Jesus and the Word of God. The traditions of the Pharisees and of the present day are

an example of the former, while modernism is an example of the latter.

As before mentioned, in Paul's day we have the beginnings of error which afterwards

developed into what is known as gnosticism. Broadly speaking its basic ideas were that

matter is evil and only spirit is good, but by special knowledge of a kind known only to

the initiates, the spirit of man might be released from its material bondage and rise

upward to God through various mediators of their own devising. Thus it denied the

possibility of a real incarnation, for God, being holy, could not be regarded as coming

into contact with evil matter such as the body.  It also sets aside the one Mediator,

Christ Jesus. So redemption by blood was ruled out and a blow struck at the very

foundation of Christian Truth.

It is important to note too that John, in his first epistle, combats the same error,

insisting that it was the spirit of antichrist that denied that Jesus Christ had come in the

flesh (I John 4: 1-3; II John 7) and as the epistle closes, he reiterates the word `know'

as a challenge to the false teachers (I John 5: 2, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20).

All this was what Titus and Timothy as instructors and leaders had to face, hence

Paul's insistence on sound or healthy doctrine. "My doctrine", he calls it (II Tim. 3: 10),

or the `form of sound words which thou hast heard of me' which must be held fast (1: 13).

It was the `testimony of the Lord' passing through His prisoner (1: 8), and as such has

been the standard of truth for this age against which all Christian witness and service

must be measured.

Paul designates the opposers as `abominable, and disobedient and unto every good

work reprobate' (Titus 1: 16). Adokimos is the word translated reprobate; literally `not

approved', the very opposite to the unashamed workman of II Tim. 2: 15.  But in

contrast the Apostle exhorts Titus to "speak the things that become healthy doctrine"

(2: 1).  If the reader consults the structure of the epistle given at the beginning of this

series, he will see that this member "C" balances 2: 15 - 3: 1, where again Titus is

encouraged to `speak, exhort and rebuke with all authority', and the context gives the

same healthy doctrine dealing with the One who has redeemed us from all lawlessness

and purified to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (verse 14). Sound or

healthy doctrine occurs four times in the Pastoral Epistles as follows:

A |

I Tim. 1: 10. Any other thing contrary to sound doctrine.

B

| Titus 1: 9. Sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers.

| Titus 2: 1. Speak things which become sound doctrine.

A |

II Tim. 4: 3. They will not endure sound doctrine.

Doctrine or teaching is referred to four times in the epistle to Titus (1: 9; 2: 1, 7, 10).

Sound doctrine is now expanded and brought to bear upon the conduct of those who are

elderly both men and women (2: 2, 3), then the young women and young men (4-6), and

slaves with respect to their masters (9). The elderly men are to be sober. This is not the

translation of sophron, discreet, but nephalious which comes nearer the English sober