Titus

Church Elders

Note: Titus was Tuesday's reading.

Titus 3:9 speaks of four things which a faithful minister (elder) must avoid:

1. Foolish questions
2. Genealogies
3. Contentions
4. Striving about the Law

Each of these are "time-wasters" and a trick of Satan to draw the ministry away from its true work.  Foolish questions are those things that people ask when they have a hidden agenda.  Perhaps they will quote some obscure scripture out of context and then attempt to engage in discussion with a clever question.  Many times, the person wants to get a point across or has some controversial doctrine they want to share but are fearful of rebuke and thus will has "foolish questions."  Other times, a person will ask a question when they could easily research and find the answer themselves.  This is based in spiritual laziness.

Genealogies refer to one's past. A person may be wrapped up in what Father or Mother believed, or how spiritual Grandma was, using this as an excuse to not make their own salvation secure.  Our spiritual well-being is not tied to our past, but through the baptism of the Holy Spirit we have become heirs with Christ.  Our spiritual genealogy begins and ends with Him!

Contentions are arguments.  This are colossal time-wasters and never lead to reconciliation but always to division.  Good never comes from arguing about the scripture.  We can reason with each other and we can discuss our understanding, but to argue is an implication that one is right and another is wrong, when the reality is that if there is an argument, both are wrong! 

Striving about the Law is just another way for Satan to get people off track.  He will put a religious spirit on a person and drive them to legalism.  On another he will anoint with an apathetic spirit, a spirit that says "anything goes" since we are under grace.  Both are wrong and not edifying to the believer. Instead of nitpicking everyone else's life and trying to make everyone else line up to some legal interpretation of the Bible, a believer is better off doing what Paul states in 1 Corinthian 11:28, "But let a man examine himself..."

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.