Christian Or Cretan?

[Semachiah]

Shalom,Scripture references are from,The SET (Stone Edition Tanach) or the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) for the OTand the PNT (Power New Testament ) for the NT unless otherwise specified. Tit 1:5. I left you in Crete for this purpose, so that you would correct what still remains to be set in order and you would ordain elders in every city, as I directed you, 6. if someone is blameless, husband of one wife, has children who are believers, with no charges of debauchery or being undisciplined. 7. For it is necessary for an elder to be above reproach as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious and combative, not fond of dishonest gain, 8. but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined, 9. holding fast the word of faith according to the doctrine, so that he would be able to exhort with sound teaching and to convict those who speak against it. 1:10. For there also are many undisciplined people, idle talkers (Mt 12:36,37) and deceivers, especially those from the circumcision. 11. It is necessary to silence them, who because of dishonest gain are overturning whole houses by teaching what is not proper. 12. A certain prophet of their own said of them, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.” (Epimenedes, “de Oraculis”)13. This testimony is true. For which reason you must continually disprove them sharply, so that they would be sound in the faith, 14. not giving heed to Jewish myths or to commandments of men when they turn away from the truth. 15. All things are pure to the pure: but to those who have been defiled and without faith nothing is pure, but they and their mind and conscience have been defiled. 16. They profess to know God, but they are contradicting themselves by their works, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.I don't know that I have ever heard someone teach about this passage without that they concentrated on the role of the Elders which they may also call Bishops or Presbyters. There is a problem however when they do this! Most interchange Elder, Bishop and Presbyters but they are different words in the Greek. The Greek for Elder and Presbyters is presbyteros while for Bishop the word is episkopos. Even though their meanings are similar they simply are not the same word and therefore should not be translated as the same or they will add confusion to The Scriptures. In Judaism an "Elder" would not have been used in reference to anyone under the age of sixty years old. In the Greek the word presbyteros is a reference to...1) elder, of age, a) the elder of two people b) advanced in life, an elder, a senior 1) forefathers2) a term of rank or office a) among the Jews...whereas an episkopos is...1) an overseer a) a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent b) the superintendent, elder, or overseer of a Christian churchTherefore all I really want to say here is that they are not the same word and should not be used interchangeably!Rather than spend a great deal of time on the positions of the Elder and the Bishop I would that you look to verse 10 where we see that Paul is again addressing issue differences between Jews and CHRISTians...Tit 1:10. For there also are many undisciplined people, idle talkers (Mt 12:36,37) and deceivers, especially those from the circumcision. 11. It is necessary to silence them, who because of dishonest gain are overturning whole houses by teaching what is not proper. 12. A certain prophet of their own said of them, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.” (Epimenedes, “de Oraculis”)13. This testimony is true. For which reason you must continually disprove them sharply, so that they would be sound in the faith, 14. not giving heed to Jewish myths or to commandments of men when they turn away from the truth. 15. All things are pure to the pure: but to those who have been defiled and without faith nothing is pure, but they and their mind and conscience have been defiled. 16. They profess to know God, but they are contradicting themselves by their works, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.The first "issue" that Paul calls forth is that as a CHRISTian one is to be "disciplined or subjected to control". This is a continuation of the thought that he presented in verse 1 where he referred to himself as a doulos/servant or as we discussed in Choose this day, a "bondservant" (one who chooses to serve or is subject to another). It has become apparent that Paul sees a much higher level of discipline being required of one who follows the example of Y'SHUA than he sees upon the life of a Jew. The Jew has The Torah and the rabbinical laws and teachings to follow. They are rather clear cut and strictly enforced. The CHRISTian does things that adhere to the teachings and example of Y'SHUA not because it is "required" but because they make a conscious choice to follow. There is not imposed upon them an external "law or requirement" but they want to submit themselves to this lifestyle. As a former athlete I understand this concept. I did not have to discipline my body as to what I ate, how much and when. I did not have to discipline my mind to exercise at certain times and in certain ways that would push me physically but I made these choices and many others in order to advance to higher levels mentally and physically. As a CHRISTian one "chooses" to accept the lifestyle example that Y'SHUA lived as their own. Many do this verbally and yet never progress beyond that. Others discipline themselves in some areas and yet not others. Few "sell-out" or give all that they have and/or are to not only talk the talk but to also walk the walk! Even fewer will continue to walk-the-walk when it goes against what they want. Even though King David had many faults he was still considered one that was seeking the heart of YHVH; he was one who was going "after YHVH's heart". David attempts to express this when he wrote...Ps 27:7 Listen, ADONAI, to my voice when I cry; show favor to me; and answer me. 8 "My heart said of you, 'Seek my face.'"Your face, ADONAI, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, don't turn your servant away in anger. You are my help; don't abandon me; don't leave me, God my savior. 10 Even though my father and mother have left me, ADONAI will care for me. 11 Teach me your way, ADONAI; lead me on a level path because of my enemies 12 don't give me up to the whims of my foes; for false witnesses have risen against me, also those who are breathing violence. 13 If I hadn't believed that I would see ADONAI's goodness in the land of the living, . . . 14 Put your hope in ADONAI, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in ADONAI! Y'SHUA gives expression to these thoughts when He states...Mat 10:34. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the Earth: I did not come to bring peace but war. 35. For I came to set one against another ‘a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,36. and a man’s enemies will be of his household.’ (Mic 7:6)37. The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me: 38. and who does not take his cross and follow behind Me, is not worthy of Me. 39. The one who has found his life will destroy it, and the one who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”As one attempts to follow the lifestyle of Y'SHUA it is likely that you may come in conflict with the very same people that have been close to you. Possibly those who have raised you! When Y'SHUA called some to follow Him they requested of Him that they be allowed to do this or that first. These were unwilling to become subjected to the will of another; these were unruly or undisciplined. When Y'SHUA called those who would become known as "The Disciples" (the disciplined ones) they would leave whatever they were doing to follow Him. When He called Simon Peter, Andrew, his bother as well as James and John they did exactly this (Mat 4:18-22). In another instance a soldier; a centurion came to Y'SHUA seeking healing for his child because he understood that Y'SHUA was so disciplined to YHVH that even healing was an authority that He had been given...Mat 8:5. And when He came into Capernaum a centurion came to Him, begging Him 6. and saying, “Lord, my child has been smitten in the house by paralysis, fearfully tormented.” 7. Then He said to him, “When I come I will heal him.” 8. Then the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof, but You must only say a word, and my child will be healed. 9. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under myself, and I say to this one, ‘You must go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘You must come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘You must do this,’ and he does.” 10. Then when Jesus heard He was amazed and said to those following, “Truly I say to you, I have not before found so much faith in Israel. 11. I say to you that many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens, 12. and the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.” 13. Then Jesus said to the centurion, “You must now go. As you believed, it must instantly be for you.” And his child was healed in that hour.This centurion understood that the more disciplined one was the more authority they were given. He saw within Y’SHUA that he processed the authority that if He would simply speak forth healing that then it would be accomplished. Y’SHUA termed this level of understanding of the concept of discipline as “great faith” and He was amazed that a non-Jew was the one who processed it.Would Y’SHUA be amazed at your faith? Tit 1:15. All things are pure to the pure: but to those who have been defiled and without faith nothing is pure, but they and their mind and conscience have been defiled. 16. They profess to know God, but they are contradicting themselves by their works, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.The things that we do; our works, demonstrate our faith; they demonstrate our discipline. Our faith is an act of offering ourselves to the service of YHVH through the sacrifice of YHVH’s Lamb. It is the act of placing ourselves into servitude as a bond servant, as a servant by choice, to YHVH. Once we are in service to YHVH then we do things as HIS servants. In other words then acts of service follow us that demonstrate that we are in service to YHVH. Acts cannot place us into service to HIM they only occur after we are attached to HIS service.Tit 1:15. All things are pure to the pure: but to those who have been defiled and without faith nothing is pure....No matter what one does before they come to accept the Only and Final offering of YHVH's Lamb it is wasted, it is futile or useless. One can only approach YHVH, enter into HIS service or bind their selves to HIS service if they do so in the manner HE has set forth. They can only enter into HIS service; they can only be bound to HIM if they will discipline themselves to do things HIS way. Anything else is futile!Tit 1:16. They profess to know God, but they are contradicting themselves by their works, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.Any other way but through Y'SHUA is being disobedient, unfit and detestable to YHVH.Faith offers you to YHVH for service. It tells YHVH that you are willingly offering yourself to be disciplined to do things for HIM in HIS way. Works demonstrate to others that you are serving HIM.As Paul addresses Titus he is lining out for him the need for "Discipline Ones" to be placed in high levels of authority in Crete. He does so because even other Cretans have declared that they are an undisciplined group of people. Even their own declare that they are liars seeking only personal gain.Cretans are working to make something for their own benefit. They are working first to make something that will profit them later. They are putting the cart before the horse!CHRISTians offer themselves to YHVH through the sacrifice of The Lamb that YHVH gave. They first accept HIS offering of love for all of mankind, HIS payment for their services if they will willingly enter into service to HIM. Through this offering HE agrees to repay all of their debt if they will discipline themselves to serve HIM.Are you one "Disciplined through Y'SHUA to serve YHVH", are you a CHRISTian or are you a Cretan?

 

[Two-Edged Sword]

Wow, that's one long paragraph.... Seems to have some good insight but the layout makes it too difficult to analyze