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SPIRITUAL PLAGUE SPREADER OR WORLD CHANGER?
Titus 3:9-15
Bob Bonner
November 1, 2009
Over the centuries of her existence, the church has been plagued with people who have caused division, but it has also been blessed with people who have done great good to those within the church and to those outside of the fellowship of Christians. This morning in our study of God’s Word, we come to the closing section of Paul’s letter to Titus, Titus 3:9-15. In this section, we encounter both types of people—those who were trouble to the church and those who were a blessing to the church. In our passage, Paul gives us helpful instruction about how we should deal with the problem folks and how we should encourage those who are living productive lives for the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.
For those of you who may be just joining us at this, the end of our study of Titus, allow me to give you a quick overview of the contents of this letter of Paul’s to his associate, Titus. Paul and Titus had originally been on the island of Crete together looking for Christians there and doing some evangelism. What they found when they arrived was that no formal church or fellowship of Christians had been established on the island. They also found a handful of baby Christians who had come to Christ about thirty years before.
Apparently, during the preaching that took place in Jerusalem on the feast of Pentecost which followed Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven, there were present some Jews from Crete who had come to worship in their homeland at Herod’s temple. There they heard the Gospel, got saved, and returned to Crete. There is no historical evidence that during the intervening thirty years there had been any follow-up or discipleship of these new believers. They had no idea what they possessed in Christ, and they knew near nothing of His commandments or the purpose for which He had saved them. They were completely ignorant. As a result, when Paul and Titus arrived, they saw very little difference between the way the Christians were living on Crete and the way their fellow pagans were living. The Christians were just as immoral, just as lazy, just as rebellious against any authority figure, and just as deceitful as those who did not know Christ.
When the Apostle Paul found it necessary to move on from Crete, he left his associate Titus behind so that he might “straighten out what was left unfinished,” such as the continued training of and appointing of the first elders of the church. It was also necessary to rebuke and confront the false teachers that abounded on the island and had been using the people to their own ends.
One major theme throughout this letter is Titus’ desire to stir up the Christians to do good works. This subject of “good works” is mentioned eight times in the book. It is an expression that not only refers to moral living, but also profitable, worthwhile, or helpful deeds towards fellow believers and the lost. The purpose for these good deeds was to promote the Gospel and to demonstrate its positive effects upon society. It would be through the honesty and hard work of Christians that they would demonstrate good will to those around them, winning their trust and the right to be heard as it concerned the Good News about Jesus Christ. The faithful Christians’ lives would stand out in stark contrast to the lazy, lying, deceiving, selfish, non-law abiding, drunken, and immoral lifestyle for which the Cretans were typically known worldwide. To train up the Christians in that environment to live godly lives amidst this cesspool and to buy into their mission of reaching their families, friends, and neighbors to Christ was no easy job for Titus.
Because these Christians on the island of Crete had been such spiritual babies, they became easy prey for the large number of false religious teachers who claimed to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, to be His servants, and to teach His Word. In reality, false prophets were enemies of the Lord, His Word, and His church. They had generated so much confusion in the minds of these baby Christians that Paul had admonished Titus to “set in order what remains.”
The most influential and dangerous of these false teachers were the Jewish legalists, whom Paul in 1:10 called “those of the circumcision,” and in 1:14 described as ones who promoted “Jewish myths.” Furthermore, these religious leaders were liars and deceivers, ripping off the sheep through “sordid gain.” Because these false teachers had caused such great damage to the cause of Christ, Paul ordered that they be refuted in 1:9, silenced in verse 11, and reproved in verse 13. They professed to know God, Paul explained in verse 16, but by their deeds denied Him.
Many of these false teachers were wolves in sheep’s clothing. And when we come to the very end of Paul’s letter to Titus, it should not surprise us that his final words are aimed at these false teachers. They had joined the local church but were putting their personal interests and false teachings ahead of what God’s Word explained and ahead of the purpose of the church, the proclamation of the Gospel. Hence, Paul gives these final instructions to Titus concerning what to do with these infiltrators in verses 9-11. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”
“Controversies” refers to those futile arguments that were based on human reasoning and imagination rather than God’s Word. Examples of these kinds of controversies that the Jewish commentaries have preserved are the following: Should a Jew eat an egg laid on a festival day? What sort of wick and oil should a Jew use for candles he burns on the Sabbath?
“Genealogies” does not refer to those purposeful ones given to us in Scripture, like the ones tracing our Savior’s lineage. Rather, the genealogies in view were speculations about the origins and descendants of persons which some thought had spiritual significance, making someone more righteous before God.
“Strife” is a general term that carries the idea of all kinds of self-centered rivalry and contentiousness about the truth or decisions made by those in leadership.
These controversies and arguments about genealogies and the Law were not only unprofitable and worthless, but they distracted and destroyed the unity of the church. They caused people to forget Who saved them and for what purpose. Much of the rivalry would have disappeared if the people had begun with the belief in the inerrancy of Scripture--that it was God’s Word and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in godly living. It is why the ground rules for discussions of all theology have to begin with the commitment to the Bible’s being the Word of God, without error in its original writings. If you can’t agree there, then don’t waste your breath.
When there are people who refuse to obey the Bible or people who place their self-willed opinions above the truth of God’s Word trying to give direction in the church, in no time, disunity will take place. Paul calls such persons perverted, a term that has the meaning of turning something inside out or twisting it. This twistedness will be revealed by the wake of divisiveness caused in the body, and eventually the guilty party’s secret sin-filled lifestyle will surface, which in turn will condemn the individual.
These are the people I label as the “spiritual plague spreaders.” On one hand, some are legalists, who ignore grace. On the other hand, some “spiritual plague spreaders” can also be those who cheapen the concept of God’s grace by encouraging loose living and being tolerant of that which the Bible clearly defines as sin. They disrupt, distract, and destroy the unity of the body. Without apology, Paul says to warn these types of people twice, and then remove them from the church.
In contrast to the “spiritual plague spreaders,” Paul in verses 12-15 points to the “spiritual world changers.” In these his closing words, Paul gives three instructions in verses 12-14, followed by a mutual greeting and a closing benediction in verse 15. However, in all of these verses, it is the people who are the key. Those persons mentioned by name were the world changers of that day.
Paul writes:
12When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come
to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
13Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that
nothing is lacking for them. 14Our people must also learn to engage in
good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
15All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
One cannot help but notice that Paul, by bringing up the names of these people, demonstrates that he was a team player who recognized the importance and function of the other members of the body of Christ. Paul was well aware of his need for others in his life. He would not have been a complete person without their fellowship. He was not an island unto himself. God had not made him an independent, self-contained, one-man team. Regardless of his office as an apostle, regardless of his unique spiritual gifts and his receiving direct revelation from God, Paul knew he needed the rest of the body of Christ to be fulfilled and to fulfill his calling before God. These final words concerning beloved saints demonstrate Paul’s warmth, compassion, and loving care for others.
I believe there is a real lesson in here for us as it concerns the meaning, the value, and the discovery of the best friendships. The best friendships develop through shared experiences. Most of Paul’s relationships were cultivated in the crucible of ministry partnerships. Some of the best friends you will ever have are those you serve side-by-side with. So, if you are looking to invest in a friendship, why not invest your time in a ministry and build a lasting, eternal friendship.
According to these verses, Titus’ ministry on Crete was shortly going to end. Paul clarifies his plan for Titus’ redeployment. It is contingent upon the arrival of one of two people meant presumably to replace Titus. It was Paul’s urgent wish that when Titus’ replacement had arrived, then Titus was to come quickly, to “make every effort,” or to do his best to join Paul at Nicopolis (on the Adriatic coast of modern Greece), where he was planning to spend the winter.
Titus’ first possible replacement was a man named Artemas. We know absolutely nothing about Artemas. He is mentioned just here in the New Testament. The only thing we can conclude about Artemis is that since he was mentioned here, he must have been of a similar maturity and character as Tychicus.
Tychicus is mentioned on five other occasions. He was a faithful Gentile believer, a native of Asia (Western Turkey) near Ephesus, and probably was sent to the church at Ephesus to replace Timothy. He had traveled with Paul throughout Asia. Later, he was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. Paul sent the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians with Tychicus, who told those churches about Paul’s circumstances He was one of the ones chosen to take the collection to Jerusalem. Now, it looks like he might be replacing Titus on Crete.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he calls Tychicus “our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:7) Tychicus was deeply loved by Paul. Paul was indebted to Tychicus because of the encouragement he brought to Paul in the ministry and in prison, demonstrating his love for Christ and commitment to the Gospel. I can think of no higher commendation than what Paul said about his character. Note the two descriptions of Tychicus. First, he was a “faithful servant.” Like a relief pitcher, he was fresh and ready to go any time the Lord called him to serve. Paul counted on him on several occasions. He was always available to do God’s bidding and could be trusted to complete any assignment given to him. God does not ask us to be brilliant or beautiful, but longs for us to be available. Not famous, but faithful.
I praise God for the many of you in this fellowship who continue to serve and make yourselves available to Christ, even at times when it is inconvenient and personally costly to you. You have no idea how your service to Jesus Christ fires up my jets! For the rest of the elders, I can safely state that we could not do our job of building others up or reaching out to people who don’t know Christ if it were not for your faithfulness to the Lord.
Paul also described Tychicus as a “fellow bond servant.” Paul didn’t pull rank on people because of his position. Followers of the Savior were his fellow servants. Tychicus was a valuable team member! Like Paul, he was a humble man who believed that the best outcome for the Gospel came as a result of being a team member. In his book, The Power of Team Leadership, George Barna writes:
Had the church relied upon a single, incredibly gifted, magnetic individual
. . . the church would surely have collapsed. What the disciples discovered
was that none of them had the complete package of gifts, abilities, and
insights necessary to facilitate the growth of the Christian church, but each
had a very significant and defined role to play in that revolutionary
undertaking.
In verse 13 we find Paul’s second to last instruction to Titus. He is to help Zenas and Apollos get on their way to further ministry. The expression “to help them on their way” literally means “to send forward on a journey” with supplies, funds, or whatever else is needed. It implies the escorting of the traveler part of the way. Paul urges Titus is to care for this matter “diligently,” making sure that these two brothers be given “a good send-off” to continue their ministry.
Zenas and Apollos probably are the ones who carried this letter from Paul to Titus. And now, through this urging, the apostle Paul was giving this baby Cretan church a concrete opportunity to put good deeds into practice and make a significant difference in the worldwide advancement of the Gospel. Through this letter the Apostle Paul is saying to these Christians, “Do a great thing and help these missionaries get their job done!”
Like Artemas, Zenas is only mentioned once in the New Testament. Evidently, he was a converted Jewish lawyer who was an expert in the Mosaic Law. The word used here for “lawyer” is the same as the word "lawyer" that Jesus used in the Gospels to refer to scribes who were the experts in Jewish Law. Hence, Zenas probably was not, as some presume him to be, an expert in Roman law but in Jewish law.
Apollos is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament, always favorably. He was an eloquent Jewish preacher of the gospel from Alexandria, Egypt, who “was mighty in the Scriptures.” We are told in Acts that he was “fervent in spirit . . . speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, acquainted only with the baptism of John.” This was before he met Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, where he sat at their feet and was “instructed in the way of the Lord.” He is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1 as having had an effective ministry in Corinth.
As I consider Paul’s charge to Titus to get the believers in Crete to see the importance of helping to support these two in ministry, it causes me to question. Have I, as an Elder, challenged you enough to consider intentionally setting additional monies aside for the sole purpose of supporting missions throughout the world? Do we take the attitude that whether it be church staff or the missionaries we support, our goal is that nothing may be lacking for them? Or do we take the approach that those in ministry should only have just enough to get by and thus keep them begging for needed support?
Paul’s final instruction, which he expects Titus to make a priority before he leaves this church on Crete, is spelled out in verse 14, and is an outflow of what he has briefly mentioned in verse 13. He says, “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.” This expression “to engage in good deeds” probably refers to being employed in a legal and normal wage-earning activity rather than cheating people out of their money in business. Keep in mind the Cretan culture. Hard work and trying to earn an honest living was not part of this lazy, thieving, selfish, pirate-type of culture. Hence, Paul’s words are instructions to the Cretans to be hardworking so as to meet their own financial needs, but it goes beyond that. In context, Paul is challenging the Christians on Crete and us today to work not just to pay our bills or to satisfy our consumerist addictions, but to support God’s work.
And I would suggest one other reason that Paul instructs us to work hard for money. Because the concept of “good deeds” is repeated so many times throughout this short letter, with the intent to make a difference in the Kingdom of God, we see that Paul means that this engaging in good deeds goes beyond learning how to put in an honest day’s work. It includes sharing your discretionary income, that which doesn’t have to go for paying for your light bill, with others who are in need. The church on Crete had the same opportunity that we have here in Grants Pass as it concerns doing good deeds for people who don’t know Christ and can use our help. God’s Word teaches that doing profitable things, doing good deeds for others, breeds trust and goodwill, which in turn cultivates the soil for the planting of the seeds of the Good News of the Gospel. In other words, if I may borrow a statement from a friend of mine, Dar Wolber, good deeds builds good will that leads to the Good News. If you have an acquaintance who doesn’t know Christ but has a material need, consider using some of your money to do good toward them for the purpose of building good will and trust, so that they will give ear to what you have to say about Christ.
Friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are not to live like the pagan Cretans did, as though this world is all there is. We are to live with one eye on eternity, investing ourselves and all that has been placed at our disposal toward the work of building relationships with people so that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be heard. We are to invest our lives not in pleasure alone, but in that which is eternally profitable.
In verse 14, as throughout this letter, the Apostle Paul is instructing Titus to challenge these believers to get involved and to continue to make it a lifelong practice to do good deeds. This is not a natural trait in any person, to work selflessly to do good to others. It is something that comes through instruction first and then practice. The Greek verb “to learn” emphasizes not the learning that comes from head knowledge, but the learning that comes by way of experience. Paul challenges the believers to learn by experience to be ever involved in good deeds. That means that eyes must be open, ears attentive, and Christians observant to those involved in ministry to see if they can meet pressing needs. Where can you get involved? It is just the opposite of turning a deaf ear to announcements concerning the various needs of ministries here at the church in which we call out for your help, or hoping that someone else will do it when you have the time or resources to do it. Practically speaking, this means that each of us has the responsibility of getting to know what ministries we have here at the church and what the needs are.
Being observant of opportunities to serve involves not limiting yourself to those ministries that we have locally. When you hear a call to support missionaries, do you ignore it, hoping that someone else will take the need seriously? Obviously, to get involved in missions requires engaging in dialogue, asking questions about people’s ministries, and probing to see where one’s personal resources can be utilized. This is part of the learning process. One senior citizen I heard of is somewhat homebound, but heard that a missionary needed someone in the states to put together their monthly news letter with pictures and to make sure that it got to all of their supporters on time. This senior didn’t have money to give, but had the time and computer skills to do the job. It took two hours a month maximum. It has revitalized this person’s life.
Trying to teach people to get involved is one reason why we recently have challenged our small group leaders to encourage their small groups to take on a missionary of our church, to write them, pray for them, and even support them financially. It means getting to know our missionaries and what they are up to through email and letters and opening up our homes to them when they come through.
Please hear this: If you distance yourself, trying to maintain some degree of anonymity or invisibility in church life, you will not learn to engage in good deeds, and your life will end up being a waste of time here on earth rather than a profit in the bigger picture of eternity. When you come to the end of your days, don’t go out of here filled with regrets that you have nothing to show for your life, nothing to show your Savior by way of your gratitude to Him for dying on the cross to save you from hell. I will guarantee you that Jesus is not going to be as concerned with how much theology you know or how much of the Bible you have memorized as He will be with what you did with it!
Paul closes this letter with a mutual greeting and benediction in verse 15. Notice that Paul asked Titus to greet only “those who love us in the faith." He does so because he wants to distinguish the false professors of Christianity from those who are genuine in the faith. He did not want to give them the idea that he approved of their hypocrisy. This greeting was designed to convey genuine fellowship from a distance, but only that fellowship which can take place with those who are in union with Christ and Christ’s purposes, something that is proven by how lives are lived and invested.
One last observation is for you Bible scholars. The second “you” in verse 15 is a plural “you” in the Greek text. In other words, Paul is not speaking there to Titus but to all of the other Christians on Crete, which confirms the idea that the Apostle Paul expected this letter to be read publicly. It was not just a private letter to Titus.
I conclude with a series of questions I would have you consider and answer for yourself. For those of you who are not part of one of our small groups, our ReDi groups, these are the same questions that this week we are encouraging our groups to consider. There are really more questions than can be considered in one week’s meeting, so maybe you can think about one of them a day, each day this week, whether you are a part of a ReDi group or not.
To what extent are you a good steward of what God has given you, investing your time, your efforts, and your money in those who are anxious to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth? What can you demonstrate from your life in the past month that would indicate that you take this seriously, as a follower of Christ?
Can you point to the last time you made yourself available to Christ when it wasn’t convenient to your previously made plans? Keep in mind, God does not ask us to be brilliant or beautiful, but longs for us to be available. Not famous, but faithful.
What friendships have you developed through serving in a ministry together with someone else?
What is your attitude toward returning monies to the Lord that are already His, but have been placed in your stewardship for the furtherance of the Gospel?
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