TITUS CHAPTER 3.......CIVIL ORDER Inspired by the kindness and philanthropy of God.
The chapter majors on Christian good works, which are to be the natural occupation of those who have been fitted for true service by the mercy of God.
Good works in public life Verses 1-7 on account of God’s kindness to us; the call is for subjection to public authority.
Good works in personal life Verses 8-10 as an evidence of our faith in God; the call is to do works that are profitable to men
Good works in the necessities of life Verses 11-14 to supply life’s necessities; the call is to be fruitful in material things.
Of the Lord Jesus it was said “...who went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him.” Acts 10v38. The One who came to represent God to the world, not only came preaching and teaching, but He did good in the community in which He moved. It is not all about sound doctrine, it is also about good works. No community can fail to be impressed by acts of kindness, and humble service and this is what God wants of His people. That our salvation is not of works is attested by this epistle (chapter 3v4); that it is unto good works is made clear in this chapter and others, and where the unbeliever is unable to accept the doctrine, they may be won by acts of mercy. Even in the relatively prosperous time in which we live there are many opportunities to shew kindness for Jesus’ sake.
Verses 1-7 Good works in public life. This very powerful section can be subdivided into three parts; 1) The Divine ideal for society... verses 1-2; 2) Human independence... verse 3; 3) Divine intervention... verses 4-7.
Verses 1-2 Subjection to earthly authorities: “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, and to obey magistrates”. The biblical term “principalities and powers” occurs 8 times in the new testament, and refers to strata’s of government amongst invisible demon spirits (Romans 8v38; Ephesians 6v12; Colossians 2v15; invisible heavenly angels (Ephesians 3v10); and earthly powers (Titus 3v1). A few other references apply to all authorities, whether demon, angelic, or human (Colossians 1v16; Colossians 2v10; Ephesians 1v21.) It would appear that we should understand the term as referring to the unseen controllers of the world’s authorities for good or bad and that earthly visible authorities are being manipulated by unseen powers (refer last half of Daniel chapter 10). It is good to know that all powers and authorities are subject to Jesus Christ who is “the head of every principality and power”. For the time on earth we are to be subject to the visible authorities; we may think of the powers as national authority and the magistrates as local authorities. In both cases we are to obey their demands, in everything except where their laws conflict with the revealed will of God. Peter (who refused to obey the injunction of the High Priest to cease preaching) enjoins us to “submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1st Peter 2v13). Paul teaches in Romans 13v1 that “the powers that be are ordained of God” and to resist them in the good work they do is to resist God who put them there. In matters of civil government we are to comply with authoritarian demands. Things like taxes/traffic laws/the judiciary, we are to pay our dues to society for it’s good order. The word subject is a military term which means to rank under, to give those in authority the respect due to their status.
Verses 1-2 Readiness to help in any way we can. From civic duty, he moves now to our duties as citizens. This is undefined and may refer to assistance to the authorities, or public spiritedness where we engage in works for the common good. Certainly the Cretians were said to be fretting and fuming against the Roman yoke and had the tendency to be rebellious. In their culture to cease protesting meant a radical change; in our culture it may mean voluntary work of a civic nature. What is emphasised is the attitude, rather than the actions, and humble submission and cooperation can be a powerful testimony for God. Things like prison or hospital visitation, children’s work, care for the homeless, support for drug addicts, comfort for the bereaved and lonely, come into the category of “every good work”. In the course of such work we are not to indulge in slander, or criticism, or violence. Rather we are to shew the spirit of Christ in gentleness and meekness to all men even to those who are difficult. The false teachers in chapter 1v16 were said to be “unto every good work reprobate (worthless, unfit); in contrast the believers are to be “ready to every good work.” Only those with God’s salvation can effect any valuable spiritual work. If the false teachers are unfit for God’s work, surely the word “ready” suggests a moral fitness on the part of the true.
Verse 3 How we used to live. “For we also were once(R.V.)....” God reminds us constantly what we were before He saved us, and a change is expected. Reference to Isaiah 51v1; Romans 5vv6-10; 1st Corinthians 6vv10-11; Ephesians 2vv1-12; Ephesians 4vv17-19, and a host of other scriptures reveals the need to remember what we were. What we were was none too pleasant, indeed positively ugly, and nothing of which to be proud. Here is a sevenfold description of man without God; this is an assessment of mankind in general, not necessarily that all these things were true of everyone. This is a portrait of fallen humanity from God who knows all.
Foolish..... anoetus...literally without understanding, unintelligent. God’s assessment of us is that we are all foolish without the knowledge of God. Anyone who claims to understand the universe or humankind without God is just plain deluded. The wisdom in the book of Proverbs declares all who know not God as foolish, simple and without understanding. Science boasts that all it’s conclusions and deductions are based on empirical facts(which is not true), but when those deductions ignore the very source and beginning of all things(which they have never understood, nor can), the conclusions are utter folly. In it’s various forms the term foolish occurs in the Proverbs almost 40 times. A study of each reveals the state of the human mind in this condition. The book begins with the basic fact “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Paul wrote in Romans 1v23 “Professing themselves to be wise they became fools...” The perceived wisdom of man, at its greatest, is foolishness with God. Paul summed it up in Ephesians 4vv17-18 “...having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness(hardness) of their heart....”. Psalm 14v1 “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God”. This is the embarrassing feature of all unconverted people.
Disobedient.....apeithes....which means they are unteachable, unpersuadable, pig-headed, wise in their own conceits. They will not take instruction from God or man, and certainly not from those in authority. The Proverbs speaks of this in many places; Chapter 1v7 “...fools despise wisdom and instruction.”; 1v22 “...scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge.” 1v25 “...ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof.” 1v29 “...they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord” etc/etc.
Deceived......planeo...literally to err, to wander, to be led astray. As in Eden disobedience led to delusion. The present world is being lulled to sleep by Satan (1st John 5v19). The great deception goes on, generation after generation. The lie that was first spun in Eden, that by following God, they would lose out, is playing out in the hearts of millions today. They were promised the knowledge of good and evil if they disobeyed God; they already knew good, so all they learned was evil. The truth is told in Revelation 20v10 “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.” In our salvation we have been delivered from all that.
Serving divers lusts and pleasures.....in bondage to, enslaved by.... few will admit being in bondage to anything, but mankind is being manipulated and imprisoned by forces within that are evil, and powerfully so, whether of desires within, or pleasures without. Living in even legitimate things, and seemingly harmless things, without God, is sinful. Jesus came to tell us of the state of mankind “...he that committeth(practices, lives the life in the realm of) sin is the slave of sin.” John 8v34. Paul speaks of sin as a ruling monarch, who holds his subjects in abject slavery...Romans 6 v19 (“you yielded your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity...”). This was a lifestyle totally at the mercy of an inward force you could not control.
Living in malice and envy......what you were all about was, ultimately, bearing ill will toward others, and envious of what others had. The desire to put others down, and take for yourself what rightfully belongs to another. Because you did not love God, you had no love for your fellow man. The two things are inextricably linked.
Hateful......Intolerant, sectarian, nationalistic, racist, argumentative, implacable.
Hating one another......family feuds, gang rivalry, seditions, wars. The inward attitude spills over into outward enmity. It is documented in the bible that the end to all this is near global annihilation.
Verses 4-7 But for the intervention of God in mercy, the world would plunge into ultimate ruin. God did intervene, and to an undeserving world He appeared in an unmistakeable way....the word for “appeared” is epiphania denoting a bright shining light. His appearance was in public, like a light in the darkness. In the words of scripture “He could not be hid” and “these things were not done in a corner”. Nigh on 2000 years later His followers form the greatest single entity on earth, largely unseen, but soon to be unveiled to the whole world! He appeared in kindness, kindness shewn to hateful and rebellious people. He appeared in love, the word is different to the normal word for Divine love(agape), this is the word “philanthropia” from which we get philanthropy, used for the actions of the benevolent supplying the needs of those without. It literally means “love of mankind”...from phileo, to love, and anthropos- mankind in general. He appeared in kindness and benevolence, a deliverer of the human race. The word is used in Acts 28 v2, of natives providing fire for heat and protection from the rain for those who had been shipwrecked...this picture is graphic and the philanthropy of God to mankind is relevant to the teaching here. He appeared as a Saviour, a deliverer, the only one who could, when man was doomed. In rich Divine benevolence He provided the need. We could not provide for ourselves, it was “not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” ... God is a benevolent God since He causes “His sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” Matthew 5v45. He has stepped into the human condition, to save us, and it is this same benevolence we are to shew to the world. Mercy is eleos and means pity, compassion. He is benevolent in material provision, also in spiritual, which is the greater need.
Paul goes on to expound the way in which God has saved us. Firstly He has washed us, then He has renewed us. The washing goes to the filth of our sin, a subject topical in Crete. A holy God will have nothing to do with sin; if He would save us He must first wash us. He must remove the barrier of sin in it’s detestable filth, before He can have anything to do with us. This has nothing to do with baptism, since there is no thought of baptismal regeneration in scripture (see 1st Peter 4v21). Rather it is the washing of the spoken word into a receptive heart as per Ephesians 5v26 and John 13vv8-10. This is part of the pre-conversion sanctification of the Spirit just prior to conversion (1ST Peter 1v2 and 2nd Thessalonians 2v13). The Spirit made us clean to serve God and renews our spiritual strength with the infinite supply of the Holy Ghost within. God never does anything by half or inadequate measures and He pours the power of renewal in the Spirit abundantly. We are clean, we are renewed and we are abundantly provided in the inner man. We also have a new standing with God, justified by His grace, with the promise of a glorious inheritance in the future. The compensations are eternal; His intervention in our hopeless situation brought regeneration and sanctification and justification and compensation
Verses 8-10 Good works in personal life He enshrines all this as the final great faithful saying of Christianity and he wants all these wonders of salvation to live within us and to spread their blessing all around. Titus is to “constantly affirm this”, the faithful saying on which all can rely. This is a compound word meaning to affirm strongly or attest confidently, that is, these truths have to be explained accurately and constantly, they bear perpetual repetition. The intervention of God; the kindness of God; the philanthropy of God; the mercy of God; the truth of regeneration (washing); of sanctification (renewing of the Holy Spirit); of the grace of God; of justification; of future compensation (the inheritance). Over and over these things are to be affirmed, they are to be taught until those who have believed in God are putting them into practice in their lives by practical good works, by tangible evidence of the goodness they have received. The good works are the natural outcome of the faith, which must be seen in works. Life and lip working together to give evidence to the people who have no faith. The good works here are therefore linked to testimony. Materially and spiritually this will result in profit to all. Our lives are to be good(noble...unlike our former lives) and profitable (useful...unlike the false teachers who are reprobate, useless to God.) Interestingly enough, profitability is the whole point of the next study in Philemon as we shall see. What a wonder that worthless people can be profitable to all by sharing in word and in deed the riches of our Saviour God.
“”But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and vain.”
In the perpetual affirmation of the priceless truths of the gospel, we are to avoid doctrinal trivialities and deviations. The things of God are not for debate, although many will seek to wrangle, especially those coming from a religious background. There are things the bible does not explain, we have all we need to know. Extra biblical philosophy is worthless, and tends only to strife. God has spoken, His word is clear, and we should be content. We are to promote only that which is profitable to man, these opinionative things are unprofitable.
“A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sins, being condemned of himself.”
There are always those who will hold their own opinions...the heretic is a person who holds opinionative doctrines contrary to the word, with a view to dividing the church...a schismatic, factious person. Such are to be warned at least twice (thus patience is to be shewn), then rejected, if no repentance. Heretics are those who have rejected the doctrine, it is not simply a difference of interpretation, it is a sinful departure from the word, therefore false teaching. This must be confronted by those who hold and teach the doctrine, for the protection of the company. The word reject means shun, avoid, excuse. This may involve expulsion from the group, but each case must be taken on merit. Certainly the church must pronounce on the situation, the truth of God is too precious to be opposed amongst us.
Verses 10-15 Good works in the necessities of life Simply put this means to work for your living to be able to maintain the work of God. Just as a car does not run on air, so a church cannot function without material necessities. This final appeal is particularly relevant to the Cretians as, naturally speaking they tended to be lazy, and backward in the realm of giving (chapter 1v12). He says “Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” Scripture makes it clear that God’s people are to be good workers and not shirkers. A modern trend may be the abuse of the social services system to avoid work. This is the desire of God for His people in this respect; Ephesians 4v28 “...let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs.” Acts 20vv34-35 “Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how He said “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Involved in good works is fruitful employment which produces material necessities for ourselves, our families and for others.
In the verses, he mentions names of those involved in the work of the gospel, in terms of travelling and preaching and general living expenses, Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas the lawyer(did Paul need a lawyer?) Apollos. Those who receive the spiritual services of servants are responsible to meet their material need, a subject that will be made very clear in the study of Philemon.
He closes with salutations and greetings. He uses the word phileo....brotherly love, affectionate love, which ties in with the philanthropy of God shewn to all. This is to be returned in kind among all who are of faith.
The chapter majors on Christian good works, which are to be the natural occupation of those who have been fitted for true service by the mercy of God.
Good works in public life Verses 1-7 on account of God’s kindness to us; the call is for subjection to public authority.
Good works in personal life Verses 8-10 as an evidence of our faith in God; the call is to do works that are profitable to men
Good works in the necessities of life Verses 11-14 to supply life’s necessities; the call is to be fruitful in material things.
Of the Lord Jesus it was said “...who went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him.” Acts 10v38. The One who came to represent God to the world, not only came preaching and teaching, but He did good in the community in which He moved. It is not all about sound doctrine, it is also about good works. No community can fail to be impressed by acts of kindness, and humble service and this is what God wants of His people. That our salvation is not of works is attested by this epistle (chapter 3v4); that it is unto good works is made clear in this chapter and others, and where the unbeliever is unable to accept the doctrine, they may be won by acts of mercy. Even in the relatively prosperous time in which we live there are many opportunities to shew kindness for Jesus’ sake.
Verses 1-7 Good works in public life. This very powerful section can be subdivided into three parts; 1) The Divine ideal for society... verses 1-2; 2) Human independence... verse 3; 3) Divine intervention... verses 4-7.
Verses 1-2 Subjection to earthly authorities: “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, and to obey magistrates”. The biblical term “principalities and powers” occurs 8 times in the new testament, and refers to strata’s of government amongst invisible demon spirits (Romans 8v38; Ephesians 6v12; Colossians 2v15; invisible heavenly angels (Ephesians 3v10); and earthly powers (Titus 3v1). A few other references apply to all authorities, whether demon, angelic, or human (Colossians 1v16; Colossians 2v10; Ephesians 1v21.) It would appear that we should understand the term as referring to the unseen controllers of the world’s authorities for good or bad and that earthly visible authorities are being manipulated by unseen powers (refer last half of Daniel chapter 10). It is good to know that all powers and authorities are subject to Jesus Christ who is “the head of every principality and power”. For the time on earth we are to be subject to the visible authorities; we may think of the powers as national authority and the magistrates as local authorities. In both cases we are to obey their demands, in everything except where their laws conflict with the revealed will of God. Peter (who refused to obey the injunction of the High Priest to cease preaching) enjoins us to “submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1st Peter 2v13). Paul teaches in Romans 13v1 that “the powers that be are ordained of God” and to resist them in the good work they do is to resist God who put them there. In matters of civil government we are to comply with authoritarian demands. Things like taxes/traffic laws/the judiciary, we are to pay our dues to society for it’s good order. The word subject is a military term which means to rank under, to give those in authority the respect due to their status.
Verses 1-2 Readiness to help in any way we can. From civic duty, he moves now to our duties as citizens. This is undefined and may refer to assistance to the authorities, or public spiritedness where we engage in works for the common good. Certainly the Cretians were said to be fretting and fuming against the Roman yoke and had the tendency to be rebellious. In their culture to cease protesting meant a radical change; in our culture it may mean voluntary work of a civic nature. What is emphasised is the attitude, rather than the actions, and humble submission and cooperation can be a powerful testimony for God. Things like prison or hospital visitation, children’s work, care for the homeless, support for drug addicts, comfort for the bereaved and lonely, come into the category of “every good work”. In the course of such work we are not to indulge in slander, or criticism, or violence. Rather we are to shew the spirit of Christ in gentleness and meekness to all men even to those who are difficult. The false teachers in chapter 1v16 were said to be “unto every good work reprobate (worthless, unfit); in contrast the believers are to be “ready to every good work.” Only those with God’s salvation can effect any valuable spiritual work. If the false teachers are unfit for God’s work, surely the word “ready” suggests a moral fitness on the part of the true.
Verse 3 How we used to live. “For we also were once(R.V.)....” God reminds us constantly what we were before He saved us, and a change is expected. Reference to Isaiah 51v1; Romans 5vv6-10; 1st Corinthians 6vv10-11; Ephesians 2vv1-12; Ephesians 4vv17-19, and a host of other scriptures reveals the need to remember what we were. What we were was none too pleasant, indeed positively ugly, and nothing of which to be proud. Here is a sevenfold description of man without God; this is an assessment of mankind in general, not necessarily that all these things were true of everyone. This is a portrait of fallen humanity from God who knows all.
Foolish..... anoetus...literally without understanding, unintelligent. God’s assessment of us is that we are all foolish without the knowledge of God. Anyone who claims to understand the universe or humankind without God is just plain deluded. The wisdom in the book of Proverbs declares all who know not God as foolish, simple and without understanding. Science boasts that all it’s conclusions and deductions are based on empirical facts(which is not true), but when those deductions ignore the very source and beginning of all things(which they have never understood, nor can), the conclusions are utter folly. In it’s various forms the term foolish occurs in the Proverbs almost 40 times. A study of each reveals the state of the human mind in this condition. The book begins with the basic fact “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Paul wrote in Romans 1v23 “Professing themselves to be wise they became fools...” The perceived wisdom of man, at its greatest, is foolishness with God. Paul summed it up in Ephesians 4vv17-18 “...having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness(hardness) of their heart....”. Psalm 14v1 “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God”. This is the embarrassing feature of all unconverted people.
Disobedient.....apeithes....which means they are unteachable, unpersuadable, pig-headed, wise in their own conceits. They will not take instruction from God or man, and certainly not from those in authority. The Proverbs speaks of this in many places; Chapter 1v7 “...fools despise wisdom and instruction.”; 1v22 “...scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge.” 1v25 “...ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof.” 1v29 “...they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord” etc/etc.
Deceived......planeo...literally to err, to wander, to be led astray. As in Eden disobedience led to delusion. The present world is being lulled to sleep by Satan (1st John 5v19). The great deception goes on, generation after generation. The lie that was first spun in Eden, that by following God, they would lose out, is playing out in the hearts of millions today. They were promised the knowledge of good and evil if they disobeyed God; they already knew good, so all they learned was evil. The truth is told in Revelation 20v10 “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.” In our salvation we have been delivered from all that.
Serving divers lusts and pleasures.....in bondage to, enslaved by.... few will admit being in bondage to anything, but mankind is being manipulated and imprisoned by forces within that are evil, and powerfully so, whether of desires within, or pleasures without. Living in even legitimate things, and seemingly harmless things, without God, is sinful. Jesus came to tell us of the state of mankind “...he that committeth(practices, lives the life in the realm of) sin is the slave of sin.” John 8v34. Paul speaks of sin as a ruling monarch, who holds his subjects in abject slavery...Romans 6 v19 (“you yielded your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity...”). This was a lifestyle totally at the mercy of an inward force you could not control.
Living in malice and envy......what you were all about was, ultimately, bearing ill will toward others, and envious of what others had. The desire to put others down, and take for yourself what rightfully belongs to another. Because you did not love God, you had no love for your fellow man. The two things are inextricably linked.
Hateful......Intolerant, sectarian, nationalistic, racist, argumentative, implacable.
Hating one another......family feuds, gang rivalry, seditions, wars. The inward attitude spills over into outward enmity. It is documented in the bible that the end to all this is near global annihilation.
Verses 4-7 But for the intervention of God in mercy, the world would plunge into ultimate ruin. God did intervene, and to an undeserving world He appeared in an unmistakeable way....the word for “appeared” is epiphania denoting a bright shining light. His appearance was in public, like a light in the darkness. In the words of scripture “He could not be hid” and “these things were not done in a corner”. Nigh on 2000 years later His followers form the greatest single entity on earth, largely unseen, but soon to be unveiled to the whole world! He appeared in kindness, kindness shewn to hateful and rebellious people. He appeared in love, the word is different to the normal word for Divine love(agape), this is the word “philanthropia” from which we get philanthropy, used for the actions of the benevolent supplying the needs of those without. It literally means “love of mankind”...from phileo, to love, and anthropos- mankind in general. He appeared in kindness and benevolence, a deliverer of the human race. The word is used in Acts 28 v2, of natives providing fire for heat and protection from the rain for those who had been shipwrecked...this picture is graphic and the philanthropy of God to mankind is relevant to the teaching here. He appeared as a Saviour, a deliverer, the only one who could, when man was doomed. In rich Divine benevolence He provided the need. We could not provide for ourselves, it was “not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” ... God is a benevolent God since He causes “His sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” Matthew 5v45. He has stepped into the human condition, to save us, and it is this same benevolence we are to shew to the world. Mercy is eleos and means pity, compassion. He is benevolent in material provision, also in spiritual, which is the greater need.
Paul goes on to expound the way in which God has saved us. Firstly He has washed us, then He has renewed us. The washing goes to the filth of our sin, a subject topical in Crete. A holy God will have nothing to do with sin; if He would save us He must first wash us. He must remove the barrier of sin in it’s detestable filth, before He can have anything to do with us. This has nothing to do with baptism, since there is no thought of baptismal regeneration in scripture (see 1st Peter 4v21). Rather it is the washing of the spoken word into a receptive heart as per Ephesians 5v26 and John 13vv8-10. This is part of the pre-conversion sanctification of the Spirit just prior to conversion (1ST Peter 1v2 and 2nd Thessalonians 2v13). The Spirit made us clean to serve God and renews our spiritual strength with the infinite supply of the Holy Ghost within. God never does anything by half or inadequate measures and He pours the power of renewal in the Spirit abundantly. We are clean, we are renewed and we are abundantly provided in the inner man. We also have a new standing with God, justified by His grace, with the promise of a glorious inheritance in the future. The compensations are eternal; His intervention in our hopeless situation brought regeneration and sanctification and justification and compensation
Verses 8-10 Good works in personal life He enshrines all this as the final great faithful saying of Christianity and he wants all these wonders of salvation to live within us and to spread their blessing all around. Titus is to “constantly affirm this”, the faithful saying on which all can rely. This is a compound word meaning to affirm strongly or attest confidently, that is, these truths have to be explained accurately and constantly, they bear perpetual repetition. The intervention of God; the kindness of God; the philanthropy of God; the mercy of God; the truth of regeneration (washing); of sanctification (renewing of the Holy Spirit); of the grace of God; of justification; of future compensation (the inheritance). Over and over these things are to be affirmed, they are to be taught until those who have believed in God are putting them into practice in their lives by practical good works, by tangible evidence of the goodness they have received. The good works are the natural outcome of the faith, which must be seen in works. Life and lip working together to give evidence to the people who have no faith. The good works here are therefore linked to testimony. Materially and spiritually this will result in profit to all. Our lives are to be good(noble...unlike our former lives) and profitable (useful...unlike the false teachers who are reprobate, useless to God.) Interestingly enough, profitability is the whole point of the next study in Philemon as we shall see. What a wonder that worthless people can be profitable to all by sharing in word and in deed the riches of our Saviour God.
“”But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and vain.”
In the perpetual affirmation of the priceless truths of the gospel, we are to avoid doctrinal trivialities and deviations. The things of God are not for debate, although many will seek to wrangle, especially those coming from a religious background. There are things the bible does not explain, we have all we need to know. Extra biblical philosophy is worthless, and tends only to strife. God has spoken, His word is clear, and we should be content. We are to promote only that which is profitable to man, these opinionative things are unprofitable.
“A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sins, being condemned of himself.”
There are always those who will hold their own opinions...the heretic is a person who holds opinionative doctrines contrary to the word, with a view to dividing the church...a schismatic, factious person. Such are to be warned at least twice (thus patience is to be shewn), then rejected, if no repentance. Heretics are those who have rejected the doctrine, it is not simply a difference of interpretation, it is a sinful departure from the word, therefore false teaching. This must be confronted by those who hold and teach the doctrine, for the protection of the company. The word reject means shun, avoid, excuse. This may involve expulsion from the group, but each case must be taken on merit. Certainly the church must pronounce on the situation, the truth of God is too precious to be opposed amongst us.
Verses 10-15 Good works in the necessities of life Simply put this means to work for your living to be able to maintain the work of God. Just as a car does not run on air, so a church cannot function without material necessities. This final appeal is particularly relevant to the Cretians as, naturally speaking they tended to be lazy, and backward in the realm of giving (chapter 1v12). He says “Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” Scripture makes it clear that God’s people are to be good workers and not shirkers. A modern trend may be the abuse of the social services system to avoid work. This is the desire of God for His people in this respect; Ephesians 4v28 “...let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs.” Acts 20vv34-35 “Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how He said “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Involved in good works is fruitful employment which produces material necessities for ourselves, our families and for others.
In the verses, he mentions names of those involved in the work of the gospel, in terms of travelling and preaching and general living expenses, Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas the lawyer(did Paul need a lawyer?) Apollos. Those who receive the spiritual services of servants are responsible to meet their material need, a subject that will be made very clear in the study of Philemon.
He closes with salutations and greetings. He uses the word phileo....brotherly love, affectionate love, which ties in with the philanthropy of God shewn to all. This is to be returned in kind among all who are of faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment