Can we believe everything we
hear? Of course we cannot, but it is amazing how many times people
can be misled when they are involved in spiritual matters. Because
they have no standard or basis to draw from, one belief is as good as
another to them. However, there really is “truth”, and whether a
person believes it or not does not change the fact that it is truth.
This is one of the factors that Paul the apostle is managing with
Titus and the people of Crete whom Titus oversees as a pastor. Some
false teachers and prophets were spreading ideas that were not true
and Paul makes reference to them in chapter one and verse fourteen
where he wrote:
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments
of men, that turn from the truth.
We studied in earlier verses
where these false prophets were profiting off the people because of
their doctrine. This has Paul's concern, and now we see one of the
ways they did so. There was a group of people called the “Judaizers”
during Paul's time on Earth who would mix the law and grace together
as doctrine. They would say things such as, “Yes, Jesus is good,
but you must also follow the law.” By using stories known as
“Jewish fables” they would convince the people of their thoughts,
and put people under bondage and guilt once again for failure to keep
the commandments.
In addition to the bondage
of “Jewish fables” they also taught “commandments of men”
which were not from God at all. They made rules for the distance one
could travel on the sabbath day without it constituting a “burden”
and created other laws that had little to do with freeing people but
a lot to do with keeping them bound.
Notice the effect that Paul
says these Jewish fables and commandments of men have: “that
turn from the truth.” This is why Paul addresses these ideas so
adamantly. When people are turned from the truth toward the teachings
and doctrine of men, leadership should be attentive. Paul gives
warning to Titus that these practices are among the people of Crete,
and as a pastor of the church in Crete, Paul must direct his
attention toward these false individuals and set them straight.
What do we believe? Are our
beliefs based upon the Bible or the fables and commandments of men?
Where did we receive the belief system we have, and does it call for
examination? If we are wise, before we rest our total belief system
upon doctrines that came from fables and laws of men, we will measure
them by the Holy Word of God, the Bible, and only then have
confidence that what we believe is the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.
Next time we will see what
Paul has to say about purity as it relates to what we believe, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is
more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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