19th June 2026

19th June 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (Titus 1:10-16)


Message (Alan Burke)


Having laid out the qualifications for an elder, Paul now moves to denounce those who proclaim a message that is anything other than the truth, to protect the church from the Father of lies, to protect it from Satan’s attacks, and so that they would not be taken in by that which is fake, that which is false, that which will deceive the flock under their care. Paul warns Titus, how, v10; …there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. 


In Crete, there were those who were doing the work of Satan, rebellious, talkers, deceivers, and especially those of the circumcision group. We don’t know all the ins and outs of what was going on, but from what is said, the lack of elders and those rebellious people were causing issues, ruining households, doing what they did for dishonest gain. They rejected the truth, they are corrupted and do not believe, they claim to know God, but their actions deny him. From how Paul mentions, especially those of the circumcision group, gives us an indication that at least some of those who were like this wehirre Jewish converts (Acts 10:45; 11:2; Gal 2:7-9, 12). And Paul says that they must be silenced, they are to be rebuked sharply, even using a quote from one of their own prophets, Epimenides, in v12: “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’” 13 This testimony is true.


We may wonder if Paul is not just egging it a little bit, you know, like with a national stereotype, like British people queue, the Irish fight, Italians are passionate, Germans love rules, the French are rude and only eat frog legs and snails. Well, no, he is not. Cretans were not regarded well across the empire; we have many historical sources that make this clear. For example, from Polybius, Histories 6.47, it is “almost impossible to find … personal conduct more treacherous or public policy more unjust than in Crete” (Histories 6.47), and Plato’s Republic: “Moral principles are so divergent that the Cretans … consider highway robbery honourable” (Republic 3.9.15). 


I want you to notice what Paul did here. As he quotes from one of the Cretans’ own prophets, Paul doesn’t say what his opinion is; rather, he quotes from a six-century BC reformer from Crete. This is not Paul’s own opinion but the stereotype of the people of Crete. Nor is he saying that every single person is like this; rather, it is the general perception. Cretans had a reputation. By using this quote, he is making the point that these false teachers are showing the words of Epimenides to be true. They were false teachers using Jewish myths; they were preoccupied with ritual purity. It wasn’t the gospel, and because of it, they had rejected the truth; they were corrupt, claiming to know God by their actions but denied him and were detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good. There is an urgency to what Paul is saying; there is a seriousness that we shouldn’t dismiss; it is because when lies come into the church, when false teaching, that which is anything but the truth, then what happens is when the truth is perverted, the church is in great danger, in peril. 


We’re not in Crete, and while the challenges may seem different, the nonsense spouted may be different; nothing has changed. The Lord wants elders who will protect the flock, those who are qualified, whose character is blameless, who hold fast to the truth, who believe in the gospel, and elders who will watch and rebuke. Those are the kind of elders the church needs, elders who will watch over the flock under their care, who will seek the spiritual health for those whom they have oversight. John Calvin writes: A good elder ought therefore to be on the watch, so as not to give silent permission to wicked and dangerous doctrines to make gradual progress, or to allow wicked men an opportunity of spreading them (John Calvin Commentary on Titus 1:11). Having godly elders, elders who are qualified, elders whose character is blameless, who hold fast to the truth, are what we need. You need to pray for your elders and submit to them. They have been appointed because they are needed, needed so that you, the church, would be protected from Satan’s attacks, from his lies, so that if you were to stray into believing something other than the truth, that you would be corrected, reproved, restored to the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q98 What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
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