THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS Chapter 1 "Salutation, Benediction [1-4]." "Criteria for the Elders [5-6]." "Criteria for the Bishop [6-9]." "Contentious Cretians. Censured [10-16]." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, available at http://www.theseason.org The word "Titus" in the Greek means "protected". When you understand the doctrine taught in this book of Titus, you are protected in your mind. We know from Galatians 2:3 that Titus was a Greek, a Gentile converted to do the work of the Lord. Paul is writing this letter to Titus to be a call to purity. Though no man in the flesh will be completely pure, but we are given here some rules that helps the elect and the ministry to get as close to purity as they can get. Paul is encouraging the men in the authority of the Church to keep trying even when they falter now and then. Titus 1:1 "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;" When Christ met Paul on the road to Damascus and struck him blind, Paul was taken to Damascus and God gave a special vision to a man named Ananias, and showed him the purpose that He had for Paul. The Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" The word "apostle" means "sent one", and God chose Paul for a very special mission, to go to the Gentiles to preach the Word, as well as stand before king, which he did. In fact Paul went all the way to Rome to stand before Caesar himself. These "Children of Israel" spoken of here are not the Jews, but the scattered house of Israel, those people called the "Caucasians" that had settled throughout Europe in Paul's day. The Acts 9:16 "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." God revealed many things to Paul that were mysteries to the people before Paul's writings. Paul wrote over half the books of the New Testament in the letters that he wrote to the different churches he founded. Here in Titus we find that word "elect" again. Paul was one of God's elect and he didn't volunteer to fill that position. Paul was a very strong man when he was on his way to Damascus to find Christians and bring then back to Jerusalem. He sought out Christians to be beaten or even killed for their witness of Christ. Paul's desire was to eliminate Christians, but God chose him to represent Him before the high councils of the day. God taught Paul the full knowledge of the truth of all of God's Word. When we receive the full knowledge of the truth, it will give us the understanding of what is best for us, and what God requires of us. Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" "In sure hope", this is a guarentee that cannot be broken. Our God and Heavenly Father promised this hope in eternal life before this world age [cosmos] began. This promise goes even into the eternity past. This is saying that God chose certain ones back in the first earth age, before this world age was even formed in Genesis 1:2. There are three earth ages as is given in II Peter 3, and the one that we are living in now is the second earth age. Those things that are written in Ephesians 1:4 took place in the first earth. That is when certain chosen of God's Children made a stand at the time of Satan's rebellion. When Satan rebelled, he one third of all of God's children followed Satan in the rebellion, and many others though they never rebelled, they never took a stand on the Lord side either. However, those that did take a stand against Satan are the ones that are called the "elect". Ephesians 1:4 "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:" What does it mean to be chosen? It means that there are certain people God chose in the first earth age to do a task for Him, and that task was to be carried out in this second earth age [age of flesh man]. This is not reincarnation, for it is appointed for each of us to go through this earth age, the flesh earth age, once and only once. We read; "It is appointed unto men once to die [in the flesh], but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27 This appointing and choosing took place before the foundation of this earth age; for we now live in the second earth age [cosmos]. "Without blame" refers to the fact that God intercedes in certain peoples live. Certain people have free will, while certain others are of God's election, however, God doesn't play favorites. Christ died for the sins of all whose who will repent; the chosen, and the free-will alike. All must repent for the sins they have committed and love the Lord Jesus Christ to have the hope of His glory. "Before the foundations of the world" is "Cosmos" in the Greek, meaning "world" or "earth age". The "foundation" in the Greek text is the verb for "the overthrow". This refers to something that happened in that first earth age, before the attempted overthrow by Satan, when one third of the angels followed him. When Satan fell, or warred against God, one third of all the angelic beings, or souls called "God's children" took Satan's side in the rebellion. Though many didn't take any side, much like we see the these souls doing today, There were still others that took a stand on the side of God, and those that took the stand are the ones that God calls "His Chosen". These elect of God took a stand and they were overcomers from that first earth age. "And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:27 These saints are the set-aside ones, or the chosen. God has an plan overall, and a purpose in that plan just for you. That purpose is to bring back His children to Him; after that overthrow, and in and during this age of the flesh. So why would God intercede in a person's life, without them even asking? When your free will goes against God's purpose for your life, when you are one of God's elect, God will intercede when you can't. When Paul's "free will" was to destroy all Christians, God's will was to take this highly educqated man, and use Paul as the instrument for Himself. Paul used the same drive to destroy Christians, but that drive was now used to convert people, after His conversion. Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," "Predestined" means "from a prior time", or "required to do a certain thing" in the Greek text. You have a choice of loving God, or loving Satan. God will not interfere with your free will choice ot chose Him or Satan. However, that person that proved himself during the overthrow of Satan, was "justified", or earned the right to be called "saints" from that first earth age. "Adoption" is the commitment of the one claiming the right of the adopted child, before the child even comes to the point of reason. It is a legally binding term that binds the responsibility for the care of the child to the parent. The adoption took place way back in the first earth age by Jesus Christ, who is God, and when he paid the price on the cross He made it possible for us to be brought back to him. Each soul comes from God, and enters an embryo at conception. This is why Jeremiah was a chosen one. This is exactly what happened to the prophet Jeremiah, as is written in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou comest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet of nations." To "Sanctified thee" is to "set you aside, or apart for a purpose" in your life. Sins still have to be repented of, and the price to pay for them still has to be made. To the "predestined, or "forechosen" God can make life so miserable to those out of His will that they will repent. God has a perfect will, and God is always fair. When you become a Christian, and God has given you a working over, He is trying to wake you up. God is calling out a people, His people, the "elect-chosen, and predestined" to stand against Satan and the beast system in the final generation. Ephesians 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved:" The "Beloved" is Christ, the firstfruits, and first born to the Heavenly kingdom of God. "Eternal life" is to be saved for the eternity, and this is the simplist of all Christian teachings. This is what John 3:16 is all about: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." This was, and is a promise from God to each of us. When you set your mind to the things of God, and do those things that are right and just by His Word, than the things that do are pure, for you automatically repent of those things that are unjust when they come to your mind, and they are fogiven and take from you. However many it seems plan to do evil and wrong from the start, for what ever they do it seems that they are in trouble from the start, for it is the way of our thinking within our minds. When you follow the ways of our Father, the Spirit of God leads us when we claim this promise of the Lord for our lives. This promise is acquired by our faith in God, which is acted upon with our confidence, when it can't be seen. But when you take that promise from God and act on it, you make that promise visible and it shows your belief. Titus 1:3 "But hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;" Here we see both offices, the office of the Godhead, the office of the Savior. "Which is committed unto me", is the commission of all apostles of Christ, to bring His Word to those that need to hear the preaching of the love of God. The gospel of the Savior that is taught is the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that all the promises of God are fulfilled in Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, the full volume of the book, all of the plan of God. These promises are manifested in your life as your like your life, and yes even into the eternity. In that Titus was a Gentile, within this we see that Titus was protected by God's promises made to the elect. When Titus accepted that knowledge of Christ, that Christ become everything to him and for him in not only this life but for eternity. That that is pure is pure to all. Titus 1:4 "To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour." Paul is pointing out here that Titus was his convert in the the faith in Jesus Christ. Here again we go from the Godhead to Christ the Savior. Of course the Grace, mercy and peace comes from the Holy Spirit that amplifies the office of Savior. It all relyies on your common faith, common to all people that believe on His name, and Jesus saving power. When Christ touches your heart, and you feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit, that is a miracle. That warmth was paid for and bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, and it is a supernatural touch from the living God. Titus 1:5 "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:" That "cause" is that I am accountable and that God and He sent me out of Crete. It takes an effort to make thing is order the things that are wanting, [#3007, "leipo, li'-po; to fail, or be absent, destitute"] in the Greek. Some times to bring back the order comes at a great expense. Sometines it takes a great effort to get the body of Christ in your church back into shape. Crete was a small island about one hundred miles long out in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Greece. When Paul was on that island of Crete he established many churches, and appointed and ordained their elders. Then after all the churches were established, Paul left Titus to remain there and be the overseer of these churches. Titus answered the call that Paul gave him, and Titus was very successful at doing it. So Paul is now writing to Titus and giving him advice as to how he is to choose the elders and bishops of the churches that Paul left Titus in charge of. Titus 1:6 "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot our unruly." This means that the person under consideration for the position of Elder or Bishop must not only be in control of himself, but also have his family under control and faithful to God's Word. Titus 1:7 "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;" The Bishop must not be someone that flies of the handle when things are not going right, but he must be somone that can maintain self control under all conditions. Of course to be under a strong character of selfcontrol, he or she must not be given over to strong drink, and a slave to the spirits. He must not be one that gets his control by strong physical action, or doing the work of the Lord for money. Sure the man that fills the position of Bishop must be paid for his work that is given over to serving the church, but the money must not be the prime reason for his services. Titus 1:8 "But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;" The Bishop must be a man that gets along with others and the people of the congregation love to be around him. He must be a sincere person in every word that he speaks. When this man or woman says something, the congregation can count on it being true, and in accordance with God's Word. His decisions must be just, having considered all sides, without giving parciality to the rich over the poor, nor to race, and he must have a lot of patience. This then requires a pretty big and smart man. This doesn't mean that the Bishop can be angry, but when his anger comes it is a righteous indignation, anger for the cause of Christ, and in the defence of God's instructions. Titus 1:9 "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort, and to convince the gainsayers." This is what seals the fact of whether a man can or can not be a Bishop. None of the things mentioned in verses six to eight make any difference with reguards to the man's wisdom if the man under consideration for Bishop can't measure up to verse nine. The "faithful Word" is the "Word of God". "Sound doctrine" is "the teachings that come directly from the Word of God". It is the ablility to go back into the manuscripts, and read with understanding what the writers of those words that God gave them to write. He must have the ability to speak in such a fashion to convict the gainsayers of their errors in their teachings. The "gainsayers" are the men and women that pick up the traditions of men and try to peddle their trash in the congregation as being from the Word of God. We are to pick a leader from our midst in the church that is able to judge a man fairly, and use good common sense in all matters. This person must be well liked in the congregation because of his actions that the fellow Christians can witness daily in this person's life. The friendship must be sincere and not bought or bribed by sweet talking everyone. He must have the qualities of a man of God. In I Timothy 3:1-3 we have the same criteria given for chosing the man to fill the office of the Bishop, however, their is an addition to what Paul is given here in Titus. This addition is; "...the husband of one wife, vigilant,..." Being true to God's Word means that you have to know God's Word before you can be true to that Word. When the bishop selects the woman to be his wife, he knows what he is looking for in a wife, and that she will be supportive to the work that is required of him. There are many scriptures that are given within the law that governs the relationship between the man and his wife. When those violations have been committed in the marriage relationship, such as adultery, he is free to give his wife an divorcment in writing, and be freed from her. This goes both ways for the woman as much as the man, and thus if there is a remarriage of either of these persons, it can still be within the plan of God. When that man remarried another woman, he still has but one wife, for the first wife is not his wife by God's law, that first marriage is done with, and she is out of his life by God's law. It has always been called "divorced" even in Moses day, but because people simply do not follow and understand Christ's teaching on this matter, they allow the traditions of men to take priority over Christ's teaching. Christ's blood on the cross forgives all sin, and divorce is covered just as much as all other sins, except for the sin that cannot be committed until Satan arrives on earth in his role as the Antichrist, or "instead of Christ". That sin which is unforgivable is refusing to allow the Holy Spirit to use you, and to speak through you when you are delivered up to give an answer why you will not bow to the Antichrist [Satan]. The truth will be sealed in your mind, when all the world, including most Christians will believe Satan to be Jesus. Jesus gives the repentant soul that confesses his or her sins to the point that He just doesn't want to hear about them after those past sins have been repented and taken away. It doesn't matter it those sins have been divorce, adultry, stealing, or whatever was involved in that matter. When sin is forgiven, it is never to be brought up again under any circumstances. And that goes even in the case of the selection of a Bishop or Elder. Upon repentance all sin is gone and over, Christ's blood has covered those sins, and if you bring it up for any reason, than you are saying that Christ's blood is not sufficient to cover all sin. You are condemning yourself by your own words, and showing that you do not have faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross; in His death and resurrection, and representing you before the Father in heaven. However if that person has divorced, and has not repented to the Father for the things that caused the divorced, then he or she still lives in adultery. Any child can understand that if there is not repentance and remorse for those things that have been done, than there is sin. But when there is repentance, there is forgiveness by our Heavenly Father. When you repent of any sins, God frees you from the guilt of that sins, for that is the freedom that we have in Christ. Many good Christian people are passed over by the so-called church, because of the traditions of the church that goes against the Word of God. They hold the traditions of men higher than the law of God. In most cases some committee of men in the past have set the rules when they were in ignorance to the true meanings, and from that day forth, they simply disregarded what God had to say on the matter. It didn't matter to them what God had to say on the subject of divorce and repentance. This pack of reprobates set themselves up to be something that they are not, and many people for many generations suffer because of their careless handling of God's Holy Scriptures. Then when some reprobate takes up the office of Bishop, elder, reverend, pastor or deacon, based on the same assumptions that they were chosen, and they claim that the blood of Jesus Christ does not wash sin clean. Friend, that church is in for serious problems. All those that follow that same idea become reprobates, and they are not fit to serve in the office, for they are putting chains and bondage on those under them and congregation become slaves, and not free men and women. This is the biggest problem in the church today, for the leaders were not taught the truth from God's Word from their youth. "Holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught"; is the problem, the stuff that is being taught is not God's Word, but man's traditions. The church system makes the traditions that take the priority in their minds over God's Word. If that system is the highest priority to the pastor, and mom and dad, than that is what becomes important to the child that grows up believing in the system, and not the truth. Anytime anyone put conditions of the blood of Christ, it is blasphemy against Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross, His Holy Spirit that guides us, and to our Heavenly Father Himself. Those that do this are not fit to be called servants of God, or serve in the leadership of God's house of worship. Many of them do this because that is the only thing that they have been taught, and they simply don't know any other way. Their seminaries taught them their church systems, and those systems are the only thing that matter to them. To go against the systems is to be out of office, and out of a job. Their excuse for what they do is that Christ did away with the law, but the only reason they utter such nonsense is that the words are what they were taught to say by tradition. Jesus Christ Himself stated that He came to fulfil the law, not to do away with it, except for those parts that deal with animal sacrifice, blood of animals shed to cover sin. Those parts of the blood laws that deal with the health laws are still in effect, for when you violate them, it is not sin, but your physical health will suffer. Matthew 5:17 :Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil"." Within the law gives prophecy that carries all the way through our earth age of the flesh, through the Millennium age kingdom when Jesus is reigning here on earth, and through the great white throne judgment. It even covers the doing away with this old earth and heaven, and the bringing in of the new heaven and new earth as written of in Revelation 21. Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." This this is part of the law or Word of God and it happens after the great white throne judgment. It happens after Satan and all his followers have been turned to ashes from within, and evil simply does not exist anymore. This is the third earth age, and it is following the Millennium kingdom when Jesus Christ is dwelling on earth and man lives in their spiritual or soul bodies as the angels have. Revelation 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." John is viewing this vision as Christ is allowing him to witness these happenings for our record. It is God's intention that you are not stupid in the matters that are going to happen, all of them, including the rich inheritance that is being prepared for His children that will repent and believe on Jesus Christ. This new Jerusalem is the city of the eternity prepared for only the bride of Christ. Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." The full Godhead will dwell with us here on earth at from this point of time through the eternity. He will care for us, His children, and He will be our God that we will see and know intimately. Revealtion 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." The second death will have taken place and as we read in Revelation 20:14: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." The first death is the death of your physical flesh body, while the second death is the death of your soul, your inner self. Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." So there is a definate choice, to chose Christ and repent of your sins, finds your name in the book of life and to refuse Christ is to destroy even the thought of you in the lake of fire. By the time of the coming of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21, even your memory will be erased for all time even in the minds of the your loved ones that are saved and living in the eternity. Now lets see what Jesus said about the fulfilling of His Word. Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. " We just read above from the book of Revelation, and those discriptions can also be found in the Old Testament. The entire Word of God has to be fulfilled before even one word, or one letter can be taken away or changed from God's plan, which is His Holy Word. Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." The whole point here is that you can't make slaves or second class citizens out of the people that have been divorced when they have repented for their past actions, and those sins are covered under the blood of Christ. When they have remarried, they are considered as "the husband of one wife," just as much as the ones that are still married to their first wife. And to treat them any differently, in the eyes of God makes you a blasphemer when you do it. When Christ sets you free, "You are free indeed". God is going to judge those that claim to be His servants and blaspheme His Word, and the work of Christ on the cross. God doesn't take it lightly when men take His Word and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. The price that you will pay for this action is with your soul, and the judgment of God starts at the door of the church, with the Pastor of that church. This is not a time to play at church, for we are in the final generation, and many Christians are going to be swept away by the false Christ that is coming very soon. Titus 1:10 "For there are many unruly, and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:" The "circumcision" are those of the religious community. There is nothing new under the sun, it is just as true in Paul's day as it was in Jeremiah's, and that is even more so in our day. Titus 1:11 "Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." These perverts amongst the circumcision or religious leaders, mislead entire churches and church systems by what they teach and say with their mouths. Stop and look at some of the reasons that these preachers and church systems come to you for your commitment, to vow more of your money to them. They give you all sorts of reasons, and most of those reasons have nothing to do with the teaching of God's Word, or spiritual heath of the dear souls of the congregation. If they beg for your tithe, and they are not teaching the exact Word of God, but what ever you would give them is an "ill-gotten gain, and for filthy lucre's sake". When they present God's Word as something it is not, and put their limits on your life through false teaching, they are reprobates and not of God. There are a lot of good churches, but a bad church that holds people and deacons in bondage is one to stay away from. Get under someone that teaches the entire Word of God chapter by chapter and verse by verse, and teaches it rightly dividing the Word. Get to know the authority that God has given you as a child of His, and learn to take that authority and act on it. When the people learn the Word of God, they give the tithe gladly for they know that the tithe is the Lords, and it goes to where you are taught. If you are forced to make a vow, that you have obligated yourself to a man, and not to God, and you are also obligated to fulfill that obligation as under any contract. Those vows are just as the contract to buy a house or a car, the the tithe is not yours to contract with. When some preacher makes an emotional pitch to the congragation for what ever the cause, the poor, the building fund, or so on, than that vow you make is between you and the one you obligated with, and the blessings is the joy you have in the giving and the fulfilling of that contract. So Paul is warning Titus to look at the motives of the one that is being selected to fill the office of the Bishop, for that person will be in the position of handling the tithe and the special offerings to God, which could be great. Titus 1:12 "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, "The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies." Paul is calling attention that even one of the higher ones in their group called themselves Cretians, always laying around on their bellies and sputtering as wild evil beasts. Paul is refering here to Epimenides, a poet from about four hundred years before Christ. The religious leaders were just as lazy and given over to making up lies, and teaching those traditions to others as they are today. Those that do this are called "Cretians", and they create and follow their church system doctrines, which in many cases have nothing to do with the Word of God. Titus 1:13 "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;" Paul is telling us that when we see this happening amongst us, we are to rebuke them sharply. We are to do this that they may be sound in the faith. We know from God's Word what is sound, but when we witness it amongst other that claim to be Christians, it is for their sake that we are to call their errors to their attention. Forget the sweet talk, for they simply will not understand what you are saying unless it is done with authority and with sincere love for them. The subject here is; those that would teach falsely, and whether they wear a collar or not has nothing to do with it. It is what comes out of their mouths that matters, and when those Words are claimed to be of God, and those words are not backed up by God's Word, they need to be corrected. Titus 1:14 "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men that turn from the turth." "Jewish fables" are teachings that are based on what another man says, that God's Word doesn not back up. This is why the Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus from the moment that He started to teach. The Jewish doctrine is not the Word of God, it is based on the Kenite fables that have been substituted down through the years by the Kenite scribes that sat in the seat of Moses, and changed God's law that Moses wrote and spoke, with their own traditional teachings that came from their lineage of the house of Rechab. The Kenites took over the duties of the scribes when the Jews came out of Babylon, and they also held all the high posts of the priests when the Jews returned out of captivity. I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." These are the religious leaders that returned to Jerusalem, and they are not of Judah or of Levi, but of Cain, the son of Eve and Satan from the garden of Eden. Their lineage is not of Abraham, but of Cain through Rechab, and they had taken over the control of the duties of the scribes, that of the spiritual record of God through the Prophets, and the records of God's people. Satan's kids had taken control over God's house and the records of God's people. Is it any wonder that they sought to murder Jesus from the moment that Jesus started His ministry" Ezra 8:15 "And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in thents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi." Here Ezra and over forty three thousand of the Jews were returning to rebuild the Temple and city of Jerusalem. They were returning to rebuild the religious order and practice within the temple, and there was not one Levi in the entire group. How was this going to be accomplished when God ordered that only the lineage of Aaron, of the sons of Levi were to enter into the holy of Holies, and stand before the altar of God. Of course the answer is that these Kenites, sons of Cain, the offspring of Satan, had completely taken over the Levitical duties down there in Babylon. The teaching that would be given was their own traditions, and not from the prophets of God. The people had accepted those lies as being from Moses' law and the prophets, when in fact the teachings were their own traditions, and was from their own Cretian thoughts and the prophets of the Kenites. Paul is warning Titus to look out for those wicked distorted Jewish fables when they are spoken amongst you. Those that pay attention to those lies of the Kenites are not to be placed in positions of authority in the church. Those that follow the Jewish thought do not receive God's Word as absolute authority and truth, and are given over easily to fairy-tales and traditions that men's minds create. Many of these fables are passed around today as truths in many churches, such as the rapture doctrine, evolation, praying to angels, speaking in confusing tongues and so on. It also goes into areas of establishing church systems, and what becomes acceptable and unacceptable within that church system. When the traditions become more important than what God's Word states, and the decision of one man at the top becomes more supreme than what is stated by God, than it is time to get out of that system. Every man has faults, so why would you ever stay in a church that establishes rules that make you a slave to them, rather than the freedom that God has given to you? People like to bind themselves to spiritual slavery. Don't give room to the traditions of men. Titus 1:15 "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Within Christ's doctrine, all things are pure, and outside Christ's doctrine there is nothing pure. Anytime any man creates something there is always a flaw in the work. Anytime any man creates a doctrine, there is a flaw in that teaching that would adventually bind you to that system, or a teaching that goes against God's Word which is Christ's teaching. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Word, and not change one word of the prophets. Those that have repented of all their sins are just as pure as the person that has the one wife that have never committed a sin against his or her spouse. It is not because of something that they have done in their repentance, but because of the power that is in the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the reason the Christ came to earth in the first place, to pay the price for all repented sins. It gives the person an new and even start in life, and it makes them free from all guilt. It is only hypocrites that would judge them after there has been repentance. In the eyes of the pure, there are no second class citizens in Christianity. Titus 1:16 "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." The mere fact that they profess to know God, and yet by their holding a repented sin up to scorn a person, makes them nothing but a reprobate in the eyes of God. If fact they are telling God that His shed blood was not sufficient to cover sin and this is blasphemy in the eyes of God. They are calling God a liar and attacking all the offices of the Godhead. No matter what they do or say, when they call God a liar, and curse the blood of Christ by saying that God did not forgive a repentive sinner, they have placed their traditions over God's Word. It is not a pleasant thing to sharply rebuke a fellow Christian, but it is practiced widely amongst our generation. We live in a generation where it becomes necessary to do so. This is the generation that shall witness the events of the end of this earth age, and the coming of the false Christ, and it is very important what we think and believe to be true in our minds. The mark of the beast that is in your forehead in the final days, is the what you believe to be true in your mind. Your brain is in your forehead, and the mark is what is what causes you to do and say what you believe to be true. When a Christian has replaced God's Word with the traditions of men, than the traditions of men is what will cause that person to either accept Satan, the false Christ, or reject him. There should be no apology when a Christian corrects a fellow brother or sister in Christ. If you are not teaching that Christ blood sets every person free from their sins, even Titus this Gentile, you are denying Christ's blood, and God is calling you a reprobate. The reason that most people do this is that they were taught to do so by their traditions. They have placed their religious leaders over the Word of God, and the authority that is at the top is not God, but some man.
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