Category: Titus

“For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.”

—Titus 1:10

“For there are many…”, the “for takes us back.

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you… 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. For there are many…” (vv. 5, 9–10)

Without elders, things are unfinished (“what remained”) and bent (“put… into order,” i.e., straighten). Churches without elders are like young children with an undeveloped immune system. They are vulnerable. Churches are vulnerable and false teachers are “many.”

You have here not only a contrast between true and false teachers, but a clash between them—a clash that must be. “There are many.” The immune system is weak and the viruses are many. The church must train, test, affirm, and send, because the world is full of false teachers and the church is lacking in faithful teachers.

John Stott exhorts, “When false teachers increase, the most appropriate long-term strategy is to multiply the number of true teachers, who are equipped to rebut and refute error. We need to be convinced that this is possible.” Pastors and churches need to be convinced that not only is the church sufficient to raise up elders, but that she should do it and she must do it. No other institution has the authority of God to do so. Seminaries are not necessary. They may help, but they are not necessary. The church is necessary and it is necessary that the church do so. “There are many.”

Paul told the Corinthians, “…a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). He told the Philippians “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). John too tells us not only that there are many, but the worst kind of many “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2 John 7). There are not only many false teachers. There are many heretics. It’s not simply the common cold that is so common, but Ebola. The call for elders to combat false teaching is no Covid 19 conspiracy. It is a true epidemic. “There are many.”

Elders act not only as antibodies fighting off false teaching, they act as vitamins, promoting healthy doctrine and devotion. The teacher of sound doctrine cannot produce antibodies for every virus in every membe. What he can do is ground the flock in sound doctrine so that they recognize a wolf when they hear one. “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” (v. 9).

John Newton said, “My principal method of defeating heresy, is, by establishing truth. One proposes to fill a bushel with tares: now, if I can fill it first with wheat, I shall defy his attempts.” Elders not only act as the immune system of the whole church body, they build the immune system of each member of the body. And that health is found by preaching Christ so that each member abides in the Vine. Feed the flock the Bread of life, and their appetites will be satisfied and their immune system strengthened.

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 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, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 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.”

—Titus 1:5–9

Unless you’re some kind of 9Marks junkie, you probably don’t get excited when “church polity” is the focal point of the sermon or your Bible reading. The atonement of Christ, regeneration, union with Christ, assurance of salvation, holiness, even eschatology may whet your spiritual appetite, but the qualifications for an elder? Yes, you may realize it is important, but you don’t turn the page of your devotional on tiptoe, hoping the next reading will address church polity. But consider this, where you go to church and thus who you entrust the oversight of your soul to, is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. As a disciple of Christ, you should zealously seek to be in covenant membership with a local body of believers, and as you do so, you should ask yourself two questions: What does this church believe? Who teaches what they believe? The weightiness of this can be felt in Paul’s instructions to Titus here.

Albert Mohler has introduced the idea of theological triage, calling us to properly access truths according to theological urgency. First order doctrines are those that are essential to the Christian faith, such as the trinity and the gospel. Second order doctrines are those in which we may disagree, but they require us to be in separate churches, such as baptism or church polity. Third order doctrines are those in which we may disagree but remain in the same church, such as eschatology. 

Church polity is a second order doctrine, but we must understand that nonessential does not mean unimportant. As Jonathan Leeman points out, church polity is not the gospel, but it is for the protecting of the gospel. You see that here, “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” (v. 9).

Church polity is not the gospel, but it is for the gospel. To truly feel the full weight of Biblical church governance then, we must feel the weight of the gospel itself—the truth of God, sound doctrine, apostolic teaching, the trustworthy word. What is this trustworthy word? Listen to how Paul unfolds it for Titus in two towering passages from this little letter.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you” (Titus 2:11–14).

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people” (Titus 3:4–8).

The gospel of God, that I declare to you now as a shepherd of Christ’s church, with the authority of His apostles’ word is this: We are everyone of us completely disqualified in every way before the holy God of heaven deserving nothing but His eternal wrath and condemnation. But the Father gave His Son to live righteously and die cursedly in the place of sinners so that they might be qualified—justified by faith and reconciled to God. Sinner, by this trustworthy word, Christ is set before you, the Savior of sinners. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

The doctrine of church polity is nowhere near as weighty as this gospel, but it is heavy with grave importance because of this gospel. It is for this reason that one of the biggest decisions you will ever make is where you will go to church and thus who you entrust the oversight of your soul to. This is why it is critical that you ask of a church, “What does she believe?” and “Who teaches what they believe?” Of first and essential importance is what she believes about the gospel. Of secondary and vital impotence for the health of the church and your souls is who teaches the gospel.

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

—Titus 1:1–4

The little letter of Titus begins big. The introduction to Titus, is not only notably longer than any other of the pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy), it is the third longest of any of Paul’s letters, exceeded only by Romans and Galatians. And inasmuch as this introduction identifies the sender, this little letter is topped only by Romans, and yet, I would argue, it is the more focused or concentrated statement identifying Paul.

Which immediately throws us into our text with this question, if this letter is from Paul and to Titus, why does Paul elaborate so? Paul and Titus are not strangers. Paul identifies Titus as “my true child.” In 2 Corinthians he refers to him as “my brother” (2 Corinthians 2:13), and “my partner and fellow worker” (2 Corinthians 8:23). Titus knows Paul. Titus has no doubts as to who Paul is. So why does Paul go on so? The answer is found at the very end of the letter—the last sentence of the letter. “Grace be with you all” (Titus 3:15). This letter, addressed to Titus, is intended to be overheard by all whom Titus addresses in Crete. This is not a piece of private correspondence. This is a public proclamation.

When Titus tells them what Paul tells him to tell them, Titus has this letter telling them that Paul has told him to tell them what he tells them. And in this letter, Paul explains that he is a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and for their knowledge of the truth that accords with godliness.

This is the purpose of Paul. He is for the faith of God’s elect and for their knowledge of the truth. Paul is for you. He is for your faith. He is for your knowledge of the truth. He is for your godliness. As Titus is read today, by any faithful preacher of the word, Paul’s identity should come to bear down on them still. A prayer you should pray as we go through Titus, and any time you read Paul, or any apostle, or any prophet—any time you read the Scripture—a prayer you should pray is , “O Lord, give me faith. Give me knowledge of the truth. Sanctify me by your word. Your word is truth.” This is the particular grace and peace the letter of Titus is meant to convey to you all.