Titus 1:10–16 “Practical Atheism”

Titus 1:10-16 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Casting Crowns – Only Jesus
• Lord Reign in Me – Brenton Brown
• Casting Crowns – Start Right Here

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• The Choice Is Yours | A lesson about free will for kids – Lesson for Kids
• I’m Trusting You | Roar VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Let’s Get A Little Crazy | Kingdom Rock VBS Music Video | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Thankful | Yee-Haw VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

The Apostle continues by warning about those who “do not submit to the truth of the gospel but are rebellious, full of meaningless talk and deception” (v.10). The word “submit” here refers to submission to the truth of the gospel. The phrase “those of the circumcision” (v.10) points to the Jews. There were Jews living on the island of Crete, and the Apostle criticizes them for “teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain, they disrupt whole households” (v.11). The Apostle commands strongly that “they must be silenced,” meaning that false teaching must not be allowed within the church.

Here, the Apostle quotes the words of Epimenides, a poet from Crete who lived in the 6th century BC (v.12). Crete, as a crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, was known for its moral looseness. The Apostle, having briefly worked in Crete, seems to have agreed with Epimenides’ assessment. Because the people of Crete seemed particularly vulnerable to being swayed by Jewish teachings, Paul issues a very stern warning (vv. 13–14). These Jews insisted on strict adherence to the food laws of Leviticus 11, but Paul exposes their error by pointing back to Jesus’ teaching on what truly makes a person “unclean” (v.15).

They prided themselves on teaching sound doctrine, but in reality, they were “detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good” (v.16).

Meditation:

The last verse, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (v.16), expresses the core of the Christian faith very well. This kind of faith is called “practical atheism.” With their minds and lips, they say they believe in God, but their actions do not reflect the life of someone who truly believes in Him. Such a life dishonors God. If our faith is truly alive, then a transformed life must follow that faith. If we have not yet experienced a change in our lives that reflects our faith, it would be better not to display outward signs of belief. It is wiser to let faith mature by God’s power and then carefully open our mouths to share the gospel.

Today, the church faces many problems. It seems every time we turn around, the media reports on the corruption of large churches or scandals involving pastors. Among the main culprits of these scandals, there are always names of high-ranking church leaders. Now, the world worries about the church. People no longer trust pastors or church members.

All of this does not happen because we lack knowledge of the truth of the gospel, but because we fail to live it out. At every denominational general assembly, fierce debates arise about “orthodoxy” and “principles,” but in practice, many deny their faith through their actions. Those who most loudly defend “sound doctrine” often give off the stench of “detestable disobedience” and “stubbornness.”

Now, the world does not want to hear the doctrines we preach. They want to see the truth we believe through our lives. This reveals that something is seriously wrong with our faith.

Prayer:

Lord, may the gospel we believe permeate every part of our lives so that true transformation takes place. Let the confession of our lips be proven through our hands and feet. May our actions reveal You, Lord. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Faith that is alive shows itself through action. Words alone are not enough—our daily choices, behavior, and love for others reveal whether we truly believe in Jesus Christ.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • What does it mean to show God’s love with your hands and feet? Can you think of one way you can do that this week?
  • Why do you think it is important that our actions match what we say about God?
  • If someone looked at your life, what would they see about what you believe?
    
• Youth
  • Why do you think the Bible calls it “denying God” when our actions don’t match our words?
  • Have you ever seen a time when someone’s actions spoke louder than their words—for good or bad? How did that affect you?
  • What is one small change you can make in your daily life to let others see your faith, not just hear about it?