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The Conduct of Titus toward False Teachers and Heretics.
v. 9. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the Law; for they are unprofitable and vain
v. 10. A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition reject,
v. 11. knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
Firm adherence to the full evangelical truth in both doctrine and admonition had been urged by the apostle in the last paragraph. He now warns Titus against the activity of the Judaizing teachers who were evidently present in the congregations also: But foolish quarrels and genealogies and controversy and contentions concerning the Law avoid, for they are useless and vain. It was the peculiarity of the teachers with Judaizing tendencies that they preferred to be engaged with such questions as were without organic connection with the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. They were working along the lines of men as we also know them, men that have a mania for discussing such questions as may be brought into connection with Scriptural doctrine, but are not revealed by God. Of course, the broaching of such questions was bound to result in quarrels, which mere usually carried on with the same degree of bitterness as also of foolishness. This is true especially of the endless genealogies of the Jews, in which they endeavor to supplement revelation with tradition and conjecture, and of other controversies and contentions connected with the individual teacher's understanding of the Ceremonial Law. The number of sayings, expositions, additions which the Jewish lawyers made in the course of time was faithfully noted down by their pupils, and though all this is contradictory in countless instances, yet all of it has found defenders to this day. And there are hosts of teachers in the midst of the so-called Christian Church that have found stacks of similar vein and useless matters to engage their attention, instead of teaching the one thing needful. Paul has only one word as to the treatment of such people, namely, to avoid them. The uselessness and vanity of the matters argued by men of that type is such that employing oneself with questions of a similar nature will be a mere killing of time. They may profess to adhere to the fundamental truths of Scripture, but the methods employed by them are sure to result in the neglect and, finally, in the misrepresentation of the doctrine of faith. The best advice to this day is to let them severely alone.
The situation becomes graver, however, if dissension and offense have been brought about in the congregation: A heretical person avoid after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a one is corrupt and sins, being self-condemned. Men there were, even in those days, that were not satisfied with discussing every manner of question only remotely connected with Christianity, but went beyond that point in trying to form factions by propagating errors which conflicted with the orthodoxy of sound apostolic doctrine. If there is such a person in a Christian congregation that holds and defends false doctrines, such as are contrary to the Christian religion, he must be made an object of admonition. If the first attempt to convince such a person results in failure, the effort should be repeated. The power of the Word of God is so great that it may well be possible to gain such a person for the truth again. But if all attempts to win such a person fail, then the glory of God and of the Church finally demand that the members of the congregation declare that the heretic no longer belongs to their communion. Formal excommunication in a case of this kind is not resorted to, since such a person has already publicly withdrawn from the fellowship of orthodox believers. This form of procedure should be followed, since it is certain that such heretics are perverted, corrupted, subverted in their own mind. Incidentally, their conscience tells them that they are sinning, are doing wrong. Yet they continue in their anti-Biblical attitude, being self-condemned, their own conscience accusing them and pronouncing judgment upon them. If a congregation openly resolves upon a verdict of condemnation in the case of such a heretic, then there may be some hope of the shock's bringing him back to his right senses and thus of saving his soul.