◄ What Does Titus 1:11 Mean? ►

There were many issues in the early Church that Paul frequently addressed, and in his epistle to Titus we discover the importance that he laid on sound teaching, godly leadership, the refuting of legalism in the Church, and other doctrinal errors.

Paul regarded the proclamation of the Word of God, in season and out of season, to be vital in fulfilling one's calling. He was also keen to ensure that the spiritual leadership of the Body of Christ was blameless before God and doctrinally sound. But one issue that caused him much heartache and concern, was the abuse of the gospel of grace and the continuous infiltration of legalistic teachings.

Paul discovered himself to be surrounded with many disorderly men and women who had taken it upon themselves to defy the divinely instituted authority of God's apostles, and to contradict their apostolic teachings.

Paul identified the main culprits as people who peddled that gospel for worldly gain, and those who insisted on returning to the legalistic practices of the ceremonial Law, thus denying the Lord Who bought them and trampling on the all-sufficient sacrifice of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Sadly, such insubordinate practice is no less evident today as it was in those early days of the Church.

Paul knew how vital it was to silence their voice, challenge their error, and expose their motive, knowing that they were able to shipwreck the faith of many who would blindly follow after them: "For they taught what they should not teach, in order to accumulate wealth dishonestly."

Today, there is an explosion of false teachings and an abundance of demonic doctrines, and the Church is saturated with this pernicious infiltration. But the Word of God is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, and Paul reminds us that the best way to refute the false is to teach the truth. The best way to combat twisted doctrine is to stand fast in the Scriptures and preach the Word of God.

Paul gave the following warning: "It is necessary to silence such trouble-makers; because they overthrow whole households by teaching what they shouldn't in order to get money dishonestly." How vital therefore that individual Christians as well as pastors, teachers, elders, and evangelists study to show themselves approved unto God. How necessary to know the truth and to teach the truth of the glorious gospel of grace in word and in deed, as we wait for Christ's any day appearance.

Heavenly Father, I pray that my heart would be ever open to Your truth and that I am not influenced by any erroneous, legalistic lectures or prosperity teachings, but stand fast in the faith. Thank You that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient and that my salvation does not rest on what I have to do, but on what Christ has done for me on Calvary's Cross. I am so thankful that by shedding His blood for my sins and by rising again from the dead, He paid it all so that by faith in Him, I might have the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. In Jesus' name, AMEN.