The Pastor’s Other Voice (Titus 1:9–2:1)
As John Calvin said, the pastor has two voices: one for gathering the sheep and another for driving away wolves. The churches of Crete were threatened by false teachers—empty talkers peddling myths and human commandments. Paul's prescription was sharp rebuke. Yet the purpose of that rebuke is restorative, not retributive: that those who have strayed “may be sound in the faith.”
Introduction
What’s a pastor? Is he primarily a leader? You’d think so by the books publishers put out on this topic. Is he primarily the chairman of the board, delegating work to others? You’d draw this conclusion if you’ve spent time in an American evangelical church with a “board” of elders. Is the pastor primarily a counselor? This might be the prominent feature of American ministry.
As we turn again to Paul’s little pastoral epistle to Titus, we see in 1:5 that the pastor is called a presbuteros, a “presbyter” or “elder,” which is a title of status like the elders at the gate in ancient Israel. In 1:7 that the pastor is called an episkopos, an “overseer” or “bishop,” which is a title of their calling like the prophets who were to be watchmen over ancient Israel’s walls. Note especially in 1:7 that the “elder-overseer” is an oikonomos, a “steward.” What’s a “steward,” kids? This is one who is entrusted with the care of a house (cf. 1 Tim. 3:15) until its owner returns.
In our culture, someday you might get paid to be a “house sitter” while a family friend is away. Or maybe more officially, we’d describe a steward as a property manager. Note that Paul speaks of the church as God’s house and the pastor cares for it by means of the Word: he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able [first] to give instruction or “exhortation” (parakaléō) in sound doctrine and also [second] to rebuke or “control” (elégchō) those who contradict it (v. 9).
In fact, verse 9 is an outline for the rest of the letter: in 1:10–16, Paul speaks of rebuking; in 2:1–14, of exhorting; in 2:15, he reiterates his outline of exhorting and rebuking; in 3:1–8, of exhorting; in 3:9–11, of rebuking.
As I quoted John Calvin last week, “The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves.” (Commentary on Titus 1:9) As owner of his house or church, Jesus will return. Until then, pastors are steward his house by the ministry of the Word.
Theme
We learned about his first voice of exhortation in sound or healthy doctrine last week. This week, let’s learn about the pastor’s other voice.
The Need of this “Other” Voice
Note the need of this “other” voice. The elders-overseers on the island of Crete faced serious theological and practical problems. There were many false teachers already there, whom Paul calls insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers (v. 10).
Insubordinate, meaning, they’d learned the gospel perhaps from those converted on the day of Pentecost who returned (Acts 2:11) or from whichever apostolic missionary journey came through. But in the absence of leadership, they were adding to the gospel.
Empty talkers, meaning, what they were adding was without substance.
Deceivers, meaning, what they were adding had just enough truth to sound plausible, but leading astray.
Thus Paul says these were teaching… what they ought not to teach (v. 11), namely, Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth (v. 14). In other words, Titus’ newly-minted pastors were to organize Christians into congregations that were going to be full of false theology and false piety. The apostolic church was no golden age! The false teachers were upsetting whole families… both their minds and their consciences are defiled…and they deny [God] by their works (vv. 11, 15, 16). This is why these new ministers were to rebukeor “control” (elegchein) those who contradict (v. 9) the Word to keep them from overtaking the church.
False Theology
Paul doesn’t detail the false theology, but we get the sense by their description: empty talkers (v. 10). Their theology had no substance; it couldn’t sustain the souls of the sheep they sought to feed. Paul says this in contrast to what Scripture says elsewhere about the true Word of God: it is milk (1 Peter 2:2), it is bread (John 6:35, 68), it is meat (Heb. 5:12–14). What does that sound like from last week? The sound or healthy doctrine we are to hear. Milk, bread, and meat are nutritious and sustain life unlike these false teachers’ theology that was nothing but junk food filled with empty calories. As Michael Horton once said in an interview with CBS, describing Joel Osteen’s teaching: “I think it’s a cotton candy gospel.”
Who were they? When we re-read verse 10 it sounds like there were two groups: many and especially those of the circumcision party. Especially is the Greek adverb, malista. Contemporary research shows that it’s best to translated it as “in other words” or “that is.” Paul is saying that the false teachers were the circumcision party, meaning, overly-legalistic Jewish teachers like those Paul dealt with in Galatia, who added to the gospel.
What were they teaching? Whatever it was specifically, they were teaching a legalistic cocktail of Jewish myths and commands of people (v. 14). We know there were extra-biblical legends and stories about the patriarchs that diaspora Jews told while in exile throughout the world, but we especially know about the Pharisaical practice of teaching as doctrines necessary for salvation the commandments of men. The prophet Isaiah chastised the ancient people for drawing near to him with their lips while their hearts were far from him. How? “Their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (29:13). By the time of Jesus, it was worse. Read Mark 7 and Matthew 15, where Jesus rebukes their custom of washing their hands, pots, and plates before eating else you would be defiled. Jesus said what defiled was not what went into the body, but what came out from the heart. Paul described this as well in Colossians:
If with Christ you died to the elementary spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh (Col. 2:20–23).
Whatever specifics they were teaching, the big point was that they were adding to the Word of God through the apostles of Jesus. This theology not only was upsetting whole families (v. 11) but it was done in a way that it benefited the teachers as they were teaching for shameful gain (v. 11). Is there anything new under the sun? He then quoted an ancient poem: one of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true (vv. 12–13). This comes from Epimenides, who lived around 600bc. His poem quoted the Cretan King Minos, who said to Zeus:
They fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one,
Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies.
But you are not dead; you live and abide for ever,
For in you we live and move and have our being. (Cited in Bray, 490)
He’s not saying the Cretans were the worst people morally. In the poem, they build a tomb for Zeus, who was supposed to be eternal and the source of life! Their tomb denied his existence and thus were lying about the divine nature. So too the false theologians were also evil and lazy, living off others. Don’t listen to them or you too will partake of lies, evil, and laziness spiritually.
False Piety
Theology always leads to piety; false theology always leads to false piety. The false teachers were causing believers to doubt whether they could eat the shellfish from the sea around Crete, for example. This led to consciences being violated. As Paul says, to the pure, all things are pure. As Jesus said, it’s not what goes into the body that defiles but what goes in. But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled (v. 15).
The key is the parallel between pure and defiled, but then he adds unbelieving. The key to being pure is faith in Christ, believing he’s set his people free from self-made religion. We see this in Peter’s dream in Acts 10 and in Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 4. Paul’s conclusion was: they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work (v. 16).
The Prescription of this “Other Voice”
Note the prescription of this “other” voice. They must—that’s the language of necessity and urgency—They must be silenced (v. 11). Paul says to Titus: “These false teachers are leading your people away from Christ and his church!” “Rebuke them; silence them now!”
How? Rebuke them sharply (v. 15), that is, “severely.” He says in 2:15 that Titus was to rebuke “with all authority.” The authority of the minister is a ministerial authority that rests in the magisterial authority of Christ; nonetheless, it’s authority. We see this when our Lord said, “All authority has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18), but then he sent his disciples out with the authority to teach and baptize. This power of “the office of the keys” comes from Christ himself. Notice a contrast here. The authority of the false teachers rested in “myths” and “commands of people,” while Titus’ authority rested in the Word: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word…that he may be able…to rebuke” (1:9).
Paul’s prescription speaks to us today. It means that ministers are not cheerleaders, CEO’s, or counseling facilitators, but ministers of the authority of Christ. This also speaks a word of warning to those of us in the ministry: use the authority Christ has given you wisely and correctly. Don’t abuse it! How can we use it rightly? By speaking what God says in his Word and applying that Word, not in speaking beyond the bounds, not in riding the proverbial hobbyhorse, and certainly not in turning your church into a personality-driven club, where “the buck stops with you.” We’re ministers and are to speak with power, fear, and humility.
The Purpose of this “Other Voice”
Finally, let me say a word about the purpose of the pastor’s other voice. Rebuking false teachers was for the purpose that they may be sound in the faith (v. 15) and not devoted to the faith of men. Of course, this rebuke would also serve to rebuke those who had fallen.
What we learn is that rebuke is restorative, not retributive. Its intention is to humble those who have strayed that they might open their eyes to their plight and return to the Lord. Although we live in a day of political correctness and seeking not to offend, we learn that we can speak difficult words to difficult people in the name of Christ to restore them to his grace and fellowship in his church.
Conclusion
There are so many problems in the church of Jesus Christ today, just like there were in Paul’s day. True theology and piety are attacked on all sides, every day. Like sheep, we are being attacked by wolves. The minister was a voice for them; it’s his other voice for rebuke. It’s important that you and I expect the Word to be spoken as the truth in love; but it’s just as important that we understand that the Word also must come in the sound of rebuke from time to time. This has to be done from the pulpit. This has to be done in smaller home Bible studies. This has to be done in print. This has to be done in the church bulletin or newsletter sometimes. This has to be done on our website.
We have to do this so that those among us and those who profess Jesus but follow the commandments of men will be warned, and Lord willing, won. Amen?