Steps to Resolve
Problems
“Do not get involved in foolish
discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience
to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. If people
are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that,
have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away
from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.” ~Titus 3:9-11 (NLT2) ~
3:9 But avoid foolish controversies and
genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are
unprofitable and useless. NIV
If
sound teaching and good works were "excellent and profitable to
everyone" (3:8), obviously foolish arguments were unprofitable
and useless. Paul warned Titus, as he warned Timothy, not to get involved
in foolish and unprofitable arguments (1 Timothy 1:4; 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23). The false teaching in Crete apparently had
Jewish roots and focused on two errors: "Jewish myths" (1:14) and quarrels about the law—probably
some useless speculations on the Old Testament rules and rituals, especially
Jewish laws regarding what was clean and unclean. These teachers were causing
controversies, arguments, and quarrels about their own wholly imaginary ideas,
using methods similar to those of the false teachers in Ephesus and Colosse.
Paul
also referred to genealogies in his warning to Timothy. It might be that
the false teachings in Crete, Ephesus, and Colosse had some of the same
tangents (see 1 Timothy 1:4; Colossians 2:8, 18), including imaginary genealogies of angels.
These were needed, so the false teachers said because believers had to worship
angels as well as God. But these speculative arguments took valuable time away
from teaching the truth of Scripture and spreading the gospel. Pointless
controversy does not help advance the truth.
Paul
warned Titus and Timothy to avoid the false teachers' debates and
arguments, not even bothering to answer their pretentious positions. This did
not mean that the church leaders should refuse to study, discuss, and examine
different interpretations of difficult Bible passages. Paul was warning against
petty quarrels, not an honest discussion that leads to wisdom. As foolish
arguments develop, they should rebuke false teaching (1:13) and turn the discussion back to a helpful
and profitable direction. Meanwhile, the faithful minister should continue to
emphasize those truths that God wants to be taught.
3:10 After a first and second admonition, have
nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions. NRSV
Paul
gave a similar warning at the end of Romans 16:17-20 and follows Jesus' pattern in Matthew 18:15-17. Besides avoiding the false
teachers' debates, Titus needed to take specific action toward the false
teachers themselves, as with anyone who causes divisions. These divisive
people insisted on their own opinions without proper biblical undergirding.
Even more than their doctrine, their church-wrecking behavior had to be
stopped. While false teachers outside the church were to be avoided, a person
inside the church must be warned not to cause division or threaten the unity of
the church.
This warning should not be a heavy-handed action because it is
intended to correct the individual's divisive nature and restore him or her to
fellowship. Paul allowed for two warnings before having nothing more to do
with the person. This step of excommunication is like Jesus saying to treat
them like a pagan or a tax collector.
Paul
was giving Titus a guideline for "discipline on the run" as he
pursued his duties on Crete. More than two warnings to someone creating
distractions and false teaching would involve Titus with them too deeply and
hurt his effectiveness elsewhere.
LIFE APPLICATION: CHURCH DISCIPLINE
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In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus gave a four-step
process for church discipline that Paul uses here. Jesus said:
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1. Go to the one who
sins against you one-on-one.
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2. If the person
does not listen, take one or two others along as witnesses and try to solve the problem.
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3. If the person
still refuses to listen, take the matter to the church (most churches handle it by having the elders decide the issue).
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4. Finally, put the person out of the church, treating him or her like a "pagan" or a
"tax collector."
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These guidelines are
for Christians to use with Christians. They are for sins committed against
us, not for us to use in order to ferret out sins others do against others.
They are to be used to deal with problems within the church, not in the community at large.
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Finally, believers
must remember that Jesus' words are not permission to attack every person who wrongs or slights us. Nor do they permit us to find two or three others to form a gossip campaign. These guidelines must never be used to escalate
conflict; they are to be used as steps to resolve problems.
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Those
who refused to be corrected should be put outside the fellowship, or at least
be avoided by Titus if they were not part of the church. A person's stubborn
refusal to stop teaching false doctrine and to stop causing division in the
church (even after being lovingly admonished) evidenced a perverted and
sinful mind, one that is self-condemned; in other words, such
actions condemn the doer. (See also Matthew 18:15-18 and 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 for help in handling such
problems in the church.)
A
local church cannot modify its doctrine for every new idea or accommodate every
person's viewpoint. It may be better to risk having a member leave for another
church that emphasizes his or her theological "hot button" than to
try to be a church that caters to every conceivable theological taste. A church
cannot get to the important work of evangelism and service to others if the theological base is shaky or if the church is embroiled in theological
controversy.
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Bruce
B. Barton, David R. Veerman, Neil Wilson, Life Application Bible Commentary
– 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1993), WORDsearch
CROSS e-book, Under: "TITUS 3".
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