Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Titus Volume 7

Paul Gives Titus the Elders Job in the Church Part 1

Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: KJV

Now that Paul has declared to Brother Titus what the qualifications of the man that would be Elder in the Church of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, he now begins a declaration to Titus about what the man's responsibility or task in the office should be and that is to serve as a spiritual body guard for the Gospel of Grace and the Word of God. Just as important men and women (in the world) have body guards to protect theirs and their families personal physical safety, so is the job of the Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ to protect the spiritual health of the children of God in Christ Body 'the Church' and in so doing he must first be knowledgeble of the Word of God himself and hold firm and fast to it as we learned in the previous study/commentary in Volume 6. The truth of the Gospel is always and at all times coming under attack from the enemy and it is the job of the Elder to defend the Body of Christ with the truth of the Word of God, so Paul declares this to Brother Titus first to prepare the Elders then to refute error, "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:" (Titus 1:10) (KJV).

The English word 'unruly' is translated by the Greek word anupotaktos meaning unsubdued, that is, insubordinate (in fact or temper): - disobedient, that is not put under, unruly. The little English phrase 'vain talkers' is translated by the Greek word mataiologos (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning an idle (that is, senseless or mischievous) talker, that is, a wrangler: - vain talker. The English word 'deceivers' is translated by the Greek word phrenapatēs (used also this one time only in the New Testament) meaning a mind misleader, that is, seducer: - deceiver. When Paul writes, 'specially they of the circumcision', he simply means those from Judaism. In other words, the Elders that Titus appointed were to declare the Gospel and teach the Word of God with such conviction, conciseness, and clarity that all the foolish questions and unprofitable words coming into the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ still relating it to the Law of Moses, that is, old Judaism would be destroyed by the simplicity of the Gospel.

This is what Paul feared for the believers in Corinth who were being bombarded with error from false Apostles and Paul wrote these words to them regarding his concern, "I would that you were bearing with me a little in foolishness; but indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ. For if, indeed, the one coming proclaims another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive another spirit, which you did not receive, or another Gospel, which you never accepted, you might well endure these." (2 Corinthians 11:1-4) (MKJV). In like manner today and in every era and generation the Elders job is to protect the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ from those who would come in and preach another jesus or a different gospel from 'The Jesus' and 'The Gopsel' declared by the first Apostles.

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say about this verse, "Those false teachers are described. They were unruly, headstrong and ambitious of power, refractory and untractable (as some render it), and such as would not bear nor submit themselves to the discipline and necessary order in the Church, impatient of good government and of sound doctrine. And vain talkers and deceivers, conceiting themselves to be wise, but really foolish, and thence great talkers, falling into errors and mistakes, and fond of them, and studious and industrious to draw others into the same. Many such there were, especially those of the circumcision, converts as they pretended, at least, from the Jews, who yet were for mingling Judaism and Christianity together, and so making a corrupt medley." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say about this verse, "There are many persons who are indisposed to submit to authority; many who are vain talkers - who are more given to talk than to the duties of practical religion; and many who live to deceive others under the mask of religion. They make great pretensions to piety; they are fluent in argument, and they urge their views in a plausible manner. Jews, spoken of here as 'of the circumcision' particularly, because they urged the necessity of circumcision in order that men might be saved; This proves that there were not a few Jews in the island of Crete."

The Gopsel of Jesus Christ is the complete and final end to the Law of Moses or the religion of Judaism being the only means to a relationship with the One True God, for when our Lord Jesus Christ (God) became a man and died for the sins of the world and was resurrected from the dead and then later ascended back into heaven, the acceptance of His Gospel as the only means of sin forgiveness and reaching God is the now building of a relationship with God that is, apart and seperate of any religion or practice or spirituality, for now Christ through the Holy Spirit is individually plucking out of this old world into His Mystical Body a new people that He will make fit for heaven with Him and therefore, no man or woman need any other to give them anything that is outside of or contrary to the Gospel of Grace, just as Paul wrote to the Galatian believers with these words, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you are circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law, you who are justified by Law are deprived of all effect from Christ; you fell from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness out of faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any strength, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:1-6) (MKJV).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…