“A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject;
knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sins, being condemned of himself.”
(Titus 3:10-11)
Heretics abound. And as we can see from Paul’s warning to Titus in today’s text, this is a fact not to be taken lightly. Those who defend a position, opinion, or judgment contrary to the established doctrines of the Christian church, after “the first and second admonition,” are to be avoided at all costs, for heretics are steeped in error that leads to hell. They take truth for falsehood and falsehood for truth. They are characterized by errors of judgment, which are actually worse than errors of practice for when the conscience concurs with and consents to sin, then the man thinks he ought to do what he does.
To obstinately defend an error in insignificant matters makes a man a divisive, argumentative person. But to obstinately defend an error in matters essential and fundamental to the faith makes a man a heretic and sets him on a course of destruction, for heretics are given over to error and marked for eternal condemnation (Jude 1:4).
How vehemently should we defend the faith against heretical teachings? The primitive fathers spent a great deal of time and most of their zeal addressing heresies and errors. All the churches to whom the apostles wrote letters were expressly warned either positively to stand firm in the truth and hold fast their profession… or negatively to beware of and avoid false teachers, and not to be thrown off course by various and strange doctrines. In addition, it was concluded in the 39th Session of the Council of Constance that at least as often as every tenth year a general Council should be held to investigate and reform such errors that might arise in the church in their day.
What are some steps we can take to protect ourselves against modern day heretics and heresies? 1) Ensure that you take great care to be established in the truths of God (2 Peter 1:12) and exercise repentance, faith, and daily examination, for corrupt teachers lure unstable souls. 2) Gain an experiential knowledge of God (Eph. 3:17) and grieve when you see the truths of Christ corrupted (Rev. 11:3). 3) Despise every sin (2 Tim. 2:19). 4) Try the spirits (1 John 4:1). Every man pretends to speak by the Spirit, so we are to measure their doctrine against the rule of God’s word. 5) Beware of communion with false teachers (Rom. 16:17; 2 John 1:10) and be diligent to make use of the Ministry.[1]
And finally, remember what Thomas Hall said, “When we perceive that men are obstinate and incurable we must leave them lest we be infected by them,” (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10).[2]
Contemplations:
- Lord, it seems that idolatry was the prevailing sin of the Old Testament. And heresy – the headstrong defense of anything contrary to the fundamental doctrines of Scripture – appears to be the prevailing sin of the New. Who would desire to take such an errant stance but the devil and his followers?
- Lord, heretics abound in the church today. The Socinians deny the deity of both Christ and the Holy Spirit. They reject the doctrine of the Trinity, and they even deny that Christ has merited anything for his people. The Papists, besides their many fundamental errors like justification by works, are abominably idolatrous in their worship. And of all false teachers this last age has afforded, I do not know any more pernicious than Libertines, who promote a wholesale disobedience and disregard of God’s Law, errantly believing that they remain in your good graces regardless of how they choose to live.
- And then there are the Antinomians who reject the very notion of obedience under a false pretense of advancing Christ and free grace. Some even believe themselves to be perfect and free from all sin, as the glorified are in heaven. What are these people thinking Lord?
- Finally, what of the Remonstrants that exalt man’s free will? They say that the efficacy of conversion depends upon man’s will, so that it is effectual to conversion if a man will, and ineffectual if he will not. Have they not read the Bible? Do they not understand the sovereignty of the God of heaven?
- Lord, keep me from error.
Further references for Titus 3:10:
2 John 1:10; 1 Cor. 11:19; 1 Thess. 5:14; 1 Tim. 1:20
[1] Edward Leigh, A System or Body of Divinity (London: A.M., 1654), cf. 358–359.
[2] Thomas Hall, Exposition upon the Third and Fourth Chapters of the Latter Epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy (London: E. Tyler, 1658), 440.
