Combating the Lies Titus 1:12-14.
One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, Not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
Dear Royal Priesthood,
It is possible to pick up what may be rightly called ethnic, regional or national tendencies, both good and bad because we tend to learn from observation.
Acknowledgement (v. 12). Paul states that the poor moral state of the Cretans has been acknowledged by one of their own. The statement he quotes here is attributed to a 6th Century BC, Cretan, a Greek philosopher called Epimenides. This terrible indictment shows what people can expect when they reject God’s way.
Advice (v. 13). Paul affirms this statement and posits that the solution is a sharp rebuke. In general, rebuke ought to be gentle (Galatians 6:1), but where people persist in or justify sin and error, gentleness must yield to harshness. This may be the only way to restore the errant to the true faith.
Avoidance (v. 14). Rebuke will hopefully shake the gullible Cretans from their reliance on the Jewish myths propagated by liars – “people who turn away from the truth.” The truth of the word of God is clear but some people manufacture lies for their own ends. A lot of writings were circulating in the first century, purporting to be from Old Testament characters. This may be what the false teachers were using. If we base our faith on God’s word, we never have to worry about drifting from the truth.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.