Special thanks goes to Pastor Joseph Coachman, a local IHOPer, whose preparation for today’s class is used to summarize much of our conversation. There are a few places that I have added my notions. A’one, a’two. . . “we a’thank you, Joseph!.”  Pastor Bill

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

IHOP BIBLE STUDY
#4, Titus, "Final Instructions" – with commentary. The purpose of the Letter to Titus is to examine, "Administration of the Church in General."  Today's study is the 4th of 4 sessions

 

According to our Study Chart –

	4 Sessions Administration of the Church in General
		Session 4th  of 4 Final Instructions
How to deal with false teachers					Final instructions
Things to avoid conflict			Guidelines for dealing with controver-sial people	The affects describing such people	Titus is invited to come to Nicopolis to spend the winter with Paul	Request to send support people	Guidelines for productivity	Greetings and a benediction with Grace
3: 9			3:10	3: 11	3:12	3: 13	3: 14	3:15

 

ABOUT THIS SCRIPTURE

              Our IHOP conversations this morning were spirited, cogent, and honest. As the guide for this group I am proud of ever participant. WES

I.          What are the expectations of Believers?

              JC: Be Humane in all things doing good, providing daily necessities, living productive          lives that show the Gospel.

A.         Vss. 3: 9 – 11,  Research, and write a short paragraph about the nature of the            “false teachers” in Crete

JC:        Vs. 10,   The nature of the “false-teachers” The false teachers then troubling the church in Crete are characterized by three adjectives. They are (1) insubordinate – that is, they do not submit to the teaching laid down by the apostles and acknowledged in all the Christian churches – they are people who indulge in (2)empty talking – that is, their teaching has no true value; it does no one any good – and they are (3)deceivers – that is, they mislead. They seek to make people believe that they are teaching the truth, when they are not. And, alas, there were many of these people.

              They formed a party. They belong to the “circumcision group” indicates that this party of false teachers was Jewish Christians. Paul would not be saying that all the false teachers belonged to the circumcision group if they were not obviously making much of their Jewishness. Vs.11, The influence of these men had already been devastating for Christian families on Crete – setting family members against one another – and that for mercenary motives.

Paul doesn’t say how these false teachers were to be silenced, though he gives us an idea later when he speaks of sharply rebuking them or those who are listening to them.

VS.13, These false teachers are characterized more by their Cretan culture than by their Christian profession. (By Rev. Dr. Robert S. Rayburn: http://www.faithtacoma.org/content/2006-02-26-am.aspx)

 

1.         Vs. 9, Why are these things unprofitable and worthless?

JC:        They do not lead to living the humane life; for to living self-centered, i.e. sinful live, living the lie that I self is more important and others, even the “law” is not humane (self-loving and freeing) but binding, thus the Law become ‘human bondage,” not a key to humane living.

2.         Vs. 11, Ground the following words in Gut Trip Analysis

Perverted:

              To put the self above another; to keep the Good news from being present. To be so self-convinced that what you currently believe is “the only way” that you will not listen to, or even consider any deeper or contrary thoughts or ideas.

WS:  Recently, my new word for our missing the mark is “Independence.” When we seek to live independently from God we are living the perverted life. We are created, our “Is-ness” is to live dependent on God who is experience as Perfect At-One-Ment.

 

 Sinful:  (Be careful of Head Trip Analysis. Ask the question, “How do I experience this?”)

              To be or do something purely “human,” or animal like, and thus destroy the “humane” presence of Christ in the situation, i.e., when I put my needs/ desires above the other persons.   promoting the lie that I am #1.

WS: Sin is a state of being—we are born sinners living separated by our gender, race, culture, language, education, etc. One IHOPer was quick to note that as Christians we are “new born.”  For me, this is experienced as becoming awakened (or re-awakened) to living “dependently” on God.

 

Self-condemned:

              The reward for the deed is in the deed itself,  human acts result in human responses; humane acts (love) result in rewarding Christ-like responses. The person (false teacher) who is closed to new ideas has closed off him/herself and isolated themselves.

WS: Other IHOPers added, “Saying one thing and doing another,” or, “Action speaks louder than words,” or, “Don’t do I as I do, but do as I say.”

 

B.        Vs. 14, In light of Gut Trip Analysis, how do you characterize such people as Paul     describes here?

JC:        They would be “saints” believes in action, demonstrators of the humane life. It seems that the end result is the “productive life,” which means that it is important to know what life is FOR. The end results of our actions is never any “reward,” other than all we do, or should be done, to make our lives productive, but not to the self, but to the living body of Christ. I would be more than simply “faith in action,” but rather the reverse. Our lives would be “actions or faith”  expressed in all we do.

WS: My contribution to this conversation is that Paul is characterizing those living dependently on God. One IHOPer observed that saints are those who live the humane and productive life doing what God is blessing.

 

C.        Vs. 15, If I was walking down the street and saw someone given the “grace” what     would I be seeing?  (Keep this Gut Trip too, please.)

JC:        You would be see no one doing their own thing, and everyone doing Christ’s thing…  visible love and caring, like ending poverty, because everyone having everything they need, the necessities of life, and sharing that with others. You would see the Kingdom of God demonstrated by humans living humanely.

 

WS:  I’ve taken the liberty of sharing an email written to Pastor Joseph about this paragraph.

Joseph --

              You left your notes behind this morning. You deserve an A++ for your preparation. Do you mind if I use a lot of your material for the week's publication "with commentary?"

              Joseph, I've read over your responses and it pleases me that we resonate so well. You intuit "Gut Trip Analysis," in the same way that I do. This method is so on target that it is painful for me to see others struggle with it. When they let go of some ancient prejudices best described as "Head Trip Analysis," they will discover the power of the Gospel. Amen?

              There is only one place I'd like to push your thinking and that is related to the "grace" question in I-C. Your reply:

              Do you mean to imply that when grace is given to us that we do these things? You come close to this perspective when you write, "You would be seeing no one doing their own thing. . . and everyone doing Christ's thing."

              Grace is experienced as judgment, and it involves our "Is-ness." When we fulfill our intended purpose of living the humane and gracious life working for justice and mercy, then the judgment is we are "doing Christ's thing." When we fail to share "with others," then the hunger of others is the grace that judges us for our failure to fulfill our "Is-ness."

              What do you think?

 

WS: Concerning the nature of grace:

         One of the contexts I set this morning concerned the nature of the individual living in a “dependent” relationship with God.  The dependent person is the one who lives in her/his freedom because everything is turned over to God. This context has been explored in the Gut Trip experience of glorification in which the surrendered life turns over all of their gifts and graces as well as all of their horrendous, hidden, and shameful things; God get it all. When we do this it is like God saying to us, “Well, it’s a bout time I get all of your, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now I can make you a useful instrument.

              In addition to this I want to add another dimension that the surrendered life does not find its significance is self-justification; our only justification is in fulfilling our intended creation living the humane and gracious life working for justice and peace.  1) In fact, the dependent life lives not only between Right and Wrong, but also we live between Right and Right, and Wrong and Wrong.  2) The dependent person lives in the tension between looking to others like “irrationally obedient” people, or like “irresponsible fools.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer helps us here in this chart developed from his thinking of “Doing the Necessary Deed.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FOUNDATION OF CHRSTIAN ACTION FOR

DOING THE NECESSARY DEED

This is based on the ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

The two main points to be made:

1) For those living the surrendered life there is no self-justification.

We live dependent on God.

2) To do the Necessary Deed we find ourselves

living in the ambiguity of Right and Right or Wrong and Wrong.

When we do this, to those observing us we can

look like those who are the “Irrational Obedient,”

or like the “Irresponsible Fool.”

 

 

II.         Reflect on the following:  (GETTING THE BIG PICTURE) **

             Part 2 is an exercise in reflecting on the assigned reading through a method of identifying the "Deep Problem" faced by the early church. Sometimes this is known as identifying the underlying contradiction. This is usually hidden behind some particular manifestations. Paul usually addresses this hidden agenda in his "solution" that he offers. Consequently, it is necessary for us to examine his solutions, and then back up to reflect on what is the deeper problem actually being addressed. Usually, this reveals some new insights.

A.         What is the SURFACE PROBLEM that is manifested? 

WS: Confession is good for the soul. I’m uncertain just what the “surface problem” is in this last part of Titus. However, I think Pastor Joseph is on target here.          

            Check out the following Vs. 3: 12?

JC:        The FALSE TEACHERS and those leading the people away from the Gospel.

 

 

 C.        IDENTIFY THE DEEPER UNDERLYING CONTRADICTION facing the Cretan             Church. What is the DEEPER, MORE HIDDEN, agenda that Paul seeks to address        with his solution?

            Use your intuitions to identify the deeper problem.

              What is the implied “DEEP UNDERLYING CONTRADICTION?”

            Check out the following Vs. 3: 11

JC:        The people IN the church, who have been led into false beliefs by the “false teachers”.  These people are seeking leadership in the new church, and Paul wants to keep them out of leadership so that their theology and be corrected:  first by getting rid of the false teachers, and then by confronting those brothers/sisters who have been led astray of the Gospel.  They get two chances to “return tot the faith” and then they are chalked off.

              Paul has already condemned the divisive people and is not willing to even try to correct them; they made their choice, be done w/ them and get them out of the church. No attempt to resolve any conflict, just get rid of the divisive people.

 

WHICH OF THE FOUR MASTER PROBLEMS DOES THIS ISSUE REPRESENT? **

__X_ False Teachings     ___ Moral Decay  ___The Corrupt World  __  Church Division

 

B.         What is the SOLUTION Paul offers to address the Deep Problem? Speculate on       what Paul is suggesting the solution

            Check out the following Vss. 3: 9 - 10

JC:        The divisive are to be warned, and dismissed. Sounds like a good case for “shunning” as an acceptable practice.  Not very “grace-filled” or humane, but they are to be treated as poison to the body, and removed as quickly as possible.

WS:   There is one caveat to be thought through here. What is the role of judgment, and how does it play a role in healing and health. Often we talk about “tough love.” Is Paul’s recommendations along this line. How do we draw the line between being “in-humane” and “loving?”

 

WHICH OF THE THREE MASTER SOLUTIONS DOES THIS ISSUE REPRESENT?**

_X__Create Authentic Ministry   __Use Spiritual Weapons  ___ Utilize Consciousness Raising

           

Now, reread Paul's solution to see if it makes sense.  

 

          Alright folks, talk to me! 

 

** Use the  "Problems and Solutions" chart previously sent to you. This chart is available in the archived materials at www.triumc.org/web1/biblestudy. Look for the Chart link.  WES