1: Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to preach the
faith of God's elect Tyndale and the knowledge of that truth Which
truth is in serving God [2:]
in hope of Eternal Life which God who cannot lie
promised before the world began 3: But has at the time appointed[1] opened
his word by preaching which is committed to me according to the commandment of
God our Savior [2]
4: To Titus mine own son after the common faith Grace mercy and peace
from Theon God (Father and
Lord) Jesus Christ our Savior 5: For this cause I left you in Crete that
you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every
city as I had appointed you 6: If any be blameless the husband of one
wife[3] not
practicing poygamy having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly
7: For a bishop must be blameless as the steward of God not self-willed
not soon angry not given to wine no striker [not a wife-beater] 1 Timothy
3:3 not greedy for sordid gain 8: given to hospitality loving that
which is good sober just holy temperate 9: Holding fast the Faithful Word
as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and
to convince the gainsayers 10: For there are many unruly and vain
talkers and deceivers specially they of the circumcision[4] 11:
Whose mouths must be stopped who overthrow entire households[5] 2
Timothy 3:6 teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake 12:
One of themselves even a prophet of their own said The Cretians are always
liars evil beasts slow bellies 13: This witness is true Wherefore rebuke
them sharply that they may be sound in the faith 14: Not giving heed to
Jewish fables and man-made commandments that turn from the truth 15:
Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and
unbelieving is nothing pure but even their minds and conscience are defiled 16:
They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and
disobedient and unto every good work reprobate
[1] The times and seasons God has ordained
are appointed and pre-set Ecclesiastes 3:1; Daniel 8:19,12:9; Acts 17:26;
1 Thessalonians 5:1; 1 Peter 1:19-20
[2] …and there is no God else beside me a
just God and a Savior there is none beside me Isaiah 45:21 …all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy
Savior and thy Redeemer Isaiah 49:26 One God. One Savior. Jesus is
God.
[3] This verse refers to polygamy—not to
divorce. Having multiple wives was not uncommon among the earliest believers.
Jesus clarified that having one wife (and not getting rid of her for just any
reason) was God’s perfect will. There is biblical prohibition against adultery
and treacherous divorce but no prohibition against divorced believers serving
in any capacity God chooses to call them.
[4] Paul is speaking of Jews (the
circumcision) here, referring to professing believers (false though they were)
who had found a way to financially profit from dragging Christians back into
the bondage of the Law. Paul had strong words for the Galatians on that subject.
[5] Paul used strong language in dealing
with false teachers. He did not merely say they deceived people and led them
into error, which is bad enough; he wrote that through error, their victims
were overthrown.
In English, to
overthrow means to bring about downfall
or destruction, as does the Greek
word, anatrepō, which is used in this passage. It is unfortunate that
Bible commentators mitigate the destruction of God’s people by adding the word
“figuratively” in their definitions of the downfall or destruction of victims
that the word, anatrepō, refers to. There is nothing figurative about an
eternity of destruction that results from being spiritually overthrown by false
teachers, whose goal is to financially sack their victims. Victims are
financially overthrown when income
streams or wealth is funneled it to the false teachers or when they liquidate
and give their entire net worth to the false teacher.
These victims are plundered
both spiritually and financially through deceit and greed.
Contending for the faith
is serious business.
The motivation of false teachers is generally greed, and
they prey on either legitimate needs of their victims or on their victim’s sins
or weaknesses.
One of the most common weaknesses in the Body of Christ, is not
having a working, conversive, knowledge of the Bible. There is great protection
in being full of the knowledge of God—which can only happen if we fill our
minds and spirits with His Word and ask the Holy Spirit to give us
understanding [we must read it for ourselves, not depend on the interpretations
of others]. The Word of God encompasses every part of the Armor of God—most of
which is defensive, protective.
Knowing the Word and acting on it is a
protection from the many snares the enemy of our souls lays for us. So we see
that contending for the faith is an urgent business and involves biblical
literacy.
One thing is true of most victims; they quickly become defensive of
their teachers and conversive in the false
doctrines they embrace. They quickly memorize talking points, mantras, and slogans that
discourage constructive discussion when defending their paradigm or leader.
Believers
who depend upon daily Bible devotions and Bible studies for all their Bible
knowledge are also at risk. Daily devotions can be helpful but are limited. When these are the sum total of our Bible
reading, the vast majority of the Bible never gets read.
The only way to ensure
the protection of biblical literacy is to read our entire Bibles on a daily and
systematic basis. This writer,
recommends reading our Bibles every day, always picking up today where we left
off yesterday.
