Ver. 9.-.A warning against frivolo1llJ and di.~putative teaching. This is in contrast to the sound teaching just referred to. "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contention~, and strivings about the Law; for they are unprofitable and vain." l. THE THINGS WHICH ARE TO BE PLACED OUTSIDE THE SPHERE OF MINISTERIAL THOUGHT AND coNcrnN. 1. Ji'ooli.sh qu,e,stions. Questions not easily answererl, yet i( answered without practical bearing upon Christian life. Such were many of the Jewish discussions about the oral Law, the nature of God and the angels, the power of the Name Jehovah. In Christian times papists have discussed for a whole century "which side of Jesus was pierced by the spear?" Such are "foolish questions." 2. Genuilogia. Jerome tells us the Jews were as well acquainted with the genealogies from Adam to Zerubbabel as with their own names. It is possible that the Jewish Christians attached great importance to their family registers. The genealogies, how- ever, are significantly linked by the apostle with fables. 3. Contentions and strivings about the Law. There were many disputed and disputable points in the Law, especially respecting the authority and confirmation of the commandments (eh. i. 14). II. THE A'l"l'ITUDE OF THE :MINISTER TOWARD SUCH THINGS. "Avoid them." 1. This implia that he i6 not even to di.scuss them, on account of their utter frivolousness. 2. The reason is that they are "unprofitable and vain," and therefore exactly opposed to the things "good and profitable to men." The apostle would deliver all ministers from such folly and trifling, by placing before them Jesus Christ, the one glorious Object of the Church's Jove and adoration, leaving questions of another sort to the dead. Such questions had eaten the heart out of Judaism. They must not be allowed in Christianity.-T. C. Ven. 10, 11.-The right attit?Uh of Christian minister, toward divisive errorirts. "A man that is an heretic after a first and second admonition avoid." L THE TBUE NATURE OF HIS OFFENCE. 1. It is not a case of fundamental or doctrinal error, such as the words "heretic" and "heresy " came to imply in after- ag:es. Yet it is a mistake to suppose that separatist ways are not caused by diver- gences of judgment on some points from the settled belief of the Christian community. 2. It was a ca.~e of a turbulent sectary, dissatisfied with the Church, who withdrew from her communion to the disturbance of her peace. He would try to justify his course by a difference of upinion upon matters of doctrine, worship, or organization. II. THE METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE 0l!'l!'ENDER. 1. He was to receive two admonitions in succession. He was to be twice warned not to pursue his divisive courses; he WIii! not to be coutended with, but rebuke was to be employed to recover him from bis error. 2. lf his pride or his ambition would not allow iiir,;, to yield to admoniti()'fl,, M WCl,/1 to be, not excommunicated-the course adopted by the apostle himself in another case (1 Tim. i. 20); but simply avoided. There must be no intercourse with him. This was a virtual excommunication, for he no longer held the place of a Christian brother. • Ill. THE JUBTIFICA.TlON OF TBll! METHOD. "Knowing that he that ia such is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned." The case is an utterly hopeless onto. Y"u mWlt have done with the divisive sectary; let him alone. 1 For Mi, perverted; llR. m. 1-15.] THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 63
implying an inward corruption of character, which steels him against all official admoni- tion of the Church. 2. He sinneth. He errs knowingly, for his course has been authoritatively condemned by the messenger of God. 3. He is sel,/-conderrmed. This does not mean that he consciou8ly acts a part he knows to be wrong, but that he has condemned himself by his own practice, practically consenting by bis sere.ration that he is unworthy the fellowship of the Church,and thus justifying the Church in its rejection of him, or that he dtands condemned by the Scriptures which he himself accepts as his rule of faith anti life.-T. C.
Vere. 12, 13. - Personal directions. The connection of Titus with the Cretan Church was to be but temporary; therefore the apostle gives him two commands. I. A COMMAND Fon 'l'ITUB TO JOIN THE APOSTLE AT NICOPOLIB. 1. The apostle needed his service!, either at this city in Epiru~, where he determined to spend the winter-no doubt in apostolic labours-or to ascertain from him the exact condition of the Church at Crete, or to send him forth on an errand to some of the other Churches. 2. But the place of Titus was not to be left unsupplied. Two brethren, Artem&q and Tychicus, were to go to Crete-one altogether unknown by us, but, as he is first mentioned, probably a minister of high distinction and zeal; the other, Tycbicne, one of the most esteemed of the apostle's friends (Acts xx. 4; Col. iv. 7; 2 Tim. iv. 12). IL .A COMMAND FOR TITUS TO HASTEN THE DEPARTURE OF ZENAS AND APOLLOS FBOM CRETE. These brethren had been labouring in the Church there, probably, before Titus was left behind by the apostle. Zenas, the lawyer, was probabl::7" Jewish scribe converted to Christianity, who had been acting as an evangelist in Crete.. .A.polios was the eloquent preacher of Alexandria, and now as e.lways in perfect sympathy with the apostle, though there seemed a rivalry between them at Corinth. The apostle implie, that the Cretan Christians were to provide the necessary help for such a journey.-1'. C.
Ver. 14.-.A last reminder concerning good wurks. The suggestion just made leads to this adjunction : "And let ours e.lso learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." I. IT IS AN INJUNCTION TO THE BRETHREN GENERALLY. "Ours also." It is the duty of all believers, sharers in the common faith, and heirs of the grace of life, to leam to do good works. ll. BELIEVERS NEED TO BE TRAINED TO THIS SERVICE. "Let ours also leam." They will learn it from the Scriptures, which tell us what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God; and from the doctrines of grace, which teach us to follow as an ~xample the Lord Jesus, who went about every day doing good. Ill. THESE 0OOD WORKS ARE TO HA VE A PRACTICAL Bl!:ABING UPON THE WANTS OF OTHERS. They are ·• for necessary wants." 1. Not to atone for sin, or recommend us as sinners to God's favo'UT. 2. But to glorify God by doing for others what he so abundantly does for m. By adorning the doctrine of Christ by our beneficence; by putting to silence the gainsaying of foolish men, because they see we are "not unfruit- ful." _We are thus seen to be trees of righteousness, bearing all m:.D.ile; of fruits. It is an interesting fact that, in the last inspired teachings of the apostle, he should have eight times enforced the duty of maintaining good works.-1'. C.