Holding Firm
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Intro: Sporting
They actually have a plan… Football (playbook)
The Playbook : Sound Teaching and Rebuke (vs 1:9)
The Playbook : Sound Teaching and Rebuke (vs 1:9)
v 9 Hold Firm , Teach & Rebuke
v 9 Hold Firm , Teach & Rebuke
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Word is central (sound doctrine)
Bookends v1:9 & v2:1 Teach/Instruction in sound doctrine
Holding firm/As for you - Fierce attachment. Do not let go.
The first time I got into a pool with one of my children
To what? Trustworthy Word as taught - Sound doctrine - Not something that is invented. Then
Able to teach/Give instruction: This is less about polish and more about ability. Titus actually gives us a greater context in which to understand this. Paul puts it in the context of the positive and negative. A elder is to be able to instruct in sound teaching. He should be able to lead either an individual or group through the reality of what Christianity is all about. Given their genuine character, see the previous verses. They should be able to let another growing disciple know what the word says and how a relationship with Christ works.
1 Thess 5:14 “14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”
Rebuke - The other side of the coin in ability to teach is actually fleshed out in the rest of our passage. The ability to rebuke those who contradict it. This is part of the teaching ministry of the church.
Rebuke: Rebuke those that contradict to reset soundness of faith v 9 & 13
The Gameplan : Applying Sound Doctrine in the Church (vs 1:10-14)
The Gameplan : Applying Sound Doctrine in the Church (vs 1:10-14)
The Gameplan is to stick to the playbook and adjust to different things that come at you. The coach that can make adjustments to the gameplan is a coach that has a solid playbook and knows how it interacts with the real time game situations. Stanley Cup Playoffs -
The Gospel Opponents. Its great to know the stuff you should know, but the reality of how well we actually know it becomes very apparent when we actually have to interact with real opponents. This is a big part of why Paul writes this letter.
This is the opposite of prevent defense -
Theology Un-applied Leads to Deception, collateral damage, heart & mind sickness, exploitation, guilt, & shame v10-15
v10 Understand the Tactics
v10 Understand the Tactics
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
Insubordination - or rebellion
This is a real issue. To not be able or willing to submit to sound teaching and those who are appointed in leadership over you is evidence of a few things. The problem is, insubordination gains a following. It is really easy to turn a complaint into a gossip or slander fest and then in turn, shift to a revolution that thinly disguises rebellion.
puts you outside of God’s plan. I have said this before, if one is unwilling to submit to their leaders they forfiet their ability to enact real change. Submission puts you in the best position to actually bring about change. That is the biblical counsel given all through the scriptures, wives to their husbands, children to parents, people to gevernments.
reveals that you want to be your own authority. The problem is, the only one who is his own authority is God himself. And God is the only authority that results in our good.
The problem is, insubordination gains a following. It is really easy to turn a complaint into a gossip or slander fest and then in turn, shift to a rebellion that is thinly disguised as a revolution or “standing for truth”. The reality is, It does not take many energetic contrarians to create series disruption and lead others to doubt the setup that God has.
Empty Talkers - They promise what they do not deliver - To get what they want and keep the influence. To talk with no meaning or substance. To talk to much, almost as a philabuster. To talk wildly, not considering the consequences of their words
Deception - Massage and manipulate the truth so that a they can gain what they are seeking. To shave the edge off of truth so it is more palatable.
Motive: To put forth something anti Gospel (Circumcision Party) Insisting that if you just follow these guidelines
v11 Silence False Teaching
v11 Silence False Teaching
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
Silence them - Why so extreme? Why can’t we just let them believe and teach that?
False teaching cannot be allowed to have a platform. There is a sense of urgency and neccesity here. why? Why so definite?…
Collateral damage - Upsetting families - To gain shamefully. The false teacher is not concerned with the collatteral damage caused by their message or the means by which they accomplish their plans.
Rom 16:17 “17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”
Ultimately to let these things go - insubordination, deception, false teaching empty talk, insisting on anti gospel stances cause potentially irreperable damage.
v12-13 Challenge Culture through Rebuke
v12-13 Challenge Culture through Rebuke
The Gospel intends to transform culture by transforming people.
12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
This is not that we rebuke the outside culture - we do so in the church.
Cretans always - cultural analysis can be very helpful in setting and stabilizing churches. another auther said this “Cretans are thieves from way back, pirates; they never think along legal lines.”
But this isn’t the end of the story because the same gospel that rescued the Cretins can also transform them. Rebuke brings them to see not condemnation, but their need for repentance and that, if the gospel is truly believed does not lead to groveling, but to grace. Rebuke is the way to bring people back to the grace of God thorugh Christ which covers over sin.
20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
Rebuke sharply - not to cause damage but to heal quickly.
It is the immediate but firm pressure put onto a serious would to stop the bleeding and save the life.
The motive for rebuke should never be revenge, but restoration.
The goal is that they would be sound in the faith.
Softpeddling with those who are causing real damage is niether loving nor restorative.
Same thing is said to Timothy. 1 Tim 5:20 “20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” 2 Tim 4:2 “2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
The goal is that they would be sound in the faith.
v14 Reset in the Gospel rather than in Human Salvation Projects
v14 Reset in the Gospel rather than in Human Salvation Projects
14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
The goal is not just to get them to stop, but reset in the gospel.
If a false teacher can make it about their own brand of rule following, they retain the power. But the power for salvation is not in any teacher or his rules. It is only in the work of Jesus
These Jewish Myths and commandments of men are the next thing in a long line of self salvation projects. You either trust and beleive that Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and gives you that record and approval from God by grace, or that you have to work to attain that record through the commandments of me.
The scriptures are clear - This is rejecting the truth - the truth is what accords to reality and reality is defined by God.
The Scoreboard : The choice & test of real obedience (vs 1:15-2:1)
The Scoreboard : The choice & test of real obedience (vs 1:15-2:1)
The Statbook?
v15 - Grace : Two types of people
v15 - Grace : Two types of people
15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Pure - In gospel Grace
Defiled - Those who don’t believe or reject the gospel and hear dangerously tamper with it.
Olive oil- Pure - rather than mixing in the imputities of jewish myths, or human commands to the gospel of Grace. Trying to improve the gospel is to introduce impurity. Pluse it reveals that they do not actually trust the gospel as it is. They have to doctor it up, help God out. Make up for his mistakes.
They do not trust that the same grace of God that rescues people can now also snactify and glorify people. In other words - We must trust that saving grace is the same grace that should motivate our obedeince and is strong enough to bring us all the way home. When we are saved, when we grow and when we stand before God on that last day, there is only one sufficient answer - Only Jesus provides my perfect record and righteousness.
This affects how they see everything… Minds and consciences are affected
v16 - Warning of a painful reality
v16 - Warning of a painful reality
16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
I can claim to know God and not really know him.
Because my life doesn’t line up. Deny him by my works -
This is similar to the challenge in 1st John - Love for others speaks to the reality of your faith.
Here it is, a life that claims to follow God must actually follow God’s commands and not try to dodge it with false or redefined teaching.,
But here is hope - God’s Grace is for those who can’t seem to get their act together.
V2:1 - The Antidote - Teach (and model) sound doctrine
V2:1 - The Antidote - Teach (and model) sound doctrine
1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.