Cretans Being Cretans, Not Christians

Paul presents a stark contrast between those who are fit to lead a church and those who are not. His instructions to Titus make it clear that Titus should be looking for men that have been sufficiently shaped by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that they will be able to nurture the flock and defend the faith. The need was immediate for there were some moving among the churches who were still acting like Cretans, not Christians, and offering teaching that was gainful, not biblical. The result was that “whole families” were being troubled. Paul directs Titus to sharply rebuke these men that “they may be sound in the faith.” The circumstances on Crete demanded this strong response from the apostle. If the unbiblical cultural commitments in which these new converts had been nurtured continued to hold sway in their lives, they, and the church, would not prosper. Biblical authority and truth needed to be established (see Titus 1).

The challenge that the early church faced on Crete is the same challenge that the church has faced in every generation and location. How can people have their minds renewed and their lives ordered so that they think and act like human beings are created to think and act? As Paul’s counsel suggests, they must learn “sound doctrine” based upon the “trustworthy word” and allow it to become the definitive voice in their lives. 

Now, I doubt if many of the people reading this reject in principle the need for sound doctrine based upon the trustworthy word to be authoritative in the church. In practice, however, it can be a hard won battle. This is particularly so when the teachings of Scripture run contrary to the prevailing culture.  Believers are then forced to choose and if they are not yet sufficiently trusting of Scripture’s authority, the prevailing culture wins out. That appears to be what happened to those on Crete who were teaching “for shameful gain.” They were just doing what Cretans were known for, what everyone else thought was perfectly acceptable.

There’s a standing warning in this letter. It tells us to reexamine our thinking when what we allow as perfectly acceptable runs contrary to Scripture, no matter how much it is being embraced in the prevailing culture. Each generation will have its own challenges in this regard, but submitting to the truth of God is the wisest, the only, choice.

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 1, The Biblical Foundations

Trees, decorations, lights, giving of gifts, parties, family gatherings, cards, television specials, and the occasional creche or performance of the Messiah, these are the trappings of the season. In and of themselves, they are not bad things. But they do have the power to obscure the biblical foundation of Christmas. Consider the following words from an oft-sung carol heard at this time of year:

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas day,
to save us all from Satan's pow'r
when we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

There’s a lot of important information in that verse that has been lost in the clutter of all the goings-on of the “holiday season.” Alas, the tune is no longer a celebration of salvation. Instead, it has become part of the shopping mall playlist or rendered background music for a trip up the elevator.

I’m not griping. I’m grieving.

The Bible relates that the birth of Jesus signals the fulfillment of God’s word. “As it is written,” “this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken,” “for so it is written by the prophet,” all point to the reality that God had planned this redemption long before, from before the foundation of the world, in fact. He purposed that he would “save his people from their sins” and sent his son to accomplish the task. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear understood that the one born in Bethlehem was the substance of God’s promises.

I may be deluded, but it seems that generations past were aware of these basic facts. I have a feeling that when they sang Christmas carols they knew enough of the story to know what the words spoke of, even if they didn’t believe them.

A lot of ground has been lost. Our neighbors are ignorant. That’s why we need to be educated and to educate. Pray that our Christmas Primer will go some distance in helping us to make the biblical foundation of the season known.