the truth

Misunderstanding the Messiah

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14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. – Mark 6:14-29 ESV

In the middle of his account of Jesus’ commissioning and sending of the 12 disciples on their first official missionary journey, Mark inserts the story of John the Baptist’s death. At first glance, placing this event here in his gospel narrative seems odd and out of place, but it offers important insight into the atmosphere surrounding Jesus and His ministry.

Jesus had warned His 12 disciples that they would encounter a wide range of reactions as they preached and performed miracles throughout Galilee. Some would gladly receive them, while others would refuse to have anything to do with them. Although Jesus’ reputation had spread throughout the region, confusion and even conflict over His identity remained. Some believed He was their long-anticipated Messiah. Others concluded that He must be a prophet sent by God, with some declaring that He was actually Elijah. According to 2 Kings, Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven by God (2 Kings 2:11-12, so some assumed that Elijah had simply reappeared on earth.

Then there was the rumor that Jesus was actually the resurrected John the Baptist. This is why Mark mentions John’s death at this point in his narrative. To make the rumor of John’s return make sense, Mark had to explain how John died. Mark’s last mention of John the Baptist was in Chapter 1.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Mark 1:4-5 ESV

In that same chapter, Mark recounts John baptizing Jesus but never mentions him again until this point. The apostle John revealed that John the Baptist knew his ministry and mission were short-term in nature. He had been given the divine privilege of announcing the coming of the Messiah, but once Jesus appeared, John the Baptist knew his job was done. He even rejoiced in the diminishing nature of his role.

“I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” – John 3:29-30 NLT

But John the Baptist didn’t just hang up his camel-hair coat and retire; God decommissioned him, and Mark details his fate. To explain why people assumed Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead, Mark had to reveal how Mark died in the first place. As the story makes clear, John’s death was tragic and unexpected.

At this point, Mark introduces Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. Herod was the Roman-appointed ruler of northern Israel. Mark calls Herod a king, which was not uncommon at the time. But Herod was not a descendant of David, and most Jews did not recognize him as Israel’s official king. He was little more than a puppet king, who served at the discretion of Caesar. As the story unfolds, this pseudo-sovereign would later play a significant role in Jesus’ life.

Herod was a wicked man who coveted power and would do anything to solidify and maintain his lofty position. He was one of the sons of Herod the Great, who ruled over Israel when Jesus was born. After Herod the Great’s death, the Romans appointed Herod Antipas and his brother, Philip, to rule over their father’s former lands. In a sense, the brothers became competitors, each vying for Caesar’s favor and hoping to expand and solidify their power and influence. The Jewish historian Josephus records that Herod Antipas fell in love with his brother’s wife, Herodias. He divorced his own wife and convinced Herodias to leave Philip and marry him instead. This kind of behavior by a “king” of Israel was unacceptable, and John the Baptist publicly called out Herod for this and other indiscretions.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. – Luke 3:19-20 NLT

John the Baptist accused Herod of violating God’s laws concerning divorce and remarriage.

“It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” – Matthew 14:4 NLT

But his outspoken criticism of this powerful man resulted in his imprisonment. Herod had heard enough from John and decided to curtail his criticism by locking him away.

Matthew’s gospel states that this turn of events left John confused and questioning the very nature of Jesus’ identity. He began to doubt whether Jesus was who he had thought Him to be. He even sent some of his disciples to seek clarification.

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” – Matthew 11:2-3 NLT

John had believed Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, but his sudden and unexpected imprisonment seems to have caught him off guard. Perhaps John didn’t think things would end this way. If Jesus was the  King of Israel, would He not defeat the Romans and remove Herod from power? John was having a difficult time reconciling his imprisonment with his belief that Jesus was the anointed one of God. But all of this was part of God’s sovereign plan. In His wisdom and according to His providential will, God orchestrated every event in John’s life. Unbeknownst to him, John was living out his very statement: “I must become less and less.” Little did John know he would sacrifice his life so his ministry would not be a distraction. His role was to herald the Messiah’s arrival. But now that Jesus was here, John’s job was complete, and God would call him home.

John’s death reveals volumes about the decadence and immoral nature of Herod and his unlawful wife. This woman was furious with John over his humiliating comments about her, and she longed to see him dead. When she discovered that her husband had imprisoned John, she began to scheme how to take advantage of the situation and ensure that John never left the prison alive. Her chance came when Herod threw a lavish birthday party for himself and invited “his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee” (Mark 6:21 NLT). Part of the night’s entertainment was a dance performed by his own stepdaughter, Salome. It seems likely that her mother set this young girl up. It was part of a carefully orchestrated plot to eliminate John the Baptist. Pleased by Salome’s dancing, Herod offered her a reward,

“Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” He swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” – Mark 6:22-23 NLT

When Salome sought her mother’s input, Herodias told her to request the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The queen saw her chance to seek revenge and took full advantage. She knew Herod would have to keep his word, having made his brash, unwise offer in front of all his guests. Reluctantly, Herod gave in to Salome’s strange request. He immediately ordered John’s execution and had his head placed on a platter and presented to his stepdaughter as a reward for her dancing. Ultimately, Herodias received the gruesome gift.

This brings Mark’s little diversion full circle. The death of John the Baptist must have haunted Herod for some time. When he heard rumors about Jesus, he began to wonder whether John had returned from the dead.

“John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” – Mark 6:26 NLT

This statement is filled with fear and foreboding. Herod must have had nightmares about his unlawful execution of John. He had ordered the death of a man for speaking the truth. As a convert to Judaism, Herod knew his marriage to Herodias was unlawful. Yet, due to his own pride and arrogance, Herod made a rash vow and unintentionally sealed the fate of this innocent man. Now he had to live with the consequences.

But this entire section of Mark’s gospel is less about Herod’s actions and John’s death than about Jesus’ identity. Sometime later, Jesus would ask His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 ESV). Their response reflects the diversity of opinions about Jesus, including Herod’s. 

“Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” – Matthew 16:14 ESV

But when Jesus asked for their opinion, only Peter spoke up, proclaiming, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 ESV). Jesus blessed Peter for his bold assertion but didn’t credit him for answering correctly. Instead, His Heavenly Father revealed His identity to Peter. One disciple gave the right response, but Jesus commanded all of them to keep it to themselves. 

Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. – Matthew 16:20 ESV

This prohibition against proclaiming His true identity seems strange. Why would Jesus prevent His disciples from declaring who He was? The answer is simple: they misunderstood the Messiah’s role. They expected a conquering king who would lead them to victory over the Romans and reestablish the Davidic dynasty and Israel’s dominance in the region. So, when Jesus began to reveal the truth about His mission, the disciples became conflicted.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. – Matthew 16:21 ESV

This news confused His disciples because it didn’t fit their narrative about the Messiah. Dismayed by Jesus’ words, Peter “took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you’” (Matthew 16:22 ESV). Peter didn’t like what he heard. Jesus’ talk of death didn’t track with Peter’s understanding of the Messiah’s role. After Jesus had blessed Peter for his correct answer, he had to rebuke him for his lack of understanding. 

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” – Matthew 16:23 ESV

Herod had misidentified Jesus, but so had Peter. Their understanding of Him was either incorrect or incomplete because they were using human reasoning to determine His identity. Herod didn’t want to consider Jesus to be a king because that would make Him a competitor for the throne. Peter refused to accept Jesus’ talk of death because He had no use for a dead Messiah. Everyone had opinions about Jesus, but no one understood who He was. Peter had given the right answer, but still had a long way to go before He understood what it meant.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Head and Heart Go Hand-in-Hand

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9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. – 2 Timothy 4:9-15 ESV

When reading Paul’s letters, it can be easy to assume he was a spiritual loner who, because of his work, traveled from place to place and never put down roots. He can come across as a spiritual soldier of fortune, moving from one city to the next and staying only as long as it took to make enough converts to start a local church. Once his work was done, Paul would pack his parchments and scant belongings and head to yet another town, where he would start the whole process over again.

This image of Paul as a type-A personality with an over-zealous constitution and a somewhat legalistic, doctrinally-driven mindset is inaccurate and unfair. Even a cursory reading of his many letters reveals a man with a deep love and concern for others. Yes, he was driven. He was a man on a mission who would not allow himself to be distracted by the cares of this world. But that does not mean he was callous, cold, or uncaring. As a leader, Paul had an unwavering commitment to preach the gospel with boldness, despite the opposition of some and the stubborn obstinacy of others. Yet, he had a pastor’s heart for every person who came to faith in Christ through his ministry.

You can sense Paul’s love and concern in the way he addressed those under his care.

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. – Galatians 4:19-20 NLT

I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. – 1 Corinthians 4:14-15 NLT

…we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. – 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NLT

Like any loving parent, Paul could be demanding and doting. He was also willing to admonish and encourage, and was deeply concerned for the well-being of all those who came to faith in Christ under his ministry. He did not view them as notches on his belt or numbers on a spreadsheet. They were his spiritual children, and he cared for them as much as he cared for Timothy.

As Paul draws his letter to Timothy to a close, he mentions seven individuals with whom he had deep relationships: Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus, and Alexander. Some of these names are more familiar than others, appearing elsewhere in the New Testament. But a few remain a mystery, with their exact identities and roles in Paul’s life unknown. Yet this list of names reveals the diverse nature of Paul’s relational pool. The sheer scope of his ministry necessitated interaction with a wide range of individuals, some of whom he developed deep and lasting relationships. Some remained relatively unknown to Paul, but their anonymity did not diminish his care for them.

Seemingly convinced that his conviction and death at the hands of the Romans were drawing near, Paul appealed to Timothy to come to visit him in Rome. One can almost feel Paul’s sense of loneliness as he pleads with his young friend to make the arduous trip from Ephesus to Rome. Paul has just urged Timothy to be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). Yet now he wants Timothy to drop everything and come to Rome so he can see him one last time. 

Paul’s explanation for this impromptu visit was that Demas had deserted him. Apparently, Demas was a ministry associate of Paul’s who had been working alongside him during his imprisonment in Rome. But Paul accuses Demas of jumping ship, having fallen “in love with this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10 ESV). As a minister of the gospel, Paul had the extreme joy of leading many people to Christ and training others for ministry. But he also had the unenviable task of watching some stray from the path of faith. Earlier in this letter, he mentioned Hymenaeus and Philetus, who had “swerved from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18 ESV). In his first letter to Timothy, Paul called out Hymenaeus and Alexander, accusing them of having “suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV).

Paul knew what it felt like to be betrayed and abandoned by those he had led to Christ and loved like a father. He had felt the pain of watching leaders wander from the truth into false doctrine, and he had witnessed countless individuals walk away from the faith because the path was harder than they expected. Now, he was forced to watch Demas abandon his calling because his love for Christ had been replaced by a love for the things of this world. Demas’ life showed what Paul had warned Timothy about: he had become a lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God (2 Timothy 3:4). Demas failed to fulfill his ministry, and this must have caused Paul much pain and disappointment.

But not all of Paul’s ministry companions had walked away from the faith or deserted his side. Some, like Crescens and Titus, left Paul in Rome so they could carry the gospel to places like Galatia and Dalmatia. Paul was encouraged as he watched them do the work of ministry he could no longer perform. But it must have been difficult for him to send these men into the world, knowing they would face difficulties and trials, just as he had.

The departures of Crescens and Titus had left Paul with one remaining companion, the physician, Luke. Even while imprisoned in Rome, Paul seems to have enjoyed regular visits from many of his friends and ministry associates. But as the reality of his pending death grew clearer, Paul wanted to reconnect with those he had not seen in some time. This included John Mark, another former disciple and companion. Acts 13 reveals that on one of their missionary journeys, John Mark had left Paul and Barnabas and had returned to Jerusalem. No explanation is given for his departure, but Paul instructs Timothy to pick up John Mark and bring him to Rome. Paul seems to assure Timothy that all will go well in Ephesus in his absence because he had sent Tychicus to serve in his place.

Paul also instructed Timothy to bring some specific items that he needed, including a cloak Paul had evidently loaned to someone named Carpus. He also asked for books and parchments he had lent Timothy to help with his studies. These could have included scrolls from Paul’s personal library containing copies of the Old Testament scriptures. Even in old age and facing imminent death, Paul was still reading, learning, and studying. And as his letter to Timothy illustrates, even in prison, Paul was still teaching, training, encouraging, and pouring his life into others.

Finally, Paul warns Timothy to avoid Alexander the coppersmith. Paul accuses Alexander of having done him “great harm” by opposing his message. No further explanation is given, but it seems clear that Timothy knew Alexander, and Paul wanted him to avoid this man like the plague. Once again, this warning fits in with Paul’s earlier admonition to Timothy regarding godless people.

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! – 2 Timothy 3:5 NLT

The gospel ministry will include all kinds of people. Some will be true converts, while others will appear to have saving faith but eventually walk away when the going gets tough. Self-proclaimed teachers will replace the truth of God with pleasant-sounding platitudes that tickle people’s ears and attract fair-weather followers. For every Demas and Alexander, there would be a Crescens or Titus. But Paul was convinced that preaching the good news would attract bad apples. The gospel message would attract people who saw an opportunity to profit by replacing the truth with ear-tickling claims that promoted wickedness rather than godliness.

Even as he prepares to conclude his letter to Timothy, he warns his young friend to stay alert and remain faithful to his calling. Because “in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1 ESV).

Father, Paul was religious and relational. He was a lover of the truth and a lover of people. He cared deeply about the the honor of Your name but he also cared for the spiritual well-being of others. His dedication to spreading the gospel message was unwavering, but so was his determination to encourage and challenge all those who placed their faith in Christ. He was a man who took his calling seriously but who never let his zeal for carrying out his mission diminish his care and concern for people. He was diligent, determined, and dedicated, but he never became distant or too busy to pour into the lives of others. I am encouraged by his ability to balance a love for the truth with a love for people. Yes, he could be blunt and unapologetically harsh at times, but only because he cared deeply about the truth of the gospel and the spiritual health of Your people. I am always amazed at the sheer volume of personal letters he wrote. These documents feature a well-balanced blend of doctrine and fatherly love. They were meant to educate, encourage, rebuke, warn, and challenge. Never allow my pursuit of the truth to become academic or cerebral. As Paul himself wrote, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1 BSB). Becoming a Bible scholar is not the goal. Attempting to impress others with our doctrinal wisdom is not our calling. Again, Paul confessed, “if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge…but didn’t love others, I would be nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NLT). Paul was well-balanced, displaying an equal commitment to head and heart. That is how I want to live my life. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

There’s Always Room For Growth

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6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.  – 2 Timothy 3:6-9 ESV

After assuring Timothy that the spiritual condition of the world was going to get worse before it got better and providing him with a detailed description of the moral state of its inhabitants, Paul warned him, “Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 2:5 NLT). They may appear to be religious and even claim to be followers of Christ and faithful members of the local church, but their behavior will reveal that they love pleasure more than God. They will be worldly, controlled by their sin natures, and driven by their passions, rather than living under the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In his letter to the believers in Galatia, Paul provided yet another list of characteristics that would mark such people.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

While Paul’s words apply to any church in any age, he had someone specific in mind when writing to Timothy. A group of false teachers exhibiting the characteristics in verses 2-5 was negatively influencing the church in Ephesus. These self-loving, pleasure-seeking, ego-driven individuals were preying on the weak and vulnerable in the church.

They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. – 2 Timothy 3:6 NLT

What Paul describes is a predatory mindset that seeks out the spiritually and emotionally immature. These pious-sounding individuals were actually self-proclaimed purveyors of doctrinal error who purposefully targeted the weaker brothers and sisters in the congregation. Paul emphasizes their particular emphasis on “weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions” (2 Timothy 3:6 ESV).

It is important to remember that the early church was made up of converts from all walks of life, including men, women, slaves, freemen, Gentiles, and Jews. The church was a melting pot of the rich and the poor, and the educated and the illiterate. Some people had come to faith in Christ while their spouses remained unsaved. Paul makes that point clear in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. – 1 Corinthians 7:13-14 NLT

Just a few verses earlier in the same letter, Paul commanded anyone who had become a believer to remain married to their unbelieving spouse.

But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband…And the husband must not leave his wife. – 1 Corinthians 7:11, 12 NLT

If a believing woman had lost her husband, she was particularly vulnerable, lacking a spiritual partner in her quest for godliness. She could not expect her husband to provide any spiritual leadership or support. Because of the prevailing cultural constraints of the day, many women were uneducated and ill-equipped to see through the doctrinal error promoted by these false teachers.

Paul uses an interesting Greek word to describe these women: gynaikarion. It appears nowhere else in the New Testament and is a non-flattering term that means “little women.” Various Bible translations use different English words to convey the term’s original meaning: vulnerable, weak, gullible, silly, foolish, and idle.

But Paul seems to have viewed these women as spiritually immature and still “burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires” (2 Timothy 3:6 NLT). These false teachers were taking advantage of the situation, targeting the less spiritually informed in the congregation to sway opinion and recruit converts to their way of thinking.

Paul essentially described these women as “little” or childish in their faith. They were immature and lacked the wisdom to see through the false teachers’ deception. In Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, he warned them about unknowingly doing damage to their weaker brothers and sisters. In their case, the issue involved eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. The more mature believers understood that the meat, available for purchase at the local market, was of high quality and completely harmless. But the less mature believers, most of whom had been idol worshipers before coming to faith in Christ, viewed the meat as tainted and unholy. So, when they saw their fellow believers eating or serving this meat at their meals, they were appalled and confused. This led Paul to write: “take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9 NLT).

The weaker or less mature believer is more susceptible to false teaching because they lack biblical knowledge to discern the difference between falsehood and truth. Their understanding of basic Bible doctrine is rudimentary and easily manipulated. Paul describes these women as being spiritually hungry but lacking in discernment.

Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7 NLT).

What Paul describes is a timeless problem that is not relegated to the first century. A new believer’s hunger for spiritual truth is a good thing, but can become dangerous when there is no one to provide wisdom and discernment. A young child will satisfy their physical hunger with whatever appeals to them, with no regard for its nutritional value. In the same way, immature Christians can feed their spiritual appetite with sermons, books, podcasts, and teachings that do more harm than good. They can fill up on spiritual “junk food” that appeals to their senses but leaves them in a weakened state because it is devoid of truth.

And Paul accuses the false teachers of feeding these spiritually childlike women a steady diet of lies and half-truths that left them spiritually malnourished and starving. Paul compares the false teachers to the Egyptian magicians who tried to counter Moses’ miraculous plagues with their own brand of supernatural conjuring. Paul names two individuals not mentioned in the Old Testament but preserved through Jewish oral tradition. Jannes means “the rebel,” while Jambres means “the opponent.” Like the court magicians who opposed Moses’ efforts, the false teachers were spinning their own version of the truth. But Paul pulls no punches in exposing them because they were “corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8 ESV).

The Egyptian magicians could only produce counterfeit miracles that simulated the work of God. And the false teachers could only offer up spiritual-sounding platitudes that lacked substance and led to spiritual starvation. Eventually, their deception will be exposed, and their erroneous teaching will lose its grip on the weak and vulnerable.

… they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. – 2 Timothy 3:9 NLT

A steady diet of junk food may sound appealing, but will eventually lead to poor health. And the immature believer who fills their spiritual tank with the latest faith-fad and quick-fix religious trend will find themselves suffering from malnutrition and in need of something of substance. The weak and immature are to grow up, and the spiritual infant is expected to make steady progress toward maturity. Spiritual growth is a normal part of the Christian life, as Paul and the author of Hebrews make clear.

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. – Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT

The best antidote to spiritual immaturity is the truth of God’s Word. Each Christ-follower is to feed on the truth and allow it to transform them from an infant in Christ to a fully mature believer “who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT). Like an infant that craves its mother’s milk, believers should long for the life-transformative nourishment of the Word of God.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. – 1 Peter 2:2 BSB

Father, we each began our faith journey as spiritual infants, totally dependent upon the wisdom and care of others to ensure our safety and growth. But there came a time when we had to learn to self-feed and stand on our own. This transition from total dependence on others to spiritual adulthood and independence is natural and normal. But it can’t happen without a steady diet of Your  Word, which “is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:15 BSB). The truth of Your Word serves as spiritual nourishment that strengthens our faith, increases our resistance to falsehood, and transforms us into fully devoted followers of Christ, “mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NLT). When we make spiritual maturity our highest priority, “then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:14 NLT). That is the goal, and it is achievable because You make it possible. Never let me become complacent about my spiritual growth or satisfied with where I am in my faith journey. Give me an unsatiable appetite for Your Word so that I can continue to grow more like Christ the older I get. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Vessel of Honor

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20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:20-26 ESV

Quarrelsome words. Irreverent babble. Gangrenous talk.

Paul pulled no punches when describing the erroneous teaching that was influencing and infecting the church in Ephesus. To Paul, it was like a deadly disease slowly spreading through the congregation, causing some to doubt their true spiritual condition. The doctrinal errors propagated by individuals like Hymenaeus and Philetus ran contrary to the message Paul had preached about the truth of the gospel.

Paul informed Timothy that he had the unenviable, but necessary responsibility of addressing this problem by “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). He encouraged his young protegé to do his job with an eye toward seeking the approval of God, not men.

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. – 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT

Telling people what they want to hear might help Timothy win over some of the dissenters in the congregation, but it would not score him any points with God. As a minister of the gospel, Timothy was responsible to teach the truth, regardless of how his audience responded; he answered to God. And Paul reminded Timothy that “God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and ‘All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil’” (2 Timothy 2:19 NLT).

The congregation in Ephesus was confused. With men like Hymenaeus and Philetus teaching contrary doctrine and sowing seeds of doubt and dissent, it had become difficult to tell who was telling the truth. But Paul emphasized that God knew; the Shepherd knows His sheep, and those who belong to the flock of God were expected to “turn away from evil.” As in any congregation, the fellowship in Ephesus was comprised of both the faithful and the unfaithful.

There were those who adhered to the truth of God and sought to abstain from evil, and those who “swerved from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18 ESV) and, in doing so, embraced wickedness. This led Paul to use yet another illustration to help Timothy understand what he faced in Ephesus.

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. – 2 Timothy 2:20 ESV

This simple analogy was intended to expose the diverse composition of any local congregation. In a church, as in a fine home, it is only natural to find both honorable and dishonorable “vessels.” This is not a reference to the saved and the lost. Paul focuses on the word “honorable,” which in Greek refers to “value” or “esteem.”

Paul’s point is that God deems honorable those who rightly divide the word of truth; they meet His approval. But those who twist and distort the truth are viewed as dishonorable or unworthy. A wealthy homeowner would not use clay dishes to serve his dinner guests. To do so would dishonor himself and his guests. And God will not use those individuals who distort the truth of the gospel because to do so would bring dishonor to His name.

The primary issue here is that of holiness, or the state of being set apart. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have been set apart by God for His use. Having been saved by God through the sacrificial death of His Son, they now belong to Him.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Those who belong to God are expected to honor Him. But when a believer embraces teaching that is contrary to God’s truth or commits sins that are unacceptable for God’s children, he renders himself unfit for service. Paul is not teaching that a believer can lose his salvation; He is simply stating that a Christian can fail to live a set-apart life by choosing to follow the desires of their sinful nature. When they do, they disqualify themselves from service to God. But Paul also says disqualification can result from believing or teaching false doctrine. He insists that this “irreverent babble…will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:16 ESV).

The word “irreverent” is the Greek word bebēlos, which refers to something “common” or “unholy.” It contradicts being set apart by God for His honor and glory. In veering from the truth of God and encouraging others to follow suit, a believer renders themself unfit for His service. They become common rather than holy or, as Paul put it, they become a vessel for dishonor rather than honor. And to ensure Timothy doesn’t miss his point, Paul puts his warning in practical, everyday terms his young disciple can understand.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. – 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

Paul challenges Timothy to live a set-apart life; to live in a way that reflected his status as a new creation in Christ. He was to seek the company of those who shared his desire to live a holy life.

But Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to form a “holy huddle,” an elite group of super-serious Christians who chose to sequester themselves away from the less honorable members of the congregation. Paul wanted Timothy to teach and train up a group of believers who would positively influence the rest of the church body through their words and actions. Rather than pick a fight with those who disagreed with them, they were to “Gently instruct those who oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25 NLT). The goal was to provide loving instruction with an eye toward reconciliation.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. – 2 Timothy 2:25-26 NLT

In Paul’s mind, the “dishonorable” vessel was not doomed to remain that way; he could be renewed and restored. Every believer is responsible to compassionately care for those who stray from the truth.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. – Galatians 6:1 NLT

Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 NLT

Paul greatly desired that the church be marked by a spirit of unity and solidarity. But he knew that the sinful natures of those who made up the church could make that difficult. But he also knew that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit provided every believer with an ample source of power to overcome sin and resist the lies of the enemy. But Timothy, as a minister of the gospel, would need to set the example, modeling the life of an honorable vessel, “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV).

Father, You saved us so that we would bring You honor, and You placed Your Spirit within us so we would have a constant source of guidance and power to make it possible. Thankfully, You didn’t leave the goal of our sanctification up to us or it would never happen. We can’t transform ourselves into the likeness of Your Son, but that doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility to cooperate with Your Spirit and to make godliness our primary goal. As a follower of Christ, I should want to honor You with my life because of all You have done for me. Seeking to faithfully follow Your will should motivate all that I do. But it requires that I know the truth and that I refuse to veer from it. Yet, the world is constantly selling a different version of the truth designed to produce compromise and complacency among Your children. The enemy constantly seeks to distort Your Word through the subtle dissemination of plausible lies and convincing half-truths. It all sounds good but it doesn’t produce honorable vessels. Those who buy into the lies end up shipwrecking their faith and rendering themselves unfit for service in Your Kingdom. Open my eyes to see the battle raging all around me and to recognize the enemy’s deceptive attempts to lure me away from the path of righteousness. I want to be “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV). Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

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8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. – Titus 3:8-11 ESV

Paul has just reminded Titus of the core message of the gospel: Jesus Christ appeared in human form as a visible expression of God’s goodness and love. Not only that, but Jesus proved the love of God by offering His own life as payment for the sins of humanity. His death made salvation possible, not based on our efforts to live righteous lives, but because of the mercy of God the Father. The death of Jesus on the cross provided a way for sinful man to be forgiven, cleansed, and restored to a right relationship with God the Father. After His resurrection and return to His Father’s side, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers; the result was their “new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 NLT). And the Holy Spirit’s presence within the life of every believer is a guarantee of the eternal life awaiting them.

Paul tells Titus that this is a trustworthy saying. In Greek, the phrase is pistos logos. It means these are words we can rely on and believe in. They are true and worthy of our trust because they hold the key to our present effectiveness and our future hope.

Paul places such high expectations on the believers living on Crete because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death made possible a life filled with a never-before-available power to live above and beyond the norms of everyday life. A Christian is a new creation whose purpose for life has been radically changed because of his relationship with Jesus Christ. That is why Paul expected Titus to hold the believers on Crete to the higher standard that came with their newfound status as God’s children.

Jesus died so that sinful men might be saved, but His death also made possible their ongoing spiritual transformation. He didn’t just provide a clean slate, wiping them free from the sin debt they owed; He also made it possible for them to live righteous lives. So, Titus was to “insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8 NLT).

Notice Paul’s emphasis on belief and behavior. In his mind, these two things were inseparable, like two sides of the same coin. You could never have one without the other. For Paul, the good news regarding Jesus Christ was not just about gaining entrance into heaven someday; it was about the daily manifestation of our faith through tangible works that reveal the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is exactly what Paul told the believers in Ephesus:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Paul insists that every believer is God’s handiwork or masterpiece. The Greek word he used is poiēma, and it refers to “the thing that is made.” Each believer is a handcrafted work of God. This refers not only to their creation, but also to their re-creation through salvation. Paul’s point is that no one saves themselves; no one becomes a Christian. The work of salvation is entirely up to God, from beginning to end, just as Paul told the believers in Rome.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. – Romans 8:29-30 NLT

Paul was consistently emphatic when declaring man’s non-existent role in salvation.

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:9 NLT

God is entirely responsible for the entire redemptive process, from initial salvation to sanctification and, ultimately, final glorification. From beginning to end, it is the work of God.

…because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

But while man’s works cannot make him right with God, they can certainly provide evidence of God’s work in him, which is the entire point of Paul’s letter to Titus. He wanted the believers on Crete to live their lives in the power of the Spirit, fulfilling the preordained plans God had for them. There was work to be done because many had not yet heard the gospel message. God had a divine strategy in place requiring all believers to live in obedience to His will and in total submission to His Spirit. Their righteous behavior would give evidence of their belief and shine like light in the darkness. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His audience, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16 NLT). Jesus used this theme repeatedly.

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” – Luke 8:16 NLT

“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” – Luke 11:33 NLT

What Paul shared with Titus was meant to be considered good and beneficial. This wasn’t pie-in-the-sky rhetoric. Salvation wasn’t to be viewed as some future escape plan from eternal torment; it was to be the key to abundant life in the present, and Paul lived his life that way, which is why he could so boldly state, “I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT).

He firmly believed that his old self was crucified alongside Christ, “so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless” ªRomans 6:6 BSB). He regularly experienced the reality of his own teaching in his own life.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24 NLT

If those old passions and desires have been nailed to the cross, it is essential that they be replaced with new passions and desires. The believer’s new nature in Christ should become increasingly more evident, revealing the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. So, everything Paul instructed Titus to teach the believers on Crete is tied to the good works God created them to accomplish. That includes submission, self-control, love, patience, temperance, kindness, sacrifice, and a host of other qualities that are still in short supply today. Our behavior should reflect what we say we believe.

…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

We are to believe and behave in a way that displays our new status as God’s adopted sons and daughters. From God’s perspective, we are new creations, so why would we continue to live according to our old natures? God has new things for us to do and a radically different lifestyle in mind, intended to prove the reality of our new identities. Which is why Paul told the believers in Ephesus, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:24 NLT).

But many of the believers on the island of Crete were struggling. Some were causing dissension by teaching unadulterated lies. Arguments were breaking out within their gatherings. Sides were being taken, damaging the church’s unity and diluting the gospel’s message. Paul makes it brutally clear what Titus was to do with those who caused divisions within the local church.

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him… – Titus 3:10 ESV

The point of Paul’s letter is godly behavior; he is calling all professing Christians to live as who they are: the sons and daughters of God, reflecting Christ’s character and devoting themselves to good works. Anything that distracted from the objective was to be avoided at all costs. Anyone who distorted or took away from that mission was to be rejected for being warped, sinful, and self-condemning. They were guilty of twisting and perverting the message of the gospel, and their actions condemned them. Paul insists that they be avoided like a plague because the spiritual well-being of the body of Christ was at risk. The believers on Crete would find it nearly impossible to accomplish the good works God had prepared for them to do as long as these individuals were allowed to remain in their midst. There was no place for tolerance or complacency when it came to threats against the truth of the gospel.

This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. – Galatians 5:9-10 NLT

Paul had no tolerance for false teachers, and neither should they. Right living becomes virtually impossible when wrong doctrines are allowed to exist. Doing good works is difficult when bad teaching is left unchallenged in the church. The church must always take the truth seriously and deal with falsehood decisively. The world may be filled with lies, driven by deception, and motivated by selfishness, but the church of Jesus Christ is to be the unwavering foundation of God’s truth.

Paul was providing Titus with the same powerful reminder that he had given Timothy, so that both men might “know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 BSB).

Father, Your servant Paul talked a lot about good works because he understood that belief and behavior were inseparable and non-negotiable. I am reminded of the words of James, when he wrote, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” (James 2:19 NLT). Demons know You exist, but thir belief in Your existence does not produce righteous behavior. They fear You, but lack the ability to worship You because they remain unrepentant and unredeemed. So, our verbal expressions of belief may impress others, but they don’t fool You because You know our hearts and You look for “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:11 ESV). But that fruit is not something we produce, it is the work of Your Spirit within us. Yet, it should be evident to all those around us, like light shining in a darkened room. If we lack fruitfulness, it is because of faithlessness. We either doubt Your power to transform our lives, question the need to live differently, or buy the lie that sanctification is up to us. But for You, belief and behavior are irrevocably linked and the byproducts of Your grace. I can’t produce the fruit of righteousness, but Your Spirit can. So, keep me dependent upon Him so that His fruit might flow through me. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Godliness For All

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1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. – Titus 2:1-10 ESV

They say the best defense is a good offense. So, to help Titus in his battle against false, heretical teaching, Paul told the young pastor to surround himself with qualified men who could help him lead the church. But Paul didn’t stop there; he also told Titus to rebuke his flock for their laziness and gluttony, so that they might be “sound in their faith” (Titus 1:14 ESV).

Now Paul gets specific. He gives Titus detailed and practical descriptions of how various groups within the body of Christ were to conduct their lives. First of all, as their shepherd, Titus was to teach what “accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1 ESV). Sound doctrine was essential to Paul because it was the glue that held the body of Christ together. That is why he spent so much time writing to the churches he had helped establish. He knew that the most difficult days for any believing congregation were those that followed their initial salvation experience. Salvation was to be followed by sanctification, and that would require sound doctrine and teaching in accord with the words of Jesus and the Old Testament Scriptures.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul reminded him that the law “is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10 ESV).

He went on to tell Timothy, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3-4 ESV). In his second letter to Timothy, he warned that people would prove fickle and drawn to falsehood, desiring to hear teaching that condoned their behavior and excused their love of the world.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

But Paul isn’t only telling Titus to teach solid, reliable doctrine; he is encouraging him to get specific and show how that doctrine should apply to everyday life. The New Living Translation puts verse one this way: “promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching” (Titus 2:1 NLT).

Good doctrine should produce good behavior. The teachings of Jesus, expounded and expanded upon by the apostles, were to have a dramatic impact on the lives of those who placed their faith in Him as their Savior. Christ’s followers were to be Christ-like.

So, Paul begins by emphasizing the older men in the church. He tells Titus that they are to be characterized by sober-mindedness, an ability to think clearly, unhampered by alcohol or anything else that would confuse their capacity to judge wisely. They are to be dignified, worthy of respect, and are never to behave childishly or immaturely. Their lives are to be marked by self-control, the ability to manage their natural desires and passions. They are to have a healthy faith that shows up in how they live their lives, exhibiting a love for others, even those who are difficult to love.

Paul focuses on older women in the church. Their lives were to be marked by behavior that reflected their holiness. In other words, their godliness was to show up in tangible and visible ways. They were not to be addicted to gossip and slander or, for that matter, wine. And they were to teach the younger women by modeling what godliness looked like in the life of a believing woman. While Paul provides a list of good behaviors that the older women were to teach to the younger women in the church, I don’t think he had a class in mind. They were to teach by example, not by lecture. Their lives were to be the lesson younger women studied and from which they learned God’s expectations for holiness.

As for the younger women, they were to love their husbands and children well. While this may sound like a simplistic and unnecessary command, we know how difficult it be. Marriage is not always a walk in the park, and raising children can be extremely challenging. That is why Paul wanted older women to model what loving your husband and children looks like over the long haul. Their lives were to be a tangible example of self-controlled, selfless living.

Along with loving their families well, the younger women were to prioritize purity and wholesomeness, and to be diligent workers who ordered their homes well. This passage should not be construed to mean that wives should work outside of the home. But in Paul’s day, that was a rare option for women. He was simply calling for an attitude of diligence and order in their responsibilities, that would apply in every area of their lives, either at home or work.

Again, these older women were to model what submission to their husbands looked like. It was not a matter of worth or value, power or weakness. It had to do with willingly submitting to God’s intended order for leadership within the family. Paul is not suggesting that husbands are better, smarter, or more deserving of the leadership role in the home. He is simply saying that God prescribed an order of responsibility for the family, placed the man as the head of the home, and expected him to lead well. It is an all-too-proven fact that many men don’t lead their families well. But their failure to lead does not release them from their God-ordained responsibility. God intended for the wife to be an asset to her husband, encouraging and assisting him in his God-given role. They were to see themselves as partners in this sometimes difficult and bumpy adventure called marriage. In fact, Jesus would say that a husband and wife are not really partners, but a single unit joined together by God through the marriage covenant. The two of them are to act as one, in loving unison, as they raise their family and conduct their lives on this earth.

The younger men, which includes younger fathers and husbands, as well as single men, were also to be self-controlled. They were not to be driven by their passions or controlled by their lusts. Titus, as a young man himself, was to be a model of godly behavior, using his own life as a teaching tool that revealed integrity, dignity, and godly speech. Young men were not to use their youth as an excuse to act foolishly or shirk their responsibilities as Christ-followers. They were to take their faith seriously and behave consistently so that the outside world could not accuse them of hypocrisy.

Paul closes his list by addressing bondservants or slaves. In that day, there were many who found themselves operating as household slaves or servants because of unpaid debts. There were others who were outright slaves, taken captive as a result of war, and sold into slavery. But many of these individuals had come to faith in Christ and had become members of the local churches on Crete. So, Paul didn’t want to leave them out.

It’s interesting to note that Paul doesn’t address the institution of slavery, and neither condemns nor condones it. He wasn’t out to change the unjust, man-made institutions that took advantage of the weak or helpless; he was out to change hearts. This is why he tells Titus that slaves were to remain submissive to their masters in everything. He didn’t attempt to emancipate them or suggest they rebel or run away. In fact, he told them to use their enslavement as a platform from which to exhibit their faith in Christ. They were to obey and not argue. They were to refrain from stealing and show themselves to be trustworthy and reliable. In short, their overall behavior, even as slaves, was to bring glory and honor to God.

Good doctrine should result in good conduct. Belief that doesn’t affect behavior should be questioned. When an individual claims to know and follow Christ but shows no qualifying characteristics, it should raise concerns. Paul suggests they should be rebuked because behavior is one of the greatest testimonies to the gospel’s life-transforming power. Our actions are practical proof of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power within us. But it is important to remember that all these characteristics and behaviors Paul lists are Spirit-produced, not man-made. They are produced as we rely upon the Spirit and adhere to the good, solid teaching of sound doctrine.

Father, You designed Your church to be a melting pot of people from all walks of life, cultures, economic backgrounds, and belief systems. This was the mystery Paul talked about. While the early church was compiled mainly of Jews who had placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, it didn’t take long for the message to spread to the Gentile world. Your Son ensured that would happen when He commissioned His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And He kickstarted the process when He transformed Paul from being persecutor of the church to becoming His primary messenger of the gospel to the Gentiles. The result was that the body of Christ became an eclective, sometimes messy blend of different people with disparate backgrounds. But Your goal for them was unity, community, mutual love, and a shared passion for reaching the world with the message of Your gracious gift of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. Paul reminds us that the church is anything but perfect because it is comprised of imperfect people who must rely on the power of the Spirit and the truth of Your Word to live together in unity. But when we obey, good things happen. The church grows, marriages thrive, families prosper, and the transformative power of the gospel is demonstrated to the world.  Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Wanted: Godly Leaders

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10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 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, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 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. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. – Titus 1:10-16 ESV

Like Timothy, Titus was one of Paul’s protégés. He was a Greek Gentile whom Paul had led to Christ and who joined the apostle on several of his missionary journeys. Over time, Titus earned Paul’s trust and was sent on his own mission endeavors, including the island of Crete, where he was to appoint elders and establish some sense of order among the congregations there.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. –  Titus 1:5 NLT

As he had done with Timothy, Paul gave Titus advice on how to deal with false teachers, a recurring problem in the fledgling churches on Crete. Titus found himself ministering in a place where the reputation of the inhabitants was far from stellar. Paul even quoted Epimenides, a 6th-century BC philosopher and religious prophet from Crete who held a low view of his fellow Cretans.

Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. – Titus 1:12 ESV

“In his poem Cretica, Epimenides accuses the Cretans of being liars and evil beasts because they claim to host a tomb of Zeus, the chief of the gods. Since Zeus “lives and abides forever,” the Cretans must be liars. Paul quotes from this same poem in his sermon to the Areopagus in Acts 17:28. Crete also claimed to be the birthplace of Zeus, known in antiquity as the Dictaean Cave, which legend placed on the slopes of Mount Ida, Crete’s tallest mountain. Reputedly from Knossos, Epimenides was supposed to have the gift of prophecy, which was bestowed on him after he allegedly slept for 57 years in a cave sacred to Zeus.” – Currid, John D., and David W. Chapman, editors. ESV Archaeology Study Bible. Crossway, 2018

Paul concurred with Epimenides’ assessment and went out of his way to paint a less-than-flattering picture of the people of Crete. He described them as  “insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party” (Titus 1:10 ESV).

Evidently, the false teachers were not the only people of poor repute on Crete; some members of the local church were, too. That’s why Paul spends a great deal of time in his letter focusing on good works. He wanted Titus to understand just how important good character and moral behavior were in the life of a believer.

Paul commanded Titus to deal harshly and firmly with those whose lives were marked by laziness and lying. He didn’t want his young disciple to tolerate the disorder and chaos these kinds of people were bringing into the church. He told Titus to “rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13 ESV). Rebuking and restoration were both part of Titus’ ministry on Crete.

Paul’s objective was for these individuals to become “sound in the faith,” because they were spreading false and deceptive ideas concerning faith in Christ. Paul’s use of the term “faith” refers to eternal salvation made possible through belief in Jesus Christ as Savior. The false teachers were confusing and even contradicting what Paul, Titus, and others had taught regarding what it means to have faith in Christ, experience forgiveness of sins, and have a restored relationship with God.

Rather than teaching faith alone in Christ, these false teachers proclaimed novel messages about salvation that contradicted the gospel Paul and the other apostles proclaimed, weakening the faith of the Cretan believers. These new converts to Christianity no longer knew who or what to believe, leaving their confidence in the gospel in doubt.

One of the qualifications for elders that Paul gave Titus was “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” (Titus 1:9 ESV). Elder candidates were to be knowledgeable of the truth so that they might refute falsehood and rebuke those who taught it. As far as Paul was concerned, sound faith was totally dependent upon sound doctrine.

But these false teachers were teaching “what they ought not to teach” and all “for shameful gain” (Titus 1:11 ESV). Paul refers to them as being from the circumcision party, a reference to Jews who expressed faith in Christ, but who taught that Gentiles must keep the Law of Moses and undergo the rite of circumcision in order to be saved. Paul fought this heresy with every fiber of his being. His fear was that, based on their reputation, the Cretans would easily accept this false teaching and end up “devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:14 ESV).

The Cretans were easily swayed by the “commands” or teachings of these people. They readily accepted what they had to say about circumcision, abstinence from certain foods, the keeping of Jewish feasts and festivals, and adherence to the Mosaic law. But Paul warned Titus that these false teachers were nothing less than hypocrites and were to be avoided at all costs.

Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. – Titus 1:16 NLT

Paul made it clear that the real problem with these false teachers was their hearts.

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. – Titus 1:15 NLT

They were obsessed with the externals: keeping laws and commands and adhering to rituals and religious rules. During His earthly ministry, Jesus encountered another group of well-respected individuals with a similar outlook. On one occasion, a group of Jewish religious leaders approached Jesus and asked why His disciples didn’t follow their man-made tradition of ceremonial hand-cleansing before they ate. Jesus politely listened to their thinly veiled accusation and then responded with a stinging rebuke.

“And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’” – Matthew 15:3-9 NLT

Jesus went on to say: “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth” (Matthew 15:11 NLT).

Those self-righteous religious leaders had missed the point. They were so busy keeping external rules that they missed the real issue: the condition of their hearts. Paul knew that the false teachers who were so negatively impacting the churches on Crete were suffering from the same problem. Their minds and consciences were defiled, and their hearts were hardened to the truth regarding faith in Christ. They were convinced that there had to be more to salvation than faith alone in Christ alone. Judaism began as a faith-based relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but over time it became a system of rigid rules and religious rituals focused on self-righteousness. But Paul describes these Jewish believers as defiled, unbelieving, wrong, and dangerous. So, Titus was to rebuke these false teachers sharply, and chastise the Cretans for so readily accepting their lies.

Sound doctrine and sound faith go hand in hand. The Word of God is not open to interpretation, and we are not free to add to the gospel or alter the truth of God in any way. We are not to tolerate those who attempt to mislead by misinterpreting the Word of God. That is why Paul told Titus that an elder must “have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong” (Titus 1:9 NLT).

Paul had written something similar to Timothy, stating that the purpose of his letter was that he would “know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 NLT). The church and its leaders were to adhere to and uphold the truth of God, especially as it relates to the message and means of salvation. There is no other gospel except the one we have been given: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 ESV).

We live in the midst of an ungodly world, and there is an ongoing need for godly individuals who will step forward and provide leadership and protection for the flock of God. The church needs men of character who are led by the Spirit of God and committed to the Word of God because disorder and disruption are all around us. That’s why qualified leaders are in great need, even today.

Father, it is hard to believe, but liars and deceivers exist in the church. We don’t like to admit it, but the enemy has done a masterful job of infiltrating the flock of God, with his agents of deceit masguerading as sheep and propagating his clever-sounding lies disguised as truth. That is why we need godly leaders who know Your Word and are willing, ready, and able to defend it at all costs. The danger is real because the subtle lies of the enemy are difficult to spot. They sound good and cause the innocent and unsuspecting to wander from the path of righteousness. That’s why we need men and women who are dedicated to rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) and devoted to the care and protection of Your flock. Continue to raise up leaders like Paul, Titus, and Timothy, and give us the wisdom to recognize and appoint them. The church belongs to You and we want to steward its care well. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Truth and Nothing But the Truth

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14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. – 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5ESV

The world in which Paul lived was mired in falsehood, much like it is today. It is Satan’s domain, who is the father of lies (John 8:44), and everything in this world is deceptive and deceitful. As Satan has always done, he takes what God made and attempts to distort and twist it in such a way that it leads humanity away from God.

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul outlined the devastating consequences of Satan’s influence over this world and his impact on men.

…they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. – Romans 1:21-23 NLT

While he is deemed the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), Satan is not obsessed with having men worship him; he is content to have them worship anything other than God, including themselves. That is why Paul warned the believers in Rome about the dangers of idolatry.

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself. – Romans 1:25 NLT

The apostle John reminds us that Jesus “came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him” (John 1:10-11 NLT). Preferring the darkness over the Light, men rejected the truth about Jesus Christ and gladly accepted the lies of the enemy.

So, it’s easy to see why Paul reminded Timothy that the church, the body of Christ, was God’s ordained instrument for spreading and supporting the truth concerning His Son in this world. His whole purpose in writing to Timothy was to help him understand how people were to live within the household of God, the church, the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 ESV).

The truth to which Paul referred is the truth regarding godliness. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has provided a means by which sinful men and women might achieve godliness or a state of righteousness in His eyes.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

Paul seems to quote a few lines from what must have been an early church hymn.

Christ was revealed in a human body
    and vindicated by the Spirit.
He was seen by angels
    and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world
    and taken to heaven in glory. – 1 Timothy 3:16 NLT

In a few short lines, Paul addresses the truth regarding godliness. First, he defends the truth concerning Jesus’ incarnation. He was God in human flesh, and, according to the apostle Peter, Jesus was “put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18 BSB). That is what Paul means when he states that Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind but was raised back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then His resurrection was announced to the nations, resulting in the salvation of countless individuals. And while Jesus ascended back into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, He will one day return for His followers. That is the truth of the gospel and the good news concerning godliness.

Paul wanted Timothy to understand that the church was the keeper of that truth. It was to be the disseminator and defender of that truth, conveying the message of godliness to a lost and dying world. Paul was thinking specifically about the local church context, the testing ground of our faith. The church is where the truth must be applied with love and grace. If God’s life-transforming power, made possible through Jesus’ death on the cross, doesn’t work within a local body of believers, the gospel is ineffective. But Paul believed it could and should make a difference.

First and foremost, he viewed the church as a family. It was not an institution or organization, but a collection of diverse individuals who have all shared in God’s undeserved, unmerited favor by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. They have been adopted into God’s family and been declared His heirs, all due to His Son’s sacrificial, sin-canceling death on the cross. Paul describes this as the great mystery of our faith.

This is the truth of God’s redemptive plan for mankind that the church is to support and uphold. There is no other version of the truth, and no other teaching can lead to godliness. God’s truth makes the church a living organism, not an organization, and provides the body of Christ with life through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. This life-changing truth gives hope for the present and the future.

The church, the body of Christ, is where the message of new life in Christ gets lived out, and where the Light of the world illuminates the darkness of sin. Paul knew the necessity of these things because he had seen the impact of falsehood and heresy within the local church. The enemy was alive and well, attacking the fledgling new congregations with half-truths, convincing lies, and distorted views of reality.

Where there is truth, there will always be falsehood. The good news regarding Jesus Christ would always be accompanied by counterfeits and knockoffs. One of the things Paul constantly fought was the temptation for people to buy into the formula of Jesus + something. Anything that added to Christ’s all-sufficient work on the cross was to be rejected as false and a lie from the enemy.

The real, ever-present danger to the church is compromise. If the enemy can get believers to compromise their convictions with ever-so-slight revisions to the truth of God, he can destroy their effectiveness. It is exactly what he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. He got them to question the word of God by cleverly twisting it and causing them to doubt its veracity and reliability.

But the church must be the pillar that supports the truth in the midst of all the falsehood and lies, and those can be subtle and deceptive. Whether it is asceticism, the belief that abstinence from certain physical things leads to spiritual maturity, or legalism, the belief that adherence to certain rules and rituals is essential to salvation, these things must be rejected as lies. They were dangerous and highly destructive, and have no place in the household of God.

God’s truth is the key to the church’s survival in the hostile environment in which it is called to exist. We are to be “faithful people who know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3 NLT), and it is the truth of God, found in the Word of God, that gives the people of God the capacity to see and reject the lies of the enemy. Knowledge of the truth brings health and vitality to the body of Christ. Living according to the truth makes the people of God a powerful force for change in the world, causing them to shine brightly in the darkness. But compromise is like a blanket thrown over the church, diminishing its capacity to shine.

Father, in today’s world, truth has become relative and virtually unreconizable because everyone has their own version of it. There no longer seems to be a central source for determining what is right and wrong. We live in a day when everyone does what is right in their own eyes, and that obsession with autonomy and self-determination has infiltrated Your church. Relativistic, self-affirming opinions fill everyone’s social media feeds and opposing opinions are deemed to be nothing less than hate speech. This world is filled with dillussional, highly opinionated people who believe their version of the truth is to be defended at all costs. Yet, they are deceived and blind to the reality that there is only one version of the truth. As Your people, we know what that truth is, but we fail to proclaim it. Too often, we present a version of Your truth that has been watered down with manmade rules and flesh-based obligations that turn the grace of the gospel into just another works-based religious enterprise. We take the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and add our personal opinions and denominational dogmas to the equation. The result is a watered-down, works-based version of the truth that leads to futility and frustration, not freedom from sin. You have called us to defend the truth and to take its life-transforming message to the ends of the earth. Protect us from the lies of the enemy and the temptation to let our opinions water down the message of the gospel. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Smooth Talk and Flattery

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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. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. – Romans 16:17-23 ESV

As long as we live in this world, we will face opposition from within and from without. Paul had extensive experience dealing with both. But the one he seemed to warn against most was the inside job: those who posed as brothers and sisters of Christ but ended up causing division and disunity. In his other letters, Paul referred to them as false apostles and described them as “those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours” (2 Corinthians 11:12 NLT). He pulled no punches in his less-than-flattering assessment of his detractors.

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NLT

Later in the same chapter, he states that these “false brothers” had actually threatened him with violence.

I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. – 2 Corinthians 11:26

Paul warned the believers in Galatia about “so-called Christians there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations” (Galatians 2:4 NLT).

Paul encouraged his young protege, Timothy, to beware of those who preach or teach contrary doctrine and promote disunity in the church.

Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. – 1 Timothy 6:2-5 NLT

The fact is, there have always been false teachers in the church; they can be recognized by the content of their teaching. If what they teach does not align with the teachings of Christ and the writings of the apostles as found in the New Testament, they are to be avoided like the plague. The difficulty is that their false teaching almost always contains a ring of truth, and that is intentional. Warren Wiersbe warns, “Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:13-12), producing false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (Matthew 13:38).”

Out of his love for the body of Christ, Paul takes time to warn his readers about those “who cause divisions and create obstacles to the doctrine that you have been taught” (Romans 16:17 ESV).  The “doctrine” he refers to is the fundamentals of the faith, particularly when it comes to salvation. Anyone who attempts to add anything to the gospel is to be avoided at all costs. If their teaching is not based on faith in Christ alone, it is deceptive and dangerous. If they attempt to add anything else to the equation, they are false teachers.

Jesus plus works. Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus plus a second blessing. Jesus plus signs and wonders. Jesus plus anything adds up to nothing. These variations on the gospel are not the gospel as taught by Jesus and His disciples. Paul says these people “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites” (Romans 16:17 ESV). They’re in it for selfish reasons, preaching “a different kind of Good News” (Galatians 1:8 NLT) in the vain pursuit of power, prestige, and personal profit.

They employ smooth talk and flattery, using clever-sounding words and convincing arguments to deceive the unsuspecting. But in the end, what they teach is contrary to sound, healthy doctrine and is divisive. They tear down rather than build up. They create schisms and attempt to splinter healthy congregations. Disinterested in dialogue or debate, they demand that their way be the only way.

So Paul says, “I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil” (Romans 16:19 NLT). He echoes the words of Jesus as He sent His disciples on their first ministry trip without Him.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 ESV

We need to be wary of those who show up teaching “new truths.” After more than 2,000 years of Christian history and scholarship, there is little that is new under the sun. In fact, much of what shows up in our day as new insights into Jesus, the gospel, and the nature of the Church is nothing more than old heresies repackaged. They are simply rehashed teachings from centuries past.

We live in an age where anything new and innovative is attractive. But Paul would have us be careful and stick with the sound doctrine taught by him and his fellow apostles. We should always be suspicious of anything that shows up in the church as “new and improved.” A new view on Jesus is probably a false view. A new gospel, if it veers from the gospel as found in the New Testament, is no gospel at all.

At the end of the day, we must trust in the grace of God to protect us and keep the gospel message pure. Ultimately, Paul reminds us, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20 ESV). The truth concerning Jesus and the gospel of God will win out. In the meantime, we must keep our focus on the matchless, priceless grace of God that saved us and sustains us. We must keep trusting in His way, His Word, and His perfect plan for the redemption of the world.

Father, fake Christians, false teachers, and faulty version of the gospel are everywhere. With the prevelance of social media and the internet’s ability to deciminate information quickly, the enemy is having a field day flooding the world with disinformation and dangerous doctrines masquerading as truth. He has always been a liar and his primary motivation is to deceive and distract from the life-changing message of the gospel. He promotes false versions of the truth in a vain attempt to thwart Your will by giving people false hope in pseudo gospels. These counterfeit gospels sound good but always rely more on human effort than Your grace. They almost always promote a form of salvation by works. They include Jesus but add a hint of self-help and behavior modification. Rather than salvation based on grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, they offer a formula of Jesus + something = salvation. In doing so, they diminish Christ’s work on the cross and elevate the role of man in his own redemption. But You alone can save. Your Son’s death was the sole means of salvation for sinful humanity. And anyone who teaches anything else is to be avoided and their message refuted. Help us maintain the simplicity and integrity of the gospel even in the face of the enemy’s lies. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Truth About Falsehood

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8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. – 2 Corinthians 11:8-15 ESV

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had been forced to argue in defense of his apostleship. He had once again found himself under attack by individuals who questioned the validity of his claim to be an apostle of Jesus, and he strongly defended himself.

Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 9:1-2 ESV

The believers in Corinth were all the evidence he needed to prove he had been sent by the Lord. He was an authentic messenger of Jesus Christ, and yet, while living among the Corinthians, Paul chose not to exercise the rights of an apostle. He reminded them, “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14 ESV). However, he had not asked them to fund his stay or help him in any way financially. But he insisted on his right to do so. 

This is my answer to those who question my authority. Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?

What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? – 1 Corinthians 9:3-7 NLT

In the book of Acts, Luke records how Paul sustained himself while living in Corinth.

Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. – Acts 18:1-3 NLT

Paul had paid his own way and had been aided by others who willingly chose to fund his work in Corinth. He had not burdened the Corinthians by asking them to provide for any of his ministry among them. Which is what led Paul to make the following dramatic claim:

I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be. – 2 Corinthians 11:8-9 NLT

Paul’s claim to have “robbed” the other churches by taking their aid was based on his not having ministered to them in return. He took their money but used it to fund his ministry elsewhere, something they perfectly understood and approved. But it obviously bothered Paul. He felt an obligation to return their generosity by ministering to them as well. However, he was grateful that their gift had allowed him to stop working and concentrate all his efforts on sharing the gospel while in Corinth.

It seems that Paul’s critics were accusing him of duplicity. He had at one time refused to accept support, but then had accepted the gift from the Macedonians. They saw this as a sign of Paul’s hypocrisy. And yet, these false teachers had evidently been accepting support for themselves.

Paul was not going to apologize for his actions. In fact, he said, “what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do” (2 Corinthians 11:12 ESV). He would not stoop to their level, and he would not allow them to compare themselves to him. He had already accused them of preaching a different gospel and a different Jesus. So, Paul pulled no punches, accusing these men of being “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13 ESV).

Paul had taken the gloves off, claiming these men to be in league with Satan himself. This was not a gentlemanly debate, but all-out war. Paul was not just defending his ministry, but the integrity of the gospel itself. And like a shepherd, he was protecting his flock by fending off the attacks of dangerous predators. What made these men particularly deadly was that they were like sheep in wolves’ clothing. They were cunningly deceptive and had won the confidence of the Corinthians by appearing as something other than what they really were. Jesus had warned about these kinds of men.

Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. – Matthew 7:15-20 NLT

These men had disguised themselves as “servants of righteousness,” but they intended to harm God’s people. Their messages sounded safe and in line with what Paul had taught, but there were dangerously subtle differences based on a carefully crafted mixture of truth and falsehood. They were teaching Jesus, but it was a slightly variant version. They were teaching grace alone, but with a dose of good deeds mixed in.

There will always be those who infiltrate the church, disguising themselves as servants of righteousness, but who are actually servants of Satan. Their words are deceptive, and their outward appearance is convincing, but their fruit is deadly. The book of Jude describes them in stark, but realistic terms.

…they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness. – Jude 1:12-13 NLT

Be on the alert for them and don’t be deceived by their subtle lies masquerading as truth. Have nothing to do with them because their deeds are deadly.

Father, our enemy is dangerous because he operates as an “angel of light,” disguising and delivering his message in subtle ways that make it difficult to discern where the lie stops and the truth begins. As he did with Eve in the garden, he always mixes just enough truth with his falsehoods to make it sound palatable and acceptable. Yet, he remains the father of lies and the great deceiver. However, You have given us Your Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit to make sure we can recognize the real thing from the counterfeit. But it is easy to get lulled into a sense of overconfidence and complacency and forget that our enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour ” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT). Keep us on the alert and ever vigilant so that we are never caught by surprise. Help us to stand strong against him and firm in our faith because, as John wrote, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 BSB).
 Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.