Sound doctrine silences error
Key Verses: 5, 9, 13-14, 16
Every group of Jesus-followers needs structure. They can exist for a short period without structure, without leadership, without an acknowledged leader, but not for long. When small groups are connected to a larger group, say flowing out of and tied to a large church, they can work, and work well. But in the absence of that connection to a larger structure, they often disintegrate. OR they grow to the point that structure emmerges.
Human beings are wired for structure, and God designed structure into the Church. So those who say, “I can be a Christian without going to church” are sorely mistaken. We need to be connected, under authority, and accountable. Paul shows this my telling Titus to set up just such a structure in Crete. It was part of his unfinished business that he wanted completed.
Now the character of a leader is important, if we are being asked to join the structure, and so Paul lays out briefly some qualifications. I think this is where people get side-tracked. They have been part of an organization with unqualified leadership, and that leadership failed to live up to their expectations. And so now they reject leadership. Or the pervious leaders came a little too close to home with their preaching, and conviction caused them to run rather than to repent.
Paul faced a group of people who decided to gather followers to serve themselves and not God. They saw leadership as a way to get rich. Their particular teaching centered around the need to keep the Jewish ceremonial rituals as a means to gain God’s favor. Of course this is contrary to the Good News, that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection brings God’s favor. But that didn’t matter to them. They just wanted to be in the limelight.
Paul has some very harsh words for these deceivers, doesn’t he! Sometimes strong words are needed, getting right to the heart of the rebellion. Sometimes we leave churches because we don’t like what the preacher has to say. Perhaps they were speaking to our heart, our rebellion, and we didn’t want to listen to the Spirit. And so we switched churches. I am sure we came up with a good reason, one that sounds good to those who ask, something spiritual.
But the real reason is that didn’t want leadership in our lives. We want to be in charge of our own destiny. But have our actions improved since we threw off the “poor leadership”? Is our life more in line with the character of God? Or are we slipping, slowly into self-deception and disconnection?
Sound faith includes structure and connection. Don’t try to be a lone ranger. Even he had Tonto!
The Arnold Journey 