As Paul finishes the first chapter of this letter to Titus, he adds a final comment to his description of the false teachers active in Crete. And his opinion is not a good one in the slightest.

You can read his remarks in Titus 1:15-16:

Paul does regard the false teachers very highly at all, and that is apparent as he finishes his description of them to Titus in this chapter. We must remember, the context for this passage is the false teachers. But others have used this passage to justify sinful behavior by ripping it out of its proper context.

Much of the false teachers’ doctrines apparently were centered around the ideas of Jewish ceremonial cleanliness. In the context in which Paul writes this, Paul seems to connect this back to the human commands and Jewish myths mentioned in verse 14. What Paul is definitely not saying is that those who have been purified can engage in sinful behavior and justify it. This is not a license to sin.

In fact, Paul’s point is in the next portion of the very same sentence: “To those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.” Here Paul is making a clear distinction between those who have allowed Jesus to make them pure and those who claim to have purity through the Jewish rituals, but actually live sinful and disbelieving lives. This includes both the false teachers and those who have been led astray by their teachings.

Such people have lost the ability to think for themselves; their minds have been corrupted. They understand the difference between good and evil less and less. Even though they think they have been purified in their bodies, their minds and their consciences are still defiled.

Such people claim to know God, but are deceived. They do not. And, in light of the Gnostic heresy prominent in Crete and other major cities during this time, they may have even claimed to have a “special” knowledge of God that others did not have by some esoteric means. Regardless of their public professions to know God, these false teachers and their followers were actually headed in the opposite direction. Paul reminds Titus that those who reject and oppose the truth often disguise themselves as friends of the truth. A subtle deceit can often be more damaging than an outright lie.

But, even those these people claim to know God, their actions reveal their true focus. By their deeds they deny Christ. It is unclear just what actions Paul is referring to here. It is most likely centered around Jewish ritual purification and other ceremonies, since Paul has mentioned or alluded to that more than once already.

Paul gives Titus three final descriptors of these false teachers:

• They are detestable – This word can also be translated as abominable or disgusting. This is the only instance of this word in the New Testament, although it is used in the Septuagint.
• They are disobedient – Even though they demand obedience to their teachings, they are disobedient to God himself. This is a stubborn refusal to obey God’s Word.
• They are unfit for doing anything good – God’s desire for obedience is something they will not conform to. The idea here is that a test has been given and failed, proving that the thing tested is worthless and unfit for use. The kind of deeds that God desires, that characterize the true believer, are not evident in the lives of these people.

My prayer is that my life reflects my focus on God’s Word, and not on the teachings of men. Gnostic heresy isn’t as prevalent today as it has been in the past, but other rejections of God’s truth are numerous in today’s culture. Paul will begin the second chapter with an exhortation to Titus to teach sound doctrine. And the only way to know such doctrine is to continually study the Word.

Question: How do you guard yourself against false teachings? You can leave a comment by clicking here.