Titus 1:10-11 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:… 1. In that the first thing taxed in these false teachers by the apostle is disobedience, we learn THAT DISOBEDIENCE COMMONLY IS THE GROUND OF FALSE DOCTRINE. For — 1. It is just with God to give up those to errors and delusion that receive not the truth in the love of it, for wheresoever it is received in love obedience cannot but be yielded unto it. 2. The nature of sin is ever to be excusing itself, and is loath to be crossed, although never so justly, but studieth how to defend itself as long as it can, even by wresting the Scriptures, and by taking up one error for the maintenance of another. 3. The tenor of Scripture joineth these two together (2 Peter 2:1, 10, 12; Acts 13:8, 10 3John 9). II. PREACHERS WHO THEMSELVES ARE DISOBEDIENT UNTO THE WORD, FOR MOST PART BECOME IN THEIR MINISTRY NO BETTER THAN VAIN TALKERS. 1. In regard of themselves, being vain glorious persons, affect applause rather than godly edifying, which is a most vain thing. 2. In respect of their labour, which is all in vain, never attaining the end and right scope of the preaching of the gospel unto salvation; for he that soweth vanity what else can he look to reap? 3. In regard of the hearers, who also spend their pains in vain: they hear a great noise and pomp of words, and a glorious show of human wisdom, which may wrap the simple into admiration, but they are left without reformation; their ear is perhaps a little tickled, but their hearts remain untouched; neither are their souls soundly instructed nor fed with knowledge, but they go away as wise as they came.These Paul calleth vain talkers and vain janglers (1 Timothy 1:6), and again, profane and vain babblers, and that justly. 1. Because their puffed discourses proceed from the profanity of their hearts. 2. They are as strange fire from the Lord's altar, opposed to that which the Lord hath sanctified to the salvation of His people. 3. They are so far from the edifying of the Church that they cause men to increase unto more ungodliness and profaneness. III. HOW DID THESE FALSE TEACHERS DECEIVE MEN'S MINDS? 1. By suppressing the truth; for by their vain jangling and speaking, liker poets, philosophers, historians, than prophets, apostles, or any successors of theirs, they made a cleanly conveyance of the light from the people, and, withholding the truth and light, they led them from Christ, from the right knowledge of the Scriptures, from sound godliness and religion in judgment and practice, and so they remained as dark in their understanding, as erroneous in their judgments, as froward in their affections, and as wicked in their lives as ever before. 2. By flattery; for they would not deal directly against the sins of the age, as godly ministers do, but deceitfully, that they might not displease; herein imitating Satan himself, who was wont of old to answer in riddles, as he answered Cresus, that if he would transport himself over the river Halys he should overthrow a most mighty kingdom, namely, his own. But Micaiah will not deceive nor flatter with Ahab, although it stand upon his life. 3. By letting men see their estate in false glasses, so as they never see the truth of it, for people taught by fables and novelties think, and are borne in hand, that they are in heaven's highway; their souls are brought on sleep, and coming from such frothy discourses, they sit down and please themselves in that they have done their task required, especially if they can bring home a jest or some witty sentence, when perhaps they scarce heard a word of Christ, of their justification, of their mortification, or of their glory. 4. By placing religion in bodily exercises, not in matters of spirit and truth (Colossians 2:20); thus did the Pharisees in their times, the Papists in these, and whosoever urge the decrees of men more than the commandments of God. IV. BUT WHOSE MINDS ARE DECEIVED. 1. First their own and then others, for they are blind leaders of the blind, deceiving, and being deceived, and although our apostle expresseth not here who they be that are deceived, yet elsewhere he doth, as Romans 16:18, "they deceive the hearts of the simple," and 2 Timothy 3:6, "they lead captive simple women," and 2 Peter 2:14, "they beguile unstable souls," whence we see that ignorant, inconstant, and unsettled souls, which hand over head receive any doctrine without examination or trial, whose simplicity disableth them to judge between truth and falsehood, and whose levity makes them like shaken reeds, these are the carouses on which such vultures do seize. (T. Taylor, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: |
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