In the first chapter of Titus, Paul instructs his young disciples regarding false teachers who attempt to add some particular deed, practice, or ritual to the saving message of Jesus Christ. He calls these false teachers “dangerous dogs” and says they must be silenced in the church because of the damage they do to whole households and the faith of individual believers. Then, in verse 13, he commands Titus to “rebuke them as sternly as necessary.” This phrase is a present imperative and could be rendered: “Keep on rebuking them sharply.” The severity of the danger calls for the severity of action. But as sharp and harsh as this may sound, the intent was restorative, not punitive or vindictive. Paul follows these apparently harsh words with a gracious purpose clause— “so that they will be sound in the faith.” That is an important reminder that sharpness is not always cruelty. A surgeon with a scalpel wants a patient healed, not harmed, even if there is a bit of wincing involved along the way.

This is most convicting to me. Paul is instructing Titus and me on the importance of caring for those who oppose us and the gospel. We will encounter opposition both within the church and outside the church, yet to love the Gospel and follow in the Lord’s footsteps is to love our enemies and present the gospel truths that may capture the hearts of our enemies. That is what makes Christians different. There is no greater instrument for change in the lives of others than for them to realize we are legitimately concerned for their welfare. If we respond to our theological opponents like irritated drivers honking at us at a four way stop, we are guaranteed to lose the moral high ground. But if we respond like Christ, we have at least given them no excuse to stay hardened. And if we respond with graciousness, it might even confuse them long enough for a seed of truth to slip into the crack left by the surprise.

Kent Hughes speaks my mind in his commentary on this passage. He writes, “I confess that I find this hard when people are attacking me, are saying what I believe is wrong, and are opposing the gospel as I understand it. I cannot contend that gracious living is easy; it is necessary only if I understand how God treats me. I am also not always true to the gospel in thought, word, and deed, and yet God acts graciously toward me.” We should pray that the church would be filled with those who understand the same about themselves and that, as a result, such words and deeds of grace will flow from them and that the church will be forged into a mighty, united force for the gospel. This is one way we should apply Jesus’ instructions, “But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven…” Matthew 5:44-45