v 10 – “For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.”

  • For – This is the responding to Titus 1:5-9, where Paul requests that Titus fulfill his mission for him in Crete:
    • To put what remained into order
      • In the purpose of creating a new church body, there are items that need to be put into place. Most notably…
    • Appoint elders in every town
      • All elders are spiritual fathers over their flocks and therefore must be holy (separate) from the people around them. This is shown in their qualifications:
        • Above reproach – if anyone would bring a charge against them, it must be easily refuted by the character of their lives and the way in which they, inherently, live out the Christian walk.
        • Husband of one wife – specifically that they are not engaged in polyamory which was common in the region
        • Children are believers – so far as it depends on their conduct, let their children be believers so as to not bring shame on the role of the eldership, and therefore, the church itself.
        • Not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination – As representatives of, and spiritual fathers to, the churches that are in Crete, they cannot associate themselves with that which they seek to save people from. Debauchery and insubordination are very common in Crete and this is the most blatant cultural sin which is embraced by the Cretans. Therefore, the elders must be careful not to associate with those who embrace it.
        • An overseer (elder) is God’s steward, and therefore is responsible for those in his charge.
        • Must be temperate, under control as to wine and anger, and not greedy or bound to the sin of monetary gain for the sake of monetary gain.
        • Hospitable – able and willing to take care of those who are in need.
        • Lover of good – one who does not simply enjoy it when God’s will is executed among the bretheren, but one who seems to see if completed.
        • Self-controlled, literally not self-willed. One who does not seek their own glory, nor their own growth for the sake of their own growth, but who puts the needs and desires of others first.
        • Upright, holy, and disciplined – under self control in all aspects of their lives, so as to be an example to others, and who clearly live their lives for the sake of the elect, and not their own preservation, nor their own glory.
        • Finally, he ought to hold firm to the word of God (Sola Scriptura), as it is the standard by which all of our decisions and doctrine are decided. He must also be able to both give:
          • Good instruction in this sound doctrine.
          • Be strong enough in the scriptures to be able to defend it against attacks.
  • Given the above information – we now see what is happening in Crete as a whole, as well as the information which, it appears, is starting to appear in the church itself. There are wolves at the gate, salivating at the opportunity to pursue and devour the sheep within the body of believers. They are described as follows:
    • Insubordinate – lit “unruly; disobedient”
      • These are those who have no regard to the standards by which we should live our lives, much less any standards for the Church as a whole. They also, it appears, are willing to struggle against the system of authority given by Christ to the Church. Jesus told us that those who are his sheep and who are of his fold are those who keep his commandments. (Jn 14:14-21), but these would refute that and insist on self-governance instead.
    • Empty Talkers
      • Those who are hearers only, and not those who allow the grace of God to lead them to action (James 1:22)
    • Deceivers
      • People who, having received the instruction from godly leaders, seek to turn the hearts and minds of those under that pastoral authority and turn them away from it to their own self-worship and self-direction. (Mt 18:5-6; Mark 9:41-42; Luke 17:1-2)
  • Circumcision party – This is the group called the “judaizers”. The “Jesus-plus” crowd, who does not rest in the finished work of Christ alone, but requires a myriad of addons to be truly part of God’s elect.
    • In their day they would seem as the following:
      • Gentiles must be circumcised.
      • Following the Mosaic law.
      • Keeping the dietary standards. These were not meant for some sort of practice that would keep the people from being holy before God, but something that made them peculiar in their region – an outward manifestation of their desire to worship God. Yet, in Acts 10, Peter is told that he should kill and eat of all animals, and that what God has called clean he should not call unclean. Jesus himself, in Luke 7:18-19, declares that all foods are clean.
      • Keeping the ceremonial feasts and Sabbaths of the Jews. These feasts and sabbaths were signs and reminders of what God has done for the people in the past, to remind them of his lovingkindness and his steadfast promises to keep those who are in his body. Not a requirement – mandatory list of works which must be followed, or God would abandon them. These are now complete in Christ – where we are the evidence of his work on our behalf, and every time that we join together with other believers, embracing the communion in which we are all together bought, we celebrate his work on our behalf. Jesus is our feasts. Jesus is our celebration. Jesus is our sabbath rest.
    • Today we see them as :
      • Baptism as a requirement that precedes salvation. Baptism is given as an act for believers as a public representation of their completed faith in Christ alone, not an act which, if not performed, would prevent God from saving those whom he would seek to save.
      • Sabbatarianism, or seeking to keep the sabbath at all. This denies that the work is complete and heaps up works which imply that Jesus work, while good, is not sufficient for keeping us saved.
      • Bible translation adherence (be it KJVO, TR-only, or even ESV-only) keeps people from serving and loving one another and holding a man-made standard from allowing people to pursue our life in Christ together.
      • Many, many others.

v 11 – “They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.”

  • They MUST be silenced.
  • These violations of God’s commands for his church bring a fracturing and disunity which exemplifies the world, not the body of Christ found in his Church.
  • Not necessarily in the world, because that which happens in the world is not in our purview, but this is primarily talking about these kinds of distractions and violations which can lead to fracturing of the unity of the Church.
  • Families
  • It is notable that Paul refers to the body of believers as a “family”. We are, as Jesus stated, not treated as slaves, but members of the household as Jesus tells us what he is doing, and the Holy Spirit informs us of things that mere servants would not need to know. There are times that we get answers to the “why” questions which are typically not answered.
  • Each local body of believers is its own “family”, among the greater “family” of God. In a similar manner by which you support one another in your own direct family, we support each other in our individual bodies of believers. This is a method of self-support, since as you help others, you are strengthening the bonds and support system of the same group that supports you.
  • Last, this family must be defended in the same way as disunity in a family home can lead to much conflict and division, disunity and error in the Church body will lead to conflict and division which can fracture the family once it begins behaving like a wordly group and not one that is seeking after God’s own heart.
  • Shameful gain
  • More specifically, it looks like the people which were plaguing the Cretan Churches were a group of individuals who were doing all of this for their own gain. Be it financial, or personal, the end result was their own gratification as the goal instead of unity in the church body, which is the driving force behind nearly all of the Pauline letters. Jesus himself, in his high priestly prayer in John 17, leads the section on the believers to come by asking the Father to ensure unity in the brethren as the Father and Son share unity among themselves (John 17:20-21).