For there are many rebellious people …
Summary: Understanding what Paul means by “rebellious people is difficult. It is probable that his only concern is protecting the purity of the Gospel.
Do you know what an enigma is? An enigma is a mystery, in particular a mysterious person. Since we are separated from Paul by an ocean of years, we can not know him directly in this life. We can’t ask him questions, see him with our eyes, or listen to him expound on the Gospel. All we can know are the words he left for us to read.
Who are the “rebellious people” that Paul is thinking of? In a couple of verses, he will be talking about the Cretans. But before he gets there, he mentions the circumcision group. It seems likely, and I am only sharing my musings on this, that Paul is reflecting on all the trouble makers he has come across during his ministry. But is he thinking about those who attacked him personally or those who rebel against God? Paul has a great deal of experience with both kinds. I suspect that there is a lot of overlap between these two groups. Who would attack Paul if they were not also rebelling against God?
Sadly, the history of the world is a history of people rebelling against God. From Adam and Eve down to the people who crucified Jesus. From there, it only seemed to get worse.
So what are we to take from this passage? Paul says there are many rebellious people. Have they all gone away? No, they are still here. At one level, we all qualify as “rebellious.” Jesus set the bar for rebellion low when he compared being angry with a brother or sister to being a murderer. (Matthew 5: 21-22) But I think Paul is thinking about a different kind of rebelliousness.
Paul received a very specific gospel directly from Jesus. He describes this in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 1: 11-12). In that same letter he describes how his gospel was validated by the other apostles. He also describes “false believers.”
For some reason, even today, some people argue that Paul’s gospel is no gospel at all. They ignore the fact that Paul’s gospel is validated by the Christian leadership in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:6-7). Peter himself was taken to task by Paul. He was swayed by those who would not accept the gospel as revealed to Paul and confirmed by the Apostles (Galatians 2: 11-21). Later, Peter himself affirmed the correctness of Paul’s gospel (2 Peter 3:15-16).
What is so threatening about Paul’s gospel? Paul preaches Jesus Christ. Nothing else added. There is no room for people to add laws or rules or conditions. Jesus and only Jesus is what is needed for salvation from our sins and for eternal life with God. The rebellious people don’t like that. How can they tell you what to do if Jesus hogs all the authority?
Application: Take the warning of Revelation 22:18-20 to heart and don’t add anything to the Gospel.
Food for Thought: How did Paul recognize “rebellious people?”
In Titus, it goes on to talk about how entire families are disrupted by those who seek dishonest gain. They are intentional in their actions, and their actions do not honor God.
Rob,
Thank you! Those who rebel do the opposite of honoring God. You bring to mind Matthew 15:8 where Jesus says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.“
Paul happened to be one rebellious person before his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus,..he already knew what it was to be rebellious,..so it shouldn’t have been to hard for him to pick out the rebellious ones,..same should go for us,..we know what it was to be rebellious of Gods word,..not unless it was all clear when we first heard the message of Jesus and the salvation He offers,…I am 57 years young and still have a bunch to learn yet,..I believe I am still rebellious on some matters and even some passages in His word,..I am human,..that’s to be expected,..but as the days go by the transformation becomes the foundation with His word for this life I live in Him now,..
Still not perfect,..there are days of rebellion,..but God has a way of working things out for His good and glory through my days of rebellion,..I may not have been knocked of a horse by a blinding Light, but I have been knocked down a peg or two on this road of life.
So I believe anyone opposing the word and work of Christ is an opposing rebellious force and needs to get knocked down a peg or two,..and love has a way of knocking people off of their high horse,..
John,
I really appreciate your turn of phrase: “Love has a way of knocking people off of their high horse…”
It does indeed.
Thank you Rob and John. Great points. Another excellent devotion Jeff. I think you said it well when you said that the history of the world is a history of people rebelling against God. Sadly, that is my story before Christ. Pathetically, sometimes I still rebel. Adam and Eve rebelled when they believed Satan’s truth claim instead of God’s. Every time we believe a truth claim that is contradictory to God’s we rebel. Every time we want to be on the throne of our lives instead of submitting to God’s Kingship or Lordship we rebel. Thankfully, the cross allows us to come home.
Thanks, Brother!
Your comment raises an important point. You are echoing what Paul wrote in Romans 7 — we are bound to a “body of death.” Our flesh is in constant rebellion. Yet our mind knows we need Christ. That helps refine Paul’s instruction to Titus and clarifies our understanding of “rebel.” The rebellion of the mind against God is another layer.
How did Paul recognize “rebellious people?”
Titus 1:10 Rebellious people will “promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan”. They seek to Divide, Divert, and Destroy the sound teachings of scripture.
Speculations are empty, divisive arguments. In verse 9 writes, to avoid “foolish debates that are unprofitable and worthless”, in verse 10 he explains the divisive nature of these debates. Rebellious people engage in empty arguments, which divide churches. They seem to enjoy stirring up conflict for conflict’s sake, and can be found in most churches. Or they might be in ones family.
Empty arguments will divert from reality. They do nothing to advance the work of the gospel but in truth divert attention away from the gospel. When churches and Sunday School classes spend their time debating and arguing over secondary and irrelevant matters, they neglect what matters most. Faith suffers and the witness, work of the church suffers.
Empty arguments are destructive arguments. Paul instructs Titus to silence the “rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception” because they were RUINING ENTIRE HOUSEHOLDS. Fighting about words was “useless” and led to “the ruin of those who listen”. Paul warns that those who engage in empty speech will “produce even more godlessness, and their teaching will spread like gangrene”. ANY DEPARTURE FROM SOUND, BIBLICAL TEACHING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LEAD TO SPIRITUAL RUIN.
We are called to avoid foolish debates, controversies, meaningless trivial matters, contrary to sound doctrine. They divide, divert, and destroy. Instead, immerse yourself and engage in “sound teaching that conforms to the gospel” .
Titus 1:10-11, 2 Timothy 2:14; 2:16-17; 1:13; 4:3; Titus 2:1
There are always occasions calling for healthy debate and we should not shy away from debate when the sound teaching of the gospel is at stake. We do this by allowing Bible to interpret and clarify the Bible. We do not argue, but add to our collective understanding as brothers and sisters in the Lord. The gospel of Jesus Christ unites believers; it does not divide us.
Ron,
You bring to mind John 17: 22-23 where Jesus prays to our Father:
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.“
Excellant point Jeff,
The Church, Body of Christ on earth grows in unity as we share Gods revelations to us and glorify Him to the world around us.
Blessings,
Ron