Titus 3:1-11   Godly Living

3 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, ² to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. ³ For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, ⁵ 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, ⁶ whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy statement; 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. ⁹ But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰ Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, ¹¹ knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

Paul is writing again to one of his proteges, instructing and encouraging him in the call to teach God's people. The passage begins with an instruction that they should be obedient to authority. The early church existed under an oppressive government, yet both Paul and Jesus submitted to the rule of the Roman authority. We need to be very careful when we consider rebelling against the authority of the government. Romans 13:1 says -

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Our rising up against or rebelling from the government authority then is not about our rights, but about the things which violate God's principles. That doesn't mean we sit back and allow our rights and freedoms to be taken from us, but we acknowledge that God's authority is the ultimate authority. His ways are higher than our ways. If we will submit to God we will find that most often we will submit to authority as well.

In verse 2 and 3, Paul gives instruction regarding how believers should view and interact with others, particularly here with non-believers. We should remember and recognize that we too "were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another." There but for the grace of God go I. We are saved "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," The good that we do is a response to the grace of God. We love because He first loved us.

Paul closes this passage in verses 9-11 by contrasting the good deeds which are "good and profitable", with this warning or instruction:

  ⁹ But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰ Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, ¹¹ knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

This is more about how we relate to others within the church as opposed to those outside the church. Foolish controversies within the church are often centered around tradition and preference, allowing our personal opinion and desire to cause division within the church. These controversies are often centered around music style, or order of service , but can be so "foolish" as being offended over furnishings or decorations in the church. Jesus is far less concerned about the color of the curtains or carpet than we are. He also cares less about our music style. Here's what Jesus says about our worship in John 4:

²³ But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worship in spirit and truth. The rest is foolish controversy. Paul goes on to talk about genealogies, strife and disputes about the law, which he says are worthless and unprofitable. The genealogies would be people valuing and seeking recognition or position based on family heritage. We all are born again in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

We need to understand that the old that has passed away is everything the good and the bad. Our own righteousness is not enough, certainly our old heritage is not enough. We have a new heritage in Christ. That is the only genealogy that has any value in our new life in Him. 

Finally Paul addresses strife and disputes about the law. This happens when we focus more on the traditions and doctrines of men than on the commands of God. Jesus held the law in high regard saying in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." Yet He spoke often about the religeous leaders focus on man made regulations and tradition. Jesus said this about the law and the commandments in Matthew 22:37-40 -

 “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

If we will value these 2 commandments above all of our tradition and doctrine we will find that the rest will find it's place fairly easily. Until we have fulfilled these 2 commandments everything else is foolish, unprofitable and worthless.