Rebellious Talkers

Rebellious Talkers
Words of Faith 8-29-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Titus 1
[10] For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. [11] They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain. [12] Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." [13] This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith [14] and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.

Titus was the assigned overseer of the churches in Crete. But more than just observe, Paul called on him to "straighten out what was left unfinished" and to organize the leadership of the churches in every town. Why was this so important?
Paul got more specific here: "There are many rebellious people." We often think of the first century as the golden era of the church when everything was wonderful. In fact, there were some serious problems to contend with. The early growth of the church was being threatened by those who were disobedient and "unruly" as the KJV translates.
Paul identified the primary characteristics in these people as having to do with the mouth. These unruly people were "mere talkers"-- meaning "empty" in what they say. They were also deceivers who were spreading lies. Some of these unruly individuals were part of a movement that Paul identifies as the "circumcision group."
The "circumcision group" consisted of people who were raised in the Jewish faith and tradition before associating with the Christian movement. They were religionists who argued that Gentile believers needed to become fully Jewish, including the ritual of male circumcision, before they could be "saved" and follow Christ.
These debates actually played out among the major leaders of the early church (Acts 11:2, Acts 15, Galatians 2:12) but Paul adamantly rejected these religious requirements. The matter was settled at the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15. After debating the issue of male circumcision and Jewish dietary rule they wrote: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things" (Acts 15:28-29).
But these same groups scattered about and now were "ruining whole households"-- subverting or upsetting them-- by wrong teachings and the seeking of dishonest gain. One of these traveling "prophets" had been rude and offensive labeling the people of Crete as "always liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons." For Paul, this was not the way to win the people of Crete for the Gospel of Christ so he called for a sharp rebuke.
But don't miss this. The purpose of the rebuke, even in such a dire situation, was that even these might return to sound faith and not pay attention to Jewish myths or the commands of those who reject the Gospel. Paul always had a heart for people to be saved and come to a right relationship with Jesus through the Gospel of Grace.
What are we to gain from this? In our time, some movements arise periodically that seek to rein in the Gospel of grace. It may be an effort to create more rules or to categorically reject a specific group within the culture. Movements that reclaim Jewish roots are helpful because there are many wonderful truths and experiences within Jewish history and culture. But when such efforts set up rules of observance or requirements for believers, especially as a requirement for salvation, this flies in the face of the Gospel of Grace.
Our task is the same as that of Paul, Timothy, and Titus. We are called to bring the wonderful Gospel to people without additions or subtractions. This is a Gospel of grace, mercy, and love. Doctrinal truth must be taught and grace must be proclaimed.

Father God, focus my heart on what is truly important to You. Keep my heart free from a religion of rules and set upon the truth of Your grace and freedom. Give me discernment regarding the teachings that come my way. Show me the way to separate the religion of man from the Gospel of Grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.