This testimony is
true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
Titus 1:13
Dear Heavenly
Father, although I and my family face adversity, I'm secure in my faith and
trust in You. I give You all the honor
and glory. Continue to protect us. Thank You for all the kindness and healing
that You have given us. Please help me
to stay diligent in my study so I will draw closer to Your will. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.
We are still in the
body portion of the letter which focuses on doctrine and encouragement. "This testimony is true" refers to
the previous verses. The testimony is that
Cretans are liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. To bring deeper understanding to today's
text, let's examine some key words and their companion or similar verses.
"Testimony"
in the Greek is maturia which means
witness, evidence, reputation, evidence given.
"True" in the Greek is alethes
which means unconcealed, true in fact, worthy of credit, truthful, true as it
accords to fact, what can't be hidden, stresses undeniable reality when
something is tested and ultimately found as fact. The evidence demonstrating that Cretans are
liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons has been proven true as an undeniable
reality.
"Rebuke"
in the Greek is elegcho which means
expose, convict, discipline, show as guilty, convince with solid compelling
evidence, prove wrong, admonish, reprehend severely, chasten, punish. "Sharply" in the Greek is apotomos which means abruptly, curtly,
severely, precipitously. Expose the
Cretans to these facts immediately.
"Sound" in
the Greek is hugiaino which means
healthy, I am right, reasonable, pure, uncorrupted, in good working order, free
of debilitation. "Faith" in the Greek is pistis which means belief, trust, confidence, fidelity,
faithfulness, persuaded, come to trust, a gift of God not produced by people,
guarantee, divine persuasion. Witness to
the Cretans so they may be uncorrupted and free from doctrinal error.
For most people, the
easier road is to ignore laziness, corruption, or brutality from fellow
employees than to address the issue head on and honestly. This avoidance will always lead to more
difficult struggles later on to the point where good employees leave. We must stick to the facts when acknowledging
these problems and avoid making it personal.
We must hold people accountable to their responsibilities and their
failures.
As a Christian, this
accountability is just as difficult.
When we discover other believers in sin, we tend to not meddle stating
it's none of our business. However, if
one Christian wallows in the World, that act will show badly on the church and
Christ. Furthermore, this Christian
could drag others along with them and turn away unbelievers from the
faith. Shining light on sin is never
easy and always difficult, but avoiding it is just as bad as the sin.
This description is
true. So rebuke them sharply so that they will be sound in the faith and free
from doctrinal error,
Amplified Bible
