What is the meaning of Titus 1:14? Pay no attention Paul tells Titus to guide the Cretan believers so they “will pay no attention” to certain teachings. The phrase is active and deliberate—turn your ears away, do not give these ideas oxygen. Just as 1 Timothy 1:4 warns against “myths and endless genealogies,” and 2 Timothy 4:4 pictures people “turning their ears away from the truth,” the apostle insists that genuine faith requires disciplined focus. Giving time or curiosity to deceptive ideas quickly muddies clear convictions, so the safest path is conscious avoidance. Jewish myths These were extra-biblical stories, embellished legends, or speculative traditions that had grown up around Old Testament characters and laws. While sounding pious, they distracted from Christ and the gospel. Colossians 2:16-17 reminds believers that the ceremonial shadows have been fulfilled in Jesus; adding layers of myth only blurs that fulfillment. Peter echoes the same concern when he writes, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths” (2 Peter 1:16). In every age, even well-intentioned religious tales can pull hearts from simple trust in Scripture’s plain teaching. Commands of men The danger is not only fanciful stories but also man-made rules. Jesus confronted this directly: “You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). These regulations often appear rigorous, but they are powerless to change the heart (Colossians 2:20-23). The gospel offers transformation by grace; human commands offer conformity by pressure. When believers elevate human standards to divine status, they step onto the shaky ground Paul warns against. Who have rejected the truth Those spreading myths and man-made commands are described as people “who have rejected the truth.” This is not about minor misunderstandings; it is a willful turning away. In 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul says that “some will depart from the faith and follow deceiving spirits.” Truth is not merely information but the very revelation of God in Christ (John 14:6). To reject it is to abandon the only solid foundation for faith and life, leading others into the same ruin. summary Titus 1:14 calls believers to intentional discernment—refusing to entertain religious myths or human-devised rules, because both spring from hearts that have turned from the truth. Scripture alone must shape belief and behavior, guarding the church’s purity and keeping every eye on Christ, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). |
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