Titus 1:12-1:14 - Weak Sheep

Calvin (6/13/03)

1:12: The author to which Paul refers is Epimenides, and his quote comes from a book titled "Concerning Oracles." What Paul intends by the term 'prophet' is debatable here. He may simply assume that position for the man based on the book's title, or he may be using the term to indicate that such a prophet would indeed fit what a people like the Cretans deserved. However, it is more likely that he uses the terms in a Grecian fashion, which uses that word to speak of its poets, on the basis that poetry flowed from divine inspiration. The specifics for which Epimenides laid this charge against the Cretans has to do with their claim that Jupiter's grave was on their island. We should see from this that it is mere superstition that prevents some Christians from quoting anything from a non-Christian author. As all truth is God's truth, we should accept the truth equally, whether spoken by the most upright Christian, or the basest liar. Truth is not changed by the mouth it passes from. As all things are His, why should anything which can be used to His glory not be used? The early church fathers appear to have recognized this, Basil having advised his young students to avail themselves of all that could be gained from heathen authors.
1:13: Footnote: The testimony to which Paul bears witness here, is also confirmed by other writers of antiquity. Even in Homer's time, the land of Crete was known for its lack of truth, and its people infamous for their chronic lack of honesty. So well known was this situation, that their name became synonymous with lying. To 'cretise' was to lie. To be a Cretan was to be a liar. Despite the source, a heathen author who spoke with no particular authority, the truth remains true. Paul's character is shown to be such as rebuked even those who deserved worse with gentle words, but here he holds nothing back. How severe, then, must the problem have been, that he would speak so strongly against not simply individuals, but the whole nation! It amazes us that God would choose such a place to stand amongst the first to receive the Gospel, yet His goodness is in no way diminished by His choice. Here was a church planted, as it were, in the very pit of Hell, which yet prevailed and grew, though it suffered infection by the surrounding corruption. Paul does not exclude that body from his rebuke, for even amongst professing Christians, there were vices natural to that land which had taken root. As the healer of the spirit, he dare not spare any trace of that disease from treatment. Eradication must be complete for healing to succeed. Note the wisdom of Paul's teaching style shown here. The unruly require different forms of teaching than the submitted and teachable. For the latter, mildness is fitting. For the stubborn, the corrective action must needs be more severe. The stronger the knot of sin, the stronger must be the wedge which removes it. The verse at hand may be viewed as contrasting the disease of the native Cretan wickedness with the sound health of pure Christian living. Alternatively, he may simply be pointing out that the viciousness of their nature made it all the more necessary to hold them strictly to pure faith. Footnote: Here, Paul has declared the singular means of our defense: purity of faith. Hold to the simple Gospel doctrine, turning not after your own will. Don't let passions guide you, nor appetites. Be good students of God, and be satisfied with the doctrine He teaches. Thus will we be strong to resist all evil. Yes, the devil will seek to fill the world with his corruption, but even so, we must hold fast to simple faith, and seek God's instruction. "When we follow this course, though the devil may contrive all that he can, still we shall be fortified against all evil."
1:14: Sound faith rejects the introduction of fables. It will not even listen to such, but will be attentive only to God's word, giving these false additives no entry. "Indeed, when the truth of God has once gained admission, all that can be brought against it will be so tasteless, that it will not attract our minds." Restrain your senses, therefore, reserve them for God's lessons, that no fable may be heard, and bring impurity to your faith. Fables: that is precisely what these 'commandments of men' are. Those who manufacture such rules are enemies of the truth. They are not satisfied with Christ, but must add their own nonsense to the mix. Paul singles out the Jews here, because they were particularly prone to this issue, seeking to bring their own superstitions and ceremonies into the Gospel message under the thin disguise of divine law. The Gentiles, as a rule, were more aware of the deception they had been living under, and so, were the more willing to cast it all away upon conversion. Thus, Paul points out the primary issue which needed immediate attention, as well as declaring the more general need to be on guard.

Matthew Henry (6/13/03)

1:12: Epimenides is the author referenced by Paul, a Cretan himself, who was in a position to know his people, and unlikely to slander his own nationality. Poets, in Greek culture, were considered to be writers of divine oracles, and thus referred to as prophets; the more so as they spoke out against the vices of their fellow countrymen. To play the Cretan is to lie. Their nature was so vicious as to leave them compared to evil beasts - being slyly hurtful and savage. At the same time, their laziness caused them to avoid honest labor in favor of sensual satisfactions. These things should not be charges which could be laid against a Christian.
1:13: Paul's own experience with these folks confirmed what the poet wrote. Knowing their state, he advises a stronger rebuke to counter their tendencies. Notice that Timothy was instructed to teach with meekness, but Titus is told to use the sharp rebuke. Why, Paul? Perhaps it was a matter of the teacher's own temperament, or perhaps it was a matter of the temperament of the people over which they had charge. The message of the Gospel does not change, yet the delivery of that message should always be tuned to the condition of its recipients. Where a people knows no shame or modesty, a meek and gentle teacher will make no inroads. Reproof must distinguish between the sins it counters, the answer must be appropriate to the crime. A stiff rebuke delivered to one meek and tender of spirit is more likely to crush than to correct. In the reverse case, the rebuke is likely to have no effect. Ever, the rebuke must be shaped by wisdom, to have its best effect. (Jude 22-23 - Have mercy on those who suffer doubts. Others, you must save as though pulling them out of a fire. Still others, you must fear, even so retaining mercy, you must hate even the clothes that has touched them and been polluted by their nature.) For the Cretans, the stiff rebuke was the necessary tool.
1:14: Yet, ever the goal of rebuke must be soundness of faith in the rebuked. The goal is true and effective change, the remaking of sinners over into saints. These Cretans were all too ready to rush after contrived rules and regulations, when once they had come to recognize their former condition. Jewish traditions would appeal to one who had so recently come face to face with his own lawlessness. Yet, this very tendency threatened to ruin their Gospel faith. However sharp the rebuke that is called for, the aim must ever be the good of the one rebuked. There is no room for malice in this task, but only love. Pride, passion, and every other evil affection must be absent from the one who would deliver this corrective. Sound faith is the soul's health, pleasing to God and comforting to the Christian. It is this that empowers cheerful and constant duty. Keeping oneself free of these manmade concoctions is of particular value in maintaining sound faith. (1Ti 1:4 - Ignore their myths and genealogies. These are nothing but speculation, and do nothing to further God's administration. That government is by faith. 1Ti 4:7 - Have nothing to do with these old wives' tales. Rather, discipline yourself for godliness.) Manmade devices introduced into the worship of God can only run contrary to truth and holiness. The ceremonies and rites of Judaism, though proper at their inception, were now but manmade insistences, as their fruition had already come. The substance having been made manifest, the shadows no longer held sway. To cling to the shadow now would be to turn aside from the truth of the Gospel, and truth in worship. How awful, to turn aside from Christ to return to Moses! How could we trade the spiritual for the carnal? (Gal 3:1 - Who bewitched you, foolish ones; you who witnessed Christ's public crucifixion? Gal 3:3 - Can you really be that foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, do you really think to be perfected by the flesh?)

Adam Clarke (6/14/03)

1:12: Many considered Epimenides, who died around 538BC, to be the seventh wise man of Greece. Plutarch notes that the Cretans declared him a divinity after his death. He did have some fulfilled prophesies, including one regarding the fort of Athens, built to protect that city, but later used by outside forces to subdue the city. Plato labeled him a divine man, and Cicero felt that he knew future events, prophesying under divine influence. It should also be noted, however, that in Roman thought, poet and prophet were synonymous terms. The work Paul quotes here is no longer extant, but Jerome, Socrates, and others identify it as "Concerning Oracles." There is more than enough testimony confirming the reputation of the Cretans in ancient literature, their national name becoming a synonym for lying. The reputation was founded on the Cretan claim that Jupiter, the chief god of Greek and Roman beliefs, was buried on their island. "By telling this truth [that Jupiter was dead], which all others would have to pass for a lie, the Cretans allowed that the object of their highest admiration was only a dead man." [Thought: the 'site of the tomb' in Jerusalem?] They were reputed to be ferocious and destructive in their ways, and addicted to idleness and gluttony.
1:13: Almost 600 years after Epimenides wrote this condemning statement regarding his people, things hadn't changed for them. Thus, they need the strongest of rebukes, giving no lenience to their sins at all. Only in this way would they be able to receive doctrine without corrupting it on arrival. Only in this way, would that doctrine have its fruit in them, producing in them a holy and useful life, where before all had been vile and slothful.
1:14: (1Ti 1:4 - Ignore myths and genealogies. These only incite speculation, not sound governance by God's design of faith. 1Ti 4:7 - Have nothing to do with these fables. They are only fit for old women. Instead, pursue self discipline, so as to attain to godliness.) [The conviction that would result from sound rebuke would leave these great sinners vulnerable to an overreaction towards unnecessary asceticism and legalism. Thus the particular danger to them from Judaizers.] Much of what the Pharisees required were not part of God's law, but their own additions to that law. By this, they made less of God's word, placing their own opinions above His. They show a disregard for His Law by adding to it. In effect, they despised Truth, and sought to train others to follow their example.

Barnes' Notes (6/14/03)

1:12: Paul clearly had more on his mind than just the Jewish teachings. He was also deeply concerned over the nature of the native Cretan population as well. Amidst both Jew and Gentile, then, it was needful to exercise great care in choosing teachers for the church. It would seem that Paul was also concerned that the nature of the native population had likely had a corrupting effect on the Jews there. 'Prophet,' In Greek and Roman thought, was another term for poets, whose writings were thought to be divinely inspired. The term was also used of those who interpreted the gods, by explaining the obscure messages delivered by the supposed oracles. In some cases, the term was applied to those who simply displayed wisdom in seeing what must come of present events, and thus appeared to predict the future. This may be the sense in which it was applied to Epimenides. He was born on Crete in the year 659BC, and lived - according to some - to be 157 years old Many fables arose around this man, many found to be inventions of the Cretans themselves. Just as Corinth became synonymous with licentious living, Crete became synonymous with lying. In part, this reputation arose from their insistence that Jupiter's tomb was on their island, and that all the gods were no more than mortals given divine honors. Yet, their reputation was built on more than this issue, finding its basis in deeper issues of character. "They were only more eminent in what was common among the ancient pagan, and what is almost universal among the pagan now." (Eph 4:25 - So put falsehood aside and speak truth. After all, we are all members of one another.) They apparently lacked in refinement and civility, their passions thoroughly unrestrained. Next, they are accused of two vices which are often found in such conjunction: gluttony and sloth. Indeed, it is unlikely that one will suffer one of these vices and yet practice the opposing virtue to the other. The poet perhaps thought to have arrived at the cause of their evil character in their focus on appetite. (Php 3:19 - Their end is destruction, and their god is their appetite. They glory in what is shameful, and think only on earthly things.) What an apex of the undesirable is attributed to these people! False to their word, ferocious in their brutality, yet lazy, seeking pleasures over all else. A rare combination of vices, indeed. "In some respects, therefore, they surpassed the common depravity of human nature."
1:13: What had been written of them so long ago remained true in Paul's present. Because this was their general character, all the more care was needful in appointing teachers from among their ranks, and in arranging the affairs of the church there. (2Ti 4:2 - Preach the word. Always be prepared to deliver the needed reproof, rebuke, or exhortation with all patience, and giving all instruction.) In the case at hand, such preaching needed a certain severity in order to be understood. Their character must be made plain to them, and Titus could not afford to spare their feelings by overlooking any fault. "When men know that they are doing wrong, we should tell them so in few words; if they do not know it, it is necessary to teach them, in order to convince them of their error." The vices of the people must not be allowed to corrupt their view of sound religion.
1:14: (1Ti 1:4 - Don't pay any attention to their myths and genealogies. These only promote speculation, not sound administration according to God's plan of faith. Mt 15:3-5 - Why do you break God's law in following your own traditions? God said to honor your parents, that the one who speaks evil of his parents should be put to death. Yet, you claim that if one has declared his property to be given to God, he need not use his means to support his parents. You claim that under these circumstances, it would be wrong to honor your parents. By this, you declare God's word invalid to preserve your own tradition.)

Wycliffe (6/14/03)

1:12: Though the rebuke Paul declares is severe, it is but the word of one of their own. Paul was not averse to using truth when he found it coming from heathen sources. (Ac 17:28 - In Him we live and move and exist. Even your own poets have attested to this, saying that we also are His offspring. 1Co 15:33 - Don't be fooled. "Bad company corrupts good morals.")
1:13: Paul had witnessed the truth of the charge against this people. He had been there, and could attest to the state of their character himself. Being the liars they were, their message required refuting. This needed more than the efforts of apologetics. Those in the church who listened to such tales and believed them must also be rebuked, restored to truth.
1:14: (Mt 15:9 - In vain do they worship Me, for they teach the insights of mere men as doctrine. Isa 29:13-14 - Because they draw near with words, and give Me lip service, yet keep their hearts far from Me, because their displays of reverence for Me are nothing but tradition, nothing but the rote repetitions of learned behaviors, I will deal with them in ways that will cause them to marvel. The wisdom of their wise men will cease to be, and the discernment of their most discerning men will be hidden.) "False authority and fear of men is involved in rejection of the truth of God."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (6/14/03)

1:12: Epimenides was both priest and bard in Crete. He was sent to Athens to purify that place. Paul is not averse to quoting pagan writers, but he does not honor them so far as to name his sources. (Ac 17:28b - Your own poets have said that we are His offspring. [Aratus] 1Co 15:33 - "Bad company corrupts good morals." [Menander]) That the condemning words came from one of their own added to the authority of the witness. Every natural man lies on occasion, but for the Cretan it was a constant state. (Ti 1:2 - We have hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie, promised long ago.) Even amongst other pagans, they were laughed at for their insistence that Jupiter's tomb was in their land. Crete had no wild beasts, thus Epimenides displays sarcasm in saying that the humans of that land supplied the lack. (Ro 16:18 - They are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites. By smooth speech they deceive the unsuspecting. Php 3:19 - Their end is destruction, for their god is their appetite. They glory in shame, and think only on this earthly life.)
1:13: In spite of its having come of a Cretan, the testimony given is true. As such, gentle words would never reclaim them from their ways. Strong teaching was needful to bring them back to sound faith, for they suffered from an illness of debating words and pursuing vain questions. (Ti 3:9 - Shun these foolish controversies, these disputes about the Law. Such debates are worthless, and profit nothing. 1Ti 6:4 - He is conceited. He understands nothing. His only interest is in disputing over words, in pursuing controversial questions with no particular regard for arriving at the truth This can only lead to envy, strife, abusive talk, and suspicion.)
1:14: (1Ti 1:4 - Ignore their myths and genealogies. These only produce speculation, doing nothing to further God's work, which is by faith. 1Ti 4:7 - Shun their fables, for they are unfit for any man. Rather, pursue godliness with self discipline.) Such pursuits were the forerunners of Gnosticism. They did not promote godliness, but rather opposed the faith. The extremes of asceticism and abstinence were of equal concern. (Ti 1:15 - To the pure, everything is pure. To the unbelieving, nothing is pure, for mind and conscience are thoroughly defiled in them. Mk 7:7-9 - They worship Me in vain, for they teach their own precepts as doctrine, and neglect My commands. You are more than happy to set aside the commandments of God in favor of keeping your own traditions. Col 2:16-17 - Allow no man to judge you as to what you eat or drink, nor in regard to your keeping of festivals or Sabbaths. These are but shadows of what is to come, and find their substance in Christ. Col 2:20-23 - If indeed you have died with Christ in regard to the elements of this world, why do you continue to behave as one living in the world? Why do you submit to these ridiculous decrees, telling you not to taste this, or not to touch that? All of these rules regard things that will be gone with their using, so why do you pay heed to these fleshly teachings, these commandments made by mere men? They may seem wise in their self-made religion, in their self-abasement and severity towards their own bodies, but they have no value in battling the indulgences of the flesh. 1Ti 4:3 - They forbid marriage, advise abstaining from the food which God created to be gratefully shared in. Those who believe and know the truth understand that He has so blessed them. 2Ti 4:4 - Such things will turn their thoughts away from the truth, and they will chase after mere myths.)

New Thoughts (6/15/03-6/19/03)

Only by being sound in our faith can we hope to be free of the tendency to accept the rites which men may try to put upon us. Only by being sound in our faith can we hope to resist the modern mythology, the tales of God's death, and man's rise to prominence over all things. I can't say often enough that our faith, to be sound, must be mixed with reason. It cannot be supplanted by reason, that was the error of the rationalists and the higher critics, who, by their misplaced trust in reason, lost faith. Yet, faith without reason is prone to believe just about anything. Faith without reason is not faith, it is gullibility.

Faith is not some magical power that we seek to control and manipulate. In some corners of the church, it may be viewed as such, but this is not the case. Those who would treat faith in such a fashion are not very far removed from Simon the magician, and probably ought not expect to receive much more than he got. They may find themselves manipulating powers, but it won't be the power of God. And in the end, the powers they think to toy with will manipulate them, instead. It's a sure course towards a fall. If this is our view of faith, we are no different than the teachers Paul just finished condemning, for we make our faith a means of sordid gain, having missed the point, and perverted the sound word of God. We have traded the truth for a lie, exchanged the purity of holiness for a creation of our own imaginations.

Faith is important. Truly, without faith we cannot please God (Heb 11:6). This is the clear message of Scripture. That same Scripture which makes clear the importance of faith to our relationship with God also makes clear how it is that we are to strengthen that faith. Faith comes from hearing, hearing the word of Christ (Ro 10:17). Curiously, Paul also says we receive the Spirit by hearing with faith (Gal 3:2). It's a bit of a circular reinforcement. Hearing implies understanding, and it is in understanding the message of the Gospel that faith is established. Again, faith is a matter of being fully persuaded. It is not our emotions that lead us to full persuasion, but our reason and understanding. However, our own innate abilities to reason are insufficient to the task of comprehending God. His thoughts are higher than ours, His ways beyond us (Isa 55:9). Thus, it requires the tutoring of the Holy Spirit within us to truly grasp the message of the Gospel, and the significance of the history He has written on the earth, and recorded in Scripture. In this wonderful economy of God, it is by the Spirit that we come to understand His message, and it is by allowing that message to fully persuade us, to not only infect our mind, but also to inform our actions, that we are able to receive the Spirit.

Reason informed by faith, and faith informed by reason. It is the same circle present within us, which we see in our interaction with the Holy Spirit. This is our strength, our armor against the incursions of heathen philosophies. We must listen critically to those who would teach us - critically, but not skeptically. We dare not take the word of any man as sacrosanct. All is to be tested by the pure measure of Scripture. Only in God do we trust, and that trust is sound, because it is founded on solid evidence of His trustworthiness. He has revealed Himself to us, shown us of Himself, that we might know Him to be trustworthy. He has revealed His standard to us, that we might judge all else that comes before us by that standard.

Calvin puts it this way: "Indeed, when the truth of God has once gained admission, all that can be brought against it will be so tasteless, that it will not attract our minds." Isn't this the case? Once we have heard God's own explanation of what is good and lovely and true, all other attempts at a different definition are seen to be worthless imitations. The wealth of the world is no better than garbage in the sight of one who has glimpsed the stores of heaven. When we have come to the definition of truth which Truth provides, when we have seen the wondrous way in which His testimony to us has been woven together in a grand, harmonious tapestry of evidence, all other systems which purport to declare truth are seen for the moth-eaten fabrications they are.

This is not to say that they are totally devoid of truth. The meanest of men can yet see some portion of what is true. God has not only revealed Himself in His word, although that is by far the clearest, most complete revelation. He has also revealed Himself in nature, in His creation (Ro 1:20). We cannot look upon that revelation that surrounds us without sensing at least some part of the truth of God. Yet, the message of Romans continues by pointing out that, while they knew God by this testimony, they refused Him His due honor, and proffered their own futile explanations. But even in this folly, they are not without glimpses of the truth. Truth, like the light, is irresistible in its way. As the merest pinpoint of light will penetrate the darkness, even though it may not obliterate that darkness, so the merest pinpoint of truth will penetrate folly. The worst philosopher, the most confirmed atheist, may still speak words that are true, may still stumble across some worthy sentiment that they can speak out.

Paul was not afraid to look at what these poor, misguided guides had to say. He was well prepared to refute all that was wrong in their declarations. He was equally prepared to accept what was right, and by it, to show them and their followers the path to a more complete truth. Truth is not changed by the mouth from which it comes. We ought not, indeed cannot, summarily ignore and dismiss every source of knowledge which doesn't lay claim to a solid Biblical base. To do so is foolishness. At the same time, to accept such sources uncritically is at least as dangerous as accepting the godly man's lessons uncritically. The problem is much the same. The messenger is human, and therefore prone to error. Mistakes will be made. There's no question of it. We, too, will make mistakes. We may even do so in our efforts to check what we are hearing. Thus, God provides us with community, with fellowship. He provides checks and balances for us, such that, if we begin to stray in our own errors, we will be surrounded by those who can take corrective action.

We need not, then, try to hide our eyes from the philosophies of those around us. To do so is to isolate ourselves, and remove all possibility that we might reach them. Paul didn't hide from their philosophers. He examined their philosophies in the clear light of Scripture, took what was true in their thoughts, rejected what was false, and thereby understood how best to bring the Gospel to them.

There can be a danger here. We must beware the temptations of syncretism. It is one thing to take the bits of truth we find in other thought systems, it is one thing to recognize truth when we find it. It is quite another to think that, because we have found bits of truth there, we ought to blend that system into the system God has laid out. Never will you see Paul doing this. He may use a portion of their own thought system to make the Gospel more clear to them, but never will he allow their thought system to modify the Gospel. To do so would be to take what is pure and dilute it with impurities, and this we must never do. God has delivered a perfect system of governance to us. To allow the imitations of man's own making to become mixed into that perfect system would be to claim that our ways are above His. It would be to declare that the creation is greater than its Creator.

It is not an option for us to change the message of the Gospel. Others in the history of the Church have tried that. Many today still try that, but it is destined to fail. Such are servants of the devil, whether knowingly or not, it makes no difference. They are deceived deceivers seeking to lead those of sound faith into their own errors. We dare not join them. We dare not ignore them, either, lest their poison spread. Their efforts must be countered by a clear, well reasoned, well delivered, presentation of the Gospel message. That is the message which does not change. Yet, as we bring that message forth, our delivery must always be tuned to those we bring it to. This is especially true of these so called intelligentsia. If we are to convince them of truth, we need to understand their terms, understand their thinking so as to know where in their thinking they have gone wrong. We cannot hope to correct the mistake we are unaware of. We cannot hope to reap a large harvest, if we sow seeds unfit for the condition of the field.

Yes, there will always be that seed that falls on infertile ground, there will always be that seed which falls prey to scavengers. However, if our seed is not matched to the soil we till, then that will be the whole of it. There will be no harvest. All that we scatter will be lost. It is one message we bring. Every seed brings forth a plant. Indeed, every seed of corn brings forth a corn plant, if it brings forth at all. Yet, there are varied forms of that corn seed which are more properly fit for growth in various climates and soils. Wise is the farmer who uses the seed best fit for his fields. So also with the messenger of the Gospel. He is wise to understand the fields into which he goes. He is wise to use the seed best fit to produce in those fields. He is wise to know the society in which he will work, to understand their ways and beliefs sufficiently to be able to reach them with the truth and to dissuade them of their errors. The message does not change. The Gospel truth is ever the same. But the delivery should always be tuned to greatest effect, considering the condition of those who will receive it.

What of these students of whom Paul writes? Barnes tells us that "they were only more eminent in what was common among the ancient pagan, and what is almost universal among the pagan now." We can accept that, because we're no longer pagans. But, I think it would probably be almost as reasonable to open the field a little wider, to say that they were more eminent in that is common among men, period. What is accented in their case is a disease not uncommon amongst even the world of Christianity. We may not have many liars among us of their degree, yet we are often found lying, though it may be only to ourselves. The heart is exceedingly wicked and deceitful. That's the nature of man, the nature upon which the Holy Spirit is working to bring change. But until that change is completed, the heart continues in its old habits. It will seek to convince us that we're not as bad as the word of Scripture would indicate. It will seek to convince us that we're worse than we think. It will lie in either direction, depending on our present state.

They are accused of being lazy and gluttonous. Look at the Church today! How much of its energy is spent pursuing its purpose in the fields of harvest? We haven't completely forgotten, thank God, but an awful lot of churches have become little more than social clubs, not very different from the VFW, except for the drinks that are served. Perhaps this is more true here in America than elsewhere, because we are surrounded by such plenty that it becomes pretty easy not to see the hurt. America is a land of disguise. We like to disguise the homeless and lost around us, keep a pretty cover over them so we won't have to see them as they are. We like to disguise our own condition with whatever distractions we can find so we won't have to see ourselves as we are.

But look beyond the covers! The fields are white with harvest, yet so few harvesters are available to bring in the crops. The situation has not changed a great deal from Jesus' day, has it? All around us, we see men and women following after misguiding spirits. This one pursues his zen practices, that one pursues his new age recipe. Add to that the internationality of our workplaces these days, and all the outcry for religious tolerance. It could be trouble for us, if we speak out to some adherent of Buddha or Muhammad. We could be fired for telling a Hindu of the one true God. Their need for the God of all Truth is as real as can be, but we'll let them go their way, because society tells us that it's the right thing to do. It would be unkind to insist that they hear the truth of the situation. It would hurt their feelings, might even make them a little angry, and we'll not have that. Certainly not on company time. What would it do to productivity?

We've allowed these concerns to become our concerns. We've lost sight of what matters as soon as we've left the services on Sunday. We've bought into this compartmentalizing of our lives that the atheistic society around us insists upon. We've allowed their nature to become our nature, except for those few hours at church. Shame on us!

In today's Tabletalk study, we were considering the story of Nabal, as it unfolds in 1Samuel 25:9-22. David approached this man looking for sustenance for his men, men who had, unpaid and unrequested, provided service to Nabal's shepherds, guarding his flocks and his slaves for no charge. Comes the time that David and his men need some supplies, and approach Nabal looking for a favor. He refuses. "Who is this David to me?" he asks. "Why should I risk the wrath of Saul by supporting this man?" As that study points out, it is not likely that Nabal was unaware of who David was, nor of what service he had done for Nabal's own workers, nor even of his status as the anointed next king of Israel. Nabal's eyes were firmly on the present, earthly condition. If he were to help David, Saul would doubtless hear of it and be angered. Given Saul's recent history, Nabal had every reason to think that his anger would turn to vengeance against himself. David, on the other hand, had a reputation for treating people justly, for turning the other cheek. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, if one or the other must be offended, far better to offend David. The chances of surviving it were far greater.

Can you see the parallel? Can you see what happens to us today? We are given the choice of offending our employer or offending our Christ, and who do we choose? Over and over again we choose to offend Christ, because we count on His forgiveness. Our bosses, we know, can be difficult. They may be looking for an excuse to thin their ranks, cut their overhead a bit. This is all they'd need, a Christian causing trouble amongst his coworkers. We know it can happen, because we know it does happen. Businesses have come to the point where they establish policies on this matter to make certain that the can, should they see an issue, fire the offender without fear of lawsuits.

We have, by and large, accepted this. We have bowed to the pressure. We have looked at the situation from our pragmatic viewpoint and decided that the souls of our coworkers just aren't worth the risk to us. Our own comfort is of greater import. We have looked at these two kings we serve under, and decided that the greater king, being the more forgiving, is the safest one to disobey. We have allowed earthly comfort to become more important to us than the eternal welfare of those around us. What has happened? Have we forgotten that the true King, the One who saved us, who set us the task of declaring His good news to all, far and wide, is the same One who has all the wealth of creation at His disposal? Have we forgotten that He who commissioned us for this task also promised that we would never lack what we need? He knows our needs. He provides for our needs before we are even aware of them. He has promised to work all things together for our good as we serve Him. Do we believe this? Do we believe that everything is in His hands? What then of our jobs? Do we truly realize that whoever may be signing our checks at this point, it is His provision, His Providence, which has brought us to this employment, and it will be His Providence that will take us from this employment at the time of His choosing.

Whatever power our employers have, they have by His hand, just as it was with Pilate, just as it is with any authority. All earthly authority is delegated from on high. There are no exceptions. However, our primary orders have come from the top. If His subordinates here are issuing us orders that conflict with the prime directive, what are we to do? I should think it clear that we pursue the orders of the highest authority.

Why, Lord? Why are we so inclined to fear man, when we know You are the only proper object of such fear and reverence? How can we call You Lord, and yet allow the commandments of men, and pagans at that, to overrule You? God! I know I am as guilty as any. I know that almost moment to moment I count more on Your forgiveness than Your pleasure in me.

There's a lyric that's been running in my head quite a bit of late, from a song by Sixpence None the Richer. It goes something like this:

"So, I'm changing who I am,
Because what I am's not good.
And I know You love me now,
But I don't see why You should."

This really resonates with me, Father. Except, I don't see that I'm changing me. I cry out, but I don't really do much about it, do I? I know, it's beyond my power to accomplish, but that's not the point. I know I need Your work, and I know beyond doubt that You are working. Why, though? Why are You willing to work on this resistant flesh of mine? Why are You so steadfast in bringing Your change to my heart? I know I'm not the same man I was a decade ago, barely related in many ways. Yet so much of the old me remains.

Things over which I've cried out to You for years still plague me with seemingly unchanged intensity. Why, God? Old habits refuse to be shaken. Pride still rises up in spite of understanding its foolishness. The will to act remains weak no matter how often I cry out. Holy Spirit, I know You hear these concerns, I know You convey those concerns in words better than mine to the throne of the Father. I know that You, Jesus, stand as my Counsel and Defender, pleading my cause as well. Yet, I don't see an answering response. But, faith is the evidence of things unseen, isn't it? Though I don't see the answer, yet I know it comes. Though it tarries, I will wait for You to answer me. I will be still and know that You are indeed God. Though so much seems wrong around me and within me, I will rest in the knowledge that You are here. You are working. Though my present pains me, yet I know You have provided hope and a future.

Lord, may I find voice to shout out about that hope, that future that You have shown me! May I be found rejoicing even in the enemy's camp, to know what You have done for me! May I discover that You have indeed placed the boldness in my heart to declare Your goodness among the nations. You have me in the midst of this huge, international corporation, God. What an opportunity! Hindus, Buddhists, Islamists, atheists, name it, they're here. Speak, and let your servant hear You. Touch this heart, infect this will, that Your servant, having heard, will do, even as it is done in heaven - without question, without delay, and without holding back!

Here's an interesting thing. The Cretans had a reputation as being great liars. Oddly, the primary reason for that was that they were unwittingly speaking a great truth. They claimed that Jupiter's tomb was among them. Well, clearly this wasn't true. How could one who never existed be buried in their land? Yet, in this lie, there was buried a truth, as Adam Clarke brings out. "By telling this truth," he writes, "the Cretans allowed that the object of their highest admiration was only a dead man." By trying to claim what they thought of as high honor for themselves, they accomplished many unintended consequences. They angered those who shared their belief in these false gods, for there were those among these believers who could perceive the implications of the Cretan claim, who would also see in that claim a reducing of their gods to mere flesh and blood. Where this wasn't understood, yet there would be the anger of jealousy. And, where there was skepticism, they would simply be seen as fools. In this lie, they spoke a hidden truth, yet there was nothing in either the lie, or the truth it hid which brought them honor.

As I was first thinking about this, my attention couldn't help but turn to the site of the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem. My first reaction was to consider how similar was our case to the Cretans, at least in these claims. How many look upon our insistence that here is the tomb of our God, and deduce from this that we only worship a man? Oh, but what a great difference there is! The Cretans claimed to have the gravesite of their god, to have him planted in the ground, sealed in by a monument. But the tomb of Christ is open. That's the whole point! Yes, He came down to us in real flesh and blood, real flesh that suffered the same issues of life as our own, real blood that was shed on our behalf, paying the penalty that was rightfully ours to pay. But He was so much more than just a man. He was (and is) fully man, yet He was and is fully God! He didn't stay dead. Death could not hold Him! No, the difference is huge. We celebrate that site not because it marks the passing of a great man, but because it could not hold Him who was lain within.

I wrote earlier of these sad pretenders to Christianity known as the Jesus Seminar. Gladly would they make of the tomb of Christ no more than the supposed Cretan tomb of Jupiter, for in reality, they would prefer it if the God of their fathers were no more real than Jupiter was. Their life, their sins, their lack of faith, would be far easier to live with if they could only convince themselves that this life was all there is. Oh, how the flesh longs to hear that there's no ultimate accountability after all! Oh, how the enemy seeks to attack the Truth of Christianity from within its own ranks! How he wants to convince us that there'll be no hell to pay. The work of the Jesus Seminar, and of so much of what is passed off as Christian seminary training today is fully aimed at serving that goal, of convincing us that true religion is nothing more than a psychological ploy to help us feel good about our rotten selves.

But the word of our Lord hasn't changed. It is still appointed for every man to die once. This much has always been true, and always will be true, and on this point the most devout atheist will cheerfully concur. What scares them, what they dare not accept, is the remainder of that verse: "and after this comes judgment" (Heb 9:27). The bulk of seminarians will no longer tell you this. They focus us solely on the fact that God is love, and declare from this that surely, He would never condemn anyone. All those messages regarding an eternity of torment for those who die in their sins, that was just the apostles drumming up converts in their membership drive. Not to worry. Everybody gets in, in the end. Sorry, folks, as nice as that thought might be, it's just not supported by the testimony of God's own word. There comes judgment, upon each and every one of us. We are even warned that it begins in the house of God. It begins with us.

The teachers that misled the Cretans suffered from an illness of debating words, of pursuing vain questions. It hasn't changed much. We are still plagued by any number of 'teachers' caught up in the same pursuits. Indeed, they are more dangerous still, seeking, under the guise of 'pursuing the true history of the Church,' to destroy the Church's very foundations, seeking to take the god out of God. Watch out for these teachers!

Yet, the danger is not limited to these. We need to be on our guard against all who would twist the words of Scripture to support their own philosophies. If the stated doctrine is truly Scriptural, there should be no need to force a meaning out of Scripture to support it. If we are wrenching passages out of place, scrounging to find at least one translation which, if we stress it just right, if we just move this word over to the right a bit, will at least sound like maybe it means what we want it to mean, we are no longer declaring sound doctrine. I'll go as far as to say this: even if the doctrine we are expounding is true, if we are doing these kinds of things in the course of our expounding, we are not declaring sound doctrine. We may be able to wow the emotions of our hearers, but if there be any of reasonable astuteness who hear our words, we are more likely to turn them from the truth by our poor methods than we are to convince them of the truth. If our arguments for sound doctrine fly in the face of sound reason, even though that doctrine may be reasonable, reasonable men will reject our words.

This is not what Paul is telling Titus to do. He is telling Titus to present so clearly the solid message of the Gospel, the real doctrines of the Church, that no reasonable man could possibly misunderstand, nor could he deny that the word of God supports it. A reasonable man will look to the Scriptures and, where the meaning is plain, will take the plain meaning. He will not require fanciful interpretations, will not tolerate declarations that a word whose significance is obvious actually means something completely other. He will recognize symbolism where it exists, but will not insist on it where it doesn't.

Cretans are liars. Men are, by and large, all Cretans. We have been surrounded by lies and fanciful tales all our lives. We have conditioned ourselves to accept them more readily than reality. In such a state, we who would speak truth, we who would tear down this fabricated unreality, who would tear the blinders off the eyes of the deluded masses around us, dare not rely on the same tactics we seek to overcome. We are liars and subject to accepting every lie that comes along. Truth is an incredible weapon against this problem, but only when it is wielded truthfully. If we attempt to cloak the truth in deceptive words, we have ourselves exchanged the truth for a lie.

We have all been sinners, for all men have sinned. In spite of what some might attempt to teach, we all, even now, remain sinners, though we have the righteousness which is ours by faith. We have been made righteous by the work of our Lord and Savior, yet that work in us is ongoing. So long as we continue to walk this earth, there will be those times when we are as needful of a sound rebuke as were the Cretans. The best and holiest of the saints that Scripture speaks to us about have needed such rebuke in their lives. Peter needed it. David needed it. When we are called to fill the position of the rebuked, may we know their grace in responding.

When we are called to deliver the rebuke, we must take all care to ensure that the rebuke we deliver has only its proper and intended effect upon the hearer. Many will, once they have been brought to the point of conviction, want to overreact. Having seen their true condition, they will tend to seek out some set of rules and regulations that will keep them from returning to the state they have just been pulled out of. This leaves them vulnerable to those who, like the Pharisees, would place their own restrictions upon the soul.

The man who has just recognized his true estate and the danger he is in, will readily grasp at whatever means seems best able to save him. Bringing man to that recognition of himself is one part of the Gospel's purpose. Until he knows he's drowning, there's not much chance of a man seeking out a life preserver. However, once aware and casting about for something to hold onto, it is possible that those who don't care so much for his soul may throw him things that only appear as though they would support him. They may look better than the real life preserver we offer, and he may take to one of these other devices if we are not careful to point out their deficiencies.

Legalism looks good to one who has just recognized the cost of his lawlessness. If all he has seen is his sinfulness, if he has not been shown the wonderful freedom of salvation, he will naturally look about to see what the laws are that he needs to pursue. If one comes to him with the seeming auspices of the Church, and provides him with a booklet full of dos and don'ts, he'll happily thank the man and go off trying to obey the full list. He'll look no further into the matter, because it's just been handed to him.

It is incumbent upon us, then, to make sure that these newly convicted ones understand the full message of the Gospel, both the conviction and the forgiveness offered. We need to be sure that they understand that there are indeed laws governing the kingdom in to which they've come, but that these laws are matters of heart, more than anything. They need to be absolutely clear that the forgiveness given to them is no matter of working to show a change of heart. It's a matter of the heart having been changed already, and showing in the habits of life.

The change has come. That's the beautiful mystery of salvation. We no longer need to try and work to be righteous. We no longer need to labor hard to obey the law every moment of every day in hopes that maybe, just maybe, we'll manage not to blow it, and be allowed into heaven in the end. We already blew it, each and every one of us. That's the point. The Law of God has shown us the impossible sinfulness of our nature. It has shown us the impossibility of our ever becoming righteous by our own power. To continue trying to do so would be to call our God a liar. No. We could not make ourselves righteous, and all the pursuit of all the laws man has concocted to add to the pure message of the Scriptures will do nothing to change that. Indeed, the best that can happen is that they will discourage us the more, as we find too many rules to keep track of, never mind to obey. The worst, is that we will come to believe that by holding to all this minutia we will earn our way in. That is the real danger, that we will think we can actually do it in our own power.

We can't. It requires the new birth by the Holy Spirit. It requires the help of our eldest Brother, Jesus Christ. Even then, in this weak flesh, we will err. However hard we may strive for perfect obedience, we will make our mistakes. But forgiveness is ours in Christ Jesus. By His death in a sinless life, He has taken care of all our legal obligations. He has paid all our fines in the court of God, and from those same legal halls, He has come to us bearing our papers of adoption into the family of the King!

Faith is the evidence of things unseen. As we look upon ourselves today, we don't see the righteousness that Jesus tells us is ours. We don't look terribly righteous to ourselves. If we do, we may need to consult the Holy Spirit and Scripture a bit more to make sure we are seeing ourselves clearly. No, we don't see in ourselves what God sees in us. But we know Him who has declared us clean, and we know He will not lie. We know Him who has begun the work in us, and we know He is faithful. He will complete it. Indeed, though we see dimly at best in this life, though even to our own eyes all our righteousness seems as filthy rags, yet we know that the day will come when we will see Him face to face. We know that if we will see Him face to face, we will be made righteous in whole, for none but the righteous can so see Him. We know that when we see Him, we will be made like Him. That is the amazing promise of the Gospel! That is the full hope of the Christian - not that a careful and rigid self-control may somehow procure passage into the holy realms, but rather that our passage has already been secured for us, and the cure for our disease of sin put in process. We will be holy as He is holy, for He has declared it so.

As we continue in this life, we will doubtless continue to strive to our utmost to live as is pleasing to Him. We will strive in spite of the clear understanding that we will make mistakes. We will strive, even though we know that our efforts, insomuch as it applies to our salvation, are hopeless. Yet we will strive with great joy, because we know that what our greatest efforts cannot achieve has already been accomplished on our behalf. What we strive to do now, is done not in the desperate hope of saving ourselves, but out of loving thankfulness to the One who saved us, out of a desire to please Him. Our pursuit of an obedient and submissive life ruled by God is but a reflection of our purpose on this earth: to know Him, and to enjoy Him all our days. Let no man's legalism spoil that enjoyment!