Titus 3:9-11

⁹But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. ¹⁰Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. ¹¹You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

In v8, Paul told Titus to “stress these things,” speaking of fruitful faith, right behavior in light of God’s grace and mercy (Romans 12:1). That’s a positive command. Wrapping up, Paul gives Titus negative commands beginning in v9 – Avoid unprofitable and useless teachings (and questions) that would not contribute to godly living, and warn the divisive folks within the local congregations. Paul basically has a two-fold strategy with dealing with those in the local church who are going to oppose sound doctrine, the teaching of the apostles – God’s word for us. First, they are to be avoided, or shunned; they are not to be engaged as to bring the minister down on their level to dispute and debate about their particular theories. Second, they are to be given a “three strikes and you’re out” rule. They get two warnings. A third offense leaves them rightly rejected, ruined by self-condemnation through failure to repent.

This instruction is not meant to stifle growth; it is meant to prevent heresy from mixing with sound doctrine. We need to be like the Bereans, testing everything with the word of God (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). It is good to ask questions, but knowing the reason for the question is just as crucial as the question itself; as Calvin declares, “Paul does not wish that the servant of Christ should be much and long employed in debating with heretics… In short, every person who, by his overweening pride, breaks up the unity of the Church, is pronounced by Paul to be heretic.” But we aren’t to call folks heretics until two warnings pass and the divisive behavior continues.

For example, one may ask, “What’s the difference between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism?” That’s fine. An initial response might be a question in return, “Why do you want to know?” Is it to start a speculative debate about the order of the pre-creation decrees of God? Don’t go there; avoid it. Is it because an individual simply wants to grow in the knowledge of God and consider the support of Scripture regarding a couple of prominent views of how He made decisions prior to creation? Okay. We can talk about it – but slowly and with caution.

Ligon Duncan says, “Paul is very concerned that the local church not become a free-thought society, a debating society where the apostolic teaching is just viewed as one of many valid options. No, the local church isn’t there to debate about the possibility of absolute truth. It is there to proclaim what is absolutely true,” despite accusations of narrow-mindedness, and to guide people to faith and through discipleship.