Titus 1 The false prophets Part 14

Titus 1:10

"For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group."

When people think of false doctrine, quite often they think it’s an obvious and easy thing to identify, however there are times when Satan likes to work in subtle ways. In the time of this letter to Titus, Paul knew that there were many that were teaching and preaching things that were false, however, these false teachers truly believed the doctrine they were preaching was correct. This is often the case with “rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers”, so we must guard against this. This is a problem within the churches and therefore a big problem.

The Bible gives us many warnings about those who profess to know the gospel but slip in falsehoods or their own rules and practices. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus says, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” False prophets will sound good and seem legitimate, but they are simply deceiving people. If we look at our world today, we can see there are still many false prophets and preachers who would lead people astray. They claim to know God and know what He wants but they slip in falsehoods to make the gospel seem more palatable. If we look at how selfish our world is we can see many, even in the church, who will tell you to look inside yourself for strength, “you can do it”, “you have the power within you”, and you can earn salvation. While it may sound good, it is contrary to the “trustworthy word" and "sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9) that the Bible teaches us. This is why it is so important to study the word of God; in order to spot falsehoods and lies you need to know the gospel! Paul specifically mentions the “circumcision group” as they were quite a strong presence and were pushing false doctrine. The Judaizers believed that the Gentiles had to obey all the Jewish customs and laws before they could be Christians. Some believed Jesus was not God and still others believed Jesus’ work is not enough for salvation. It’s interesting that this problem was so prevalent because it had already been dealt with by the council in Jerusalem. If you turn to Acts 15, you’ll see that the Gentiles were not required to keep all the Jewish customs, and at one point in the meeting Peter even stood up to say, “No! We believe it is by the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved.” The Judaizers, while they truly thought they were right, were putting their customs and traditions above the word of God, and they didn’t recognize the authority of the Apostles. If you do not study the word of God and know it well, you may not recognize falsehood when you see it.

Satan will always try to deceive so we must eagerly study the word of God; the Holy Spirit will work it in your heart and in this way, you will have the armor of the word of God to protect you. 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” If you do not know the word of God, how can you identify and refute falsehoods? Doctrine is our source for living, meaning that the doctrine you believe will come out in your words and deeds, in every area of your life. If you do not know the “trustworthy message as it has been taught” (Titus 1:9) how can you recognize falsehood? So, study God’s word and hold all things up to the truth of the gospel. The Bible tells us that God’s word is a protection, and we ought to “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13). Pray that the Holy Spirit will work the gospel in your heart and guide and guard you from false prophets and false doctrine. Thank the Lord, for our salvation is only found in Christ Jesus!

 

1.        What does the Bible tell us about guarding ourselves from false doctrine? What does Ephesians 6 tell us about protecting ourselves?

2.        Why is it so important to study God’s Word? What is the armor of God?

3.        What do we believe concerning the gospel of salvation?

4.        Read Acts 15. Who was pushing a false doctrine? How do you think we should settle issues like this today?

5.        What are some examples of “meaningless talk and deception”? How can we refute them?

Lord God and heavenly Father, I come before you now in thankfulness not only for the salvation and grace You have given me, but also the sound doctrine that we can study and learn from. Fill my heart and mind with Your gospel truth and let the Holy Spirit work it in me so when false prophets come, I may not be led astray. Help me to seek You first in all things and forgive me where I have gone astray, Amen.