Naming and Engaging Our Opponents
Titus 1:10-16
Pastor Gary Kniseley
04/27/25

Introduction / Context:
Have you ever trusted a product that

great on the outside, but turned out to be a total

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?

Even today, there are spiritual leaders who look good on the

, but are spiritually

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.

Scripture Reading:
Titus 1:10-16
¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. ¹¹ They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ¹² One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Big Idea:
Sound doctrine

the church against destructive

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.

False teachers tend to be very

in the Word and they draw an audience to feed their

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and

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. (vv. 10-11)

Titus 1:10-11
¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. ¹¹ They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

False teachers within the

must be

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. (vv. 12-14)

Titus 1:12-14
¹² One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

The goal in correcting them is

in nature.

False teachers will

themselves by their

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. (vv. 15-16; Lk. 11:39-41)

Titus 1:15-16
¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Luke 11:39-41
³⁹ And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

Not all who

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Christians are truly Christians. (Mt. 7:21-23)

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Living It Out:
1. In a world full of spiritual

, the church must stand

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in the truth.

2. Be

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to studying, knowing, and living the

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of God’s Word for the sake of Christ and His church.