A warning against frivolous and disputative teaching.
This is in contrast to the sound teaching just referred to. "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the Law; for they are unprofitable and vain."
I. THE THINGS WHICH ARE TO BE PLACED OUTSIDE THE SPHERE OF MINISTERIAL THOUGHT AND CONCERN.
1. Foolish questions. Questions not easily answered, yet if answered without practical bearing upon Christian life. Such were many of the Jewish discussions about the oral Law, the nature of God and the angels, the power of the Name Jehovah. In Christian times papists have discussed for a whole century "which side of Jesus was pierced by the spear?" Such are "foolish questions."
2. Genealogies. Jerome tells us the Jews were as well acquainted with the genealogies from Adam to Zerubbabel as with their own names. It is possible that the Jewish Christians attached great importance to their family registers. The genealogies, however, are significantly linked by the apostle with fables.
3. Contentions and strivings about the Law. There were many disputed and disputable points in the Law, especially respecting the authority and confirmation of the commandments (Titus 1:14).
II. THE ATTITUDE OF THE MINISTER TOWARD SUCH THINGS. "Avoid them."
1. This implies that he is not even to discuss them, on account of their utter frivolousness.
2. The reason is that they are "unprofitable and vain," and therefore exactly opposed to the things "good and profitable to men." The apostle would deliver all ministers from such folly and trifling, by placing before them Jesus Christ, the one glorious Object of the Church's love and adoration, leaving questions of another sort to the dead. Such questions had eaten the heart out of Judaism. They must not be allowed in Christianity.—T.C.
The right attitude of Christian ministers toward divisive errorists.
"A man that is an heretic after a first and second admonition avoid."
I. THE TRUE NATURE OF HIS OFFENSE.
1. It is not a case of fundamental or doctrinal error, such as the words "heretic" and "heresy" came to imply in after-ages. Yet it is a mistake to suppose that separatist ways are not caused by divergences of judgment on some points from the settled belief of the Christian community.
2. It was a case of a turbulent sectary, dissatisfied with the Church, who withdrew from her communion to the disturbance of her peace. He would try to justify his course by a difference of opinion upon matters of doctrine, worship, or organization.
II. THE METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE OFFENDER.
1. He was to receive two admonitions in succession. He was to be twice warned not to pursue his divisive courses; he was not to be contended with, but rebuke was to be employed to recover him from his error.
2. His pride or his ambition would not allow him to yield to admonition, he was to be, not excommunicated—the course adopted by the apostle himself in another case (1 Timothy 1:20); but simply avoided. There must be no intercourse with him. This was a virtual excommunication, for he no longer held the place of a Christian brother.
III. THE JUSTIFICATION OF THIS METHOD. "Knowing that he that is such is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned." The case is an utterly hopeless one. You must have done with the divisive sectary; let him alone.
1. For he is perverted; implying an inward corruption of character, which steels him against all official admonition of the Church.
2. He sinneth. He errs knowingly, for his course has been authoritatively condemned by the messenger of God.
3. He is self-condemned. This does not mean that he consciously acts a part he knows to be wrong, but that he has condemned himself by his own practice, practically consenting by his separation that he is unworthy the fellowship of the Church, and thus justifying the Church in its rejection of him, or that he stands condemned by the Scriptures which he himself accepts as his rule of faith and life.—T.C.
Personal directions.
The connection of Titus with the Cretan Church was to be but temporary; therefore the apostle gives him two commands.
I. A COMMAND FOR TITUS TO JOIN THE APOSTLE AT NICOPOLIS.
1. The apostle needed his services, either at this city in Epirus, where he determined to spend the winter—no doubt in apostolic labors—or to ascertain from him the exact condition of the Church at Crete, or to send him forth on an errand to some of the other Churches.
2. But the place of Titus was not to be left unsupplied. Two brethren, Artemas and Tychicus, were to go to Crete—one altogether unknown by us, but, as he is first mentioned, probably a minister of high distinction and zeal; the other, Tychicus, one of the most esteemed of the apostle's friends (Acts 20:4; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12).
II. A COMMAND FOR TITUS TO HASTEN THE DEPARTURE OF ZENAS AND APOLLOS FROM CRETE. These brethren had been laboring in the Church there, probably, before Titus was left behind by the apostle. Zenas, the lawyer, was probably a Jewish scribe converted to Christianity, who had been acting as an evangelist in Crete. Apollos was the eloquent preacher of Alexandria, and now as always in perfect sympathy with the apostle, though there seemed a rivalry between them at Corinth. The apostle implies that the Cretan Christians were to provide the necessary help for such a journey.—T.C.