Crete who wrote about 700 years before Jesus. And, man, did he say some terrible things about his homeboys! He called these folks “are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (v12). Don’t you know his Cretan buddies would love to get their hands on him! But here’s the deal, the Apostle Paul said he was right on target. Deceivers. Wild animals. Fat and lazy. Paul gives this this scouting report to Titus. These are the folks he’ll be dealing with. Yeah, good luck with that. But don’t forget, the Gospel is radically transforming the people on this island.

Let’s set the scene. Titus is on the Mediterranean island of Crete in the days following a crazy move of God. The Gospel of Jesus has saved folks in just about every Cretan city. His mentor Paul has moved on to his next assignment (Titus 3:12). But he’s given the Big T three things to scratch off the list and wrap up his mission. Put leadership in place in the local churches (Titus 1:5). Shut up and shut down a crew of spiritual con artists (Titus 1:10-11). Establish a system that will tell others about walking with Jesus that will replicate itself after he leaves (Titus 2:1-10). 

In his instructions about dealing with the false teachers, Paul reminds Titus just exactly what kind of folks live there. “Liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (v12). Hey, don’t just take Paul’s word for it. “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own” said this about the folks back home. By quoting Epimenides, the apostle begins by using a term (Gr. pseustes) that paints these folks as cheaters and deceivers. You can tell somebody is from Crete because their lips are moving. As if that’s not bad enough, Titus is surrounded by “evil (Gr. kakos) beasts (Gr. therion)” (v12). There are a ferocious and savage animals living on the island. And those are just the people! The word paints a picture of savage and deadly apex predators. John uses this very same word to describe savage, satanic critters in Revelation, including the capital “B” Beast who wears the 666 jersey (Rev 11:7; 13:1-18; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2-13; 17:3-17; 19:19-20; 20:4, 10). The apostle goes on to throw Cretans under the bus by calling them “lazy gluttons” (v12). The phrase literally means people who refuse to work who are thinking only of the next meal. Picture some slob on the couch covered in the dust of his last bag of Cheetos. 

So these are the folks Titus is dealing with. Cheaters. Ferocious animals. Lazy slobs. Quite the all-star team, don’t you think? But here’s what you need to know. These are the kind of folks Jesus is saving on the island of Crete! And that doesn’t just describe Crete, we could be talking about any place on the planet. (Insert your nationality or demographic group here) “are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (v12). Even the great Apostle Paul saw himself as a dirtbag. If you were to rank sinners around the world, the man from Tarsus would put himself in the pole position as top dog (1Tim 1:15). So before we go getting all high and mighty by comparing ourselves to Cretans, we need to pump the brakes. We need Jesus just as much as they do.

There’s one other thing about this verse. Notice how Paul uses pop culture as a teaching tool. This would be the same as teaching the Bible with illustrations from TV or movies. And the apostle did it more than once (Acts 17:28; 1Cor 15:33). God’s Word should be taught creatively. The Bible is NOT boring and should NEVER be taught that way! Use every available resource to reach the folks you’re talking to. What’s music is popular? What TV shows get the top ratings? What movies are number one at the box office? Take what people know and use it to tell them what they need to know.

The Silencer

“They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (v11).

I love Matt Foley. He’s the motivational speaker the late great Chris Farley played on Saturday Night Live who “lived in a van down by the river.” In one classic sketch, the parents bring Matt into talk some sense into their son. When the dad tries to help, Farley’s character barks, “I wish you could just shut your big yapper!” So what in the name of Lorne Michaels does Matt Foley have to do with Titus? So glad you asked. In this verse, the Apostle Paul tells the Big T that a big part of his job is to shut up and shut down a team of false teachers. “They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (v11). His job is to shut their big yapper. When it comes to false teachers, Titus is the silencer.

Before we dig into this verse, lets not forget the big picture here. The Gospel of Jesus has washed over the island of Crete like a supernatural tsunami. There are new believers everywhere. After being a key part of what God was doing on there, Paul is now 400 miles away in the Greek seaport of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). He’s left his go-to guy Titus behind to accomplish three critical tasks. One, fill the leadership vacuum in all of these new churches by selecting spiritual leaders called elders (Titus 1:5). Two, stuff a sock in a team of Jewish false teachers who are tearing apart families and while conning them out of their money (Titus 1:10-11). Three, establish a sustainable structure for continuing to teach folks about who Jesus is and what He’s done (Titus 3:1-10).

In the previous verse, Paul gave us a wanted poster for these spiritual con artists. They are rebels, refusing to submit to God’s authority. They are windbags who talk all the time but actually don’t say anything. They are swindlers, looking pull a fast one on folks new to the faith. But probably the most dangerous thing about these shysters is that this is an inside job. They are members of what’s known as the “circumcision party” (Titus 1:10). These are Jews that demand that Gentiles must convert to Judaism before they can ever think of following Jesus. Think of how confusing that would be for somebody who has just placed their trust in Christ. You’ve just made a simple confession of your need for a Savior when suddenly these goofballs drop the Old Testament in your lap. “Jesus will be happy to save you. Just follow these 600-plus commands!” Yeah, there’s nothing good about their good news.

That’s exactly why they must be shut up. Later Paul tells the Big T that these scammers try to confuse folks with a lot of Jewish mumbo jumbo and confusing commands (Titus 1:14). They worm their way in by assuring these baby Christians that they have a relationship with God when they don’t (Titus 1:16). The apostle tells Titus to shut ’em up. “They must be silenced” (v11). He uses a Greek term (Gr. epistomizo) that means to stop the mouth, or prevent from talking. It literally means “over (epi-) the mouth 

(-stomizo).” Like applying a muzzle to your dog that won’t stop barking. Picture Jack Bauer slapping a piece of duct tape over the bad guy’s mouth when he won’t shut up. Paul instructs Titus to gag these grifters. Stuff a sock in it. Shut their pie hole. When it comes to false teachers, Titus is the silencer.

The apostle is very clear on who these con artists are talking to. Families. They are weaseling their way into the households of new believers and stirring up trouble. They’re “upsetting” (Gr. anatrepho) their newfound faith in Jesus. This term paints a picture getting right in the middle of a situation with the purpose of turning things upside down. They are looking to cause serious damage to what someone believes. It’s the same word John uses when Jesus goes all one-man-wrecking-crew on folks making a fast buck at the temple as He “overturned (Gr. anatrepho) their tables” (Jn 2:15). Paul knew all about false teachers who tried to flip over people’s faith. The apostle himself had to deal with a pair of knuckleheads named Hymenaeus and Philetus who went around telling folks that Jesus had already returned and were “upsetting (Gr. anatrepho) the faith of some” (2Tim 2:17-18). Before the false teachers do any more damage, they must be shut down. 

If it’s not bad enough that these goobers are flipping over the faith of these families, they’re also looking to rip them off. They’re “teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (v11). They are nothing more than spiritual snake oil salesmen. Paul uses almost the very same language here that he does earlier when describing that spiritual leaders should NOT be “greedy for gain” (Titus 1:7). The original text literally talks about “disgraceful (Gr. aischros) acquisition (Gr. kerdos).” They’re out to make a fast buck. This has nothing to do with teaching anything of value. This is all about making money. Before they can swindle anybody else, Titus needs to shut their big yapper.

So do we do with these two-thousand-year-old instructions? First of all, we need to be on the lookout for anyone teaching a corrupt message. Anything other than the Good News is totally bad news. We tell folks about Jesus. We point to who He is and what He’s done, not what we need to do. He lived the spotless and totally obedient life that we failed to live. He died a brutal and bloody death for our sin on a cross that we should have died. He rose to a breathtaking new life that we don’t deserve. We place our trust in what He’s done for us that we could never do for ourselves. Dropping a to-do list of commands and rules to ensure salvation is anything but the Gospel. 

We must stuff a sock in anyone teaching something other than Jesus. Do whatever you must to make sure you understand the content of their teaching. If it’s wrong, ask them to stop. If they don’t, tell them to shut it down. Local church leaders, elders, and pastors are responsible for the spiritual well-being of the people. We must have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to false teaching. 

Finally, this should cause all of us to step back and examine our motivation for working. Is it simply for the check? There’s nothing wrong with earning a living. The Bible is clear on that. Work is good. Getting a paycheck appropriate. But will I do anything to make the deal? Will I shade the truth? Will I lie? Will I cheat? Are you serving yourself and your own bank account or your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 

But Titus’ assignment here is clear. He's the silencer. These false teachers need to shut their big yapper. They would be better off living in a van down by the river.

Rebels, Blabbermouths & Con Artists

“For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially this of the circumcision party” (v10).

There’s trouble. Right here in River City. Okay, not so much River City, but Crete. Let’s back up just a bit to see what’s going on. Jesus’ incredible invitation for people everywhere to be a part of God’s kingdom is turning the Mediterranean island upside down. He has followers in every city. The Apostle Paul has moved on to his next divine assignment, but has left his go-guy behind and given him a three-point plan. First, Titus is to find spiritually mature leaders for every church (Titus 1:5). Second, he’s to shut up and shut down a pesky posse of false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). Third, he is establish a sustainable system of telling believers what it means to be followers of Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). 

Two out of the three of Big T’s assignments are positive. But one is dealing with a problem. That’s because there is indeed trouble in paradise. Believe it or not, there’s opposition to the amazing message of Jesus. And it’s coming from folks you think would be playing for the same team. “For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially of the circumcision party” (v10). Rebels. Blabbermouths. Con artists. The worst part is that they should know better. They know Scripture. They know the promises of God. Or as the Message paraphrases this verse, “For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst” (v10 The Message). This is an inside job. Sometimes the greatest opposition to Jesus’ Gospel are actually INSIDE the church!

Paul posts a wanted poster of the bad guys for Titus. He gives a description of who be on the look out for. First of all, they are “insubordinate” (v10). The original Greek term (anupotaktos) means rebellious, disobedient, outside of one’s control, not under orders, uncontrolled, and unruly. A few verses back, the apostle uses this same word when listing the qualities to look for in church leaders. An elders’ kids shouldn’t be “open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination (Gr. anupotaktos)” (Titus 1:6). But Titus is dealing with rebellious adults. These are folks who hang out in local churches. They  claim to one of us. There’s just one tiny problem. Nobody’s going to tell them what to do. Not a pastor. Not an elder. Not God. They are rebels. Rebels without a clue.

Before you get all holier-than-thou about these disobedient dudes, we need to realize that none of us want to be told what to do. We’re all rebels. You. Me. Us. Them. At least we were rebels before Jesus came to our rescue. Despite my one-man revolution against God’s kingdom, Jesus saved me and brought me into His family. He has shown me that His commandments aren’t a spiritual straightjacket but the expression of a loving heavenly Dad who wants His best for His child. Jesus is my Lord because He is in charge of my life. But there’s still part of me that bristles at being told what to do. I still am not crazy about submitting to authority. Over and over in the Bible, we’re reminded that we are to live in willing submission to every authority God places in our lives (Rom 13:1-7; Heb 13:17; 1Pet 2:13-25; Eph 5:21-6:9).

Paul tells Titus that another way of recognizing these rebels is that they talk too much. They are “empty talkers (Gr. mataiologos)” (v10). This compound noun literally means “empty (mataio-) word (-logos).” This is somebody who engages in useless chatter and is a foolish babbler. It makes me think of those annoying dudes in the dugout of a baseball game. “Hey, battah, battah, battah, SWING, battah!!” Despite talking all the time, they actually have absolutely nothing to say. Listen closely and you’ll notice that their words are devoid of any truth or value. Blah, blah, blah. They are biblical blabbermouths. Don’t miss the second part of their name. Logos is the Apostle John’s nickname for His Savior Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word (Gr. logos), and the Word (Gr. logos) was with God, and the Word (Gr. logos) was God” (Jn 1:1). Jesus is the physical and literal expression of God’s truth. What He says has power. What He says has force. What He says is truth. These blabbermouths are just the opposite of Jesus. Blah, blah, blah.

This hits just a little too close to home for me. I talk WAY too much! On one hand, I am a verbal processor. I think out loud. That’s not the bad part. The sinful side of being a motormouth is that I’m constantly trying to win everyone’s approval. I want people to like me so I am continually filling every moment of dead air with words. God makes it perfectly clear that less is more when it comes to talking (Prov 10:19; 13:3; 14:23; 17:28; 18:2; 21:23; 29:20; Ps 141:3; Ecc 5:2, 7; James 1:19; 3:6). And those are just a handful of the passages where God’s Word tells me to stuff a sock in my big yapper. Instead my words must build folks up not tear them down (Eph 4:29). 

These Cretan false teachers are rebels and blabbermouths, but that’s not all. They have an end game. There’s a method to their madness. That’s because they are “deceivers” (v10). Paul uses a term (Gr. phrenapates) that describes somebody who intentionally misleads. It literally means “mind (or soul) deceivers.” They aren’t trying to pull some sort of visual slight of hand. They aren’t playing three-card Monte. This is somebody causes people to longer believe what is true. These knuckleheads will use every trick in the book to cause you and me to doubt our faith. This was going on long before Titus got to work on Crete. Jeremiah dealt deceivers (Jer 14:14). And they are clearly still around today. 

Probably the most frustrating and dangerous aspect of these false teachers is that the danger is actually coming from folks close to us. Just like one of those slasher movies where the call is coming from inside the house (cue the shrieking female victim!). Paul tells Titus that these rebellious, blabbering con artists are actually members of the “circumcision party” (v10). We need a little history lesson to understand what’s going on here. God instituted circumcision to the Jewish people through Abraham as a reminder of His covenant promise to bless the world through them (Gen 17:11). That led to a view that saw the world as either insiders or outsiders. 

For the centuries that followed, there was tremendous racial and religious prejudice between Jews and the non-Jewish Gentiles. Jews rightly saw themselves as God’s chosen people. But they wrongly looked down as Gentiles with a real “sucks to be you” arrogance. That all changes when Jesus shows up and extends His invitation into God’s kingdom to the entire world. When God starts saving outsiders, Jewish Christians couldn’t figure out what to do (Acts 10:45; 11:2). That led to a HUGE meeting on the Gentile controversy back at the home office in Jerusalem. On one side you have folks in the circumcision party that demanded that Gentiles need to become Jews before they can follow Jesus (Acts 15:1, 5). On the other side, you have guys like Peter and Paul. They argued that it’s God’s decision about who gets in (Acts 15:4, 7-12). In the end, church leaders agreed that this is God’s call (always seems like a good idea to agree with the sovereign Lord of the universe, don’t you think?). 

Apparently the circumcision party wasn’t going down without a fight. They were up to their old tricks among Cretan Christians. That’s what makes this particularly hard to swallow. These are folks you think should know better. They know God’s Word. They’re not attacking from the outside. This is an inside job. False teachers are still up to their old tricks here in the 21st century. The modern version of the circumcisers are those religious cops who are constantly trying to tell others what they should and should not do in order to be sure of their salvation. Don’t let the bullies intimidate you into their legalistic rule keeping. We need to remember that we can’t save ourselves. That’s God’s job. He saves us through His Son. Jesus lived the perfect life that we’ve failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to new life that we don’t deserve.  

This is a great reminder that the Gospel doesn’t operate in a vacuum. We don’t live in the controlled environment of a lab. We live in the real world. And in the real world, there is opposition. And the most dangerous opposition is coming from inside the church. Look out for the rebels. Watch out for blabbermouths. Don’t fall victim to the con artists. Be careful because this is an inside job.

Health Teachers

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (v9).

Do you remember you favorite teacher growing up? I’m not talking about that “Hot for Teacher” crush you had. Get your mind out of the gutter. Instead, who was that person who did so much more than stand in front of a blackboard (yeah, I said “blackboard; I am THAT old!) and made sure you learned your multiplication tables? Sure the Three Rs are important, but there are those teachers that taught us the big lessons in life that we still use today. Here in his letter to Titus, Paul tells his protege to address the teacher shortage on the island of Crete. Specifically, he’s looking for health teachers. No, not some gym coach to teach health class. There’s a huge need for instructors who teach in a healthy and complete way. They don’t leave anything out. Their instruction is strong and accurate. 

The first item on the apostle’s to-do list for Titus is to find spiritual leaders for the local churches on Crete. The Good News has turned the island on its head. There’s a boatload of new believers, but no leaders. Paul tells the Big T to scour the place for “elders” (Titus 1:4), spiritually mature men of integrity who demonstrate what it means to follow Jesus. He lets his go-to guy know the “must have” qualities for leadership. That list concludes with the ability to teach people what they’ve learned about Jesus. 

So just what’s their lesson plan? What’s in the curriculum? Elders in the local church must “be able to give instruction in sound doctrine” (v9). Oh boy, there’s the dreaded “D” word. “Doctrine.” Most of us roll our eyes when the subject comes up. I know I did. For a lot of us, doctrine equals boring. For Pete’s sake, I’m didn’t enroll in seminary. I just wanted to get to know Jesus better. But a closer look at the original language tells us to cool our jets. The Greek word Paul uses for “doctrine” is actually didaskalia. It literally means the act of teaching or the content being taught. 

Let’s be clear about something. This is NOT about filling your head with all sorts of weird trivia from Leviticus. We’re not asking you to memorize how many cubits are in a homer (is that even a thing?). I’m not saying there’s not good stuff to be learned from some of the more obscure books of the Bible. But the big lesson we learn from the God’s Word is that there is one Hero of the story. The entire message of Scripture is about Jesus. In a nutshell, this is what the Bible tells us. God handcrafted a perfect and spectacular universe. Not long after He created us, we completely jacked up the whole deal and rebelled against our Creator. God then personally came to our rescue in the form of a Rabbi/Carpenter named Jesus. He lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He died the death for our rebellion and sin that we should have died. He rose to an amazing new life that we don’t deserve. He did all of that to fix what we broke and restore our relationship with God. Jesus is THE Hero of THE Story. Now THAT’S the curriculum! That’s doctrine! If you and I trust in what He’s done for us, you don’t have to worry what’s going to be on the final. And God promises there will be no math.

The backbone of teaching in the local church is to be the elders. And their curriculum must be “sound” (v9). Here Paul drops the Greek verb hugiaino. It’s actually a medical term that means to be whole, healthy, and strong. We shouldn’t be shocked that Dr. Luke uses this term when he writes. When the religious police get all hot and bothered when Jesus parties with the wrong crowd, He lets them know, “Those who are well (Gr. hugiaino) have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Lk 5:31). After Jesus healed the Centurian’s employee from long distance, when folks got back home to check on him, “they found the servant well (Gr. hugiaino)” (Lk 7:10). And in His legendary parable of the Prodigal Son, Christ tells the crowd how the father is ecstatic because his boy is back in one piece, “safe and sound (Gr. hugiaino)” (Lk 15:27). Teaching about Jesus certainly needs to be correct and accurate. But also must be in top shape. A weak gospel won’t do us any good when the fecal matter hits the whirling device. When life falls apart, I don’t want weeny doctrine. I desperately need it to be BIG and POWERFUL! 

Elders must possess a strong and healthy message about Jesus because they’re getting ready for a fight. Not a physical one anyway. They’re training for the time they must “rebuke those who contradict it” (v9). Paul literally calls these contradictors “back talkers.” There’s always going to be folks to challenge who Jesus is and what He’s done. Our spiritual leaders should have the skills and heart to lovingly but firmly confront those who attempt to challenge Scripture. This was a very big deal to believers on the island of Crete. The second item on Titus’ list of assignments is to shut up and shut down a crew of false teachers that are corrupting the Gospel (Titus 1:10-11). And these spiritual con artists and hucksters are still up to their tricks today. Elders need to be ready to step into the scriptural cage and put submission hold on these trouble makers. And that takes a strong and healthy understanding of the Gospel.

Get a Grip

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (v9).

A firm grip is so important in many sports. Hitters in baseball wear gloves and use pine tar to swing a bat. The pitcher holds the ball with various grips to throw a variety of pitches. How the golfers position their hands on the club is critical to their swing. Basketball players do everything they can to hang on to the rock. Here in his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul lets him know that leaders in the local church need to have a firm grip as well. Elders must hold tightly and properly to God’s Word. They have to teach. They have to correct. In order to do that, they must get a grip.

Before we dig deeper, let’s make sure we’ve got a grip on what’s happening in the bigger picture. The Good News of Jesus has radically transformed people all across the Mediterranean island of Crete. After moving on to the Greek city of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), Paul has put Titus in charge of the next phase of the project. There are three critical items on the to-do list. Now that there are tons of new believers, they desperately need leaders (Titus 1:5). False teachers are distracting folks from following Jesus and must be shut down (Titus 1:10-11). Finally, set up a replicating system of teaching folks what it means to grow in a meaningful relationship with their Savior (Titus 2:1-10).

Paul lets Titus know exactly what kind of leaders God is looking for in His church (Titus 1:6-8). Men of integrity. Men who are above suspicion. Faithful husbands and fathers. Men looking out for the welfare of those in their care. Dudes who who realize they eventually report to Jesus. They must not be self-absorbed hot heads who are drunk and violent. They can’t be greedy leaders. Just the opposite, elders must be “hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (Titus 1:8). In other words, they must have a firm grip on their own lives. 

The apostle wraps up his list of “must haves” by telling Titus they must be teachers. They must be good teachers. An elder must have a firm grasp on who Jesus is, what He has done, and who we are. “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught” (v9). Paul uses the Greek verb antecho, which means to cling to, hold tightly, be devoted to, adhere to, or be loyal to. When Jesus taught folks that they can’t have a tie at the top of their priority list, He said we must hold tightly onto one or the other. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted (Gr. antecho) to the one and despise the other” (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). An elder must have a handle on what he’s been taught. He must get a grip on God’s Word.

Spiritual leaders must grab tightly onto the “trustworthy word” (v9). Before you grip it and rip it, you want to make sure you’re squeezing the right thing. Paul reminds Titus that we can put complete trust in God’s Word. It’s totally true. It’s completely faithful. It’s absolutely dependable. It’s entirely reliable. In his letter to his other protege Timothy, the apostle reminds him that God personally inspired every single word of it (2Tim 3:16). The Gospel can be trusted because Jesus can be trusted. Don’t forget that one of the nicknames for the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter is the Word (Jn 1:1). To trust in Jesus is to trust in who He is and what He’s done. He lived the perfect life that I should have lived. He died the brutal death for my sin that I should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that I don’t deserve. But when I trust in Him, I can be absolutely sure in what He’s done that I could never do. I can take it to the bank. It’s a stone cold, lead pipe lock. It’s a sure thing. It’s a done deal. That’s the truth that each one of us much get a grip on. Hold tightly to the Gospel because the Gospel is holding tightly to you! 

Get a grip. And if you’re an elder, make that a kung fu grip. 

Evil Twins and Godly Leaders

“but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (v8)

The evil twin is a handy device for literature, movies, and TV. Let’s face it, it’s not REALLY a soap opera until somebody’s evil twin shows up. And you can always recognize the diabolical doppleganger. They look EXACTLY like the hero except for a scar, eyepatch, or goatee. If they’re really nasty, they’ll have two out of the three. If they have all of them (I like to call that the Triple Crown of Evil!), look out, baby! Game on! 

(Before we go any further, let me apologize to anyone who has a goatee who is NOT an evil twin. Back in the sixties and seventies, folks didn’t see this kind of facial hair as the mark of a disaffected member of Gen X or a youth pastor or even a worship leader. In full disclosure, I have a goatee. While I’ve got my issues, I’m pretty sure I’m not an evil twin.)

The idea of the hero and his evil twin has been around a long, long time. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul tells Titus the things to look out for when selecting elders in the local church. In Titus 1:7, he lets him know that dudes might look like good candidates at first but make sure they aren’t “arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” In other words, just in case they don’t have the telltale scar, eyepatch, or goatee, these qualities are dead giveaways of the evil twin. The apostle goes on to tell the Big T the positive traits that are elders should possess instead. He must be “hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (v8). These are the positives to the evil twin’s negatives.

This is a huge help to Titus. Paul has left his go-to guy on the island of Crete with a three-point plan. The gracious Good News has completely jacked up the joint. There are followers of Jesus in every city and town. There’s a leadership vacuum. There are false teachers twisting the Gospel. There’s no current sustainable structure to make sure future followers know what it means to believe in God. That’s what Titus is there to do. Find qualified leaders for local churches (Titus 1:5). Shut down the spiritual snake oil salesmen (Titus 1:10-11). Establish a system of discipleship for new believers (Titus 2:1-10). Once he wraps that up and reinforcements arrive, hop on a boat to join Paul in the Greek seaport of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). 

After telling the Big T what the evil twins are like, the apostle goes back to describing the elders that Jesus is looking for to lead and serve His church. While it’s important to know how to ID evil twins, it’s much more critical to know what our hero really looks like. When the Secret Service trains agents to spot counterfeit money, they teach them what the legit cash looks like. They don’t waste a lot of time on detecting phony Benjamins. It’s all about recognizing the real deal. While it’s great to know what characteristics identify bad leaders, it’s much more important to know what to look for in the good ones. 

While being an evil twin is all about the guy with the goatee in the mirror, an elder puts himself in third place. God first. Others second. Me third. First of all, godly spiritual leader is “hospitable.” That just means he opens not just his home but his heart to others. Paul goes on to describe him as a “lover of good” (v8). This is the Greek word philagathos, which means loving goodness, friend of good men, or one who is tireless in activities prompted by love. A couple of other translators take a run at putting this trait into English. “[He must be] a lover of goodness [of good people and good things]” (v8 AMP). An elder “must love all that is good” (v8 NLT). He must “be helpful” (v8 The Message). Leaders in the local church have a burning passion for what is good for God’s people. Jesus is looking for a few good men who love good stuff. 

The next series of qualities for elders speak to God’s work of restraint and discipline in their lives. They are “self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (v8). They are not out of control, breaking the law, and acting like everyone else in society. Paul points out that spiritual leaders are “self-controlled (Gr. sophrona)” (v8). He uses a compound word that literally means to “rescue (so-) the mind (-phrona).” An elder is no longer driven by his flesh. God has broken him free from the slavery of simply doing what feels good. It’s no surprise that Paul tells his boy Tim to look for the same kind of leader who is “sober-minded, self-controlled (Gr. sophrona)” (1Tim 3:2). They should be sensible, modest, discreet, and sober. This doesn’t mean that they never drink alcohol. It does mean that liquor doesn’t control them. God’s Spirit does. They’re not ruled and addicted to anything other than Jesus. That’s because God has rescued their mind.

The Lord isn’t limiting self-control to those in leadership. He’s gives it everyone He saves. Later, Paul tells Titus that “older men are to be sober-minded (Gr. sophrona), self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness” (Titus 2:2). Young ladies should be taught “to be self-controlled (Gr. sophrona), pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5). God’s overflowing grace is “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled (Gr. sophronas), upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). And that only happens when the Holy Spirit is producing fruit in your life (Gal 5:22-23). In other words, elders should be everyday examples of godly self-control to the rest of the church.

Paul goes on to say that our spiritual leaders must be “upright” (Gr. dikaios). In the most basic way, they are innocent, law-abiding citizens. They don’t play fast and loose with rules and regs. Elders obey not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law as well. But there’s something much, much deeper here. This describes someone who is conforming to God’s standard. They lead the way in following Jesus and His commands. Our elders should be men who have come to understand that God wants His best for us and the abundant life only happens when we’re obedient to His instructions. 

It’s no surprise that our spiritual leaders should be “holy” (Gr. hosios). Sure, this means somebody undefiled by sin. But holiness is so much more than purity. Being holy is being set apart and completely different than everybody else in our culture. You look different. You act different. You stand out because of Who you stand for. Our elders should stand out from culture’s crowd because they are dedicated to serving Jesus and not themselves.

The apostle tells Titus to keep his eyes peeled for men who are “disciplined” (Gr. egkrates). It’s the only time this word appears in the entire Bible. I’m not sure most Bible translators really give us a good idea of the depth and power of the original language. The Greek word describes somebody who has rippling power and strength over their lives. They refuse to be mastered by anything but the Master. They are strong and able to exhibit great restraint. They don’t fly off the handle. They’re completely and totally focused, refusing to be pulled away from the mission of Jesus. Because of the work of God’s Spirit in their lives, these leaders are an irresistible force for the cause of Christ.

Don’t be fooled by the evil twin. They may not have a scar. They might not be wearing an eyepatch. They may not have even grown a goatee. Instead look for godly leaders who want what’s best for God’s people. Look for godly leaders who put the needs of others ahead of their own. Look for godly leaders who stand out from the crowd. Look for godly leaders who are in control of their lives. 

Don’t be fooled by the evil twin.

Open Homes and Open Hearts

“but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (v8)

Where would Blanche DuBois be without the generosity of people she didn’t know? The flawed Southern Belle from Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” famously said, “I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.” In his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul makes hospitality an essential character trait of an elder in Jesus’ church. He’s NOT talking about the ability to entertain guests at a lavish dinner party. He’s NOT talking about being the local Martha Stewart. While having an open home is great, a spiritual leader must have an open heart.

It’s always important to keep the big picture in view when reading the Bible. Paul is writing instructions to Titus, his go-to guy on Crete. The grace of Jesus has recently and radically transformed lives all across this island. These believers need leaders (Titus 1:5). They need someone to shut up those folks teaching rotten doctrine (Titus 1:10-11). They need a sustainable structure to teach everyone what it means to be a follower of Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). Now that God has deployed His apostle to his next assignment, Paul trusts the Big T to git-r-done.

The first thing on Titus’ to-do list is to find elders or spiritual leaders for local churches. He’s looking for a few good men. Men of integrity. Men who are “above reproach” (Titus 1:6-7). Paul goes on to give several specific qualities that help explain what he’s talking about. One of those is being “hospitable” (v8). This is in contrast being self-absorbed, a hot head, addicted, ready to fight, and greedy. Instead of putting themselves on the throne of their lives, these leaders are to look out for others. Paul uses the Greek word philoxenos to describe what he’s looking for. This compound word literally breaks down to mean “friend (philo-) of strangers (-xenos).” It paints a picture of somebody who is generous to guests, someone open to strangers, and a person who shows kindness to people they don’t know. A spiritual leader needs have an open heart.

The apostle drops the same word when writing to his buddy Tim, giving similar instructions about looking for leaders. “An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable (Gr. philoxenos), able to teach” (1Tim 3:2). Paul’s pal Pete made it clear that being open and welcoming isn’t limited to leaders. “Show hospitality (Gr. philoxenos) to one another without grumbling” (1Pet 4:9). A very similar word is used over in Romans, when Paul instructs them to proactively look for chances to roll out the red carpet. “Seek to show hospitality (Gr. philoxenia)” (Rom 12:13). Finally, the writer of Hebrews pulls back the curtain and lets us know of one very cool benefit of opening our homes and hearts. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (Gr. philoxenia), for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Heb 13:2). It’s a chance for us to welcome God’s special agents. Tell me THAT’S not awesome!

Jesus is looking for leaders who are generous with their lives. An elder is dude who has an open door, especially to people he’s never met. While we’re certainly to share our lives with folks in our circle of friends, this is about getting outside our comfort zone. This is accepting people who aren’t you like you and me. Such an idea was crazy talk back in the first century. Jews couldn’t stand Gentiles and Gentiles returned the favor. Religious and racial prejudice ran thick in the Greco-Roman world. That all changed when Messiah Jesus invited non-Jews to God’s kingdom party. A huge theme in the book of Acts is over Jesus saving Gentiles (Acts 10-11; 15:1-29). God is calling all believers to open their lives to folks not like them. And when it comes to hospitality, leaders must lead. They must give us examples to follow. 

Such an idea was cutting edge stuff for the first century. And it still is today. Religious and racial prejudice continue to be a bone in the throat around the world and down the street. In an amazing move, God is bringing together people groups from around the globe to America. Most metro areas are a funky stew of cultures and languages. However there’s still tons of fear if not hatred for these newcomers. Jesus doesn’t call for us to send them back home but instead to open ours to them. We need to be welcoming. We need to be friendly. We need to be gracious. We need to be accommodating. We need to initiate. And that starts with our leaders. 

Jesus is the perfect example of hospitality. Then again, He’s the perfect example of everything good and godly. He doesn’t just love strangers, He loves His enemies. And at one point, we were His enemies. Yup, you and me. But then something incredible happened. Instead of going to war against us, He went to the cross for us. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life” (Rom 5:8-10). Without the open heart of Jesus, we would still be His sinful enemies. 

We have to come to the realization that we live in a broken world. Despite societal and technological advancements, there are lonely people all around us. They need to know that people care. They need real relationships. They need to know that Jesus loves them. That happens when we open our homes. That happens when we open our lives. The Blanche DuBois of the world would certainly appreciate it.

Greedy Leading

“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (v7).

“Greed is good.” If you’ve seen the 1987 movie “Wall Street,” you know those are the infamous words of Gordon Gekko. For this fictional corporate raider, there was nothing he wouldn’t do, nobody he wouldn’t destroy to make a buck. Many even say it was Michael Douglas’ Oscar-winning performance planted all the bad financial seeds for the economic meltdown of 2008. I’m not smart enough to figure that out, but I am sure that Gordon wouldn’t be list of elder candidates in one of the Cretan churches. You see, Jesus’ church is a place for men and women on mission. It is no place for mercenaries and greedy leading.

Don’t forget the original reason Paul wrote this letter to Titus. The Gospel of Jesus has turned Crete upside down. There are new believers all across this Mediterranean island. The apostle has moved on to his next mission, probably the Greek seaport of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). He’s handpicked his “go to” guy to wrap things up. Paul leaves the Big T with a three-point plan. Find spiritual leaders for all of the new churches (Titus 1:3). Stuff a sock in mouths of false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). Implement a sustainable method of teaching believers what it means to be a follower of Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). 

First of all, Titus is scouting for elders. There’s a leadership vacuum in these new churches. Paul gives his guy a list of both qualifications and disqualifications. Most importantly, these dudes need to be “above reproach” (Titus 1:6-7). This is such a non-negotiable that he mentions it TWICE! They are to be faithful husbands, fathers, and followers of Jesus (Titus 1:6). As “God’s stewards” (v7), elders need to always remember that they aren’t just leaders but followers of Christ as well. Then the apostle lists a series of red flags that will eliminate many candidates. “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (v7). Just in case you weren’t paying attention, let’s review. If you’re self-absorbed, you’re out. No hot heads need apply. Addicts should seek help, not a position of leadership. Elders must not be bullies. The last in this is greed. Sorry, Mr. Gekko. Greed is NOT good. Jesus has no place in his church for greedy leading.

A closer look at the original language give us the Greek word aischrokerdes. How do you pronounce it? I don’t have a clue. But I do know what it means. It describes someone obsessed with money or greedy in a shameful way. This is a sordid preoccupation with profit. You don’t want folks taking the spiritual lead obsessed with financial greed. In another letter to Timothy, Paul tells him that anybody “greedy for dishonest gain (Gr. aischrokerdes)” can forget about serving God’s people as a deacon (1Tim 3:8). Check out how the various translators get the idea across. “Not given to filthy lucre” (KJV, YLT). “Not pursuing dishonest gain” (NIV). “Not fond of sordid gain” (NASB). “Not greedy for money” (NKJV). “Not desiring profit for himself” (BBE). “Not be grasping and greedy for filthy lucre (financial gain)” (AMP). “Not money hungry” (The Message).

When you break down this compound word, you literally get “disgraceful (aischro-) acquisition (-kerdes).” It’s not bad to get stuff. It’s never a bad thing to want more of Jesus. As a matter of fact, Paul uses a similar word when he lays his resume and 401k next to his relationship with the Lord. “But whatever gain (Gr. kerdos) I had, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and them as rubbish” (Phil 3:7). Just as they are today, money-grubbing teachers obsessed with finding a way to leverage godliness as a way to get rich back in the first century. Paul tells Tim, “Now there is great gain (Gr. kerdos) in godliness and contentment…But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin. for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1Tim 6:6, 9-10). If you want to be greedy for something, be greedy for godliness. Be greedy for more Jesus.

I don’t think you have to be a brain scientist or rocket surgeon to see why you don’t want a greedy leader in the local church. But don’t miss the fact that these qualities also perfectly describe the Perfect Elder. Jesus. Our Savior is anything but greedy for financial gain. As a matter of fact, despite being wealthier than we can ever wrap our brains around, “yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2Cor 8:9). You do realize Paul’s NOT talking about Christ padding your bank account, right? Right? God is remaking us in His image. A big part of that is turning us from takers into givers. How does Jesus describe our generous God? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (Jn 3:16, emphasis added). Over and over and over, the pages of the Bible drip with the amazing grace of our giving God! We’re to give not to gain. As a matter of fact, you can easily say that giving is the godliest way of gaining. 

When it comes His church, Jesus has no place for greedy leading.

Drunk & Violent

“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (v7).

According to the great philosopher and theologian Homer Simpson, you can always count on Lee Marvin. “Wait, wait! Here comes Lee Marvin! He’s always drunk and violent!” While the late actor cashed a career of checks playing liquored up brawlers, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that none of Marvin’s characters would qualify as an elder in the local church. Being an addict or ready to throw down are immediate red flags that you need to get help, not provide spiritual leadership. 

Paul has left his go-to guy Titus on Crete. The grace of Jesus has just rolled over this Mediterranean island like a spiritual tsunami. God has deployed the apostle elsewhere, probably the Greek seaport of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). To wrap things up, he gives the assignment to his trusted righthand man Titus. He leaves the Big T with a three point objective. Fill the leadership vacuum in local churches by appointing elders (Titus 1:5). Shut down the message of a team of false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). Establish a self-sustaining and replicating process of teaching and discipleship (Titus 2:1-10). Don’t worry about a worship team. Setting up a nursery and children’s ministry aren’t at the top of the list. What are the priorities? Spiritual leadership, correcting false teachers, and sustainable disciple-making. I might be wrong, but these might be the front burner issues for anyone planting a new church.

When it comes to appointing elders, Paul gives Titus a list of qualities, “must haves” and “must NOT haves” (Titus 1:6-9). They should be men of integrity with no hint of scandal. They must be faithful husbands, faithful fathers, and faithful followers of Jesus. They need to always remember that while they watch over the spiritual welfare of believers, they only have their authority because they are under the authority of Christ. Then the apostle turns to the red flags. “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (v7). Is he a self-absorbed hot head? If so, that resume immediately goes in the round file. Does the dude have a addiction issues? Is he looking for a fight? Yeah, these are warning lights of disqualification as well. Jesus isn’t looking for leaders who are drunk and violent. This is His church, not a biker bar.

When describing the “drunkard” (v7), Paul uses the Greek term paroinos. It’s a compound word that literally means “beside (para-) wine (-oinos). Is this somebody that always has an open bottle of wine next to them? But he’s talking about so much more than a bottle of Merlot or Chardonnay. This is someone addicted to alcohol, someone who habitually drinks too much, or someone who drinks to get drunk. Don’t limit this to simply drinking alcohol to excess. Anyone with any sort of physical addiction is unfit for leadership. An elder must be ready to follow Jesus when making tough decisions. He can’t be preoccupied with searching for his next hit, next high, or next hangover. The apostle went on to tell his Ephesian friends not to let mind-altering substances dominate your life. “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). The big point here is whatever fills you, controls you. 

So is Paul telling Titus that spiritual leaders can’t drink alcohol? I think that’s a bit of a stretch. Jesus Himself enjoyed enjoyed a glass of good wine. Shoot, His very first miracle was to keep the wedding reception going in Bethany when the wine ran out (Jn 2:1-11). He used wine to symbolize His shed blood at the Last Supper (Mt 26:27-29). He even said that He looks forward to that great day when we can all enjoy a glass of wine together at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb! What was Paul’s take on alcohol? He instructed his buddy Timothy that having a glass of wine for health reasons (1Tim 5:23). Tim just happened to be a pastor in Ephesus at the time. So it’s really a slippery slope to try and use Scripture to ban elders from taking a drink of alcohol. But let’s be clear here. VERY clear. Any person should be vigilant in avoiding anything that can steal the place of priority that Jesus must have in our lives. As our Lord, Christ is our boss. Not a bottle. Remember, whatever fills you, controls you. 

It’s not surprise that the very next leadership disqualifier Paul lists is being “violent” (v7). They call alcohol “liquid courage” for a reason. Too many times, folks under the influence are looking for a fight. Yeah, this pretty much eliminates any of Lee Marvin’s characters from sitting on the elder board. But this is more than just being a drunken brawler. A closer look at the original language reveals the Greek word plektes. This literally describes a striker, hitter, puncher, or bruiser. Somebody who’s a bully has no place as a leader in Jesus’ church. Believers shouldn’t have to worry that their pastor or leaders might punch them in the face. Paul is also warning spiritual leaders to stop looking for a fight. There is no spiritual gift of aggravation or confrontation. There are plenty of opportunities for that without prowling for a fight. Our leaders should be tough as nails. But they shouldn’t skate around the ice like a hockey goon looking for anyone willing to drop the gloves. 

When it comes to spiritual leaders, you can’t be drunk and violent. Sorry, Lee Marvin.

Self-Absorbed Hot Heads Need Not Apply

“He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered” (v7).

You’ve seen job postings on the web. They list various job requirements. Certain levels of education and degrees. Particular training. Specific skill sets. Even character qualities that an applicant should possess. Rarely does a potential employer let you know what they are NOT looking for. Not so with Paul. He doesn’t just give Titus a list of qualities God expects in spiritual leaders, he tells him what he doesn’t want. Right off the bat, he tells the Big T that self-absorbed hot heads need not apply.

Here’s the scene on the island of Crete. It’s around AD 62. The Gospel of Jesus is radically transforming lives around the Mediterranean rim. That includes this island just off the coast of Greece. God has used the Apostle Paul in a huge way to welcome people all across Crete into His kingdom. At this point, Paul has moved on, probably to the Grecian port city of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). But there’s still plenty of work left to do. To wrap things up, the apostle has left his “go to” guy Titus. He has three things to do. First of all, find qualified spiritual leaders called “elders” to fill the leadership vacuum (Titus 1:5). Second, shut down and shut up the posse of false teachers that are wreaking havoc on the island (Titus 1:10-11). Third, establish a sustainable structure for discipleship among the followers of Jesus (Titus 2:1-10).

Paul instructs Titus to look for men of integrity to lead. These should be dudes who are “above reproach.” This is such a critical quality that he repeats himself (Titus 1:6-7). They are to be faithful husbands and fathers (Titus 1:6). As “overseers,” these elders are to keep watch over the spiritual welfare of the church (Titus 1:7). They need to remember that as “God’s steward,” they are not the boss. They are working for the Man. The God Man. 

Suddenly the apostle changes directions. He stops listing what God is looking for in His leaders and lets us know what He doesn’t want. “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered” (v7). Hot heads and quick triggers need not apply. Paul uses the Greek word authades, which literally describes someone obsessed with pleasing themselves. You know the kind of person he’s talking about. Selfish. Self-absorbed. Self-obsessed. Egocentric. Somebody who lets you know they’re the most important person in the room. They’re constantly looking out for number one. Their wants and needs take priority over everything else. You might say they have an “I” problem. The only other time this word is used in the NT is when Peter warns believers about team of self-absorbed spiritual hucksters infiltrating local churches. These goobers “indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful (Gr. authades), they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones” (2Pet 2:10).

Yeah, these are NOT the leaders Jesus is looking for to lead His church. He’s after folks who’ve been radically transformed by His grace and understand who they would be without Him. When the Sons of Thunder attempted a power grab among the disciples, the Rabbi/Carpenter shut them down immediately. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:43-45). Instead of “me first,” Jesus’ leaders are “me third.” God first. Others second. Me third. That’s not just what He’s looking for in His elders, but all believers. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves,. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). In other words, be like Jesus (Phil 2:5-8). In the famous words of Rick Warren, “It’s not about you.”

The second character trait that will disqualify an elder candidate is being a hot head. A spiritual leader must not be “quick-tempered” (Gr. orgilos). This is somebody prone to anger. Given the pairing with the warning against arrogance, Paul is probably talking about folks who get mad when they don’t get their way. Whatever the case, there’s absolutely no place for folks in ministry leadership a hair trigger. That would be bad news, tennis shoes. King Solomon told his son not to stir things up, but cool them down. “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Prov 15:18). Someone with a long fuse also “has great understanding” (Prov 14:29). Jesus’ kid brother James encourages believers to have a very, very long fuse. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). 

That doesn’t mean God can’t transform hot tempers into cool heads. Check out the kind of fruit God’s Spirit produces in the followers of Jesus. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). God’s leaders aren’t locked and loaded, looking for a fight. They’re full of love and joy. They’re peaceful. They’re patient. They’re kind. They’re gentle. They have full control of their actions. 

This doesn’t mean that a leader shouldn’t have passion. This doesn’t mean that a leaders should never get angry. It does mean that he should be slow to anger. Like God. He should have a long fuse. Like God. Remember, that more than once Jesus got mad. Two different times He cleaned house at His Father’s temple (Lk 19:45-46; Jn 2:13-22). Over and over, the writers of the Old Testament describe our amazingly gracious and always loving God as “slow to anger” (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Nah 1:3). God has temper. It just takes Him a long, loooooooooong time to lose it. It should be the same with leaders in the local church.

Self-absorbed hot heads need not apply.