Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

[Chad]

Do you think the below is still relevant in today's times? How do you interpret this Scripture below Paul wrote to Titus?

Titus‬ ‭1‬:‭10-16‬

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

 

[B-A-C]

To me at least, the Bible is timeless. There are some who say it's old-fashioned. It's for another culture, another time.
To me, it's for everyone, in every time, in every culture. God doesn't need to adapt to our society and culture.
Our society and culture need to adapt to God. We are told to rebuke certain people. I don't think this has changed.

Luke 17:3; "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

1 Tim 5:20; Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

2 Tim 4:1; I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Tim 4:2; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
2 Tim 4:3; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
2 Tim 4:4; and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

1 Cor 5:11; But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
1 Cor 5:12; For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
1 Cor 5:13; But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

1 Cor 5:1; It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.
1 Cor 5:2; You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

Jude 1:3; Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Jude 1:4; For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:10; But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
Jude 1:11; Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Jude 1:12; These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
Jude 1:13; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 18:15; "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Matt 18:16; "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Matt 18:17; "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

 

[kvnchrist]

In order to stand out like we should and show ourselves in our true light. We need to police up those who claim to speak in our name, but do so out of their own desire. If we don't, we automatically become as they are, since by our own inaction we embrace them as one of us.

We should not allow a false image of ourselves to exist without openly confronting them. In that way we desolve the illusion that we, as Christian are all over the place with our faith, which is exactly the image our detractors try to use against us.

I can't tell you how many times that attention seekers claiming to be Christin have made outlandish claims of knowledge, just to get recognition by others and had their failings plastered all over the media. I don't hate them for this, but I'd really would have liked to be standing around that area when they stuck their face in front of a camera. I'm not as Biblical versed as some of you guys are, which is one of my personal failings, but I would not have left the person looking in the same light he wished for. These people are a dark spot on all of us and they are leading people astray to their doom.

 

[Travis]

1 Tim 5:20; Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

Hey B-A-C… I'm pretty sure that verse is referring to Elders. I'm not so sure it is usually appropriate to rebuke all members of the body of Christ publicly in front of everyone for their sin. It seems to me, that because of the importance and responsibility of the position of being and Elder, they are to to be treated more harshly when they continue to sin, for the sake of the flock (since they are supposed to be leaders).

 

[Travis]

Do you think the below is still relevant in today's times? How do you interpret this Scripture below Paul wrote to Titus?

I think one would be hard pressed to find a more relevant text for today

I see this text as mainly referring to deceivers who are coming into the assembly, the church, and trying to teach funny things, trying to sway others towards whatever they are promoting. The way this text is written, I don't really get the feeling he is mainly talking about believers, but unbelievers. Though there may be many occasions that a true believer is acting kind of like the type of people Paul refers to here, and they surely need rebuked. But it seems to me like this part of the letter from Paul is telling Titus to use his shepherds crook/staff to beat off the wolves and other strange animals that are trying to get at the flock. Even some of those who are acting as wolves can be saved though, the sword of the Spirit is double edged, and can do two things at once.

Travis

 

[Br. Bear]

.... Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.

Greetings,

It appears that Paul is referring to Believers here.

Pull the Believers up for listening to such rot! so that they will be sound in the faith and so they stop listening to and buying such rot!

my paraphrase:
Don't pussyfoot around with the flock, keep them alert to filth and deception. It is the faith that needs to be preserved, for them and for those who will follow.
The world is full of evil and liars and deceivers, it's true, so warn with power and firmness (never once without love being the motive and care) so that the flock are made to sit up and take note that such rot and listening to it is a NO-GO Zone!

Not, dear members of the congregation, sorry to bother you but i am a bit sad today because , well, I don't want to upset you, but, well, please don't take too much notice of anyone who isn't part of our loving congregation.... and don't forget we're having a raffle this week. The prize is a surprise and I'll give you a hint... it is good listening sermons stuff, by a very popular speaker from Crete!
See you all next sunday.

NO!

Rebuke them for their foolishness in even considering the option of thinking of listening to brutish deceivers (who fit the descriptions Paul gave).

Not, it's probable not a very good idea to keep going that direction because the bridge has collapsed and you might get hurt... NO!

STOP!!! DANGER!!! STOP!!!

People will lose interest in trying to deceive those who refuse to listen to them.

It's not the Cretans and other liars who need rebuking, it is us, the household of God, the 'Israel' of Faith.
Always ever be at repentance, always ever, reject the world and it's dirty lies and listen not to those who speak them. Do not sniff petrol, it will damage your brain, we would say very sharply (as in with determination to cut the idea off) to our children and children anywhere (if we care). Same goes here, Paul is instructing one who is to guide and oversee the flock, the little children he so often refers to.
It is not a case of yelling and getting aggressive and brutal in punishment, but as with a sword, to deliberately act in such care and love as to cut the briers from the babes and set them free, to also cut the temptation to go into the briers off. It is a constant 'job'.

Bless you ....><>

 

[Travis]

Greetings,

It appears that Paul is referring to Believers here.

Pull the Believers up for listening to such rot! so that they will be sound in the faith and so they stop listening to and buying such rot!

my paraphrase:
Don't pussyfoot around with the flock, keep them alert to filth and deception. It is the faith that needs to be preserved, for them and for those who will follow.
The world is full of evil and liars and deceivers, it's true, so warn with power and firmness (never once without love being the motive and care) so that the flock are made to sit up and take note that such rot and listening to it is a NO-GO Zone!

Not, dear members of the congregation, sorry to bother you but i am a bit sad today because , well, I don't want to upset you, but, well, please don't take too much notice of anyone who isn't part of our loving congregation.... and don't forget we're having a raffle this week. The prize is a surprise and I'll give you a hint... it is good listening sermons stuff, by a very popular speaker from Crete!
See you all next sunday.

NO!

Rebuke them for their foolishness in even considering the option of thinking of listening to brutish deceivers (who fit the descriptions Paul gave).

Not, it's probable not a very good idea to keep going that direction because the bridge has collapsed and you might get hurt... NO!

STOP!!! DANGER!!! STOP!!!

People will lose interest in trying to deceive those who refuse to listen to them.

It's not the Cretans and other liars who need rebuking, it is us, the household of God, the 'Israel' of Faith.
Always ever be at repentance, always ever, reject the world and it's dirty lies and listen not to those who speak them. Do not sniff petrol, it will damage your brain, we would say very sharply (as in with determination to cut the idea off) to our children and children anywhere (if we care). Same goes here, Paul is instructing one who is to guide and oversee the flock, the little children he so often refers to.
It is not a case of yelling and getting aggressive and brutal in punishment, but as with a sword, to deliberately act in such care and love as to cut the briers from the babes and set them free, to also cut the temptation to go into the briers off. It is a constant 'job'.

Bless you ....><>

You know, I think I misspoke before.

Your explanation of this text makes a whole lot of sense. False teachers can be silenced by taking away the ears that would have desired to listen to them otherwise.

Thanks for the post,

Travis