Titus 1:16
Verse
Context
Sermons





Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
They profess that they know God - He still speaks concerning the unbelieving Jews, the seducing teachers, and those who had been seduced by their bad doctrine. None were so full of pretensions to the knowledge of the true God as the Jews. They would not admit that any other people could have this knowledge; nor did they believe that God ever did or ever would reveal himself to any other people; they supposed that to give the law and the prophets to the Gentiles would be a profanation of the words of God. Hence they became both proud, uncharitable, and intolerant; and in this disposition they continue till the present day. But in works they deny him - Their profession and practice were at continual variance. Full of a pretended faith, while utterly destitute of those works by which a genuine faith is accredited and proved. Dio Cassius represents Caesar as saying of his mutinous soldiers: Ονομα Ῥωμαιων εχοντας, εργα δε Κελτων δρωντας. "Having the name of Romans, while they had the manners of the Gauls." How near are those words to the saying of the apostle! Being abominable - Βδελυκτοι. This word sometimes refers to unnatural lusts. And disobedient - Απειθεις· Unpersuadable, unbelieving, and consequently disobedient. Characters remarkably applicable to the Jews through all their generations. Unto every good work reprobate - Αδοκιμοι· Adulterate; like bad coin, deficient both in the weight and goodness of the metal, and without the proper sterling stamp; and consequently not current. If they did a good work, they did not do it in the spirit in which it should be performed. They had the name of God's people; but they were counterfeit. The prophet said; Reprobate silver shall men call them. 1. Though the principal part of this chapter, and indeed of the whole epistle, may be found in nearly the same words in the First Epistle to Timothy, yet there are several circumstances here that are not so particularly noted in the other; and every minister of Christ will do well to make himself master of both; they should be carefully registered in his memory, and engraven on his heart. 2. The truth, which is according to godliness, in reference to eternal life, should be carefully regarded. The substantial knowledge of the truth must have faith for its foundation, godliness for its rule, and eternal life for its object and end. He who does not begin well, is never likely to finish fair. He who does not refer every thing to eternity, is never likely to live either well or happily in time. 3. There is one subject in this chapter not sufficiently attended to by those who have the authority to appoint men to ecclesiastical offices; none should be thus appointed who is not able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convince the gainsayers. The powers necessary for this are partly natural, partly gracious, and partly acquired. 1. If a man have not good natural abilities, nothing but a miracle from heaven can make him a proper preacher of the Gospel; and to make a man a Christian minister, who is unqualified for any function of civil life, is sacrilege before God. 2. If the grace of God do not communicate ministerial qualifications, no natural gifts, however splendid, can be of any avail. To be a successful Christian minister, a man must feel the worth of immortal souls in such a way as God only can show it, in order to spend and be spent in the work. He who has never passed through the travail of the soul in the work of regeneration in his own heart, can never make plain the way of salvation to others. 3. He who is employed in the Christian ministry should cultivate his mind in the most diligent manner; he can neither learn nor know too much. If called of God to be a preacher, (and without such a call he had better be a galley slave), he will be able to bring all his knowledge to the assistance and success of his ministry. If he have human learning, so much the better; if he be accredited, and appointed by those who have authority in the Church, it will be to his advantage; but no human learning, no ecclesiastical appointment, no mode of ordination, whether Popish, Episcopal, Protestant, or Presbyterian, can ever supply the Divine unction, without which he never can convert and build up the souls of men. The piety of the flock must be faint and languishing when it is not animated by the heavenly zeal of the pastor; they must be blind if he be not enlightened; and their faith must be wavering when he can neither encourage nor defend it. 4. In consequence of the appointment of improper persons to the Christian ministry, there has been, not only a decay of piety, but also a corruption of religion. No man is a true Christian minister who has not grace, gifts, and fruit; if he have the grace of God, it will appear in his holy life and godly conversation. If to this he add genuine abilities, he will give full proof of his ministry; and if he give full proof of his ministry, he will have fruit; the souls of sinners will be converted to God through his preaching, and believers will be built up on their most holy faith. How contemptible must that man appear in the eyes of common sense, who boasts of his clerical education, his sacerdotal order, his legitimate authority to preach, administer the Christian sacraments, etc., while no soul is benefited by his ministry! Such a person may have legal authority to take tithes, but as to an appointment from God, he has none; else his word would be with power, and his preaching the means of salvation to his perishing hearers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
They profess--that is, make a profession acknowledging God. He does not deny their theoretical knowledge of God, but that they practically know Him. deny him--the opposite of the previous "profess" or "confess" Him (Ti1 5:8; Ti2 2:12; Ti2 3:5). abominable--themselves, though laying so much stress on the contracting of abomination from outward things (compare Lev 11:10-13; Rom 2:22). disobedient--to God (Tit 3:3; Eph 2:2; Eph 5:6). reprobate--rejected as worthless when tested (see on Rom 1:28; Co1 9:27; Ti2 3:8). Next: Titus Chapter 2
John Gill Bible Commentary
They profess that they know God,.... That there is a God; that there is but one, only, true, and living God, the God of Israel, as professed by the Jews; and that this God is Father, Son, and Spirit, as believed by the Christians: for the persons the apostle speaks of were judaizing Christians. Yet this knowledge was but notional; it lay in theory and profession only; they had not a spiritual experimental knowledge of God in Christ, which only has eternal life connected with it: but in works they deny him. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "in their own works"; they were not professed, but practical atheists; they owned there was a God, and boasted of their knowledge of him; but their lives and conversations showed that they had no true knowledge of him, and that the fear of him was not before their eyes; these gave the lie to their profession; they practically denied that faith they professed to hold, and the power of godliness, of which they had the form. Being abominable; in the sight of God, however esteemed by men; and notwithstanding the vizor and mask of sanctity and religion they put on, which could not screen them from the omniscience of God, who will one day declare he knows them not, and will bid them depart from him, being workers of iniquity. And disobedient; to God; to his law, and Gospel; to his ministers and churches; and even to parents and civil magistrates; for of this cast were the false teachers, and their followers, as maybe learned from many passages. And unto every good work reprobate: or "unaccustomed", unused to them, as the Arabic version renders it; or rather "without judgment", and understanding, concerning them; there was no good in them, nor was it in them to do good; to do good they had no knowledge, nor any inclination; they were unfit for it, and had not a capacity to perform it; they were not good themselves, and therefore could not do good; the tree must first be made good, ere its fruit will be good; they were without Christ, and without his Spirit, and grace, without which no man can do anything that is spiritually good; they had no true faith, and therefore what they did was sinful; they had neither right principles, from which, nor right ends to which they acted, and therefore were not qualified for the performance of good works; which require that men should be good men, created in Christ Jesus, be believers in him, and have principles of truth and love, and views to the glory of God. Next: Titus Chapter 2
Titus 1:16
Correcting False Teachers
15To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
(Titus - Part 12): Sound Doctrine in Life
By A.W. Tozer4.3K24:54TitusMAT 7:21MAT 7:24TIT 1:16TIT 2:11TIT 3:1TIT 3:8TIT 3:14In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of sound teaching, which consists of both a foundation and a superstructure. He compares this concept to a tree with its roots and fruit, stating that one cannot exist without the other. The speaker references the book of Titus and the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 7 to support his point. He highlights the need for right belief (theology) and right living (morality) to go hand in hand, just as a building needs to be constructed with the knowledge that it will face different weather conditions.
(Titus - Part 2): An Introduction to Titus
By A.W. Tozer4.1K40:41TitusMAT 6:33TIT 1:1TIT 1:4TIT 1:16TIT 3:7In this sermon, the speaker announces the start of a new series on the careful study of the Sermon on the Mount. He encourages everyone to attend the first sermon and emphasizes the importance of baptism for those who have been converted to Christ. The speaker then mentions a baptismal service and urges anyone who has not been baptized to approach him or Mr. McPhee. He also mentions his upcoming sermon on the voice of eternal wisdom and expresses his enthusiasm for preaching about good things that warm the heart.
Nothing but Leaves
By Harold Vaughan1.6K1:00:02Christian LifeMAT 6:33MAT 21:17MRK 11:12LUK 13:6JHN 1:112TI 3:5TIT 1:16In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of practicing what we believe rather than just giving lip service. He criticizes the current state of the church, stating that it has become more like an audience watching actors on a stage rather than a congregation of worshipers. The preacher highlights the need for a genuine relationship with God and a burden for souls in order to bear fruit. He also warns against the danger of becoming too intellectual and polished in our worship, losing the power of God to save lost souls. The sermon calls for a return to true worship and ministry, where the focus is on bringing forth fruit rather than just leaves.
Birthmarks of the Family of God
By Al Whittinghill96059:11Family Of GodJHN 13:35TIT 1:16HEB 12:141JN 2:31JN 3:2In this sermon, the preacher discusses the parable of the sower and the different types of ground that receive the word of God. He emphasizes that only the good ground, which represents those with an open and receptive heart, will bear fruit and be saved. The preacher also highlights the dangers of a watered-down gospel that caters to worldly desires and promises material wealth and happiness. He challenges the listeners to examine their current lives and asks them to consider if they are truly living according to the teachings of Jesus.
The Cock Crew
By Joshua Daniel61600:00MAT 6:33MAT 10:32MAT 26:67MAT 26:69TIT 1:16In this sermon, the preacher expresses concern over the decline of morality in society and the loss of the moral voice. He shares a personal story of a surgeon who went back to the operating table in the middle of the night to save a patient, highlighting the dedication and sacrifice required in serving others. The preacher emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the liberties of a nation are a gift from God and warns of the consequences of disregarding God's justice. He also discusses the need for consistency between one's profession of faith and their actions, citing the example of people who claim to know God but deny Him through their behavior. The sermon concludes with a call to stand up for one's faith and to protest against actions that go against God's principles.
The Moral Decline of Society
By Keith Daniel61449:20PSA 1:1PSA 141:4ISA 59:15JER 20:8HOS 8:1ACT 7:541CO 14:72TI 3:1TIT 1:16HEB 4:12This sermon emphasizes the importance of standing firm in the truth of God's Word, even in the face of persecution and societal opposition. It warns against being deceived by false teachings and the consequences of rejecting God's commands. The preacher highlights the need for preachers to boldly proclaim the truth, regardless of the personal risks involved, echoing the faithful examples of biblical figures like Jeremiah and John Hus.
Mistaking Word for Deed
By A.W. Tozer0True DiscipleshipFaith in ActionMAT 5:16MAT 7:21LUK 6:46JHN 14:15ROM 2:13GAL 5:6TIT 1:16JAS 1:221PE 1:221JN 2:4A.W. Tozer emphasizes the critical distinction between knowing the teachings of Christianity and truly living them out, drawing parallels with the philosopher Epictetus, who valued practical application over mere knowledge. Tozer warns that many professed Christians fall into the trap of mistaking intellectual understanding for genuine faith, highlighting that true wisdom is demonstrated through actions rather than words. He challenges believers to examine their lives and ensure that their faith is reflected in their deeds, rather than simply in their knowledge of scripture.
Altar Calls - Are They a Biblical Approach?
By Shane Idleman0MAT 7:16LUK 3:8ACT 3:19TIT 1:16JAS 2:141JN 2:15Shane Idleman challenges the approach to altar calls in the church today, emphasizing the importance of genuine repentance and transformation of the heart over superficial responses. He highlights the danger of offering false assurance through emotional appeals that lack true fruit of repentance and a changed life. Idleman stresses the need for a deep understanding of biblical repentance, where turning from sin and turning to God is a condition of the heart that leads to genuine conversion. He urges for a shift from focusing on numbers and outward actions to emphasizing the inward transformation that comes from a true encounter with God's grace and love.
The Person of Christ the Great Representative of God and His Will
By John Owen0The Nature of GodChrist as Our MediatorEXO 33:18JHN 1:18JHN 5:23JHN 14:9ROM 1:20ROM 1:232CO 4:6COL 1:15TIT 1:16HEB 1:3John Owen emphasizes that the person of Christ serves as the ultimate representation of God and His will, highlighting that while God's essence is incomprehensible to humanity, Christ embodies the divine nature and properties. He argues that all knowledge of God is mediated through Christ, who reveals the Father and fulfills the need for a tangible representation of the divine. Owen asserts that true understanding and worship of God can only be achieved through faith in Christ, as all other attempts to comprehend God lead to idolatry and misrepresentation. The sermon underscores the necessity of Christ's incarnation for humanity to grasp the divine attributes and the importance of recognizing Him as the image of the invisible God. Ultimately, Owen calls believers to seek a deeper relationship with God through the revelation of Christ.
The Careless Sinner Awakened
By Philip Doddridge0JOB 21:14PSA 94:9MAT 9:18MRK 10:21ACT 17:28ROM 3:162CO 5:1EPH 2:12TIT 1:161JN 3:20Philip Doddridge preaches about the neglect of religion in the world, addressing those who may be neglecting their relationship with God despite not being grossly vicious, urging them to examine their hearts and consider their lack of devotion to God. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging God's presence, agency, and perfection, as well as personal obligations to Him, highlighting the danger of neglecting religion and the impact it may have on one's future. Doddridge appeals to the conscience of the reader, urging them to awaken from their thoughtlessness and consider the consequences of continuing to neglect their spiritual life.
Inconsistencies in Professors
By Harmon A. Baldwin0PRO 21:2MAT 7:61CO 4:31TI 6:3TIT 1:16In his sermon, Harmon A. Baldwin addresses objections to holiness based on the inconsistencies seen in the lives of believers. He compares the existence of counterfeit money to counterfeit holiness, emphasizing that the presence of fake holiness does not diminish the value of true holiness but rather highlights its beauty and grace. Baldwin challenges the notion that inconsistencies in some believers' lives discredit the doctrine of holiness, pointing out that good doctrines serve as a restraint against evil deeds. He also questions the authority of unsanctified individuals to judge the holiness of others, highlighting the importance of God as the ultimate judge of sanctification.
Homily 47 on the Acts of the Apostles
By St. John Chrysostom0LUK 21:13ACT 22:1TIT 1:16John Chrysostom preaches about Paul's defense before the people, highlighting his use of the Hebrew tongue to gain their attention and his conversion story from persecutor to believer through a divine encounter with Jesus. Chrysostom emphasizes the importance of being trustworthy witnesses for Christ, urging believers to live a life of virtue and good deeds to strengthen their testimony and persuade others. He warns against the dangers of living a corrupt life, which can lead to accepting false doctrines and denying the faith, ultimately impacting one's eternal destiny.
Wicked Men Inconsistent With Themselves
By Jonathan Edwards0MAT 11:16JHN 6:66JHN 7:46TIT 1:16JAS 1:6Jonathan Edwards preaches about the inconsistency of wicked men with themselves, highlighting how their rejection of God's messengers, like John the Baptist and Christ, reveals their inconsistency in objections and lifestyle choices. He emphasizes that their unbelief, doubts, and secret sins hinder them from fully surrendering to God. Edwards compares their inconsistency to children in the markets, showing how their objections and behaviors do not align with their professed beliefs and hopes of eternal life in heaven.
Visible Churches Warned
By J.C. Ryle0Faith and WorksOvercoming ComplacencyNUM 24:131SA 2:3MAT 25:37LUK 6:441CO 3:8EPH 6:13TIT 1:16JAS 1:22REV 3:22REV 14:13J.C. Ryle warns visible churches about the importance of genuine faith and the dangers of complacency in religious practices. He emphasizes that the letters to the seven churches in Revelation focus on doctrine, personal faith, and the necessity of overcoming sin rather than church governance or rituals. Ryle urges believers to recognize that true Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ, marked by repentance and active faith, rather than mere membership in a church. He highlights that Jesus knows our works and will reward the faithful while warning against hypocrisy and complacency. The sermon calls for a deeper commitment to spiritual growth and a life that reflects true Christian values.
Just a Barley Loaf!
By George Warnock0MAT 7:5JHN 9:28ROM 2:17ROM 2:23COL 3:5TIT 1:16JAS 1:22JAS 4:16REV 21:8In this sermon, Marvin Vincent and other biblical scholars delve into the meaning of the Greek word 'bdelusso', which signifies a strong detestation for something abominable. The verb 'bdelusso' is used to depict turning away from a stench in disgust, especially in a moral or religious sense. The Jews, who had a history of idolatry, developed a strong abhorrence for idols, even Roman coins with images of emperors claiming to be gods. The sermon also explores the concept of idols, which are anything that takes precedence over the True God, including material possessions and desires.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
They profess that they know God - He still speaks concerning the unbelieving Jews, the seducing teachers, and those who had been seduced by their bad doctrine. None were so full of pretensions to the knowledge of the true God as the Jews. They would not admit that any other people could have this knowledge; nor did they believe that God ever did or ever would reveal himself to any other people; they supposed that to give the law and the prophets to the Gentiles would be a profanation of the words of God. Hence they became both proud, uncharitable, and intolerant; and in this disposition they continue till the present day. But in works they deny him - Their profession and practice were at continual variance. Full of a pretended faith, while utterly destitute of those works by which a genuine faith is accredited and proved. Dio Cassius represents Caesar as saying of his mutinous soldiers: Ονομα Ῥωμαιων εχοντας, εργα δε Κελτων δρωντας. "Having the name of Romans, while they had the manners of the Gauls." How near are those words to the saying of the apostle! Being abominable - Βδελυκτοι. This word sometimes refers to unnatural lusts. And disobedient - Απειθεις· Unpersuadable, unbelieving, and consequently disobedient. Characters remarkably applicable to the Jews through all their generations. Unto every good work reprobate - Αδοκιμοι· Adulterate; like bad coin, deficient both in the weight and goodness of the metal, and without the proper sterling stamp; and consequently not current. If they did a good work, they did not do it in the spirit in which it should be performed. They had the name of God's people; but they were counterfeit. The prophet said; Reprobate silver shall men call them. 1. Though the principal part of this chapter, and indeed of the whole epistle, may be found in nearly the same words in the First Epistle to Timothy, yet there are several circumstances here that are not so particularly noted in the other; and every minister of Christ will do well to make himself master of both; they should be carefully registered in his memory, and engraven on his heart. 2. The truth, which is according to godliness, in reference to eternal life, should be carefully regarded. The substantial knowledge of the truth must have faith for its foundation, godliness for its rule, and eternal life for its object and end. He who does not begin well, is never likely to finish fair. He who does not refer every thing to eternity, is never likely to live either well or happily in time. 3. There is one subject in this chapter not sufficiently attended to by those who have the authority to appoint men to ecclesiastical offices; none should be thus appointed who is not able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convince the gainsayers. The powers necessary for this are partly natural, partly gracious, and partly acquired. 1. If a man have not good natural abilities, nothing but a miracle from heaven can make him a proper preacher of the Gospel; and to make a man a Christian minister, who is unqualified for any function of civil life, is sacrilege before God. 2. If the grace of God do not communicate ministerial qualifications, no natural gifts, however splendid, can be of any avail. To be a successful Christian minister, a man must feel the worth of immortal souls in such a way as God only can show it, in order to spend and be spent in the work. He who has never passed through the travail of the soul in the work of regeneration in his own heart, can never make plain the way of salvation to others. 3. He who is employed in the Christian ministry should cultivate his mind in the most diligent manner; he can neither learn nor know too much. If called of God to be a preacher, (and without such a call he had better be a galley slave), he will be able to bring all his knowledge to the assistance and success of his ministry. If he have human learning, so much the better; if he be accredited, and appointed by those who have authority in the Church, it will be to his advantage; but no human learning, no ecclesiastical appointment, no mode of ordination, whether Popish, Episcopal, Protestant, or Presbyterian, can ever supply the Divine unction, without which he never can convert and build up the souls of men. The piety of the flock must be faint and languishing when it is not animated by the heavenly zeal of the pastor; they must be blind if he be not enlightened; and their faith must be wavering when he can neither encourage nor defend it. 4. In consequence of the appointment of improper persons to the Christian ministry, there has been, not only a decay of piety, but also a corruption of religion. No man is a true Christian minister who has not grace, gifts, and fruit; if he have the grace of God, it will appear in his holy life and godly conversation. If to this he add genuine abilities, he will give full proof of his ministry; and if he give full proof of his ministry, he will have fruit; the souls of sinners will be converted to God through his preaching, and believers will be built up on their most holy faith. How contemptible must that man appear in the eyes of common sense, who boasts of his clerical education, his sacerdotal order, his legitimate authority to preach, administer the Christian sacraments, etc., while no soul is benefited by his ministry! Such a person may have legal authority to take tithes, but as to an appointment from God, he has none; else his word would be with power, and his preaching the means of salvation to his perishing hearers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
They profess--that is, make a profession acknowledging God. He does not deny their theoretical knowledge of God, but that they practically know Him. deny him--the opposite of the previous "profess" or "confess" Him (Ti1 5:8; Ti2 2:12; Ti2 3:5). abominable--themselves, though laying so much stress on the contracting of abomination from outward things (compare Lev 11:10-13; Rom 2:22). disobedient--to God (Tit 3:3; Eph 2:2; Eph 5:6). reprobate--rejected as worthless when tested (see on Rom 1:28; Co1 9:27; Ti2 3:8). Next: Titus Chapter 2
John Gill Bible Commentary
They profess that they know God,.... That there is a God; that there is but one, only, true, and living God, the God of Israel, as professed by the Jews; and that this God is Father, Son, and Spirit, as believed by the Christians: for the persons the apostle speaks of were judaizing Christians. Yet this knowledge was but notional; it lay in theory and profession only; they had not a spiritual experimental knowledge of God in Christ, which only has eternal life connected with it: but in works they deny him. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "in their own works"; they were not professed, but practical atheists; they owned there was a God, and boasted of their knowledge of him; but their lives and conversations showed that they had no true knowledge of him, and that the fear of him was not before their eyes; these gave the lie to their profession; they practically denied that faith they professed to hold, and the power of godliness, of which they had the form. Being abominable; in the sight of God, however esteemed by men; and notwithstanding the vizor and mask of sanctity and religion they put on, which could not screen them from the omniscience of God, who will one day declare he knows them not, and will bid them depart from him, being workers of iniquity. And disobedient; to God; to his law, and Gospel; to his ministers and churches; and even to parents and civil magistrates; for of this cast were the false teachers, and their followers, as maybe learned from many passages. And unto every good work reprobate: or "unaccustomed", unused to them, as the Arabic version renders it; or rather "without judgment", and understanding, concerning them; there was no good in them, nor was it in them to do good; to do good they had no knowledge, nor any inclination; they were unfit for it, and had not a capacity to perform it; they were not good themselves, and therefore could not do good; the tree must first be made good, ere its fruit will be good; they were without Christ, and without his Spirit, and grace, without which no man can do anything that is spiritually good; they had no true faith, and therefore what they did was sinful; they had neither right principles, from which, nor right ends to which they acted, and therefore were not qualified for the performance of good works; which require that men should be good men, created in Christ Jesus, be believers in him, and have principles of truth and love, and views to the glory of God. Next: Titus Chapter 2