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CHAPTER  6

 

THE DRAMATIC COVERAGE

 

TITUS

 

It is often convenient, but not so often allowable, to put a matter in pith, with becoming brevity, openness of face and clarity of vision. That is not least because not everything is correct, is right, is apt in the first place as to both formation, formulation and information. Man may have invented something fundamentally seedy, showy, and not conformable truth; or he may be lying, or rationalising, confused or confusing, on purpose or by default.

When it comes to the good news of God however, having none of these defects or any other, being becomingly modest in assignment (a donkey for Christ was not a charger, in His entry to the Capital of Israel, by divine appointment, namely Jerusalem (Psalm 132), there is available a sense of sweeping brevity, like that of a sudden Autumn wind, which sweeping away the laves, brings a refreshing impact to the cheeks, and to the brow.

It is so when one reads Titus. The matter is marshalled, and it is marshallable, since it is the impact of the very thoughts of God. It is comprehensible, since He is teaching others concerning His thoughts, which though above ours as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55), are not for that reason incommunicable. People sometimes confuse these two properties, to the detriment of understanding of and obedience to the word of God. The source (as in a great teacher) may be as the clouds above the mountains; but the shining, as that of the sun through them, can be as clear and as charming as one could wish. There is more; but it is not contrary to the massive principles given (I Corinthians 13); there are all the massifs of infinity, in the grand scope of the mind of God: but there is no denial of the foundation (I Corinthians 3:10-11, 2:9-13), even the deep things being revealed.

 

I   THE SOURCE, THE TASK AND THE TALK

Titus 1:1-16

Paul introduces himself as a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, an authorised and sent one, from the midst of His people. He is presenting the truth, which in turn is something which accords with godliness. Since ONLY GOD CAN know the truth, being beyond all limits of construction and misconstruction, and function, these requiring an anterior limiting agent, then the truth is sure to be in accord with what is godly. Nothing could distort it, since it does not exist which has that power. Much MAY, as we see in Titus 3:9 and 10-11, seek to contradict, but this is like static, dusk on the window, a challenge but not relevant to the light, except in this one thing, it must not be permitted to stay. Many are those who HAVE permitted the contradictory dust, inimical to the light, to stay in the fellowship, as notoriously in the case of the Auburn Affirmationists in the history of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.

These claimed that although they believed personally in the stringent and basic doctrines on which the Assembly insisted, yet there were those of their brethren, not yet too well founded, but fine fellows - in essence - who could not well be submerged in such cavalier style. Gaining leniency, they led on to the removal of the orthodox from the Church by various growths and take-overs, so that now you have a Church which, to say no more, in the 1967 formulation of doctrine, makes basics figures, and figures out new foundations, as near to rock as the sea, and as movable. In fact, in terms of the same spirit of movement from foundations, even Princeton Seminary in the time of the Machen affair, made the BIBLE NO MORE the sole doctrinal foundation.

Accordingly, Titus 3:11 gives a very different course of action to that followed by that USA Church in this, that it declares -

"Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."

This accords with Romans 16:17, as with II Chronicles 19, and emphatically and dramatically with deft dynamic, as in Numbers 16:21,as with the flaming approach of Jude who mentions this case,  and the incisive word of II John on separation  from what slights and does not sight the word of God as it is, but makes it a basis for division FROM it, as if it were not a road but a fork. Indeed, as we see in  Jesus Christ, Defaced ... Ch. 3, this is one of the fundamentals of the faith so to act in clarity and incisiveness, charity not by any means obscuring the works of purity, but rather anointing them, for lambs are not fit for lupine teeth (cf. Acts 20:28-29). Indeed, the lamp of faith is not suitable for the soot of sin; and sin is not least, any departure from the word of God, made even worse when wilful. If a car needs care concerning its manual,  much more does that remarkable flight of spirit into flesh which is man! before God Almighty.

This however represents a biblical considerations of some of the portent of Paul in his introduction, as  applied in Titus 3:10-11.

We proceed with The Task and the Talk  Titus 1:10-16.

With so precious a faith from the prodigious grace of God committed to him, even that of eternal life, which God who cannot lie, promised "since time began"*1, and now makes available through this same Gospel, Paul advises Titus that he left him in Crete to set in order things lacking. When a thing is precious, so far from some sort of poetic licence making this a matter of thrust without care, it makes the thrust to be care's colleague!

What makes a supervisor (not some advanced ecclesiastical cleric, just a supervisor, as in I Peter 5 or Acts 20, an elder gifted for the tasks shown to Titus in 1:6-9) is shown in these verses, and not least is this, that he be gifted in

"holding the faithful word as he has been taught, so that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."

He must be neither quick-tempered nor self-willed (1:7); though this of course does not disqualify someone as passionate for the faith as was Jude! or for its defence as was both he and Paul (cf. Philippians 1:7, II Corinthians 10:5, Galatians 2:5). 

Paul then is  moved to visit Crete in spirit, as he exhorts Titus on the spot. Lazy and insubordinate, lazy talkers are many in Crete to the point that this appears as a characterisation of what may be found, festering in pathological trend. As in II Peter 2, in its forecast, even here in Paul's day are some who try to 'horn in' on the Gospel, and seeking gain, make use of it for themselves. A fascinating statistic, not as yet available, is this: what percentage NOW in our day are in part at least, so motivated ?

A SHARP rebuke is therefore necessary, says the apostle, "that they may be found in the faith." Indeed, Jewish fables are used as additives, and while some may gain something from many things, for to the pure all things are pure, they do not subject themselves to error but can discern what is good, these are in perishing danger since "even their mind and conscience are defiled."

Profess ? that is one old meaning, of a 'professor', yes, they do this, but "in works they deny Him."

In terms of care and order, we come now, however, to the constructive summary.

 

II  PURE PATTERNS OF PERFORMANCE 2:1-10

        

From older men, to older women, from young men to bondservants, we see patterns of conduct, things conducive to growth and soundness. To be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love and patience is a moving reminder to the older men,  to avoid gossip or at least slander,  becoming wine-sippers, teachers of good things, showing the way to the younger women, that they love both husbands and children, to be discrete, chaste, obedient, while the young men to be a pattern of good works for their energy, with integrity concerning the teaching of the faith, being exports in their ways of both integrity and incorruptibility.

They should seek to have sound speech that CANNOT be condemned
         pleasing to all (in mode, as far as in you lies)
         good fidelity,   being reverent in behaviour and in such ways
         adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour.

 

 

III   FAITH'S GROUND  2:11-15   and

      CONTRASTS THAT CHALLENGE   3:3-4
 

THE GROUND: Grace of God bringing salvation has appeared to all,
leading to denial of lusts, affirmation of sobriety, godliness
based on that Blessed Hope, our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This ground is enshrined in Him who gave Himself for us to redeem from those works to His.

It is notable that there is repeated emphasis, as in Colossians 1:19ff., I Timothy 4:10, Romans 5:18, that it is in principle and basic thrust to all men that this salvation sails forth in its sincerity, integrity, yes and desire! Thus in Romans 5, just as one  man's offence brought condemnation to all, so the righteousness of One is to all men, resulting in justification of life. Of course, only by faith is this actually obtained; but this is not our present point. It is thrust through to them with a racial realism, to one and to all, with the energy of love and the intensity of focus. Such is the love of God.

Thus we find in Titus 2:11 that " the grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to all men," while in 3:4, that "when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared", it was a matter of our works but His ... that occupied the eye and met the need. Just as it is in John 3:15ff., so here: the love is toward an item known as before God as the world, not nice in itself, but extensive in scope, not a delimitation, except to the planet, but an unlimited thrust, to be channeled, it is true, through a designated door of opportunity which is stipulated most clearly in Titus 3:5-6.

Indeed, the lavish scope of God and His purity which channels grace leads to contrasts with those who are the targets, to the human race in its extraordinary and reckless ways. On His part and on that of man, we thus see extremes which are often latent, rather than patent, but reveal themselves in unexpected  ways, lurking about the heart of man, if not dominating, dragooning, either one by the other, or within the heart itself.  In each case, below, it is His grace in contrast with man's lack.

THE CONTRASTS, HIS PROVISIONS AND OUR POLLUTIONS:

             1) Kindness to disobedience
             2)  Love to lust (Ch. 3) and in Ch. 2:14,
             3)  Redemption for lawlessness
              4) Giving,  for malice and envy.

 

 

IV  INCOME AND OUTGO  2-3

As the purpose in this Chapter is not least to see the simplicity of structure, note format is now used. Yet it is one stressing the output and the income in keeping with the emphasis on grace, love and discipline to be found in the Epistle to Titus.

FROM HIM: 

1) Output             Himself    (2:11, 3:4) 

Income    Redemption, washing, renewal (3:5)


2) Outflow of Spirit  (3:6)
                            on the prepared path (Acts 5:32),
                            like dawning light on the meadows                                                     
 

Income    Heirs to Eternal Life (3:7)

 

 3) Outthrust  Justification             

Income   Saved Status
                  
by grace, not of our works, but of His exclusively

4) Outcome      
 Washing of regeneration
    (3:5)        

             Output     Avoidance of useless minutiae concerning the law,
                               
showing little respect  for virtual irrelevancies,
                         
      Care for good works (3:8),
                                 spiritual 'property'   maintenance,    with zeal

                                Meeting urgent needs of the flock (3:14)

                                Rejection of the divisive (3:10).

 

 

NOTE

 

*1

As noted in Sums, Summits and in Sum,   Ch. 5, concerning the first revelation to man of the scope of the Gospel, called the protevangelium:

The love of God then is the first reason why missionaries should go. The illimitable love of God (not lust, not indulgence, but aglow with pity and profound in compassion) moves all obstacles; He paid the price of sin to the extremity, not only in personal involvement (Hosea 13:14), but in flesh as man for man (Hebrews 2). From the divine heart and source there flows such a protevangelium as in Genesis 3:15, such a profundity in the Psalms (as in Psalm 2, 16, 22, 23, 40, 41, 55, 69, 72, 110 for example) and in the prophets (as in Isaiah 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 22, 32, 40-55, 59-61 in parallel, or Micah 5-7, Zechariah 4, 6, 9, 12-13), presenting the Saviour to come, already embraced in the love of God eternally, His Word which was to become and did become flesh, that it spurts like a race-horse through the pastures, a planet through space, a vast rain covering a whole valley as by a hand.

Tender Times for Timely Truth Ch. 8 explains further the force of the protevangelium, so early announcing the way out and on, for man now self-baffled by implicit belligerence, in disregarding the divine injunction, and allowing something other than God to take the lead, through temptation.

In the beginning, as to Satan, his ‘head’ was to be crushed by the foot of the seed (progeny, descendant) of woman. This was what is called the protevangelium, or prototype or commencement or initial indication of the form and force of the gospel. It was by this means this that the redemption which one, though born  of woman, would carry out by virtue of a total power over sin,  which failure had deprived man of having, but did not exclude God from deploying.

This protevangelion is found in Genesis 3:15, interestingly near to the exact arithmetic parallel of John 3:16, which went one further, attesting not merely that HE would come, but that NOW He HAD come! Only God could quash the crushing indictments of Satan, since sin is a fact in mankind, and only the sinless which was NOT mere mankind, could thus attack it, remove it, without being subject to it (as in Psalm 49:7,15, Hosea 13:14). God as man was the answer as abundantly attested throughout such prophecies as in Ezekiel 34, Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 40, Psalm 45 and so on (cf. Barbs, Arrows and Balms 17, concerning the Eternal Gospel in history - Revelation 14:6).


Thus ‘Jehovah’ or rather (avoiding the mixture of vowel points and consonants) the LORD came as Jesus. You see this for example, in Philippians 2, to which may be compared Isaiah 45:18-25 with Philippians 2:11-12, where the clearly enunciated divine prerogatives, exclusive to God Himself in reality and principle - Isaiah 42:8, are conferred effortlessly upon Jesus Christ. The same is found in John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14, and in John 5:19ff, where the WAY God does things is the WAY Christ does them, and equal honour is specified as the case - (cf. SMR pp. 96ff.).
 

B. EFFORTS TO SCUTTLE THE PLAN (cf. Revelation 11)

It is fascinating, as one watches the various aggregations and forces used in the way of countermanding this plan of salvation, directed towards its failure, that this gospel announced in this way from the very beginning - neither stalled nor was diverted, neither was modified nor amended, diluted nor distended. It was exact (Romans 3:25-4:25), and being true, required not truth to adjust it; being divine, allowed no error to distort, disturb or arrest it (cf. Barbs, Arrows and Balms 17, That Magnificent Rock Ch.3).

Such a plan appeared to be necessary in view of the divine hatred of sin, and permission of the world to continue to exist, in terms of consistency; for if God allowed in freedom the one phase, He was in nothing obliged to allow to the other, over any time, its results. Freedom to display one’s nature is one thing, in the creation; but continuation in such searing evil is another. Freedom to be is a divine choice; permission to abort and even caricature goodness, this is another.

Therefore the remedy would need to be in view from the first, man by no means being a permissible miscreant because of the divine oversight which He accords to His own principles and purity!  Evil to strut and structure in this world ? Why ? Only that it should be exposed, overthrown and goodness vindicated. But how ? By having things carry on in a polluted system, each as it would ? Far from it. That is no remedy, but a sunken sovereignty, captured by events. Needed was a COVER for the situation, to make it pure. Achieved by sacrifice, this makes up the gap. Applied by God, this secures the fruit. The world can continue to exist WHILE and only while remedy - being adequate to cover the failed principles, and to secure the fouled inhabitants of this earth, who need cleansing and pardon - is declared, and is applicable.

God being Himself, however, He went even further. Not only was remedy in view, it was planned; not only planned, but prophesied, written, verbalised, expressed - from the very first. It was adequate, timely and both a rebuke to evil and a cover for goodness. God would not LIVE with a world merely embracive of evil, nor suffer its filth to have favour.

The promise of eternal life which is announced in Titus 1, before time began, therefore is carried forward early into time, after the Fall of man, with a timely announcement from the first exhibition of the need of it!