In Titus 3 the exhortation is pursued, as to what was more outside. “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.” There are two reasons given to confirm the saints in this. The first is that we ourselves were once so evil; the second is that God has been so good to us. “For we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” What could be worse? “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done”—we have done the very reverse—“but according to His mercy He saved us”—and how?—“by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
It is not to be thought that these two things are exactly the same. The washing of regeneration looks at our old condition, outside of which it places us; the renewing of the Holy Spirit looks more at that inward work which is made ours by the Spirit of God. The former appears to be set forth in baptism; the latter refers rather to our connection with the new creation. According to the language of the day, the one is a change of position or objective, the other is subjective and inward. This seems the difference between the two. And this is carried on in the next verse more fully. Speaking of the renewing of the Holy Spirit, it is added, “Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” It is not merely that God continues the work He has always wrought in souls. There never was a time, since sin came into the world and grace followed, when souls were not born again. It must be so, unless all were left to perish. None could enter the kingdom of God unless they had a nature capable of understanding and enjoying the true God. This, of course, the Christian has; but then the Christian should not only know that he has this new nature, but that he has it after the richest sort and fullest measure—“which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Here we learn the blessed truth of Christianity. There is no disparagement done to what was of old among the saints; but, on the other hand, there is no hiding the transcendent blessedness of the Christian. Of no Old Testament saint could it be said that it was shed abundantly. This was suitable and only imparted when our Lord Jesus accomplished redemption. God would put honor on Christ and His cross in every way; so that, as the fruits of His infinite work, the richest blessing is lavished on the Christian now. This is what is referred to here—“which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Thus he binds together the doctrine which met us in the preface of the epistle with the rest; but that which comes before us at the close as at the first—eternal life, has justly an immense place here.
Then in the closing verses he gives some needed practical exhortations. “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” It is a beautiful trait to find the Apostle, near the end of his course, so exceedingly simple. Not that the depths of truth were not prized by him or not intimated. But plain everyday need goes along with the deepest truth (and there is no deeper or more blessed way of looking at the saint than as having life in Christ which was before the world began). While the unearthly place of the saint is affirmed, there is the greatest care to maintain these small matters so often overlooked and neglected. Is not all this worthy of God? It tells its own tale to every heart that can appreciate what the blessedness of the truth is. How needful for us to be reminded of that which such high truth might seem to leave out of sight! But it is not so with the Spirit of God.
Nor does he speak only of those within. “Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject.” By “heretic” is not meant necessarily one who holds false doctrines. Such is the sense that is in modern usage put upon the Word. In Scripture a “heretic” might be sound enough in doctrine. The evil is making his own particular views the occasion and badge of a party. Supposing, for instance, a person were to press his private opinions of the law of Moses, or the second coming of Christ, and make either these or anything else an indispensable condition for reception as a Christian, or of Christian fellowship, such a course would stamp him as a heretic. Nor am I now raising a question of his thoughts (right or wrong) either about the law or the Second Advent: the use made is the evil here. At the same time one finds commonly that where men despise practical grace and godliness, their doctrine sooner or later is apt to turn out unsound. Fundamental error as to Christ is called in Scripture antichrist. A man that overthrows His personal glory is not merely a heretic (in the Biblical meaning) but an antichrist; and this must be dealt with in the most stringent and peremptory manner if we pretend to obey God’s Word. Nothing less is due to Christ. 2 John goes far beyond 2 Thessalonians 3 or even 1 Corinthians 5. It is not merely a question of our own soul, though it is certainly perilous for any to treat it lightly, but there is a holy duty to Christ; and it is our bounden obligation to the slighted Son of God that we never make terms of compromise or neutrality with His dishonor. The only scriptural procedure is to deal unsparingly with such evil doctrine as is fatal to the glory of our Lord and Saviour. Need I say that He ought to be infinitely dear to us—dearer than friends, life, or even the church itself?
But a “heretic” here is quite another thing. It supposes the making of a party. Disputes within lead to heresies without (Gal. 5). When a man has turned his back on the assembly, when he leaves the table of the Lord, and this because of his own views, drawing others after him, you have not a schismatic only but the “heretic” of these passages. Consequently there is no question of removing such an one from the midst of the saints; he is away; he has gone himself, and would form a party outside. I fear that the present distractions of Christendom blind many to this sin. How often we hear believers indulging in words of this sort as to such: “Ah yes; but still he is a dear brother, and we ought to go after him and try to win him back.” What does the Apostle say of a man who is a heretic, even to such a confidential laborer as Titus? “After one first and a second admonition shun.” Have nothing more to do with him. And this is the more instructive because certainly Titus was no common man. He stood in a post of special authority, and was surely gifted with suitable wisdom and power for the extraordinary office that the Lord called him to; but even he was not to be tampering with this evil thing. Titus himself is forbidden to have intercourse with him after a first and second admonition. And it is found constantly in practice, as I have known cases myself over and over again, that when a Christian presumes to trust his own mind, feelings, or instinct, in the face of such a warning as this, the result is not that the party-man is won, but that he gains another adherent. There are then two “heretics,” we may say, instead of one. Our best wisdom is implicit subjection to God’s Word; whilst the man who, with the best of intentions, tries to correct according to his own mind and heart him that forms a party away from the Lord and His table, enters into temptation, and gets drawn into that evil or some other erratic course himself. There is neither fidelity nor even security except in rejecting such ways and persons, and the Word of God is the only just and divine measure of rejecting. We must always stand on the authority, and seek simply the just application of the Word of God. The one question for us is, “What is the case to which the Scripture applies?” The moment you have ascertained that this or that is what the Scripture means, then simply obey, trusting the Lord, no matter what may be the reproach. People may denounce or detract: if we cleave to the Lord and His Word, it matters not. The reproaches of men are no more than the dust of the balance. The one thing is to do the will of God. He that does His will abides forever.
The reason assigned here confirms what has been said, and makes all very plain. “A man that is a heretic after a first and second admonition shun; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” The whole root of it is self. He first takes up his own opinion and, contrary to the Word of God, presses it on others. Not that it must be heterodox in itself; the opinion may be sound enough, but the use made is sectarian. He that prefers his own opinions and line to the church is self-condemned. Sometimes indeed the opinions may be quite erroneous; but this matters little. The question is not whether one’s view is erroneous or not: to go out because of it is purely selfish, and contrary to Christ. The party maker is pressing his will or view for ends of his own; and he that does so sins—yea, as it is said here, is self-condemned.
The word “heresies” in 1 Corinthians 11:19 may confirm what is after all a very important point, especially at the present time, in regard to Christendom. The Apostle tells the Corinthians that there were already divisions or schisms among them, and says that “there must be also heresies” among them. There is no connection whatever necessarily between a schism and a false doctrine; but there is a most vital link between a schism within leading to a party without. The schismatics still met at the same table of the Lord. But the Apostle lets them know that if they made splits within, these are sure to work with increase of evil till the fomenters go without as a fixed party there. Divisions already existed within the Corinthian church. These if unjudged would end in open heresies or “sects” (as in the margin) outside. But the result would be in God’s hand that the approved were to be made manifest.
This is a graver matter than many might imagine. What a call to us always and resolutely to resist the first germs of evil! It matters not what the occasion may be. Take that which may pain and grieve deeply: we are entitled in the grace of the Lord to be above it; and the more right we may be, the more we can afford to be gracious. Let us leave results in the hands of the Lord.
If ever so right, still, if one fights for self, it will effectually hinder the vindication which the Lord can give in His own due time. From the very fact of your fighting people will never give you credit for singleness of eye. It always stirs up opposition in others. No sooner do you leave it in the hands of the Lord than He appears, and will make it perfectly manifest who is on His side and who is against Him.
There is another thing, too, that must claim our notice for a moment. The Apostle speaks about sending a faithful laborer to Titus. “When I shall have sent Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for there I have determined to winter.” Of course, such directions were in accordance with the action of the Holy Spirit. It is a great mistake to suppose that there may not be such a thing as arrangement in ministry. Need I say that what was wrong in itself would not be consecrated by an apostle’s doing it? An apostle inspired by the Holy Spirit would never in writing call for a thing that was contrary to the mind of the Lord. Now Paul does speak of sending to Crete one or other of his fellow-laborers in whom he had confidence; and it was quite right. It is a matter that requires wisdom from above, because one might send a wrong person. But the principle is caring for the work of the Lord, and not leaving things as if it were contrary to truth and the Lord to have an interest even where you cannot be. The notion that such things must be untouched through fear of trenching on the Lord is a fallacy; it is contrary to this Word of God and others also. Scripture authorizes care in this kind of way. If I could be a means of sending or inclining the heart of a servant of the Lord to a place where he was calling another servant from it, it would be my duty to do it. Not that this should be meddled with unless the Lord give assurance of His own mind in the matter; but it is not a thing to be left, as if it were contrary to faith to desire such a thing. The Apostle here proves to my mind the clean contrary.
On the other hand, it is not everybody that possesses a competent judgment about such a matter; and there, too, is need of the Lord’s own power. The Word and the Spirit of God are amply sufficient, although we have neither apostles nor the charges that depended on them. Now, what He tells the Apostle here is (and, I have no doubt, was meant in the long run) for the instruction of the saints of God. “When I shall send Artemas or Tychicus, bring Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.” He adds a few words of great practical moment: “Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” It was not merely a question of man supplying his own wants; we ought to have a heart for others. It is a great joy that God uses one for the good of another; and as He does so spiritually, He would have the saints also consider the value of an honest occupation; not merely to provide for necessary uses, but also not to be unfruitful. What a joy is the joy of grace, the joy of believers over circumstances, the joy that makes us feel we are identified, in our measure, with the great and blessed work of God here below!