08/03/2024 – What I Believe
The below serves as a guide for those who participate in our Bible study.
1) There is no salvation apart from the concrete historical, unique and unrepeatable Person of Jesus Christ. Thus, there is only one God;
2) Jesus Christ, God/man, now acts solely through His followers, via the Holy Spirit;
3) Our faith is not expressed as a creation of man’s psychological needs, but the unique revelation of God to the world;
4) The salvation of man qua man, means male and female are sanctified as one and unique (a single sanctification) as bestowed by the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit;
5) Only the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Our Triune God) alike quicken, enlighten, comfort and make holy all such things.
6) The above belief attempts to replicate the beliefs of Christian followers of Jesus Christ from the time of the Resurrection until approximately 250 AD.;
7) Our Bible studies are open to all persons regardless of their faith or lack of;
8) Our Bible studies are just that, a time of teaching, learning, sharing, prayer and joy;
9) Our Bible studies seek to prepare us to join a religious family reflecting the above. Not all religious families/churches are the same; thus, we pray we select carefully;
10) Our Bible studies also seek to prepare us to live a Christian life in a secular world; filled with temptations, overseen by governments growing more evil and more distant from the governed, especially the followers of the eternal King of the world.
[Titus 1:1-4] – God’s Revealed Plan
What do you want to be when you grow up? I continually ask myself that question. As a child many ask this as a flight of fancy. Others, have a sense, an inner calling – pray some parent or ’responsible’ adult does not squash a dream. Children often think of two lives: childhood and adulthood. We are taught to think of two lives: in the present world and the age to come. Now we are boxed in, then all will be different; now people are oppressed by wicked nations who do not know the true God, but worship idols and follow tyrannical leaders; then we will be free and will share God’s rule of His glorious new world. Paul believed the two-world paradigm; it was central to his thinking and living. He uses the adult/child lesson in [1 Cor. 13:11, Love Chap.]. This belief separated Paul from other Jews who did not accept Jesus as Messiah. He believes the future comes forward in the present, the then into the now in the person of Jesus when Paul announced God had raised Jesus from the dead and installed him as king, Lord and savior. He introduced God’s new age firmly into the middle of the existing one. That is a mighty message in a short letter. God promises a ‘coming age’ with an entirely new quality of life. [v. 2-3] Trust God! This was big news to the 1st C. pagan who knew of many gods, and none could be trusted. (Do we see that today? Olympics!) The gods were unpredictable and often vengeful. Part of the ‘good news’ was that the One True God, the God of Israel was making Himself known; reliable and trustworthy. Paul introduces himself as: a slave of God, an apostle, an emissary, and a herald of Jesus as the true king. In Jesus, as Messiah, the age-old faith of Israel has been vindicated: the gospel message is rooted in God’s faith to His promises and shaped by ancient Israelite beliefs. Think about this, it is 1,000 years of truths, not guesses, not random groping, but a revealed truth, upon which one could stake their life. This ultimately means that, if willing, one’s whole life, from prayer to public action can be shaped by the calling and will of God. That is the meaning behind [v. 1]. Paul and Titus share this faith; Paul calls Titus his child because he learned his faith from Paul. Titus was born a Greek, Gentile, this caused problems for the strict Christian Jews when he went to Jerusalem with Paul. [Gal. 2:1-3] He also went to Corinth, returning to Paul with news. [2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6-14] While in prison Paul sent him to Dalmatia [2 Tim. 4:10] Paul does not dwell on personal history except as a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus. We know Titus as a child of Paul, in faith, and loyal. Paul opens with two central blessings: grace (God the source of all blessings) and peace (summary of all blessings, namely the reconciliation between God and man qua man). These two words should be alive with hope and promise. NB Caesar saves the world from chaos, war and anarchy. Early Christians claimed Jesus saved them from the ultimate chaos: sin and death.
[Titus 1:5-9] – Appointing Elders – We probably do not need to deal with the minutiae of being an elder/leader in our churches. However, let us examine the overarching thoughts. Paul would rather have no leader than a leader whose character did not match the message. If the leader(s) cannot model Christian character, how can we expect others to attempt to pattern Christ? One of the joys of Christian leadership is to watch the ways God works in the hearts and minds of those called; not only to faith, but to devotion and holi-ness. Many leaders have done well under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word. The main tasks of the elders and bishops is to rebut false teaching. The fashion-able teaching in the Western church today is against strong clear teaching. Many are leery of those who preach with certainty, rather they seek the flexibility of an uncertain truth. (Translation - Each person must be left to find the way for themselves.) That has never been Christian thought! There are many points about which leadership must be clear and emphatic. [v. 7] Unfortunately, some view that as arrogance, but, we must accept the fact that some things are firm, based on well-grounded faith expressed in loving clarity.
[Titus 1:10-16] – The Problems in Crete – Should we retitle these verses as the ‘Cretan Liar Paradox’? [v. 12] Did Paul have a sense of humor? Is he writing ‘tongue in cheek’? What challenge does that give us? The fallacy of the absolute; see implication of all and specifically stating, always. This testimony is true! Is it? [v. 13] Paul warns Titus, he has his work cut-out for him. The issue is in reality a redux, an old saw. Some Galatians, Paul calls them agitators, and referred to as the circumcision party have quietly formed an exclusive group within the Christian Jews who are trying to exclude uncircumcised belie-vers. This division has caused suspicion and rivalry in lieu of unity and a common mind. It had happened in Galatia and Paul did not want it to reach Crete. Wandering preachers tried to teach Jewish law to new converts as a money-making scheme. Paul had to deal with them as they followed him and taught the role of Jewish law, its mysteries and rituals (foods) and demanding money. This was a significant issue and we must be aware even today of such attempts. Paul rejected this strenuously because it created a barrier [v. 14] and was not truthful. Jesus addressed this [Mark 7] True purity is not about touching this and not touching that; it is having one’s mind renewed and conscience educated. Put simply - pure people tend to be pure and the not pure will defile all they touch and no regulations can make a difference. Their mind and conscience will remain in a state of impurity. Claiming that being in an inner circle, folks will “know God” yet they are denying the true God with every breath. Paul warns do not compromise with such people, reject it! Harsh words for harsh realities – and this will take courage. AMIN
Love, hank
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