Not everyone in the church is a good person. Not everyone is saved. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing purposely trying to do damage. The Church leadership needs to be on alert and have systems in place to prevent people from getting hurt. Nothing is fail-proof, but the church needs to be more discerning. If it isn’t, whole families will be swept away and destroyed.
TITUS 1:10-11
“For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”
Unrealistic Rules
In the early days of the church, there were Jews who were teaching Gentiles that they needed to be circumcised and followed the dietary law. They were leading whole families astray, and worse was that they were doing it for personal gain. You could spot them because they rebelled against the church leadership, were all talk and no action, and told half-truths. Paul was dealing with these people in many of the churches he started. Gentiles who were worshipping in freedom were being put under the bondage of the law by Messianic Jews, and he is warning Titus to watch out for them.
Be Aware of Snakes
These types of people still exist. They are power-hungry people who concoct unbiblical rules to control groups. They are smooth-talkers who never accomplish anything of value but always promise and never deliver. Be aware of these snakes. They are pseudo-Christians who lure away weak and new believers and lead them away from the church. Sadly, these people are dumped soon after when the person loses interest or is exposed.
Be More Discerning
The church needs to be more discerning. Test the person and be slow to put people into power. We often make people sit in our church for six months before we let them serve. We want to see their attendance and how they get along with others. Then we offer them an entry-level position to see how they react. If they respond like it is below them, we know they are bad news. Most snakes don’t have the patience to wait for their opportunity in the sun. Your church may need workers, but a bad worker is worse than a no worker.