Watch Out!

Read Titus 1:1-16

6. An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7. For an elder must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
8. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.
9. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. Titus 1:6-9

Phonies are not always easy to spot. Some look so real that they could fool the most suspicious and skeptical people. Phony people may even believe their own scams.

In this reading, Paul urges Titus to warn the Christians on Crete to beware of phonies. These false teachers are not concerned with truth. As you read, think of how you can determine truth from error, what is real from what is false.

In this chapter, Paul also outlines what is required of spiritual leaders, and he reminds Titus that God always tells the truth.

Paul warned Titus about people who teach wrong doctrines (Titus 1:10-14). He told this protégé and young pastor to be harsh with these false teachers because they teach from evil motives and lead people away from Christ. Some false teachers simply have misguided opinions or a poor understanding of the Bible. Others try to deceive—they pretend to be sincere while hiding their cravings for money or influence over others. Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned against such false teachers (see Mark 13:22; Acts 20:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 3:3-7).

Many people think that false teaching about God makes little difference. But believing falsehoods about God, Christ, or salvation can be more fatal to your faith than drinking poison. False teachings about eternal life meddle with people’s eternal destiny.

Be on guard against false spiritual teachers, and be careful of any person who claims to have spiritual truth. False teachers betray their motives by pointing people away from the Bible and toward other ideas. Test all teachings by comparing them to God’s Word before letting someone teach and lead you.