Titus 3:8-11 meaning

Titus 3:8-11 will begin wrapping up this letter from Paul to his ministry partner, Titus, by admonishing him to avoid foolish controversies and focus instead on doing good deeds. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter is to advise and encourage Titus on how to establish elders over the new churches in Crete and what specific instructions to give the Cretan believers regarding behaviors to practice and behaviors to forego (Titus 1:5). Underneath these specific instructions is the typical spiritual battle of choosing to walk in the Spirit and do what God wants us to do, which leads to life, or to follow our sinful nature and obey the ways of the world, which results in exploitation and destruction.

Twice in this letter, Paul has drawn attention to how Jesus came to earth, how He has saved us from sin, and has saved us to a future hope where He rules as king over this earth in perfect righteousness (Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7).

These reasons—God's compassion for humans lost in their sin, Jesus's death and resurrection which saves those who believe, and our hopeful expectation of the future time when Jesus will be a perfect and eternal king—this is why we should be passionate about obeying God and rejecting sin.

It is likely that Paul wanted Titus to read this letter to the Cretans, and this is why he twice summarizes the gospel and how it should affect our choices. The Cretans were struggling with living foolishly and without sense. They apparently had problems with drunkenness, harmful gossip, and neglecting their families (Titus 2:1-6). There were also false teachers leading some astray (Titus 1:10-16).

The Cretan believers were experiencing intense spiritual warfare from all sides. Paul shines a light by reminding them of God’s work in saving us, and the future God is preparing us for. Paul seeks to shift their perspective toward the eternal and away from worldly voices competing for their attention.

Paul says, This is a trustworthy statement (v. 8).

He is referring back to his restatement of the power of the gospel and God’s work in saving us from our sins to a future glory:

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
(Titus 3:4-7)

This is a trustworthy statement because it is the work of God, and can be trusted completely. God always fulfills His promises (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18). The gospel is what the Cretan believers need to put their trust in, not the influence of false teachers or sinful habits. God has regenerated and renewed those who believe; we are new creatures who can live in close fellowship with God in the present, choosing to walk in His light and obey His commands, and reject the darkness of living wickedly (1 John 1:5-7).

It is perhaps the final phrase which Paul is especially trying to direct the Cretans to remember; the trustworthy statement that they have been "justified by His grace" and are now heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

To put our trust, hope, and eyes on eternal life and the inheritance which awaits us would recalibrate our priorities in this life (Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 3:21).

This was a point of contention displayed regularly throughout the church letters of the New Testament. What is the purpose of good works?

Most frequently Paul had to contend with competing Jewish "authorities" who likewise believed Jesus was the Messiah, but made it their business to pressure Gentile believers to become circumcised and keep the Law of Moses (Acts 15:1, 5, Galatians 2:1, 11-16). Paul and the other Apostles rejected this teaching outright (Acts 15:2, 10-11, 19, Galatians 5:2-6, 12, 6:12-13).

Here on Crete, it appears that there were similar competing Jewish "authorities," "those of the circumcision," (Titus 1:10), who were probably trying to compel the Cretans to be circumcised and follow Jewish customs, telling them that it was a necessity in order to be saved (Acts 15:5). One of the arguments against Paul's teaching of grace is that he was endorsing the choice to openly sin, because God would always forgive us (Romans 5:20, 3:8, 6:1).

Paul was teaching no such thing (Romans 6:2). Paul did indeed teach that God's grace forgives all our sins, and makes us righteous in His sight (Titus 3:5). But Paul also taught that sin leads to death, slavery, addiction, and loss of mental health (Romans 1:24, 26, 28, 6:12, 16, 23). Paul's point is that being born into God's family is completely separate from the consequences of our choices. Being born as a new creation places us into Christ and makes us a member of God's family. The choices we make from that point onward have immense consequences, but have no impact on belonging to God's family; that is the work of God, not of us.

Paul made clear earlier in this letter that good works don’t save us from the penalty of sin (Titus 3:5). We cannot earn our way out of our fallen sinful state and into right standing with God. It was only Jesus who could accomplish that (Titus 3:6-7). The competing Jewish "authorities" were falsely teaching, whether they intended to or not, that righteousness was earned through performance. This makes God transactional and a person subject to manipulation, which He is not. God is the I Am, the creator of all things.

The truth about the gospel of grace is that it makes us righteous in God’s sight and empowers us to choose not to sin. And the reasons to do good works are manyfold. Following His commands leads to multiple benefits; there are abundant blessings when we follow His ways; it is not a one-to-one transaction. To obey God is to live life as He designed it, leading to blessing and fulfillment, while a life lived apart from His ways leads to loss and death (Deuteronomy 5:33, 1 John 2:16-17, Matthew 6:33, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 55:9, Proverbs 10:17, 14:12).

This is why Paul writes and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men (v. 8).

He recommends that Titus speak confidently about the gospel message and its implications for our life. It was concerning these things that the Cretans needed to be reminded of, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. The good deeds lead to life and blessing. Good deeds will be rewarded by Christ at the judgement (2 Corinthians 5:10).

We can see that this admonition is for the benefit of those who have believed God already; these things need to be remembered by people who already believe in Jesus Christ. Our actions and attention will always be sought after. We must be careful to engage in good deeds. To be careful is to be thoughtful, to be intentional. We were created in Christ for good works, which He prepared beforehand (Ephesians 2:10). To do good deeds is, therefore, to lean into and be fulfilled in our design. It is completely in our best interest to carefully, thoughtfully, and intentionally seek to engage in good deeds.

Paul's intention is that the Cretans who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds because of the trustworthy statement he has laid out in detail; in brief, we should do good deeds not because they justify us in God's sight, but because God has saved us from the penalty of sin through the blood of Jesus, and good deeds are what lead us to experience the rewards and benefits of the new life we have received. Following God's ways by doing good deeds is profitable, both to others as well as to ourselves.

Jesus has made believers into new people, new creations in Christ who are promised a reward of inheritance if we overcome the world as Jesus did (Revelation 3:21). Our obedience trains us and prepares us for a future stewardship in Jesus's kingdom (Titus 2:11-12, Hebrews 12:5-11, Romans 8:15-17, 19, 23). God's commands tell us what works, so they are always in our true self-interest.

Paul emphasizes that to engage in good deeds is good and profitable for men. Again, obeying God and the way He purposed for us to live results in a myriad of benefits. There are many ways that obeying God’s word is good and profitable for men. There is good profit in the future, when the good and faithful servants will be given their inheritance of co-reigning in Christ’s future kingdom (Matthew 25:21, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10).

There is profit in the now as well. Sinful living exploits others (Galatians 5:15) and makes an addict out of the one who sins (Romans 1:24-25). If we persist in sin, it eventually leads to a loss of mental health (Romans 1:28). But the one who engages in good deeds profits himself through closer fellowship with his God and through blessing others by serving their good (James 4:8, John 14:21, 1 John 1:7, Romans 15:1-2, Galatians 6:10, Philippians 2:3-4).

The Greek word Paul uses for men here is "anthropos" from which we derive the word "anthropology" which is the study of humans. It is likely the translators chose to translate this word to men because "anthropos" is a masculine noun in Greek. But context here indicates this applies to all people, like the use of "anthropos" in Matthew 4:4 where Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 and says "man ['anthropos'] does not live by bread alone."

Before beginning his farewell remarks, Paul makes sure to lay out once more the distractions and sinful avenues on Crete which Titus and the Cretan congregations should avoid. If they want to engage in good deeds which are good and profitable for themselves and their fellow men and believers, they need to actively stay away from the following. These were specific issues the Cretans were battling, yet they are evergreen for all believers to avoid and reject:

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless (v. 9).

Paul puts the antagonism Titus is experiencing in its proper place. These are foolish controversies. The way to win this game is not to play. Titus’s time and ministry is better served teaching the new believers, not engaging in foolish debates with his detractors. He should avoid these controversies and their promoters. These controversies cause strife; they are divisive and a burden to those they mislead.

Paul goes on to say they are unprofitable and worthless. There is nothing gained from engaging in these debates. Their result is only deception and destruction. The controversies have no value; they are without worth—worthless. Likewise, they benefit no one, they are unprofitable, they are without profit. This directly contrasts Paul’s exhortation for believers to engage in good deeds which are good and profitable for men. Good deeds are profitable for everyone, while foolish controversies are unprofitable.

The practical application of this is that it is wise to refuse to entangle with an argument or debate that is framed in such a manner that there is no constructive outcome. Just disengage. Elevate a new debate—a debate over what is good and profitable.

We have some sense of what these foolish, unprofitable, and worthless controversies which captivated the Cretan believers were about: genealogies and disputes about the Law. Looking back at Chapter 1, Paul told Titus similarly to lead the believers toward truth, training them to "not [pay] attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth" (Titus 1:14).

The main source of these controversies seems to be of a similar kind to those elevated by competing Jewish "authorities" Paul has dealt with throughout his ministry. This would include the disputes he experienced in Syrian Antioch, Galatia, and Rome (Acts 15:1, Galatians 2:11-16, Romans 2:17-29). He called out "rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision" in Titus 1:10. It was especially those of the circumcision party who were causing these pointless divisions in the Cretan churches.

The circumcision party refers to Jewish believers who tried to pressure Gentile believers into become circumcised and submitting to the Mosaic Law, effectively become Jewish proselytes. This dispute is the backdrop to Paul’s letter to both the Romans and the Galatians.

You can see this in passages like Romans 2:24, where Paul addresses the Jews seeking to impose religious requirements of Law upon the Roman believers and says, "'The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' just as it is written." In saying "just as it is written," Paul is showing that the authority of the Law these competing "authorities" claim to represent is the very Law they are breaking. Paul argues "he is not a Jew who is one outwardly" and "he is a Jew who is one inwardly" in Romans 2:28-29 to refute the party of the circumcision’s claim that outward adherence is necessary for righteousness, as some Christian Pharisees believed (Acts 15:5).

Paul continues his emphasis on inner righteousness with his instructions here in Titus, but also emphasizes the outworking of the inner life. Inner righteousness ought to produce good deeds. Similarly, in Galatians, the word "circumcision" appears six times, including "if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you" and "neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Galatians 5:2, 6:15).

Becoming a Jewish proselyte was something some Gentiles chose to do ever since the days of Moses; there were proselytes and Gentiles submitting to Jewish customs and laws as far back as the Exodus and the Covenant renewal at Moab (Exodus 12:48-49, Deuteronomy 29:10-13). However, submitting to the Mosaic Law did not produce sufficient righteousness in God’s eyes (Philippians 3:8-9). It did not save anyone from the penalty of sin (Matthew 23:15).

It has always been faith that makes any person righteous in God’s sight. This is demonstrated by Genesis 15:6, which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted or reckoned to him as righteousness. Acts 7:2-4 indicates that Abraham’s initial belief occurred while he lived in Ur. God decides that question.

The Son of God died for no reason if what really made us right in the sight of God was converting to Judaism,

"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
(Galatians 2:21)

Nor did any Jew perfectly keep the Law (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 2:21-23, Acts 7:53, James 2:10). We are all sinners (Romans 3:9-10). This was not the purpose of the Law. The Law instructed the Jewish people how to love God and love their neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). It was like a chaperone giving guardrails and protections from sin to humans before Christ’s death and resurrection (Galatians 3:24).

Unfortunately, those of the circumcision were imposing a system of rules they could use to assert influence over others, a system they did not perfectly keep themselves,

"For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh."
(Galatians 6:13)

Paul names specific topics that are unprofitable, one being genealogies. He gives a very similar warning to Timothy, who was overseeing the Ephesian church,

"instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith."
(1 Timothy 1:3-4)

There was apparently some kind of trendy fascination with genealogies, probably Jewish, since the source of the controversies here are "those of the circumcision." But this interest in endless genealogies was corrupting what some were teaching others, based on "mere speculation" that went outside of the truth of God’s Word and the gospel. Whatever was being speculated about genealogies was not from God and was not profitable for living a life of harmony with others. It only stirred division.

The disputes about the Law may go hand in hand with the "Jewish myths and commandments of men" referred to in Chapter 1. In addition to trying to compel Gentiles to obey the Mosaic Law, which was given by God, the circumcision party on Crete seems to have added extra-biblical mythology into their campaign to bring the Cretan Gentile believers to heel.

Even Judaism has its own mythologies, old wives’ tales, and fairy tales which are not canonical. These mythologies do not appear in the Old Testament. They came about through superstitions passed down culturally. We do not know exactly what Paul is referring to, but it may have included superstitions about dybbuks, Adam’s first wife Lilith, ghosts (Matthew 14:26), or any number of mystical fables that were not part of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) or orthodox Jewish teachings.

The primary point seems to be that there was a group of certain people on Crete who were muddling up what Paul and Titus had first taught to the Cretans. They were leading both Jewish and Gentile believers away from the truth. The new believers in Jesus Christ did not need to be distracted or confused by this fabricated, unprofitable nonsense.

They likewise did not need to be sidetracked by disputes about the Law which they were not required to submit to. Himself a Gentile, Titus was to lead by example in not entertaining these disputes about the Law which only caused strife (Galatians 2:3). The new believers needed to heed Titus and Paul (via this letter), and focus on doing good deeds which were of profit to their neighbors (Titus 3:8).

Paul does not want Titus to shun these false teachers outright. While the controversies and debates they stir up are to be ignored, Paul gives the false teachers a path to restoration, but within a limited window:

Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned (vs. 10-11).

This factious man Paul refers to is any and all of those who are "upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain" (Titus 1:11). The word factious is translated from the Greek and is used in the New Testament only once: here. It means someone who creates a faction, or a spin-off sect; it can be translated "schismatic," or "a follower of a false doctrine" or a "heretic."

This factious man gets three strikes before he is out. Paul prescribes to Titus to give him a first and second warning. This is generous and consistent with the principles of our faith. Believers are allowed to be wrong, to be corrected, to repent and realign themselves with the truth. We are allowed to err, to reconsider, to learn and grow (James 5:19-20).

Some examples follow. While not necessarily a factious man, Apollos was someone who was teaching the truth only in part, but was to some extent ignorant of the whole truth of the gospel. Paul’s ministry partners Prisca and Aquilla gently took aside and discipled Apollos; his response was to accept their teaching and grow as a believer, going on to become a powerful teacher and champion of God’s word (Acts 18:24-28).

The Samaritan magician Simon became a believer and then wrongly asked the Apostles to sell him the power of the Holy Spirit. When Peter rebuked him, Simon asked Peter to pray for him so that God would forgive him (Acts 8:14-24). There is always a learning curve as we walk in faith.

Even Peter had to be corrected by Paul publicly in front of the Galatian believers, when Peter sinned and showed deference to the Jewish believers and denied fellowship with the Gentile Galatians (Galatians 2:11-14).

But eventually it becomes plain whether or not someone is willing to confess, repent, and grow, or if they are committed to their own false way. If the factious man in the Cretan churches continues to teach divisive false doctrine after the first warning from Titus, Titus is to give him a merciful second warning.

But if the heretic continues to teach his false doctrine a third time, then Titus should Reject him. This probably means to dismiss him from the community of believers entirely. Paul gives a similar exhortation to the Corinthian church in a letter, telling them to stop sharing fellowship with believers who are unrepentant and practicing ongoing sins (such as sexual immorality and idolatry), but to send them out of the church (1 Corinthians 5:11-13).

This action is equal parts "tough love" for the unrepentant sinner, who may finally be ashamed and repent of his sin after losing fellowship with other believers, as well as protecting the health of the body of committed believers. If the poison is not dealt with, others might be corrupted by the ongoing sin in their midst.

Regarding the Cretans, after failing to listen to Titus or the elders, Paul concludes that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. At this point (ignoring two warnings), such a man has proven he is devoted to sinning, rather than learning the truth. He is perverted (Greek, "ekstrephō"), he is twisted, corrupt, subversive. He is devoted to his false teaching, being self-condemned. His own false teaching backfires on him and shows that he is not willing to be corrected, repent, and love and serve his Christian neighbors to their benefit. He wants to lead them astray for his own "sordid gain" (Titus 1:11).

His self-condemnation will be apparent to the other believers in the Cretan churches who are devoted to the truth, since he persists after multiple warnings in trying to lead others into false teachings which have been publicly condemned—matters that have been settled and are not open to debate.

Teaching the core truth of our faith is vital to the health of any church community at any point in its existence, but perhaps especially when the church is new and the believers are young. Titus and the Cretan elders need to protect the purity of God’s word so that the Cretan believers can walk with God and lead lives that are profitable to themselves and their brothers and sisters in Christ (Titus 1:9, Psalm 119:9, 1 Peter 2:2).