0722 REBUKE THEM SHARPLY

JULY 22 = TITUS 1

REBUKE THEM SHARPLY

The gospel is a message of grace, and Paul is going to remind Titus of that truth multiple times in this letter. The gospel is also a message of truth. Jesus was full of grace and truth, and he came to bring them to mankind.

You might say that the opposite of grace is law, rebellion, oppression, regulations, requirements and limits. And the opposite of truth is falsehood, deception, lies and imbalance.

So when teachers come along who are rebellious and full of deception, they must be silenced. Especially so when they teach things they ought not to teach for the sake of dishonest gain. This is what was happening on the island of Crete, where Paul had left Titus to straighten out the organization of the churches there.

That’s why Paul says, 

“… Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”

So, when do you know to rebuke someone “sharply?” I think of Priscilla and Aquila who spoke with Apollos and explained the ways of God more fully to him. And of how Paul told Timothy that the Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be kind to all. What is a time to confront with a sharp rebuke? Let’s see what the elements are of this false teaching.

Merely human commands of those who reject the truth. Unlike Apollos, these people have heard the truth, but they have rejected it. They don’t need to have the truth explained to them, but they need to stop rejecting it.

Corrupted and do not believe. If they are teaching for dishonest gain, then they are corrupted. If their lifestyles are immoral or in some way inconsistent with the moral God they claim to represent, then they don’t believe their own message.

Minds and consciences are corrupted. In fact, their corruption is so complete, both their minds and their consciences are corrupted. They have convinced themselves in their minds that they are not living immoral lives. And they have even convinced their consciences that they have nothing to feel guilty about. They are truly hardened in their hearts. 

They deny God by their actions. They follow “Jewish myths” and “merely human commands.” But their actions show that they don’t believe in a final judgment from a righteous God. 

They are detestable. Detestable is a strong word, reserved only for the truly hardened of heart. 

They are disobedient. They should know to obey, but they choose not to. There is no excuse for disobedience.

They are unfit for doing anything good. Their teaching is so poisoned that nothing good can come of what these people are propagating by their lives.

Parents know well the fine line between loving someone and warning or even scolding them. They know that it is possible to do both at the same time.

Jesus himself does provide an example of giving a sharp rebuke to the Pharisees in Matthew 24. He calls them hypocrites, blind guides and fools, says they make their followers twice the sons of hell that they themselves are. I imagine Jesus delivering those harsh words with tears, much as the Father had held out his own hands all day long to a stubborn and obstinate people, and yet they would not repent. But there is a time for not beating around the bush or mincing words.

This is truly a challenging test, to know when to gently correct and when to sharply rebuke. The Holy Spirit, who is the heart of God, will guide us in knowing the difference between the two, and will show us how to love someone, even as we severely scold them. Amen.