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pt. 5 The Foolishness of Heresy – A Lawful Community of Election and Order

ReNEWed COVENANT Ministry

SABBATH BIBLE STUDY

10-15

(2020)

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com


A Community of Election and Order

(cont. from Why Can’t We Have Community?)

Part 5 

The Foolishness of Heresy 

(An expository reading of Titus)

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
Tit 3:12 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
Tit 3:13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
Tit 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
Tit 3:15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

We left of in verse 8 last week in which gave us a reminder of what the work of Christ does to all men who are able to see the kindness and love of God our Saviour .
A reminder that this Kidness and Love did not come from this one thing we did or two things we did or even the thoughts of our mind, no not of any action or work of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing that flows from God, that is him washing us with regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost as is done in washing away of the filth of our body.
Just like what water does to the fleshly body God does and did in the work of Regeneration by his kindness and mercy :
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is the preceding point Paul made in his introduction to the content of this letter in:
Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.
The determination of this Justification by the free-gift called Grace must find its promise and command before the world began and not in works of righteousness we have done to be consistent with this epistle, and therefore we as the Elect community who believe in the order of God standing sure by the Command of the God who does not lie acknowledge our promise of eternal life as being a commandment of God our Saviour, no differently we understand any one of the 10 commandments or any other commandment of God’s Law.

In this Commandment God justified us by his grace, that we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, this is foremost and first in the understanding of the Order of God, because it renders us, the sinners, as being just by the just one as to allow us to profit in maintaining ‘good works’.

Therefore it was after this reminder that Paul gave by this epistle to Titus to be given to the Overseeing Elder of elders to be ordained, that he bear this in mind in exhortation to his fellow elders to be diligent in the maintaining of the orders by the Law of God concerning first and foremost house hold discipline and self control, self government and family government leading to church government, which leads to national government just as is seen in the Law of Moses and the preferred establishment of the organic structure in a suitable higher-archy according to the Law of God.
Therefore in the exhortation, Paul links all of this together into the order of salvation from God’s predestine promise to his Elect, that that command would produce a heart that can receive and see (Tit_3:8) … a faithful saying… “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” TO which Paul adds “These things are good and profitable unto men. ”
Paul does not ever reverse the order of this matter, but rather he shows how to the faithful, this is a faithful saying… not so to the unfaithful, the unbeliever, but to the faithful only they will believe that as they have faith in God they should be careful to maintain good works, and those who are careful to do so will acknowledge with Paul that ‘good works’ are ‘good’ and profitable unto men.
The Apostle speaks of the profit which lawful deeds, works of righteousness, have to offer- “unto men” and not just to the ‘believer’ which is the one “careful to maintain the good works”- the believer is the careful one. But men will overall profit from the good works of God even if they do not believe.
The non-believer will not profit unto Eternal life, the non-believer will not profit unto justification, the non-believer will not profit unto Grace though he may do just acts, righteous good works, this will not produce profitable to pay God, because God has commanded and promised Eternal life according to his mercy, his kindness and Love to saved us… Not by works of righteousness which we have done or the un-believer can do or will do; nevertheless despite the inability for these good works to profit unto Salvation they are profitable for men, but most especially for the carful believer who is faithfully committed to commandments of God his savior.

Paul speaks of the contrary and opposite happening to these Elect Families under the headship and authority of these Overseeing Elders, and so in direct connection to 3:8: …be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
We read:
Tit_3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

We have 4 foolish things listed
1. questions or disputing (not just the asking of a question but the controversial question)
2. and genealogies,
3. and contention, (those are literally sayings framed for contention)
4. and strivings about the law
All of thesse must first be maintained as FOOLISH ( G3474 ) μωρας / Moras is the word used here and it is no mistake that it is a Feminine adjective in relationship the 4 points. Moras, or the neuter ‘Moron’ means Moron… fool. But deeper this Greek word implies a thing that is shut or hidden in the sense of a ‘mystery’.
And so these controversial questions, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law are shut matters on their face, they are a foremost foolish, and those things which will have no open answer to them.
The simplicity of the avoidance of:
1. those shut and foolish moronic questions which are designed for contentions that have no answerability.
2. those shut and foolish moronic genealogies, which are designed for contentions that have no answerability.
3. those shut and foolish moronic contentions, which are designed for more questions that have no answerability.
4. those shut and foolish moronic strivings about the law which are designed for contentions that have no answerability rather than searching the scriptures of the Law to find the answer the LORD has set forth.

It is important to know that these 4 things when they are not moronic or foolish are not strictly forbidden as the simplest reading of the book of Romans would produce, particularly in the answering of questions, and concerns about genealogy, which he does by answering ‘what others will say’ in Rom_9:19-20 and Rom_11:19, which are identical examples of the use of the word ereis / ερεις G2054 , which shows that Paul did not consider these questions foolish if they were answerable or open to biblical exegesis.
Paul even shows us an example of a contention one may say, consider this example of how continuing the discussion of this shut matter which is a question, concerning genealogy which one is contentiously saying in striving about the law would be foolish, if pushed beyond the scriptural answer, Consider:

Rom_9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

This is a prime example to show the exact type of scenario Paul is telling the Over seeing Elder to avoid and to mark concerning members of his church and family even his children.
These types of challenges are ultimately against the choice of God in bringing about his purposes: There is no question if God Chose the 12 tribes of Israel from among all the people of the Earth and bestowed a particular Grace of Mercy upon them in the History of the world above all people which are upon the earth, it is a foolish question to say this is not so according to the scripture. And these types of moronic questions and genealogies and contentious sayings are strivings about the Law, are with God and not with men, about what is plainly said.

At a point in seeing this happen, it is realized that this is a deliberate choice of the questioner to not stop where the scripture stops in proclaiming a matter, or to not accept the clear wording of the scripture on a matter and to insist beyond what is stated to question, and contend against the Law of God.
In this context of Titus Epistle, These things are the opposite of what is good and profitable unto men. …For they are unprofitable and vain or empty.
This show the heart and mind of what the English bible calls a heretic , this word literally means a man who has taken another choice, it is the personal form of aih-rit-ezo ( G140 ) which is to select or make a choice. as it is derived from the root αἴρω /ai-rō ( G142 ) simply meaning ‘to lift or take up’, this term is applied time and again to simple things, like ‘lifting ones hand’ or ‘lift up the voice’, but it is also used when we are told that Jesus is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Joh_1:29 as an example we are going to come back to and finish with.
But in the context of these 4 foolish things listed :
1. questions,
2. and genealogies,
3. and sayings framed for contention
4. and strivings about the law
The man who chooses this type of sectarian foolishness which is unanswerable and thus moronic is a danger to the church structure as it is headed by Christ’s choice to save his Elect and seated in the Family order by the Law of God.
And the Over seer is charged with identifying this person and Admonishing him, that is literally an attempt to bring this person to repentance of this choice.
To Admonish in Greek is literally nou-thes-ian G3559 and it is the act of placing one’s mind in awareness to this foolish choice, just as repentance is mata-noe-o to change Over-Seer and Titus being told to try 1 and 2 times to admonish this perceived ‘believer’ to correct his ways.
Now remember these are foolish questions, and foolish genealogies, foolish contentious questions and foolish strivings about the law particularly.
And as has been the focus of this whole ordination of Oversight by the Family Elder it is to correct this type of un-sound doctrine, as the Overseeing Elder of Elders was one who was Tit_1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Tit_1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not…
And so these heretics are either those of the family who have fallen and thus they are relatives : children and grandchildren, nieces or nephews of the Elder being exhorter to admonish, and thus having the headship and authority, the principality and magisterium of the 5th commandment , that is as a father who needs be honored as his principality, why one ought to answer to him. Or in the case of one who is out side of the over sight and thus one who is out side of the headship of this particular father, if it is another man’s child, under his authority he will take the matter to his families jurisdiction. But if this is a non-church member and one not perceived to be a believer and not a member of this elder persons family his goal is more patient. in that he is not dealing with a heretic but with a heathen. So pains must be made by this steward of God to show the offer of repentance by answering questions by showing sound doctrine, exhorting and convincing and stopping the mouth of the Gainsayers, unruly, vain talkers and deceivers, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not. Thus the over seer, the elder and the young man must make consider who it is they are speaking with by the form of speech they are using and an honest attempt to sit the person down and take their mind to the place of consider the matter being answered.
For in the case of one who persists in a foolish or shut matter time and again, especially on these prior 4 points, we are assured in:
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Joh_1:29, and 1Joh_3:5, and Col_2:14 to claim this choice as one you have made and not Christ is above all other choices- to be the ultimate heretic.

 

 

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About JS Lowther

Foremost I know that I am a chief sinner saved by Grace. I am a servant of YHWH Almighty the one true God Who is Father, Son and Spirit. I believe in God's only begotten and perfect Son Jesu(s) Christ whose redemption power of my soul I have Faith in and testify of. Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ, I wish to no longer spend my time in the lusts of the flesh and of this world, but to promote the Gospel of the Kingdom by means of the knowledge of the New Covenant, a reNewal of the Covenant God made with his people Israel in the blood of Christ (Jer 31:31 and Heb 8:8) whereby He writes His Law upon the Heart and Mind beside the forgiveness of sin and transgressions. I believe Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God as the WORD made flesh, and the son of man born of the virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit: I believe Christ Jesus Lived a perfect life for us as a living sacrifice as well as a pattern of the Sanctified newness of life a believer has in Him, I believe Christ Jesus died a cursed death on the Cross for His people of Covenant who are sinners, and I believe in Christ Jesus who Resurrected with power from Death from the grave to Justify the offenders. This is the same Jesus who is indeed the Son of David and king of Israel, who is both LORD and Christ over all the kings and dominions of the earth! In the fullness of time YHWH will regather his people under the Head of the Church, Jesu(s) Christ to affect his will according to the Lord's prayer, Psalm 2, 8 and 110 as well as Genesis 1:26. The focus of my administration of the Gospel is like unto my Lord's who said "I have come not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.."(Mathew 15:24), and so I have come to my European kinsman according to the flesh. It is my mission to show the Israel of God the Salvation which is taught by Scripture Alone and offered in all ages by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in the work of Christ Alone to the Glory of GOD Alone. As a modern day Puritan separatist it is my goal to purify the church of Christ with Faith heretofore stated. I am studying to show my self approved, if you have any questions just ask!

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