Jesus makes it clear that the
God’s dead have not ceased to exist and the following passage makes it plain
that the Jews knew of the resurrection, although some did not believe, as it is
today.
Matthew
22:23 ¶ The same day came to him the
Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die,
having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto
his brother. 25 Now there were with us
seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and,
having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto
the seventh. 27 And last of all the
woman died also. 28 Therefore in the
resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye
do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry,
nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead,
have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 And when the multitude heard this,
they were astonished at his doctrine.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so
might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Matthew
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.
Paul
regards Titus, like Timothy, as his own son in the faith. He wishes him grace,
mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Titus
1:5 ¶ For this cause left I thee in
Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain
elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
So we see
that Paul has set Titus up in Crete to straighten out the churches and ordain
elders to rule spiritually in the congregations.
Titus
1:6 ¶ If any be blameless, the husband
of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the
steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,
not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover
of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath
been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers. 10 For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for
filthy lucre’s sake. 12 One of
themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are
alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13
This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be
sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed
to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but
unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even
their mind and conscience is defiled. 16
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Paul
repeats his commands for Timothy in establishing the character of a bishop or
presiding elder whom we would call a pastor today.
1Timothy
3:1 ¶ This is a true saying, If a man
desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to
teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker,
not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having
his children in subjection with all gravity; 5
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care
of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice,
lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of
them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Paul gave
Timothy the instructions for the character of a serving deacon, as well.
1Timothy
3:8 ¶ Likewise must the deacons be
grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a
pure conscience. 10 And let these also
first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found
blameless. 11 Even so must their wives
be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a
deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Please see
my comments for these passages in 1st Timothy for a further
explanation of these commands.
These
elders, these pastors, need to be convinced of sound doctrine to be able to
preach and exhort and to bring over those who deny or contradict the gospel
truth Paul has taught. He laments the fact that there are many who pervert the
truth, particularly among the Jewish nominal followers of Christ. This has been
talked of before as Paul had to deal with Judaizers, who, as today, kept trying
to put people back under the Law given to Moses and those, as John declared,
deny that Christ came in bodily form, the Gnostics. It is a time of great
controversy and some have said that water is polluted the greatest nearest the
source. Much of this false teaching, as in the Sophists I talked about
previously, has been done for greedy gain.
He then
quotes the pagan philosopher, Epimenides, as he has quoted other pagan
philosophers before in Acts 17. See my comments there. Paul doesn’t seem to
have a very high opinion of the character of the inhabitants of Crete. These
people whom he is specifically referring to apparently have done much damage to
the establishment of the true faith on the island of Crete. So much of this has
already been covered in Acts through 2nd Timothy. I recommend
reviewing those comments. Titus is Paul’s enforcer, so to speak, to straighten
out a group of churches that is bordering on great heresy and is plagued by
opportunists and liars who are trying to manipulate and use them. The Christian
church in this revolutionary age of the last two hundred years is undergoing
the very same type of assault by religious predators who lie, twist, and
distort the truth for gain.
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