Titus 1:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

NIV: They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

NASB: who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.

CSB: It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly.

NLT: They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money.

KJV: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

NKJV: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Paul argues that the false teachers, referred to in verse 10, need to be "silenced." This is not a call for violence, which would conflict with the qualifications for leaders given earlier (Titus 1:5–9). Instead, the emphasis is on stopping the spread of this false teaching within the house churches on Crete. Prior verses explained that Titus was to "rebuke" falsehood as a way of correcting it.

Paul also provides a compelling reason to oppose these pretenders: they are dividing families and taking advantage of people. These men were deceiving for financial gain, by spreading false teaching. These three problems were already addressed as character flaws which would disqualify someone becoming an elder (Titus 1:5–9). Paul refused to let such men serve in church leadership.

Verse 12 will explain that these false teachers were not foreigners. They were residents of Crete. These people of the "circumcision party" (Titus 1:10) were probably Jews who had converted to Christianity, or even pretended to convert. Then, they told Gentiles that it was necessary to follow Jewish Law in order to obey Christ. Paul clearly reminds Titus this is not the true "good news" of Jesus. Instead, the gospel was for Jews and Gentiles. Jesus came to complete the Law, not to make Gentile converts slaves to it.

Titus 1:10–16 explains the proper way to deal with false teachers. On the island of Crete, some men taught that circumcision was required for Christians, which caused entire families to fall apart in argument. Titus is commanded to counter these claims strongly—to “rebuke them sharply.” The purpose of this response was to lead people to correct doctrine.

Chapter 1 introduces the letter from Paul to Titus. Paul describes the requirements for being appointed a church leader, such as an elder or pastor. The text then transitions into a description of how to “rebuke” false teachers. These are the requirements Paul expects Titus to follow when selecting leaders for the local churches of Crete.

Chapter 1 focuses on the character traits of a church leader, contrasted to the immoral culture of Crete. Specific instructions are given for elders, and a means for dealing with false teachers. Chapter 2 explains the ideal traits of church members, especially in their acts towards each other. Chapter 3 will focus on the relationship between Christians and their surrounding culture.

The book of Titus is a letter written by the apostle Paul, to a Christian leader on the island of Crete. This is one of Paul’s three Pastoral Epistles, where he offers instructions to younger believers caring for large groups of others. Paul uses the book of Titus to emphasize the importance of selecting church elders carefully. Many of the topics discussed in Titus are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. Though the details of this message are specifically for Titus, and the believers of Crete, they offer insight useful for churches today.