An Epistle Written Unto Christians
“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.”
Titus 1:5
The ministry of Titus can be found in short order by the words of the Apostle Paul, “For this cause left I thee in Crete”. The cause that Paul left Titus in Crete was to set in order the things that were wanting, and to ordain mature Christians for ministries throughout the land. The things that were wanting, or needed correcting, was an understanding of the truth of God’s word among the saved, and the entrance of God’s word among the lost. False doctrine had prevailed among the saved in Crete, and the unsaved were leading the Church back into the works of darkness. Titus was given the ministry of correction, which was to be done through the preaching of God’s word by himself and those that Titus had first proved, then appointed.
The ministry of Titus is the ministry of today. In the United States there is a prevalence of false doctrine in the Church, and an abundance of unsaved heretics leading the Christians into works of darkness. Yet Paul said that the LORD’s word was made manifest in these times through preaching, through evangelizing. So Paul left an able-bodied preacher in Crete to preach the truth and salvation of Christ to the lost, and the more perfect way to the saved. Paul makes the description of Titus’s work a short order, that the men he would choose must be blameless, married once, not guilty of riot, not a drinker, not a man swayed by the riches this world has to offer. But these men must be hospitable to all the Christians, these men must love the words and works of good men, they must be just, holy, and they must hold fast to truth, specifically the truth of God’s word as taught by Titus.
But what was the point of the men of God knowing truth? What was the point of moderation among them? Paul said it is to exhort and convince the gainsayers. First of all, what is a gainsayer? These are people who speak lies for filthy lucre, or money. So the goal of Titus’s ministry does not seem to be growth in the number of attendance in the building, or to make his name famous among those in the country. No, it seems that the essence of Titus’s ministry was to train good Christian men to preach truth, to evangelize, in warfare against those who would preach lies.
Let us reason together, Christian. How often have you heard that Christians cannot disagree or judge? Do I need to provide a source? How often have you heard the excuse “that is just how that sect worships” or “you cannot judge how they interpret truth”? I suppose that we must erase the epistle of Titus from the Bible? After all, how does Titus’s ministry coincide with the efforts of the Churches that condone abortion, homosexuality, war, thievery, racism, doubts about God’s word, transgenderism, and so on? Furthermore, how does Titus’s ministry of the last being first, and the first last coincide with the preeminent pastors who desire a paycheck and the like?
Understand this, Christian, Titus was there in Crete to “rebuke them sharply” (Titus 1:13), “rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15), and Paul told him “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject” (Titus 3:10). These were not lovey-dovey times. As we can see from his epistle, the men who had influence over the Christians in Crete were unruly, vain, deceptive, destroyers of families, believers of fables, those that turn others away from the truth, defiled minds, disobedient, workers of sin, and so on. And that is just the description from the first chapter.
Today’s ministry should be like Titus’s, which was like the Psalmist’s in the 43rd Psalm: Judge me, O God! And plead my cause against an ungodly nation! What is the cause of Christianity today? Is it to shut the mouths of the wicked speakers? Paul said that their mouths must be stopped (Titus 1:11), would you agree with Paul? He said that these people’s minds were defiled, that their consciences were defiled, and that each work they do is reprobate, which is another word for refuse, which is another word for trash.
Are the words of Paul too harsh? Is the ministry of Titus too much for you to stomach? While the Churches bring in drag queens for Sunday School, while the Methodists are ordaining women who pretend to be men, while the voters are bringing false pastors into the US Senate, while this ungodly wicked nation in being turned into hell, here you are worried that Paul’s words might be too harsh? Titus was sent into the lion’s den to have spiritual warfare against the devil’s soldiers, and here we are quite content to have fellowship with these evil beasts. While our children are lost and going to hell, somehow our Churches find a way to have Valentine’s day banquets, petting zoos, and “revival skits”. Paul did not mince words, he said rebuke them sharply. The Church in America is so dull, it would not be able to cut butter.
Christians, our ministry today is the same as Titus’s. We must focus on learning God’s word, and teaching good men how to preach it.
Not the Baptist way, where they brag about how many “souls” they have “saved” through 1-2-3 believe after me. Not the Methodist way, where the most important thing is to not “judge” anyone. Not the Presbyterian way, where “having your best life now” is the message. Let us preach the way Christ preached, “Repent, or ye shall all likewise perish”.
The Grace of God be with you. Be a good Soldier of Jesus Christ.
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His Name Is Called The Word Of God 