Titus 1:10,11: For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
These unruly and vain talkers and deceivers are working within the Christian church. This is evident from the instructions the Apostle Paul gives to Titus in this epistle:
- Ordain elders in every city, who are blameless in life and sound in doctrine (verses 5 through 9).
- It is primarily these godly elders in the Christian churches who are given the duty to exhort and to convince these unruly and vain talkers and deceivers of their errors.
- Elders reprove within Christ’s church. This is where the vain talkers are doing their mischief, subverting whole households.
What are some warning signs of unruly and vain talkers in the Christian church?
- They do not hold fast the faithful word. They do not hold fast to sound doctrine. (verse 9) Instead they have some new thing, some complicated thing, or some secret thing to teach.
- Their talk is unruly (verse 10). These false teachers may claim much authority for themselves, but do not personally submit to authority.
- Their talk is vain (verse 10). The teaching of those whose mouths must be stopped does not lead to true godliness and sanctification of those who listen to their teaching. To the contrary, these teachers will substitute their invented standards for the commandments of God. (Titus 1:14 – . . . Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.)
- Their sinful lives show them to be deceivers. (Titus 1:16 – They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.) Christ says that we shall know such men by their fruits.
We bemoan the fact that such false and wicked teachers exist in the professing Christian church. It is not enough to simply lament this fact, but it is a duty also, in our places and callings, to strive against such false ministers and elders: whose mouths must be stopped (verse 11). May God enable His true ministers and elders to be valiant for truth, and to stop the mouths of those who seek to subvert the faith of God’s people.