TITUS 1:9

The Bible says in Titus 1:9 concerning the qualifications for a pastor, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” In this verse we are told the primary work that the pastor will be doing: preaching and teaching the Word of God. First note that a pastor cannot properly do this work unless he is the kind of person that was described in verses 6, 7, and 8. That is the way Christianity is: actions speak louder than words. You must get your behavior straight before you can help others get theirs straight. Jesus said in Matthew 7:4-5, “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”

In Titus 1:3 Paul wrote that God “manifested his word through preaching.” This is the order of events: God saves some people by calling them out of the world through faith in Christ. Those who are saved gather together in groups called churches. Each of those churches need a pastor who will preach and teach them God’s Word. In order to choose a pastor a person must be selected whose life has already been changed by faith in Christ and by walking in fellowship with Christ over a period of time. That is why pastors are called “elders.” It is critical that the right man be chosen as the pastor. It must be a man who is called of God and it must be a man who is prepared both in his personal life and in his having learned the scriptures. But notice very carefully that not one word is said about the speaking ability or the appearance of the preacher. What is emphasized is the content of the message. The message must be “the Word.”

Already in the book of Titus we can see the specific words that have been used that show us that the content of the preaching is what is emphasized. Verse 1 speaks of “the faith” and “the truth.” Verse 2 speaks of the words of God by pointing out that God “cannot lie.” In verse 3 Paul said that God has “manifested his word through preaching,” and this was the very kind of work that Jesus Christ had entrusted to Paul. In verse 4 Paul spoke of “the common faith.” This emphasis on the Word of God leads to the subject given in verse 5 that it was important that a pastor be set up in each one of the congregations. And then after describing the character that a pastor must have, the Bible declares the activity that a pastor will be involved in: “Holding fast the faithful Word.”

What might a pastor preach if he does not preach “the faithful Word?” He might preach his own opinions. He might preach human wisdom or philosophy. He might preach current events. He might preach religious tradition. There are many things that a pastor might preach instead of the faithful Word, but only the faithful Word will do the work of God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The spiritual battle that is raging in the world is a battle of truth against error. God wants everyone in the world to have the option of hearing and benefiting from the truth. There are many people teaching error, but only God’s few chosen servants are preaching and teaching truth. The way to combat error is to teach truth. We are fighting on God’s side only if we are involved in the preaching of His truth. Not everyone is called to be the mouth-piece the way that a preacher is; but there are ways in which you can assist a preacher by using the gifts that God has given to you. No preacher will be able to do very much without help from God’s people. We are laborers together. God’s way is for teamwork and unity to be present under the headship of Christ. Anything less will result in less accomplishment.

This is what will be accomplished when a pastor truly preaches the Word: “that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” It is all based upon sound doctrine. If sound doctrine is learned, and that is a big “if,” and if sound doctrine is presented in preaching, and that is also a big “if,” then there will be the proper result: the gainsayers will be exhorted and convinced.

The word “gainsayers” means literally “those who speak against.” They speak against the truth. If you really analyzed their teachings compared to the Word of God you would find out that they actually speak against the truth. That is the problem that pastors are supposed to be combating: the false teachers and the false teachings. You fight against the false by preaching the true. Good hearts will love to hear the truth and they will believe it if only someone will tell it to them. Generally speaking, people end up believing what they hear.

In Titus 1:9 two words are used to represent exactly what will be accomplished when someone holds forth the faithful word as he has been taught. The two words are “exhort” and “convince.” Depending upon who is hearing you, you will be doing the one or the other. The word that is translated “exhort” also means to comfort or to console. God knows that His people need to be comforted. In a world of sorrow and woe and trouble and disappointment the people of God need to hear things that only come from the Word of Life. “Tell them over again to me, wonderful words of life. Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.”

The word that is translated “convince” is also translated “reprove,” “rebuke”, and “convict” elsewhere in the New Testament. It has to do with carefully laying out with the spoken word some point of interest. Of course, the points that are made are points from the scriptures. If the word of God is properly opened up, it will convict and it will reprove even those who beforehand were in opposition. No one has to argue with unbelief or with error. Just present the truth properly and it will do its work.

Concerning the ones who speak against the truth, the Bible says in Titus 1:10, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers, specially they of the circumcision.” The false teachers are described in this verse, and one of their false doctrines is revealed. First of all we are told that the false teachers are “talkers.” They have speaking ability: there is no doubt about that. The problem is the content of what they say. Again we are shown that if speakers are evaluated based upon their speaking ability primarily, then the door is opened for a false teacher to gain the ascendancy. Speaking of false teachers, Paul wrote in Romans 16:18, “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

By the way, I hope you did not miss the word “many” in Titus 1:10. The Apostle John said the same thing in First John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists.” The reason that there are many antichrists is because all that it takes to be an antichrist is to have speaking ability. They are talkers, but they are “vain” talkers. The word “vain” emphasizes the fact that there are no true spiritual benefits to what they say. If someone’s religious speech has no true spiritual value, then what good is it? It is of no good.

Let us do a more literal translation of Titus 1:10. “For many are unruly, and vain talkers, and deceivers.” Here is an interesting point: one of the words used to describe false teachers, the word “unruly,” was also used to describe the kind of children that must not be the children of a pastor. The word “unruly” has to do with someone who is not subject to the authorities that have been placed over them. A child who is unruly is not subject to his parents. A religious teacher who is unruly is not subject to God or to Christ. In Titus 1:7 a pastor is called “a steward of God.” In Titus 1:1 Paul called himself “a servant of God.” A false teacher is unruly because he is neither a steward nor a servant. He serves himself, his own interests, and his own will.

A false teacher is false because of the person that he is, and because of the teachings that he teaches. The Word of God says that false teachers are especially “they of the circumcision.” This has both a literal and a symbolic meaning. The literal meaning has to do with those who are called “Judaizers” in the New Testament. When Jesus came on the scene as the Messiah, He changed things. He fulfilled promises. In the times of the Old Testament the work of God centered on the people of Israel as a partial fulfillment of the promise that God had made to faithful Abraham. “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Abraham was justified because of the faith that Abraham placed in the promise given to him by the Almighty. Circumcision came afterwards as a sign. Circumcision never did give justification. Justification before God always and only came by faith, and since Jesus came on the scene justification only comes by faith in Him.

By the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul covered this subject in excellent detail in Romans chapter 4. In Romans 4:1-3 it says, “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Paul goes on to relate this difference between faith and works to circumcision. In Romans 4:10 the Bible says, “How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.” The point that Paul is making is that Abraham became justified by faith before he was circumcised, which helps demonstrate that circumcision was not involved in Abraham’s justification. Also, circumcision is a physical act, and physical actions (works) do not result in justification before God.

The Judaizers were spreading the false doctrine that believers in Jesus had to also become circumcised in order to be right with God. The same error is committed by teachers and preachers who add any “work” to faith in Christ as the basis for justification before God. It happens often in these last days. Some of the works that are erroneously added to the requirement for justification are: baptism, communion, church attendance, the giving of money, and doing good deeds. None of these things have ever justified anyone. None of these things have ever helped to justify anyone. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” True faith in Christ is the only thing that justifies anyone. Faith plus nothing is the only thing that justifies anyone. You do not have to do anything to win God’s favor, except believe in Jesus with true Biblical belief.

Paul was on this same subject in the book of Galatians. The same false teachers were trying to influence the believers in Galatia. Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit in Galatians 1:6-7 where Paul said, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Paul says here very clearly that if someone adds something to faith in Christ as the means of justification, that such a person is now preaching “another gospel.” Paul said even more strongly in Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” We are not splitting hairs here. We are not talking about a minor point of doctrine. When someone adds anything other than faith to justification, they are perverting the gospel, and Paul says by the Holy Spirit that they should be accursed.

False teachers do not understand salvation by grace through faith because they have not repented of their sins, turned to Jesus, and been justified by faith in Jesus. If you have never turned to Jesus this way, today you can find forgiveness and full acceptance by simply doing that: because salvation is by grace through faith,” not by circumcision or any other work of man.

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