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Setting in Order the Things That Are WantingIn these verses the apostle continues his description of theunruly, vain-talking deceivers whose false teachings Titus and allfaithful ministersofthe Word must refute bymeans ofteaching thesound doctrine ofthe reliable WordofGod. Do not fail to note thatthe Holy Spirit, who inspired this Word ofGod, does not hesitateto use very sharp, strong language. One who would be a faithfulpreacher in today's church must do no less!The mouths ofthese deceivers must be stopped. The Greekputs it a little stronger, "Whom it is necessary to silence bystopping the mouths...." The mouths ofthese deceivers must bestopped. It is necessary that they be silenced. This, you understand,is divine necessity! The teaching ofthese deceivers must beclearly, sharply refuted, shown to be false bymeans ofthe bishops'teaching the sound doctrine of the Word of God.Should these deceivers continue to teach their heresies, theymust be silencedby the application ofChristian discipline, even tothe point of "the extreme remedy," excommunication from thechurch and kingdom of heaven. It is necessary!The reason these must be silenced is the terrible consequencestheir false teaching has on God's church. It is not just afew, one or two, members ofthe church who are led astray by thevain talk of these deceivers. They subvert or overthrow wholehouses! John Calvin, commenting on this clause, is certainlycorrect when he writes:If the faith of one individual were in danger of being overturned(for we are speaking of the perdition ofa single soul redeemed bythe blood ofChrist) the pastor should immediately gird himselfforthe combat; how much less tolerable is it to see whole housesoverturned? I 2. These deceivers subvert whole houses by "teaching thingswhich they ought not." Their teachings contradict the truth oftheWord ofGod. What is more, they are dishonest in their presenta-12. John Calvin (Pringle translation), Commentaries on the Epistlesto Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. EerdmansPublishing Company, 1959), p. 299.November, 2001 7
tion oftheir false teachings. II Peter 2: I - 3 and Jude 4 warn us thatthese deceivers "privily bring in their damnable heresies" and"creep into the church unawares."Hence, as preachers and those who aspire to that holy officeof Christ, we must take great care that we teach the truth ofScripture. And we must constantly be on our guard, so that we areable to discern even the slightest departure from the truth ofGod'sWord.The apostle also exposes the evil motive of these deceivers.They teach things which they ought not~ '''in favor of' or "for thepleasure ofbase gain."'3 The deceivers do not teach because theywant the church to be edified and grow in the knowledge of herLord and Savior Jesus Christ. They emphatically do not desire thechurch to grow in the grace of her Lord.The deceivers teach their damnable heresies for base gain!Their desire is to get rich, wealthy in earthly things. They lovemoney and what it can buy? Money cannot buy the grace ofsalvation in Jesus Christ. It can only buy earthly things. Motivatedby covetousness and with '''feigned words (they) make merchandise"ofGod's people (II Pet. 2:3). Along with this love ofmoney,the deceivers want the"base gain" ofthe praise ofmen. Power andprestige are their aim. .Interestingly enough, the Holy Spirit uses one of their ownprophets to condemn them: "The Cretans are always liars" (v. 12).That, at bottom, is what all oftheir teaching is: lies. This is whythey ought not teach these things. The reference is to heresy, falsedoctrine, the lie in all ofits many and various forms as it stands inflat contradiction of the truth ofthe Word of God.Let it not escape us, if this be what the Holy Spirit callsheresy, this is what we must call it too. And we must exertourselves to expose these gainsaying deceivers. They are all aboutus, and they threaten our churches and their members too. Let noone, no matter how vehemently men may criticize us, let no onedeter us from this important aspect of the work of the ministry.13. The AV translates aischrou kerdous charin "for filthy lucre'ssake."8 PRTJ
Page 1 and 2: ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
Page 3 and 4: EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
Page 5 and 6: For there are many, even l unruly,
Page 7: happen to hold unwittingly to some
Page 11 and 12: est, they are very weak, at worst,
Page 13 and 14: truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
Page 15 and 16: Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
Page 17 and 18: ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
Page 19 and 20: Bradwardine faces the question ofth
Page 21 and 22: the age, namely, that having set fo
Page 23 and 24: did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
Page 25 and 26: The first is that Bradwardine was a
Page 27 and 28: to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41 and 42: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 43 and 44: 8): "Calling is ofthose elect and r
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47 and 48: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 49 and 50: have moved away from the notion oft
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60:
covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61 and 62:
Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 63 and 64:
the gospel is preached" (p. 212).In
Page 65 and 66:
"They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68:
II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70:
is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72:
Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74:
is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76:
Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78:
76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79 and 80:
er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 81 and 82:
there is room for both positionsin
Page 83 and 84:
Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86:
that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88:
the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90:
ever, throughout the book thereis n
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