The Role of Preaching (Bible Teaching) in the Church (Tit 1:3,9-16)

Titus 1:3,9-16; Key Verse: Tit 1:9

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."

Two words/phrases are repeated in this short letter of Titus:

• "sound doctrine" (Tit 1:9; 2:1), "sound in (the) faith" (Tit 1:13, 2:2) (4 times), and
• "loves/do(ing)/teach what(ever) is good" (Tit 1:8, 16; 2:3,7,14; 3:1,8,14) (8 times).

"Sound" means to be in good health. "Good" has the meaning of excellence and beauty (genuine, noble, praiseworthy, etc). Surely there is only One who is sound, and excellent, and with exquisite beauty. It is the Lord (Ps 27:4; Isa 33:17). How do we come to know what is sound and good? It is through the preaching and teaching of the Word, which is the theme today.

To review, In Paul's introduction, he identifies himself (Tit 1:1), expresses his purpose (Tit 1:2-3), and greets Titus (Tit 1:4). Next, he proceeds with his top agenda of instructing Titus to appoint elders to oversee the churches in Crete (Tit 1:5-9). He stresses the prime attribute of elders, that they must be blameless (Tit 1:6,7; 1 Tim 3:2). Then he deals with those who damage and destroy the spiritual health of churches: the false teachers who are lazy liars (Tit 1:10-16).
What is Paul's strategy for Titus in dealing with these destructive influences? It is to hold firmly to the Word of the gospel message that he has heard from the preaching of Paul (Tit 1:3), so that he can clearly teach (didaskalia [21 times in NT]) the truth, which always does 2 things (Tit 1:9):

1. Encourage the people of God.
2. Refute the false Bible teachers.

Preaching and teaching the Word of God are the primary tools to instruct the church. Paul saw this as the way for churches to be built up when elders who live blamelessly are also blameless in their proclamation of the gospel message. Indeed, the Word rightly proclaimed (Tit 1:9) and correctly handled (2 Tim 2:15) is the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). How important is preaching?

In Strong's concordance, "preaching" (kerygma) occurs 8 times in the NT, and "preach"  (kerysso) occurs 61 times. Both words have the similar meaning of "to proclaim, to herald, to publish, to declare with formality, gravity and authority that which must be listened to and obeyed." But kerygma signifies, not the action of the preacher, but that which he preaches upon, the content of the proclamation, while kerysso is the act of preaching or declaring the message to a group of people. What is the object or the content of what is preached? It is the gospel (Acts 20:24), which always carries with it the implications of "good tidings proclaimed." Let us consider a few things about preaching and teaching as we conclude Titus chap 1:

1. The work of preaching: What does preaching do (Tit 1:3,9)?
2. The subject of preaching: What is the subject of preaching (Acts 20:24; 1 Cor 15:1-4)?
3. The spirit of preaching: How does preaching work (1 Cor 2:13; 1 Pet 4:11)?
4. The error of preaching: How might we "mis-teach" the Bible (Tit 1:10-16; Col 2:20-23)?
5. The rebuke of preaching: How does preaching refute false teachers/teachings (Tit 1:9-16)?

I. The Work of Preaching/Bible Teaching (Tit 1:3,9)

What does biblical preaching/Bible teaching do?

• It brings God's word to light (Tit 1:3; Ps 119:105).
• It encourages God's people (Tit 1:9).

II. The Subject of Preaching/Bible Teaching

What is the main teaching/point/goal (telos) of the Bible? Is it primarily to live a "good" moral life? Is it to live by the "golden rule"? Live a life of mission? Live a life of obedience? "Yes" to all. But ... they are the results or the secondary or derivative effects of appreciating the main teaching and the primary subject of the Bible. What is that?

• First/chief/principal importance is the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4). Why?
  
• It is the "only" power of God for salvation (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18). Nothing else can save us.
• Paul describes his main point in preaching/Bible teaching in numerous ways:

• The gospel of the grace of God (Acts 10:24).
• Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23, 2:2).
• Knowing Jesus and his righteousness (Phil 3:9-10).

In Titus it is:

• The grace of God (Tit 2:11). This leads to sanctification and hope (Tit 2:12-15).
• The mercy of God (Tit 3:5).

Jesus says that the point of the Bible (OT) is himself (Jn 5:39,46; Lk 24:27,44).

III. The Spirit of Preaching/Bible Teaching

How does anyone come to grasp, to know, and to understand the main point of the Bible when it is preached/taught?

• The Spirit explains spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words (1 Cor 2:13).
• It is thus crucial that the preacher/Bible teacher teaches/speaks the very words (logion [oracles, utterances) of God (1 Pet 4:11).

IV. The Error of Preaching/Bible Teaching (Tit 1:10-16)

Is it possible to teach the Bible in a way that does not emphasize/highlight what Paul says or what Jesus says is the main point? Let's see the errors of Bible teaching from the false teachers:

1. Their character. Elders are to be blameless (Tit 1:6,7). But the false teachers have the very opposite attributes. They seek personal benefit/gain. They are:

• Rebellious (Tit 1:10). They cannot be controlled.
• Deceptive (Tit 1:10). Skillful in deceiving/seducing people.
• Dishonest (Tit 1:11). Baseless. Lacking honor.
• Liars (Tit 1:12). The character of the devil (Jn 8:44).
• Lazy (Tit 1:12). Leisurely. Shunning labor which one ought to perform. Inexcusable for a child of God (cf. 1 Cor 15:10; Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37).
• Talkers. Big words, big talk with little substance. Utters empty senseless things. Engage in meaningless talk (Tit 1:10), myths (Tit 1:14); fables, fiction, inventions, made up stories.
• Disobedient (Tit 1:16). Stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority.

2. Their hypocrisy.

• (External) purity (Tit 1:15). For man to see (1 Sam 16:7). Disregards God who sees the heart (Matt 5:8). Like whitewashed tombs (Matt 23:5, 25).

• Their actions deny their claim to know God (Tit 1:16a). "They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good" (Tit 1:16b). This is surely the sin of all Christians which requires daily repentance and a daily checking of our own deceitful hearts before God (Jer 17:9).

3. Their anthropocentricity. They emphasize human commands (Tit 1:14). (anthropos [559 times]). Col 2:20-23 say, "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." When the Bible is taught with an emphasis on human commands, the point and the emphasis is lost in that the Bible is primarily about Jesus and the gospel. Bonhoeffer states quite explicitly in Life Together that charisma, personality, human love and a Christian leaders "wish dream" that compels others to obey God's word does not necessarily lead one to become a Christian or to grow in spiritual maturity. It is because no man and no human command, no matter how well intentioned, can ever cause anyone to become a Christian. It should always be remembered that the imperatives are based on the indicatives and the order is not reversible.

V. The Rebuke of Preaching/Bible Teaching

Problems in life and in the church are a given. False teaching by deceptive lying Bible teachers and leaders in the church is not uncommon. Proper preaching and teaching of Scripture as God's truth not only encourages those who need encouragement, but also exposes/refutes/opposes/rebukes those who are against the truth. Paul says, "They must be silenced/stopped" (Tit 1:11), and "Rebuke them sharply" (Tit 1:13). This does not mean that the preacher/Bible teacher is rude or condescending or disrespectful. But it does mean that they deal with this firmly, clearly, decisively, even severely. There is no place for vagueness, ambiguity, or "good-mindedness." The false teachers in Crete that Titus needs to deal with seem to be of the liberal variety. In Galatians the false teachers--the Judaizers--were of the legalistic variety. In Colosians, the heresy seems to be a combination of both liberalism and legalism. The single solution to all false Bible teaching is the clear preaching and teaching of the gospel of salvation through the work of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the enlightenment of the Spirit.

Today we thought about the primacy of preaching and proper Bible teaching in the life and health of the church. The Bible is about Jesus and the gospel. It is not primarily about rules and regulations. Legalism kills. Liberalism destroys. But the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). By his grace alone, we hold firmly to Christ and to the trustworthy message (Tit 1:9) and live our lives blamelessly in accordance with the truth.

Questions:

1. What is the role of preaching (kerygma) (Tit 1:3, 9; Mt 12:41). What does Paul preach (Rom 1:16, 16:25; 1 Cor 1:23, 2:2,4, 15:1-4, 14; 2 Tim 4:17)? What does preaching bring to light (Tit 1:3)? What does preaching do for others (Tit 1:9)? How are we enlightened and encouraged by Scripture (1 Cor 2:13; 1 Pet 4:11)?
2. How does preaching deal with those who oppose Scripture (Tit 1:9-11)? What characterizes such people (Tit 1:10,12)? 
3. What is the danger of the "circumcision group" and of "merely human commands" (Titus 1:10,14)? How is the Bible usually taught (Col 2:20-23)? How do they obscure the gospel (Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9; Prov 14:12; Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9)? How should we preach/teach the Bible (Jn 5:39,46; Lk 24:27,44)?
4. What is the difference between true purity and external purity (Titus 1:15-16; Mt 5:8, 23:5, 25; 1 Sam 16:7)?

What's the difference between teaching and preaching?  R.C. Sproul Jr. 6/16/2012.

Books on Preaching:

1. Feed My Sheep. A Passionate Plea for Preaching. Various authors. Foreward by Ligon Duncan. 2008.
2. Preaching & Preachers. 40th Anniversary Edition. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, edited by Kevin DeYoung. 2011.
3. 360-Degree Preaching. Hearing, Speaking, and Living the Word. Michael J. Quicke. 2003.