Titus 3:9–11

⁹ But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. ¹⁰ Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Commentary

Vs. 9 “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.”

In closing his Epistle to Titus, the Apostle Paul now gives him a finial exhortation on leadership, telling him not get entangled in all of the doctrinal nonsense that is out there, especially what was then being propagated by some believing Jews who were then trying insert their own Jewish doctrinal flavor (or speculations on a variety of things) into the Christian house of faith. And so, Paul warns Timothy to, “avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.” Again, the faith has been delivered once and for all time to the saints, that is God’s people, through God’s Son and His chosen Apostles whose writings we have in the N.T. Scriptures. Therefore, neither you nor I need to listened to, or heed anyone who tries to expound their own so called “spiritual” knowledge, and or their speculations about anything. Same with those who want to insert their own ideals, commandments, doctrines, and or traditions into the faith. For none of these does our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ command, or even want us to submit ourselves to, (consider Matt. 15:8-9; 16:5-12; 2 Cor. 11:3-4; 11:19-21; Col. 2:8-10; Heb. 13:9 etc.).

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰ Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Here the divisive person, the argumentative person, the person who’s always interrupting others to expound their nonsense, the person who simply will not grow in the knowledge of God’s truth given us in the Scripture peaceable with others, but is ever challenging His Word, His Son, and or His leadership. And so, this is not a matter of having questions and seeking answers, which is always good, no this is a matter of their being divisive, of their refusing to stop doing so even when they are admonished to do so. And so, such people who are only sowing the seeds of discord and disharmony or doubt in people’s hearts and minds, who are only trying to get brethren to side with them; and this often on insignificant or irrelevant matters; are only revealing themselves for what they truly are, and that is warped and sinning, being self-condemned, that is condemned by their own words and deeds. Therefore, all such people are to be rejected after two admonitions, because they themselves are not submitting themselves to the Word of God, and so they will only harm the faith and peace of others if they are allowed to remain.

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.