Titus 3:8–11—Good Works; Reject the Heretic

Tit. 3:8. (My child Titus,) this is a faithful saying—and concerning these things I wish to charge you, that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works: these things are good and profitable for people.

“My child Titus”—none of our commentators reads this. “This is a faithful saying”—as has been shown, is connected with what precedes as a word of confirmation.

“Concerning these things”—may be referred both to what precedes and to what follows. So Oecumenius: “concerning these things”—that is, about what was said above and about what follows: “that they may be careful to devote themselves to good works”. In the first case the meaning would be: and this is what I want you to teach, to urge, to persuade them of—meaning the promise of eternal life: “but turn away from foolish disputes”. Speak and expound on doctrines that enlighten the mind and heart, that establish a good disposition and blessed hopes, and not on empty fantasies profitable to no one. In the second case the meaning would be: in addition to what has been said above, also teach them the following. What was said above includes all the virtues the command to teach has already enjoined above, especially those spoken of in verses 1 and 2 of the present chapter—that they should harm no one, but be gentle and meek. What follows is good works: mercy and acts of charity. Teach and urge them, he says, not only to refrain from harming others but also to do good to them.

“I wish to charge you”, διαβεβαιουσθαι,—to affirm, to establish. The Apostle does not wish to convince holy Titus of this himself, but wishes holy Titus to convince the believers of the necessity of acting in this way. Or: that holy Titus himself might be convinced that this above all is what believers need to be taught.

“That they may be careful to devote themselves to good works. — That they may be careful”—not to perform good works in passing or carelessly, but to care for them with all their soul, thinking day and night of nothing else but how and where they might do some good deed. “To devote themselves”, προιστασθαι,—to stand at the forefront, to be foremost among all. When you are wronged, give way, as if hiding; but when a good deed presents itself, be first of all, let no one forestall you, be the first to seize it—so that regarding believers a general conviction may be established that in good works they are always first. Hence he added: let those “who have believed in God” be devoted to this. Why they ought so to act follows directly from what was said above—what we were before faith, what we became through faith, and what promises console us in its strength. Having received so many mercies, be yourself merciful and beneficent.

Let us record what our commentators have said on this. Holy Chrysostom says: “Having spoken of God’s love for humanity, of His ineffable care for us and of what we were and what He made us, the Apostle continues: ‘and concerning these things I wish you to affirm that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works’; that is, to speak on this and thereby to dispose them toward mercy. For what has been said above can incline us not only to humility and not looking down on or reproaching others, but to every other virtue as well. Having recalled God’s care and His extraordinary love for humanity, he urges his hearers to be merciful—and not simply or occasionally, but how? ‘Let them be careful,’ he says, ‘to devote themselves to good works’—that is, also to help those who are wronged, not with money only, but with their own intercession, and to defend widows and orphans, and to provide peace to all who are in affliction; for this is what it means: to devote themselves to good works.” Some of these thoughts are expressed more fully by blessed Theophylact.

“Having recalled God’s ineffable goodness, he says: I want you to teach this in such a way that believers learn not only to be humble-minded and not to wrong others, but also to show them every kind of mercy. For whoever keeps in memory the mercy of God of which he has been deemed worthy will himself also be merciful. Let them be careful, he says—that is, let this be their constant occupation and continual care: to help those who are wronged, to look after widows and orphans and all who are in need generally. For this is what the words mean: ‘to devote themselves to good works’, προιστασθαι,—not to wait for those in need to come to them, but to look after them themselves.”

“These things are good and profitable for people”. This is what it is right and profitable to teach! Or—this is what it is right and profitable for anyone to occupy his mind with and to devote himself to! The Apostle wishes to direct both the teaching of teachers and the care of believers toward the acquisition of eternal life through a grace-filled and holy life. “Nothing is more evident than that mercy and love for humanity are good for the present and profitable for the future: here they earn praise, and on the day of judgment—a crown. And it is to care for these things that he urges the ruler of God’s people” (Ambrosiaster).

Tit. 3:9. But avoid foolish disputes and genealogies and strife and contentions about the Law: for they are unprofitable and futile.

Teach this, but avoid the following. What is to be avoided? Foolish disputes, ζητησεις,—inquiries, questionings, questions about what this or that is—why one thing is so and another otherwise—what is elsewhere called contentious debating. Not every inquiry and questioning is blameworthy. The Saviour Himself urged searching the Scriptures, for in them the way to eternal life is pointed out. To search the Scriptures in order to discover and clarify that way is praiseworthy. But one may search the same Scriptures in a blameworthy fashion—when examining not the direct content of what is written, but something peripheral: why, for example, one letter stands here and another there, or what mystery will be uncovered by combining letters in this or that way. Such inquiry feeds an empty curiosity, supplying no nourishment to either faith or morality (blessed Jerome). Among the Jews there were many such inquiries, and among them many persons who prided themselves on this and tried to occupy others with it. To avoid such and similar inquiries the Apostle commands—inquiries that present more subtleties than they provide edification; hence they are called “foolish,” senseless, absurd. Ambrosiaster writes: “foolish disputes” are those, says the Apostle, “which contribute nothing to salvation and provide no experiential knowledge for the ordering of a virtuous life.” Blessed Theodoret paraphrases these words thus: “Strive to avoid useless conversations, for they bring no benefit either to those conversing or to those listening.”

“And genealogies”. This points to one of the subjects of “foolish disputes”. If this refers to pagans, they had absurd genealogies of their gods; but if to Jews, it was customary among them to flaunt their descent from great ancestors and to trace their genealogical lines. Oecumenius writes: “In speaking of genealogies, the Apostle has in mind either the Greeks, who enumerate the genealogies of their gods, saying: such a one fathered such a one; or the Jews, who, lacking in virtues, shelter themselves under the names of their ancestors and because of them entertain ‘lofty’ thoughts about themselves. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are our forebears, they say. The Apostle calls these genealogies foolish as well, since they are unprofitable. For what benefit is it to a sinner to have Abraham as a forefather? It is rather a condemnation, that being descended from such persons they proved worthless.” Holy Chrysostom says that the Apostle has in view only the Jews: “The Apostle alludes here to the Jews, who, boasting of their forefather Abraham, neglected their own souls. Therefore he calls such genealogies unprofitable and futile. It is indeed foolish to place hope in things that are useless.”

“Strife and contentions about the Law”. There, pointless inquiries that were merely empty were indicated; here, we have not merely empty but also contentious ones—quarrelsome disputes resembling warfare, driven by ardent zeal to maintain one’s position. The subject of the disputes is the Law. The moral Law was readily accepted by the Gentiles as well; to Christians there passed also all the Old Testament writings together with the history of God’s people. And here too there was nothing to dispute about. The disputes were about the ceremonial side of the Law and even more about the many additions to it imposed on the Jews by their later teachers, with a view to the more precise fulfillment of one or another legal prescription. Christians did not disparage what was prescribed in the Law, but regarded it as no longer necessary under the new grace, and therefore declined to observe it. The Jews, however, defending their own customs, entered into heated disputes. Hence came strife and contentions—and no benefit whatever. The Apostle therefore commands one to avoid all this. Περιιστασο — stand clear, pay no attention to it. You have important matters to attend to; do not occupy yourself with these trifles, and teach all those in your care to let all such things pass by unheeded.

“They are unprofitable and vain.” “For one must never abandon necessary tasks and spend time on empty talk and fruitless disputes. What profit is there in wrangling where there is no hope that anyone will be won to Christ?” (blessed Theophylact). The Apostle proceeds from the conviction that, since the mysteries of the faith and the rules of Christian life are unquestionably true and immutable, everything else is falsehood and trifle, with which believers ought not to occupy themselves. What does not build up faith and good morals is useless, and from it one must keep away. Blessed Theophylact asks: “but how is it that above he commanded the silencing of those who oppose?” — and answers: “that is when it is evident that they are causing harm to others; but as for speaking to such people in hope of benefiting them—do not attempt it: you will accomplish nothing, for they are incorrigible.”

Perhaps the Apostle’s words are fittingly divided as follows: “contentions and genealogies” refer to pagan speculations about their gods, while “rivalries and quarrels” refer to Jewish disputes about the merit of their law. The believing Cretans came from both pagans and Jews. Both groups, one may suppose, had not yet entirely abandoned their former views and habits. This is why they raised one question or another—inquired, started conversations, disputed—and for the most part not seeking any benefit, but merely to indulge in empty talk. Not infrequently, one may suppose, unbelievers joined in as well, both Jews and pagans. Loud conversations and wranglings ensued, with no practical result whatsoever. This is what the Apostle commanded to be cut short. Teach, he says, what builds up in faith and establishes a godly life; and keep away from idle talk yourself, and bind the believers to do the same.

Tit. 3:10. A heretical man after the first and second admonition reject.

This is an altogether different matter. The preceding passage spoke of those who engage in empty inquiries and useless disputes; here we encounter a dangerous person—a heretic—who holds forth not about something empty and unprofitable, but reasons in a manner contrary to the commonly held teaching and may cause a split in the community of believers by drawing others after himself. Such a person cannot be left without attention; but, first of all, in the hope that “perhaps God will grant him repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25), one must hasten to approach him with instruction, and if the first attempt proves fruitless, to repeat it; and only then, secondly, to reject him. Only two attempts at instruction are prescribed, so that persistent pressure does not deepen the stubbornness of the one who holds contrary opinions, and also so as not to give him opportunity to practice evasions in defending his falsehood. Ambrosiaster writes: “Heretics customarily, relying on the words of Scripture, teach contrary to Scripture. Assigning their own meaning to the words of Scripture, they shore up their perverse opinions with the authority of Scripture as something commendable. For impiety, knowing how great a weight the authority of Scripture carries, forges its lies under Scripture’s name—so that, since a wicked thing cannot be accepted in its own name, it might appear acceptable under another’s good name. — Such people the Apostle commands to be admonished once and twice, so that they may be left without excuse; but no more. For if they are rebuked more often, they will become still more inflamed toward evil. One who frequently reproves someone makes that person more zealous for the destruction of greater numbers. Therefore it is better to send them away, so that, their zeal for leading others astray having weakened, they at least perish alone.”

“Reject”—say decisively: you are not ours, go away from us; as a good shepherd, drive these wolves from your flock. This is equivalent to excommunication from the Church. But then one must understand the heretic to be someone belonging to the local community of believers. He may however be a stranger, come from elsewhere; in that case “reject”—will mean: do not engage with him, admonish him once and twice and drop the matter, turn away from him, let him go his own way. Blessed Theodoret writes: “When you have twice or three times given proper instruction to those who set out to teach contrary things, and then see that they remain in their wicked dogmas, no longer enter into conversation with them, for that is unprofitable labor.” The holy Chrysostom says the same: “When someone has become so corrupt that he in no way resolves to change his opinion, why should you labor in vain, sowing seed on stone, when you can employ this diligent effort among your own people, conversing with them about mercy and other virtues? For people who give hope of correction yet only show resistance, one may take greater care; but when someone holds his heresy openly and plainly before all, why wrangle with him in vain, why beat the air?”

Tit. 3:11. Knowing that such a man is perverted, sins, and is self-condemned.

The reason why, after a twofold admonition of a heretic, one must no longer occupy oneself with him is that: “he is perverted and sins. — Is perverted,” εξεστραπται,—he has been utterly perverted; he has taken on a distorted mind, with which nothing can be done, for he has lost the ability to see the truth, having been filled with prejudices opposed to it. The false premises he has adopted darken his eyes, and in the middle of the day he does not see the light surrounding him and enlightening all others.

“Sins,” αμαρτανει,—is customarily used of moral sins, or of violations of the commandments. But here the reference is to false teaching, in relation to which sin can be considered disobedience to the plain indications of the word of God, or opposition to God’s clearly expressed will—stubborn persistence in falsehood to satisfy one’s personal prejudices, in spite of its contradiction of God’s plain truth. “Sins”—will mean: stubbornly remains in his error, in spite of all admonitions.

“And is self-condemned.” How is he self-condemned when he does not acknowledge his error? Perhaps this means the same as: he is himself to blame; he was spoken to, admonished—he would not listen—and now let him reap the fruits of his stubbornness—who is to blame? The fruit of stubbornness in heresy is the loss of the Kingdom of God. Elsewhere the Apostle, having enumerated the works of the flesh, among which heresies are placed, concluded: “those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). A heretic who stubbornly stands in heresy has, from this moment, already condemned himself to this forfeiture of the Kingdom—condemns without condemning, by the very act of stubborn persistence in heresy despite the exposure of the falsehood he has embraced. Here and now he does not see or hear such a verdict upon himself. But one may, at the Apostle’s word, transfer one’s thought to the Last Judgment, where the heretic will see his own error and will condemn himself, seeing what he would not see, having nothing to say in his own defense. In that case “self-condemned”—will mean the same as “without excuse,” having nothing to say in his own defense (Oecumenius).

In Greek it reads: “sins, being self-condemned,” ων αυτοκατακριτος. This suggests the thought that his conscience condemns him (Oecumenius) for his disagreement with manifest truth, yet he does not listen to his conscience, being ashamed to lose face by yielding. He sacrifices to his self-love a truth he clearly perceives, and sins, acting against his conscience. Not all heretics are like this; but among those who resist the truth there is no small number of such, to whom such a verdict applies.