Notes: Titus 1:15

To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.  (Titus 1:15)

When I was taking New Testament Survey in seminary, the standing joke was that if you were ever stumped for the main topic of one of Paul’s letters, the one answer that would stand was “judaizers“.  Greeks would believe on the Lord Jesus, and suddenly a group of folks would be trying to get them to live like Jews.  The converts should observe feasts and purification rituals.  They should be circumcised.  In Acts 15, Peter rebukes those that would enforce Jewish customs on believers.

We have the same problems within the church today. 

Welcome to First Baptist, you are now under the law.  What? No, not God’s law, church law.  Thou shalt not drink, ever, not even Nyquil.  Thou shalt dress alike.  Thou shalt boycott Disney and Hooters, except on years the denomination wants its conference in Orlando.  Thou shalt be politically active for the church approved candidate.  Thou shalt never question leadership.  Thou shalt stop gossiping and begin ’sharing’.

We live under GRACE.  We have LIBERTY.  We are bondservants to God alone.  Paul isn’t suggesting anarchy within the church.  Anything but.   He is simply calling out those that are adding to God’s mandates regarding the Church and Christian living.  The yoke, or teaching, of Christ is easy. (Matt 11:30) but a yoke of man is heavy to bear and makes us again slaves (Gal 5:1).

Those that have more rules than God does, are defiled in their minds, the apostle says.