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Jeff Chamblee The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions.
Alex McFarland welcomes you to another edition of Exploring the Word
Welcome to Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Well, good afternoon everybody. Alex McFarland here, and we welcome you to another edition of Exploring the Word. We are starting a new book today. We finished the Old Testament Book of Numbers. Bert Harper and I spent quite a number of weeks going through that wonderful book and now we're going to be back in the NewSong Testament and we're going to look at a small book, but my goodness, it is power packed. The Book of Titus. The Epistle of Paul to Titus. Now this is what, it's just three chapters. It's very brief, but my goodness, there's so much rich content in there. And you've tuned in at the right time because you've not missed anything. We're just beginning. And to help me today, Tuesday and Wednesday is Dylan Burroughs. Bert is traveling and so Bert will be back later on in the week. But, Dylan, you're a frequent, frequent, help to us here on Exploring the Word. We appreciate you and it's great to have you back on Exploring the Word, Dylan.
Alex McFarland Oh, great to be with you as always and especially as we start a new book.
A New Testament letter called Titus contains some very powerful material
A NewSong Testament letter called Titus, one of the Apostle Paul's last letters. Some very passionate material and very relevant material to our culture, as we'll see in a moment today.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. just 46 verses. I mean, it's very, very brief. but, it's, it's really powerful. And we're going to see, and let me read, what is really the greeting. The first four verses is, you know, the opening salutation. it says, Paul, a bond, servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. In other words, one who saw the risen Jesus. That's what an apostle is, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness in hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie. I, love that. Titus 1, verse 2. God cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested his word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God, our Savior. Now, who is the Savior? It's Jesus here. Titus 1:3 affirms, the deity of Christ, God our Savior. Jesus is fully God, fully man, but not fallen man. Most, Unique life ever lived. The incarnate Lord Jesus. Verse 4. To Titus, a true son in our common faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Every Christian came to salvation through faith in Jesus, says Dylan Burroughs
Hey, by the way, before I throw it back to Dylan Burroughs, verse 4. Titus, a true son in our common faith. Do you know every Christian that's ever lived came to salvation the same way through faith in Jesus. Jude, verse 3. Another one of the very brief NewSong Testament books. But Jude says that we're to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. The death, burial, the resurrection of Christ. Dylan, I love the fact that in so many places the NewSong Testament, Titus 1:4, among them. But the NewSong Testament refers to this gospel, this good news that is faith in the risen Jesus. It's not up for revision. It's not twisted or reinvented, deconstructed and spun. No. The common salvation, faith in the one who paid our sin debt on Calvary's cross. And right here in the first four verses, this opening greeting, there's a library of gospel truth just in these first four verses, isn't there?
Alex McFarland Yes. There's so much here. And one thing I love you mentioned in this verse 4. Titus, a true son in our common faith. There are only two people that the apostle Paul calls a true son in our common faith. One is Titus here, and the other is Timothy. We have First Timothy and Second Timothy. And these three letters together are known as the Pastoral Epistles. Three of the final letters the Apostle Paul wrote. This one was written in about the mid-60s, between Paul's first imprisonment, his house arrest that we read about at the end of the book of Acts, and his. His second imprisonment that we read about in Second Timothy. And we see this clear message of who Jesus is, the message from the very beginning, the gospel that's clearly about the resurrection of Jesus Christ's literal resurrection. But also more than that, it talks about themes that are key in the early church and things that are relevant to us today.
There's a growing concern about the shortage of ministers in the United States
Just as we get into this section, starting in verse five, about church leaders, it reminded me of a study I saw that came out just [email protected], a leading news website that talked about the shortage in pastors here in the United States. It says, oh, yes, America's pastor pipeline is collapsing. And that between 2020 and 2024, that at major seminaries enrollment fell by 14%. And that there's a growing concern about the shortage of ministers in the United States. So what we're talking about Here is not just something from the mid-60s, 2,000 years ago. We're talking about something that's impacting our local churches. Now, perhaps your church has been in a, pastoral situation where you're changing leaders or situation of transition. This is very common. And the qualifications we are about to talk about are essential in choosing the leaders for your congregation that will impact the next generation of the church in America and beyond.
No matter what your age, there is ample opportunity for ministry
Alex McFarland Well, Dylan, I'm glad you brought that up and not to get us off track, but, I want to encourage everybody listening that no matter what your age or what season of life you're in, if you're a born again believer, there is ample opportunity for ministry. And some of the men listening, be open to the fact that God might call you into the ministry, into the pastoral ministry. Dylan, I remember for years they said among Baptist churches that like 20% didn't have a senior pastor. And now it's maybe up as high as, you know, 25 plus, maybe even in some localities, 30%. And so, if you do have a pastor, a good, ah, faithful shepherd over your local church folks, thank God for that. And you know, I've participated in a lot of ordinations. It's a beautiful thing when a man answers the call to full time Christian ministry. And men, be open to the fact that God might call you to the pastorate.
Paul sent Titus to Crete to set in order church structure
But, you know what, what's interesting, on three different occasions, Paul, sent Titus to Corinth, for one thing, and this island of Crete, located in the Mediterranean Sea, you know, it was kind of famous because, like in Acts 2, verse 11, it mentions some, Jews from Crete were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the day the church was birthed. But let me read on and Dylan and I will comment a little bit on the assignment. Paul says to Titus, for this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. And it goes on and it talks about some of the qualifications and then some of the tasks and assignment, if you will. Let's talk about, this phrase, I left you in Crete to set in order the things that are lacking. What's fascinating to me, Dylan, I love words, I really do. But, the phraseology there in, Titus 1:5, set in order in Greek, it's orthopedic. And we know an orthopedic doctor can set a broken bone, or an orthopedic surgeon can, you know, repair Damaged bone. Well, Titus was on an orthopedic mission here to set some things in order that needed, the structure of God to be a fruitful church. I m think that that picture we can relate to the orthopedic setting in order.
Alex McFarland Yes. That idea of organization is a big part of what the Apostle Paul talks about here. And I want people to understand the significance of this. Because sometimes we look at this and we think of Crete as this little island with one little church and one little village. But if you look at the passage, it talks about setting, elders in each city. So this was a place where there were multiple local congregations across the island. And Titus was responsible for helping appoint the leaders in each of these local churches that likely met in homes. So this is a significant, call that Titus was given near the end of the Apostle Paul's life. And what it came down, interestingly enough, is that the focus is on doctrine and the focus is on character. Now, obviously you had to be able to teach as an elder in a local church. But when you look at the qualifications, most of these are focused on matters of the heart, the way you live your life. And a very compelling calling that still challenges us today. So I want us to look at some of these, and you've read a little bit from it. But I want to, look at a couple of the verses. Starting in verse six. it says if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop, another word for elder, must be blameless as a steward of God, not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, just holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Now, that's a mouthful, but that is the calling of a person who leads a local congregation. And of course, if it's the calling for the leaders of the congregation, there are also traits that the rest of us in the congregation should be seeking to fulfill as much as we can as well. So we can look at some. The. Some of these in a little more detail. But the focus here on being blameless, these things of not being greedy, not violent, being hospitable are the focus here that we often overlook today in our churches, where the. The shift is sometimes to external things. How fancy you can speak. Maybe a fog machine in Your church depending on the congregation.
Alex McFarland Subwoofers.
Alex McFarland Yeah, the subwoofers, the stage, the clothing somebody wears. but the matters of the heart are central. And I think that's what I want to emphasize here as we talk about Paul's communications to Titus, is that they weren't concerned as much about the externals. They were focused on what was in your heart and how you lived your life. As a calling and challenge to us today, it's an important and beautiful thing still.
Alex McFarland Well, it really is. in my translation here, verse six, if a man is blameless, it doesn't say sinless, because even a born again Christian can commit sins. Now, obviously it shouldn't be habitual and we're supposed to confess our sins and turn from them. but blameless, Dylan, it really speaks to the character and right away, because character. Nowhere is character more vividly demonstrated and I think determined than in the home. The husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or insubordination, like, you know, recklessness, and, you know, wasting away and, you know, living for sin. Because here's the thing, and I know, I want to be very clear, I know that many times, children of pastors and ministers kind of, become prodigal. And Dylan, I think that's. I think Satan especially attacks the family of a minister. But verse six is speaking to the character of the one. Because if you're going to try to impart godliness, righteousness, Christianity to church members, you ought to be able to impart it to the members of your household as well. Is that what it's saying, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Yes. And you see this contrast here between a believing household and a rebellious household in the Greek text, that's the contrast that's high highlighted is believing in rebellion. So a person who's leading in the local church needs to have a family who's behind him, a family of believers. But if you're known as being rebellious, as a family member, that's one of those things that can disqualify you from church leadership as having a family that's rebellious against the Lord or you being rebellious against the Lord. So we have to consider that as a top priority, the situation of a person's family. Of course, we're not perfect. We have challenges of all kinds trying to live out our lives for the Lord. But it's, that's the idea of your reputation. So, we want to look at that more when we come back because that's just one step. It's not just about only being blameless, but it's about some of these characteristics that follow that and give us insight today. So we'll talk about these more here on Exploring Word when we come back. Stick with us.
The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations
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Dr. Jessica Peck Just because I'm a believer doesn't mean I don't forget Then my heart is a, deceiver there's doubts in my head But I belong to a redeemer who's not finished with me yet I could break it all and he'd make it all new that's the gospel
Alex McFarland truth Amen the gospel truth we belong to the redeemer hey, we're going to continue in Titus, here, Dylan Burroughs and I, but I want to tell, you something exciting. Every summer, I love to talk about this. It's called the Ten Commandments Project, and we're continuing the Ten Commandments Project this year, 2026. Now, what is this? This is going to warm your heart. Listen to this. it's really for children and youth. It's discipleship. And what Joseph Parker, idea originally, there's Ten Commandments essay. Ah, that, that kids, write a speech or have someone help them write a speech on the First Commandment. The First Commandment is this. You shall have no other gods before me. And so what we're asking the children to do is make a speech that's about three to five minutes. you know, it could be longer than that, but ideally about a three to five minute speech. And you can record this speech, maybe on your voice memo thing, and then forward that recording to faqfa.net that email will work. Faqafa.net or you can email J parkerfa.net and in the subject line, just put Ten Commandments Project Speech. And if you have any questions, Pastor Joseph Parker can be reached here at the ministry at 662-844-5036, extension 381. Let me give that again. If you have questions about this Pastor Joseph Parker here at AFA 6628, 445036 extension 3 81. And so, it's, it's just really cool. there' commandments project T shirt. A youth can win a free T shirt with the Ten Commandments on it by memorizing the Ten Commandments. Or your church or ministry could do a four week community outreach, sharing the Gospel and teaching the Ten Commandments to youth and children in your community. And if you want to get some clarification on that, again, Pastor Joseph Parker can help you in that regard. His email j parkerfa.net the thing that I love and Bert and I have played some of these in times past. Encourage youth that you know to get involved and write that speech or record it on. You shall have no other gods before me. And so you need to do this between June 1st and June 30th, 2026. That's the time frame, June 1st to June 30th, 2026. And every youth will get a bookmark. And some might win a T shirt as well. But Dylan, you know the idea and I know you've role modeled this wonderfully passing God's Word onto the youth folks. I say this often. Dylan hand copied the Bible to give to each one of his kids. that's a commitment to God's Word and that enthusiasm for scripture. I think the Ten Commandments Project will, God will use it to instill a commitment to scripture in the lives of a lot of young people. Exciting stuff, isn't it?
Alex McFarland Amen. And it's amazing to think of the power of the Ten Commandments. Still. Today we battle about it in the courts, whether we can have it in our schools and our courtroom sometimes. But the most important thing is to know what they mean, to live them out. And this is a great challenge for doing so. If you didn't catch all that, you can go to afr.net click on the Ten Commandments Speech Challenge. It has all the directions on how to submit your entry to get a free T shirt and other free resources. So we encourage you to do that and look forward to it.
Alex: Dylan, we've been talking about Titus in Timothy one
we're going to go back to Timothy one now and pick up where we left off before the break. We've been talking a little bit about Titus, this church leader in Crete toward the end of the Apostle Paul's ministry. That may not sound like a big deal to you today, but in that time he was a, strong church leader. He had been a strong part of the Apostle Paul's ministry. One of the key leaders in the church. And he was given the assignment to appoint leaders throughout his area who would take care of the local congregations. And we were looking at some of the characteristics there, Alex, and to me it's, it's impressive to see what the focus was, that it wasn't necessarily on how skilled you were, although skills are important, wasn't necessarily about external qualifications. It reminds me a lot of how God called David, where he tells, his anointing not to look at the outside, but that God looks at the heart. And that's what we see here. A lot of things that focus on the heart. Tell us a little bit more about some of these in verses six through nine.
Alex McFarland Well, and you know, before the break, you were talking about, you know, Crete. I mean, this was a big, big mission field, because the island Crete, over 100 miles long and 30 miles wide. I mean, this is a huge area of mission. And there's going to be a lot of things that are a part of this. Again, I said this little three chapter book is, is so rich. I mean, maintaining order in the church, the qualifications of elders, which we're in, in chapter one, the responsibility to preach the truth and to keep the church doctrinally pure and morally pure and to be a faithful example. But let me go to verse seven, chapter one for a bishop. And that's literally the word overseer. of course, that's what pastors do. They oversee blameless. Again, that speaks to character as a steward of God. Not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, nor greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, just holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word, as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Hey, let me say something here, and I'm going to go to First Peter for just a moment. In First Peter 3:15, very faithful, very famous verse. Be ready always to give an answer, right? And that's kind of the famous apologetics verse. Be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks the hope that you have. All right, that's content. Give an answer. But first Peter 2:15 says, this is the will of God, that by doing well, you will put to silence the arguments of foolish men. Dylan, very often Bert Harper and I have said this. We'll say, look, you can do apologetics, but you yourself are to be an apologetic. If we're going to talk it, we should live it. And in Titus chapter one is the Same way before they mention doctrine, although that's vitally important. in verse nine, before even doctrine is mentioned, though, there's character. I look at these things blameless. And let me just say there, there's a lot of incentives or motives to live a God honoring life. I mean, I'm assuming as a born again Christian, number one, put your faith in Christ and get saved. But as a believer, and certainly as a believer in a position of leadership, what's the motive for pursuing godliness? Well, one of the great motives is stewardship in verse 7, a steward of God. See, we're not owners, we're stewards, we're managers. we're not in the driver's seat calling the shots. We're obedient followers of Christ. And I think about this, and I'll throw it back to you, Dylan. But, in First Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, Paul says, We are not our own, were bought with a price. And, Dylan, the reality that Christ entrusts stuff to us, I mean, he's given us life. We have some time, we dare not waste it. We have family. We're to be faithful stewards of our family, our influence. Dylan. I think really the foundation, starting point of a, godly, fruitful life is, is really to view all of life in terms of stewardship.
Alex McFarland That's so well said. And our lives really are an investment. And we hear about financial investments, of course, that you want to prepare for retirement or invest your money well, to get the greatest return. But eternally we have an investment spiritually in the lives of others. That's far more important than any monetary investment we can make. And that's what's addressed here among the focus of leaders in the church, that your focus better not be on money as much as it is on the focus of the souls of men and women.
Verse 9 is this great, what I call a hinge verse
Verse 9 is this great, what I call a hinge verse. It's the connecting point between the positive traits that are proclaimed for the person who leads in the church. And then the, concerns that they talk about later in the chapter about false teachers who fail to live up to the task in the early church. So verse nine talks about something that you, talked about in verse, in 1st Peter 3:15, where it says in verse 9, holding fast the faithful word, as has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. So there are two parts there. There's one, being able to faithfully proclaim the message, to share the gospel, to say what the Bible says. But there's that second part that apologetics focus, that the late Norman Geisler uses verse a lot to emphasize that pastors are apologists. you can't get out of it by being a pastor. That's a key part of your message and it's a key part of your qualification. So if you're a pastor or church leader listening today, this is your calling to do apologetics as well. It's not your whole job, but it is part of job, and it's a key part that's identified here. And just before what we see starting in verse 10, where it talks about false teaching.
Dylan Burton: Paul talks about deceivers in the early church
So we want to go to that and talk a little bit about that as well. Alex, I want. I'll let you read the verses there, starting in verse 10. But, the shift is pretty stark here where it talks about the deceivers in the early church and what they were like and what our response should be to them.
Alex McFarland Yeah, you know, apparently Crete, was fairly, populous with people who didn't have character. And Cretans, were said to be, you know, prone to lying. And Anyway, I think as you understand that context in that culture, you begin to see why Paul emphasized so much on character there. And, And I do love the verse nine before I get into verse ten. You know, we are to proclaim sound doctrine, but we're also to be able to identify and refute false teaching, contradict those who convict, those who contradict verse 10. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision. Now that's, the Jewish teaching. and there. There were overt Jews that were trying still, even after the resurrection of Christ, trying to, you know, connect with God through ritualism and religion. But then there were those that tried to. The Gospel of grace add works. And you, see that battle going on throughout the NewSong Testament. Certainly in the book of Acts, verse 11, Paul says, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. Dylan, diplomacy was not on Paul's mind here, was it? We know he's writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These are the words God led Paul to write. But I Mean he pretty much he lays the cards on the table as they say, liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons, rebuke them sharply. and so listen, he didn't beat around the bush because what's at stake? The souls of people and the purity of the Gospel.
Alex McFarland Amen. And it's interesting, some people look at that verse 12 and they think, well that's a quote. Where is that from? Cretans are always liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons. Where is that? Well it's not in the Bible, but historically we found that that is in the writings of an ancient Greek writer. The Cretan poet that Paul quoted was Epimenides. He lived in the 6th century BC. he was well known during his time as a poet. And so to quote him was to quote like we would, something from popular culture that people would have been familiar with. But imagine this, you're a Christian in an island culture. You're trying to live for the Lord, but yet you're in a society where there's a segment of people who have that island ment, that life is a party, do what you want, live for the here and now. And Paul says that's the reputation people in this area have. But that's not what you're to be like if you're following Jesus and he goes in verse 13 like you just read, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. A person following Jesus cannot be someone who's known as being a liar, being someone who's lazy, being someone who's not living out the values of the Christian faith. This is something that contradicts what you stand for. So it's an inconsistent testimony that Paul speaks out against. And that was especially true when we're talking about selecting and appointing leaders in the local church. So it's a key part of the teaching here, but it's also a very important thing for us today because it addresses that half hearted attitude that we often see among American Christianity that we can believe in God, you know, kind of a faith and country type of cultural vibe. But it's not really something that changes our day to day lives. And that's, that's a danger if we don't go beyond just the cultural norms of this idea of Christianity, isn't it?
Alex McFarland Well it is. And let me say, you know, clearly, I mean I love the, the American church, been hundreds and hundreds of churches. But I've got to say this, and Burton, Bert and I have alluded to this a number of times that, the message of salvation is more than just believe in Jesus now to be saved, put your faith in Christ. And I believe Romans 10:13, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But really, salvation should include a commitment to service. Not that we're just passive spectators, but we're active participants. There's a quote we've used so many times by, Vance Havner. He was a famous evangelist, but he said most Christians are so sub normal that if you meet a Christian who's normal, people might think he's abnormal. And this idea that as a follower we're to be engaged and we have so many things in life, family, career, work, all those things. Of course. But Dylan, I believe every Christian should be a Great Commission Christian. I mean really, that, every believer should realize all that we do post salvation. Whether we live one month or six decades after salvation, we are to be Christ followers, Christ ambassadors, living for Jesus, part of a church and our life for the believer is to be contributing at least some way to the Great Commission. Hey, we're going to take calls and questions. No matter what your question, Dylan and I will be happy to hear from you today. The number. Listen to this. 888-589-8840 when we come back after this.
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Alex McFarland Oh, Lord, give me eyes to see
Dr. Jessica Peck what I need don't cost a Thing you fill my life with something money can't buy I'm done chasing us to go rip the price down on my soul? You feel my life with something money can't buy.
Take your calls this time during the program with Dylan Burroughs
Alex McFarland Welcome back to Exploring the Word. This is Dylan Burroughs with Alex McFarland, and we are here to take. Take your calls this time during the program. And if you haven't called yet with your question about the Bible or some other spiritual issue, perhaps related to the book of Titus, we've been studying today in chapter one, now is your chance. Give us a call. 8885-8988-4088-8589-8840. And I, hear we already have several calls in the line, so let's go to our first caller. Tell us who we have here.
Alex McFarland All right, let's go to Dennis and. Sorry, I'm having trouble here. Let's m. Go to Dennis in Missouri. Dennis, thank you for calling.
Caroline Hey, thank you very much. You're taking my call. Blessings to you both, your families and your program.
Thank you.
Matthew 24 says this generation will not pass away until the Lord's return
Caroline I got a. I've been, The other day, I don't remember who said it, but I heard it was stated that when, Israel is re. Established as a Nation in 1948, that this generation that sees this won't pass away until the Lord's return. Now, my question is, is that I. I know in Proverbs it talks about a generation is, in Psalms 70 years, if I raise their strength 80, would we be too far off to say that 80 years from 1948 would be like 20, 28. Would I be too far off in thinking along those lines?
Alex McFarland Good. Good question. A lot of people have. Have kind of wondered about this. this is famously, from Matthew 24. All right, there are a couple of ways to look at this. I mean, some have wondered, maybe it means that the, you know, the church will never be extinguished till, you know, all of history concludes. And that's Matthew 16:18, where Christ said that he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. One prophecy. Because some say, oh, well, this was fulfilled in AD 70 when, you know, Jerusalem was laid waste by Rome. Dylan, what do you think about. Some commentators say, well, there's kind of a double fulfillment, that the destruction of Jerusalem, in AD 70 fulfilled part of it. But then the rest of, this generation will not, pass away till all things be fulfilled. The generation that saw the rebirth of the nation of Israel, in the lifetime of some of those people, the End of time would come. we are still in what many call the age of grace, but really, the judgment is coming, the tribulation is going to come. I do think this is one of about half a dozen passages that are pretty, pretty tough to understand. I tend to believe that, you know, the, the birth, the rebirth is not the nation of Israel is one of the super signs, that we are living very likely near the end of history. But how do you handle this, Matthew 24 passage, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Right. And like you mentioned, there are a few different views that people usually take. One is that it was a first century fulfillment. You know, in AD 70, the Roman armies destroyed the Jewish temple and they say that was the fulfillment of it and that it's already done. I would say that that is an incomplete fulfillment. So at the very, you can say that maybe it's a partial fulfillment, but I don't think it really fits. The, second view is the one that was mentioned by our caller, this idea that 1948 Israel became a nation again after 1900 years. Now that's a prophetic sign. I would argue that's true. But this idea of this generation passing away would say, one generation after 1948, then this is all going to happen. Well, if that's the case, we have to be really, really close. So that would be the major objection there, that we're almost to the end of that generation and it hasn't happened yet. So possibly. But the more likely, scenario that other people take, and I would agree with, is the idea that when it's talking about this generation, it's talking about the Jewish people in general. And some people see that as challenging in the sense that, okay, how does that fit? But the context is king here. And it's really an argument the Jewish people will not pass away, no matter how bad anti Semitism is in some parts of the world, that the Jewish people will endure until God's plan is fulfilled at the end of time. And that's something I very strongly am convicted of. The more I read scripture from Genesis through Revelation that the Jewish people have a plan that is not complete yet, and God still has a plan for his people that he's going to bring to fulfillment just as he promised. And we're still seeing that unfilled today.
Alex McFarland Well, thanks for the call, Dylan. Thanks for, your contribution to that answer. Okay, Brent Austin, where do we go next?
Robert in Ohio says calling on church elders to pray for sick is not biblical
Alex McFarland All right, let's go to Robert in Ohio. Robert, thank you for calling.
Caroline Thanks very much. And that longtime listener and I just thank you for all your ministry.
Alex McFarland thank you.
Caroline God bless. I'm a very young deacon. Young, as in deaconship? we have a small local church. our pastors stepped down recently after 37 years because of health reasons. And it was plan, but, this past Sunday we had a sister come up and ask for anointing for a family member in the hospital. But she wanted to have it done to her and she would take that to the hospital. My conviction was that that's not biblical, but in the study I've done, I can't find it. And if it's not, how should they, they did do it? If it's not biblical, how should that be a threat?
Alex McFarland Great question. Dylan, I'm reminded of James, 5, 14 that says, is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5. And I would encourage people to read, James 5, 14, 16. You know, you got to appreciate this sister's heart of compassion. But, you know, I don't really think this fits what the NewSong Testament is saying. I think it would be fine to go get some leaders from the church, go to this person, you know, pray over this person. anointing with oil, I seen that done. I've, participated in that. But, I don't really believe you can impart, healing power that somebody could carry, and then impart themselves. as well intentioned as that might be, I just don't see that in the NewSong Testament, do you, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Yeah, that would be among the most shocking miracles in the NewSong Testament where you had a couple of cases where, you know, people were trying to get the shadow of Peter to fall on them to heal the sick or, people trying to heal from a distance like Jesus did. So that would be a very rare case, if that were to happen. So we wouldn't want to say that's the norm that we would call believers to do. And what you're talking about from James 5 is the more common thing, that we see the NewSong Testament teach, where you're calling on the elders to come and pray on behalf of the sick so that they may be healed. So we believe God heals and he does so supernaturally sometimes.
Alex McFarland Absolutely.
Alex McFarland And whether by miracle or by medicine, God can intervene however he wants. But, we want to be cautious in how we say that that happens. So we do the prayers and we let God answer in the way he wants. And we leave it at that. So I think that's the simplest way to address it.
Alex McFarland God bless you. Thanks for calling, sir. Okay, Brent, where to next?
Nicole asks which member of the Trinity do I pray to
Alex McFarland next up, I've got a question from Nicole on Facebook. She asks, to which member of the Trinity do I pray?
Alex McFarland Good question. We've had this a time or two. Well, one of the. One of the attributes of God is that God is indivisible. God can't be separated. There's one God. Deuteronomy 6:1:4. It's called the Shema. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Now, very often we pray, in Jesus name, because in Jon 15:16, Jesus says that we're to pray in his name. very often. You know, Dylan, I've heard people, and they certainly say heavenly Father, I actually believe, because the Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, God is not divided. I think you could pray in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, you could pray in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, you could pray to God the Holy Spirit. and in fact, you know, we sing a song, Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me very often. In fact, just yesterday, I was praying with somebody, and I said, God, by your Holy Spirit, draw this person back to Christ. So because of the triune, indivisible nature of God, Dylan, I think we could pray to any or all of the members of the Trinity. What say you?
Caroline You?
Alex McFarland Yeah. I think it's clear from the Bible that if God is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, that any of those three would be acceptable to pray to. We see specific times where we're told to pray in the name of Jesus, but it doesn't mean we can't pray to God the Father or to God the Spirit. they're all part of the one true God. So we're certainly safe praying to any of the three, even though we are specifically directed at times to pray in the name of Jesus. And that's an emphasis that we see in the Gospels and in the NewSong Testament in general, emphasizing his deity. So it's highlighting who Jesus is. It's not negating the the Spirit or the Father. So I think you've addressed that well.
Alex McFarland M. Okay, Brent.
One church in particular thinks a woman can be a pastor if she's watched
Alex McFarland All right, next is Canaan, from Kansas. Kanan, you had a question?
Caroline Hey, I appreciate you guys taking my call. My question has to do kind of with some stuff happening at our church here. I go to an amazing church, really blessed by our elders and pastors, but we're in a fellowship that's kind of going through this debate over complementarianism. And there, there's one church in particular who thinks that a woman can be a pastor if she is being watched by elders. I obviously were.
Caroline I.
Caroline Sorry, I don't fall in that camp. I kind of wanted your opinion.
Alex McFarland great, great. Ah, question. Because, you know folks, the, the battle has been egalitarianism versus complementarianism. And, by the way, I want to encourage people to, maybe you might want to Google the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I had several of my professors at Liberty University that were the founders of this, and of course my boss for eight years, James Dobson, contributed to this. I do believe in what is called complementarianism, that men and women are equal before God, equal in worth, value, dignity, heirs of the kingdom, equal in terms of salvation, but unique in calling and function. And, I love to recommend good books. And there's a husband wife team that has written a book on biblical manhood and womanhood. And, it's called God's Design for Man and Woman by Andreas Costenberger and, his wife, and I'm trying to remember her name, I think is Margaret. Andreas and Margaret Costenberger. God's Design for Man and Woman. Fantastic book, but I'm just going to say this and feel free anybody to disagree with me, but biblically and historically, the role of senior pastor was male. And you know, like here in Titus when it says the husband of one wife, I don't think a woman can be, quote, the husband of one wife. And I'm not being sarcastic, I'm just trying to be logical here. And really the idea of ordained female clergy and the insistence that, a woman be a senior pastor, it's not that scripture has changed or church history was wrong, but it's that really in the Western world, I would say the influence of the feminist movement over the last 60 years, the insistence of this enforced egalitarianism that men and women must necessarily be equal in all things. And, let me say we can't say enough about the contribution women make to the Great Commission. you know, Dylan, one of our mutual friends who was just an absolute giant in defending the faith, was norm Geisler. And Dr. Geisler, one of the greatest ever defenders of Christianity. He was led to Christ by a woman. Ravi Zacharias, was led to Christ by a woman. so in no way, in no way are we minimizing the incredible contributions of women to ministry. And to the Great Commission, but the local church pastor, as I read the NewSong Testament, is male. What do you say, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Well, yeah, and the biggest thing you have to deal with, if you take any other view, is the data in the NewSong Testament itself. In First Timothy 3 and in Titus 1, the only two places that it directly talks about the qualifications of an elder or the pastor of a church, it's specifically using male pronouns. So to do anything differently in terms of your application of pastoral leadership for women, you have to somehow redefine those passages to say that it was only, a cultural thing for that time and not for now, which is a really hard stretch. So some people do try to take that view and argue for that. I would argue alongside Alex that, biblically, we're told in the scriptures that the NewSong Testament elder, which would be the pastoral role in a church, would be male and male only. But that does not negate from women having other leadership roles in a church. There are plenty of other ways for women to serve that aren't a senior pastor or an elder type of position. And we should encourage women with those gifts to serve in those areas as God leads them to.
Dylan: In some churches, everybody prays at once
Alex McFarland Brent, do we have time for another question?
Alex McFarland All right, Carolyn, in North Carolina, we don't have a lot of time. Carolyn, what's your question?
Caroline I'll be quick. So I have a conundrum about the whole order thing that you were talking about. And I. I go to an amazing church now, too. But one of the things that I've noticed they do here and on a. In a couple of different churches, is that when someone prays, like when they start the meeting on Sunday, the service, somebody will pray and. And other people will also pray, all at the same time. And I. There's part of me that says that it's kind of that whole, how can I say amen if I can't hear you and can't understand you? Because there's 20 people praying at once.
Alex McFarland Yeah. You know, in Acts 2. 2, it talked about the sound of a mighty rushing wind. And I. I know everybody praying in unit praying all at once. It's. Some people say, oh, that's the sound of the mighty rushing wind. I've been in churches that do that. Dylan, I'm not saying it's unbiblical. Maybe it is hard to concentrate on your own prayers, though. but, I trust the church is a blessing to you. Hey, well, Dylan, thanks, for being with us, and we'll continue again tomorrow. We're gonna pick it up in Titus, chapter one, verse 14.
Dylan: Well, as we've encouraged you today, I hope
Dylan, give us a word as we close today.
Alex McFarland Well, as we've encouraged you today, I hope you will encourage others that Jesus is here for us now. And we encourage you to share him with others and join us again tomorrow. Thanks so much for being with us.
Alex McFarland The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
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Alex McFarland welcomes you to another edition of Exploring the Word
Welcome to Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Well, good afternoon everybody. Alex McFarland here, and we welcome you to another edition of Exploring the Word. We are starting a new book today. We finished the Old Testament Book of Numbers. Bert Harper and I spent quite a number of weeks going through that wonderful book and now we're going to be back in the NewSong Testament and we're going to look at a small book, but my goodness, it is power packed. The Book of Titus. The Epistle of Paul to Titus. Now this is what, it's just three chapters. It's very brief, but my goodness, there's so much rich content in there. And you've tuned in at the right time because you've not missed anything. We're just beginning. And to help me today, Tuesday and Wednesday is Dylan Burroughs. Bert is traveling and so Bert will be back later on in the week. But, Dylan, you're a frequent, frequent, help to us here on Exploring the Word. We appreciate you and it's great to have you back on Exploring the Word, Dylan.
Alex McFarland Oh, great to be with you as always and especially as we start a new book.
A New Testament letter called Titus contains some very powerful material
A NewSong Testament letter called Titus, one of the Apostle Paul's last letters. Some very passionate material and very relevant material to our culture, as we'll see in a moment today.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. just 46 verses. I mean, it's very, very brief. but, it's, it's really powerful. And we're going to see, and let me read, what is really the greeting. The first four verses is, you know, the opening salutation. it says, Paul, a bond, servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. In other words, one who saw the risen Jesus. That's what an apostle is, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness in hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie. I, love that. Titus 1, verse 2. God cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested his word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God, our Savior. Now, who is the Savior? It's Jesus here. Titus 1:3 affirms, the deity of Christ, God our Savior. Jesus is fully God, fully man, but not fallen man. Most, Unique life ever lived. The incarnate Lord Jesus. Verse 4. To Titus, a true son in our common faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Every Christian came to salvation through faith in Jesus, says Dylan Burroughs
Hey, by the way, before I throw it back to Dylan Burroughs, verse 4. Titus, a true son in our common faith. Do you know every Christian that's ever lived came to salvation the same way through faith in Jesus. Jude, verse 3. Another one of the very brief NewSong Testament books. But Jude says that we're to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. The death, burial, the resurrection of Christ. Dylan, I love the fact that in so many places the NewSong Testament, Titus 1:4, among them. But the NewSong Testament refers to this gospel, this good news that is faith in the risen Jesus. It's not up for revision. It's not twisted or reinvented, deconstructed and spun. No. The common salvation, faith in the one who paid our sin debt on Calvary's cross. And right here in the first four verses, this opening greeting, there's a library of gospel truth just in these first four verses, isn't there?
Alex McFarland Yes. There's so much here. And one thing I love you mentioned in this verse 4. Titus, a true son in our common faith. There are only two people that the apostle Paul calls a true son in our common faith. One is Titus here, and the other is Timothy. We have First Timothy and Second Timothy. And these three letters together are known as the Pastoral Epistles. Three of the final letters the Apostle Paul wrote. This one was written in about the mid-60s, between Paul's first imprisonment, his house arrest that we read about at the end of the book of Acts, and his. His second imprisonment that we read about in Second Timothy. And we see this clear message of who Jesus is, the message from the very beginning, the gospel that's clearly about the resurrection of Jesus Christ's literal resurrection. But also more than that, it talks about themes that are key in the early church and things that are relevant to us today.
There's a growing concern about the shortage of ministers in the United States
Just as we get into this section, starting in verse five, about church leaders, it reminded me of a study I saw that came out just [email protected], a leading news website that talked about the shortage in pastors here in the United States. It says, oh, yes, America's pastor pipeline is collapsing. And that between 2020 and 2024, that at major seminaries enrollment fell by 14%. And that there's a growing concern about the shortage of ministers in the United States. So what we're talking about Here is not just something from the mid-60s, 2,000 years ago. We're talking about something that's impacting our local churches. Now, perhaps your church has been in a, pastoral situation where you're changing leaders or situation of transition. This is very common. And the qualifications we are about to talk about are essential in choosing the leaders for your congregation that will impact the next generation of the church in America and beyond.
No matter what your age, there is ample opportunity for ministry
Alex McFarland Well, Dylan, I'm glad you brought that up and not to get us off track, but, I want to encourage everybody listening that no matter what your age or what season of life you're in, if you're a born again believer, there is ample opportunity for ministry. And some of the men listening, be open to the fact that God might call you into the ministry, into the pastoral ministry. Dylan, I remember for years they said among Baptist churches that like 20% didn't have a senior pastor. And now it's maybe up as high as, you know, 25 plus, maybe even in some localities, 30%. And so, if you do have a pastor, a good, ah, faithful shepherd over your local church folks, thank God for that. And you know, I've participated in a lot of ordinations. It's a beautiful thing when a man answers the call to full time Christian ministry. And men, be open to the fact that God might call you to the pastorate.
Paul sent Titus to Crete to set in order church structure
But, you know what, what's interesting, on three different occasions, Paul, sent Titus to Corinth, for one thing, and this island of Crete, located in the Mediterranean Sea, you know, it was kind of famous because, like in Acts 2, verse 11, it mentions some, Jews from Crete were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the day the church was birthed. But let me read on and Dylan and I will comment a little bit on the assignment. Paul says to Titus, for this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. And it goes on and it talks about some of the qualifications and then some of the tasks and assignment, if you will. Let's talk about, this phrase, I left you in Crete to set in order the things that are lacking. What's fascinating to me, Dylan, I love words, I really do. But, the phraseology there in, Titus 1:5, set in order in Greek, it's orthopedic. And we know an orthopedic doctor can set a broken bone, or an orthopedic surgeon can, you know, repair Damaged bone. Well, Titus was on an orthopedic mission here to set some things in order that needed, the structure of God to be a fruitful church. I m think that that picture we can relate to the orthopedic setting in order.
Alex McFarland Yes. That idea of organization is a big part of what the Apostle Paul talks about here. And I want people to understand the significance of this. Because sometimes we look at this and we think of Crete as this little island with one little church and one little village. But if you look at the passage, it talks about setting, elders in each city. So this was a place where there were multiple local congregations across the island. And Titus was responsible for helping appoint the leaders in each of these local churches that likely met in homes. So this is a significant, call that Titus was given near the end of the Apostle Paul's life. And what it came down, interestingly enough, is that the focus is on doctrine and the focus is on character. Now, obviously you had to be able to teach as an elder in a local church. But when you look at the qualifications, most of these are focused on matters of the heart, the way you live your life. And a very compelling calling that still challenges us today. So I want us to look at some of these, and you've read a little bit from it. But I want to, look at a couple of the verses. Starting in verse six. it says if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop, another word for elder, must be blameless as a steward of God, not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, just holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Now, that's a mouthful, but that is the calling of a person who leads a local congregation. And of course, if it's the calling for the leaders of the congregation, there are also traits that the rest of us in the congregation should be seeking to fulfill as much as we can as well. So we can look at some. The. Some of these in a little more detail. But the focus here on being blameless, these things of not being greedy, not violent, being hospitable are the focus here that we often overlook today in our churches, where the. The shift is sometimes to external things. How fancy you can speak. Maybe a fog machine in Your church depending on the congregation.
Alex McFarland Subwoofers.
Alex McFarland Yeah, the subwoofers, the stage, the clothing somebody wears. but the matters of the heart are central. And I think that's what I want to emphasize here as we talk about Paul's communications to Titus, is that they weren't concerned as much about the externals. They were focused on what was in your heart and how you lived your life. As a calling and challenge to us today, it's an important and beautiful thing still.
Alex McFarland Well, it really is. in my translation here, verse six, if a man is blameless, it doesn't say sinless, because even a born again Christian can commit sins. Now, obviously it shouldn't be habitual and we're supposed to confess our sins and turn from them. but blameless, Dylan, it really speaks to the character and right away, because character. Nowhere is character more vividly demonstrated and I think determined than in the home. The husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or insubordination, like, you know, recklessness, and, you know, wasting away and, you know, living for sin. Because here's the thing, and I know, I want to be very clear, I know that many times, children of pastors and ministers kind of, become prodigal. And Dylan, I think that's. I think Satan especially attacks the family of a minister. But verse six is speaking to the character of the one. Because if you're going to try to impart godliness, righteousness, Christianity to church members, you ought to be able to impart it to the members of your household as well. Is that what it's saying, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Yes. And you see this contrast here between a believing household and a rebellious household in the Greek text, that's the contrast that's high highlighted is believing in rebellion. So a person who's leading in the local church needs to have a family who's behind him, a family of believers. But if you're known as being rebellious, as a family member, that's one of those things that can disqualify you from church leadership as having a family that's rebellious against the Lord or you being rebellious against the Lord. So we have to consider that as a top priority, the situation of a person's family. Of course, we're not perfect. We have challenges of all kinds trying to live out our lives for the Lord. But it's, that's the idea of your reputation. So, we want to look at that more when we come back because that's just one step. It's not just about only being blameless, but it's about some of these characteristics that follow that and give us insight today. So we'll talk about these more here on Exploring Word when we come back. Stick with us.
The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations
The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net Listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.
Dr. Jessica Peck Just because I'm a believer doesn't mean I don't forget Then my heart is a, deceiver there's doubts in my head But I belong to a redeemer who's not finished with me yet I could break it all and he'd make it all new that's the gospel
Alex McFarland truth Amen the gospel truth we belong to the redeemer hey, we're going to continue in Titus, here, Dylan Burroughs and I, but I want to tell, you something exciting. Every summer, I love to talk about this. It's called the Ten Commandments Project, and we're continuing the Ten Commandments Project this year, 2026. Now, what is this? This is going to warm your heart. Listen to this. it's really for children and youth. It's discipleship. And what Joseph Parker, idea originally, there's Ten Commandments essay. Ah, that, that kids, write a speech or have someone help them write a speech on the First Commandment. The First Commandment is this. You shall have no other gods before me. And so what we're asking the children to do is make a speech that's about three to five minutes. you know, it could be longer than that, but ideally about a three to five minute speech. And you can record this speech, maybe on your voice memo thing, and then forward that recording to faqfa.net that email will work. Faqafa.net or you can email J parkerfa.net and in the subject line, just put Ten Commandments Project Speech. And if you have any questions, Pastor Joseph Parker can be reached here at the ministry at 662-844-5036, extension 381. Let me give that again. If you have questions about this Pastor Joseph Parker here at AFA 6628, 445036 extension 3 81. And so, it's, it's just really cool. there' commandments project T shirt. A youth can win a free T shirt with the Ten Commandments on it by memorizing the Ten Commandments. Or your church or ministry could do a four week community outreach, sharing the Gospel and teaching the Ten Commandments to youth and children in your community. And if you want to get some clarification on that, again, Pastor Joseph Parker can help you in that regard. His email j parkerfa.net the thing that I love and Bert and I have played some of these in times past. Encourage youth that you know to get involved and write that speech or record it on. You shall have no other gods before me. And so you need to do this between June 1st and June 30th, 2026. That's the time frame, June 1st to June 30th, 2026. And every youth will get a bookmark. And some might win a T shirt as well. But Dylan, you know the idea and I know you've role modeled this wonderfully passing God's Word onto the youth folks. I say this often. Dylan hand copied the Bible to give to each one of his kids. that's a commitment to God's Word and that enthusiasm for scripture. I think the Ten Commandments Project will, God will use it to instill a commitment to scripture in the lives of a lot of young people. Exciting stuff, isn't it?
Alex McFarland Amen. And it's amazing to think of the power of the Ten Commandments. Still. Today we battle about it in the courts, whether we can have it in our schools and our courtroom sometimes. But the most important thing is to know what they mean, to live them out. And this is a great challenge for doing so. If you didn't catch all that, you can go to afr.net click on the Ten Commandments Speech Challenge. It has all the directions on how to submit your entry to get a free T shirt and other free resources. So we encourage you to do that and look forward to it.
Alex: Dylan, we've been talking about Titus in Timothy one
we're going to go back to Timothy one now and pick up where we left off before the break. We've been talking a little bit about Titus, this church leader in Crete toward the end of the Apostle Paul's ministry. That may not sound like a big deal to you today, but in that time he was a, strong church leader. He had been a strong part of the Apostle Paul's ministry. One of the key leaders in the church. And he was given the assignment to appoint leaders throughout his area who would take care of the local congregations. And we were looking at some of the characteristics there, Alex, and to me it's, it's impressive to see what the focus was, that it wasn't necessarily on how skilled you were, although skills are important, wasn't necessarily about external qualifications. It reminds me a lot of how God called David, where he tells, his anointing not to look at the outside, but that God looks at the heart. And that's what we see here. A lot of things that focus on the heart. Tell us a little bit more about some of these in verses six through nine.
Alex McFarland Well, and you know, before the break, you were talking about, you know, Crete. I mean, this was a big, big mission field, because the island Crete, over 100 miles long and 30 miles wide. I mean, this is a huge area of mission. And there's going to be a lot of things that are a part of this. Again, I said this little three chapter book is, is so rich. I mean, maintaining order in the church, the qualifications of elders, which we're in, in chapter one, the responsibility to preach the truth and to keep the church doctrinally pure and morally pure and to be a faithful example. But let me go to verse seven, chapter one for a bishop. And that's literally the word overseer. of course, that's what pastors do. They oversee blameless. Again, that speaks to character as a steward of God. Not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, nor greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, just holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word, as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Hey, let me say something here, and I'm going to go to First Peter for just a moment. In First Peter 3:15, very faithful, very famous verse. Be ready always to give an answer, right? And that's kind of the famous apologetics verse. Be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks the hope that you have. All right, that's content. Give an answer. But first Peter 2:15 says, this is the will of God, that by doing well, you will put to silence the arguments of foolish men. Dylan, very often Bert Harper and I have said this. We'll say, look, you can do apologetics, but you yourself are to be an apologetic. If we're going to talk it, we should live it. And in Titus chapter one is the Same way before they mention doctrine, although that's vitally important. in verse nine, before even doctrine is mentioned, though, there's character. I look at these things blameless. And let me just say there, there's a lot of incentives or motives to live a God honoring life. I mean, I'm assuming as a born again Christian, number one, put your faith in Christ and get saved. But as a believer, and certainly as a believer in a position of leadership, what's the motive for pursuing godliness? Well, one of the great motives is stewardship in verse 7, a steward of God. See, we're not owners, we're stewards, we're managers. we're not in the driver's seat calling the shots. We're obedient followers of Christ. And I think about this, and I'll throw it back to you, Dylan. But, in First Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, Paul says, We are not our own, were bought with a price. And, Dylan, the reality that Christ entrusts stuff to us, I mean, he's given us life. We have some time, we dare not waste it. We have family. We're to be faithful stewards of our family, our influence. Dylan. I think really the foundation, starting point of a, godly, fruitful life is, is really to view all of life in terms of stewardship.
Alex McFarland That's so well said. And our lives really are an investment. And we hear about financial investments, of course, that you want to prepare for retirement or invest your money well, to get the greatest return. But eternally we have an investment spiritually in the lives of others. That's far more important than any monetary investment we can make. And that's what's addressed here among the focus of leaders in the church, that your focus better not be on money as much as it is on the focus of the souls of men and women.
Verse 9 is this great, what I call a hinge verse
Verse 9 is this great, what I call a hinge verse. It's the connecting point between the positive traits that are proclaimed for the person who leads in the church. And then the, concerns that they talk about later in the chapter about false teachers who fail to live up to the task in the early church. So verse nine talks about something that you, talked about in verse, in 1st Peter 3:15, where it says in verse 9, holding fast the faithful word, as has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. So there are two parts there. There's one, being able to faithfully proclaim the message, to share the gospel, to say what the Bible says. But there's that second part that apologetics focus, that the late Norman Geisler uses verse a lot to emphasize that pastors are apologists. you can't get out of it by being a pastor. That's a key part of your message and it's a key part of your qualification. So if you're a pastor or church leader listening today, this is your calling to do apologetics as well. It's not your whole job, but it is part of job, and it's a key part that's identified here. And just before what we see starting in verse 10, where it talks about false teaching.
Dylan Burton: Paul talks about deceivers in the early church
So we want to go to that and talk a little bit about that as well. Alex, I want. I'll let you read the verses there, starting in verse 10. But, the shift is pretty stark here where it talks about the deceivers in the early church and what they were like and what our response should be to them.
Alex McFarland Yeah, you know, apparently Crete, was fairly, populous with people who didn't have character. And Cretans, were said to be, you know, prone to lying. And Anyway, I think as you understand that context in that culture, you begin to see why Paul emphasized so much on character there. And, And I do love the verse nine before I get into verse ten. You know, we are to proclaim sound doctrine, but we're also to be able to identify and refute false teaching, contradict those who convict, those who contradict verse 10. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision. Now that's, the Jewish teaching. and there. There were overt Jews that were trying still, even after the resurrection of Christ, trying to, you know, connect with God through ritualism and religion. But then there were those that tried to. The Gospel of grace add works. And you, see that battle going on throughout the NewSong Testament. Certainly in the book of Acts, verse 11, Paul says, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. Dylan, diplomacy was not on Paul's mind here, was it? We know he's writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These are the words God led Paul to write. But I Mean he pretty much he lays the cards on the table as they say, liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons, rebuke them sharply. and so listen, he didn't beat around the bush because what's at stake? The souls of people and the purity of the Gospel.
Alex McFarland Amen. And it's interesting, some people look at that verse 12 and they think, well that's a quote. Where is that from? Cretans are always liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons. Where is that? Well it's not in the Bible, but historically we found that that is in the writings of an ancient Greek writer. The Cretan poet that Paul quoted was Epimenides. He lived in the 6th century BC. he was well known during his time as a poet. And so to quote him was to quote like we would, something from popular culture that people would have been familiar with. But imagine this, you're a Christian in an island culture. You're trying to live for the Lord, but yet you're in a society where there's a segment of people who have that island ment, that life is a party, do what you want, live for the here and now. And Paul says that's the reputation people in this area have. But that's not what you're to be like if you're following Jesus and he goes in verse 13 like you just read, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. A person following Jesus cannot be someone who's known as being a liar, being someone who's lazy, being someone who's not living out the values of the Christian faith. This is something that contradicts what you stand for. So it's an inconsistent testimony that Paul speaks out against. And that was especially true when we're talking about selecting and appointing leaders in the local church. So it's a key part of the teaching here, but it's also a very important thing for us today because it addresses that half hearted attitude that we often see among American Christianity that we can believe in God, you know, kind of a faith and country type of cultural vibe. But it's not really something that changes our day to day lives. And that's, that's a danger if we don't go beyond just the cultural norms of this idea of Christianity, isn't it?
Alex McFarland Well it is. And let me say, you know, clearly, I mean I love the, the American church, been hundreds and hundreds of churches. But I've got to say this, and Burton, Bert and I have alluded to this a number of times that, the message of salvation is more than just believe in Jesus now to be saved, put your faith in Christ. And I believe Romans 10:13, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But really, salvation should include a commitment to service. Not that we're just passive spectators, but we're active participants. There's a quote we've used so many times by, Vance Havner. He was a famous evangelist, but he said most Christians are so sub normal that if you meet a Christian who's normal, people might think he's abnormal. And this idea that as a follower we're to be engaged and we have so many things in life, family, career, work, all those things. Of course. But Dylan, I believe every Christian should be a Great Commission Christian. I mean really, that, every believer should realize all that we do post salvation. Whether we live one month or six decades after salvation, we are to be Christ followers, Christ ambassadors, living for Jesus, part of a church and our life for the believer is to be contributing at least some way to the Great Commission. Hey, we're going to take calls and questions. No matter what your question, Dylan and I will be happy to hear from you today. The number. Listen to this. 888-589-8840 when we come back after this.
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Alex McFarland Oh, Lord, give me eyes to see
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Take your calls this time during the program with Dylan Burroughs
Alex McFarland Welcome back to Exploring the Word. This is Dylan Burroughs with Alex McFarland, and we are here to take. Take your calls this time during the program. And if you haven't called yet with your question about the Bible or some other spiritual issue, perhaps related to the book of Titus, we've been studying today in chapter one, now is your chance. Give us a call. 8885-8988-4088-8589-8840. And I, hear we already have several calls in the line, so let's go to our first caller. Tell us who we have here.
Alex McFarland All right, let's go to Dennis and. Sorry, I'm having trouble here. Let's m. Go to Dennis in Missouri. Dennis, thank you for calling.
Caroline Hey, thank you very much. You're taking my call. Blessings to you both, your families and your program.
Thank you.
Matthew 24 says this generation will not pass away until the Lord's return
Caroline I got a. I've been, The other day, I don't remember who said it, but I heard it was stated that when, Israel is re. Established as a Nation in 1948, that this generation that sees this won't pass away until the Lord's return. Now, my question is, is that I. I know in Proverbs it talks about a generation is, in Psalms 70 years, if I raise their strength 80, would we be too far off to say that 80 years from 1948 would be like 20, 28. Would I be too far off in thinking along those lines?
Alex McFarland Good. Good question. A lot of people have. Have kind of wondered about this. this is famously, from Matthew 24. All right, there are a couple of ways to look at this. I mean, some have wondered, maybe it means that the, you know, the church will never be extinguished till, you know, all of history concludes. And that's Matthew 16:18, where Christ said that he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. One prophecy. Because some say, oh, well, this was fulfilled in AD 70 when, you know, Jerusalem was laid waste by Rome. Dylan, what do you think about. Some commentators say, well, there's kind of a double fulfillment, that the destruction of Jerusalem, in AD 70 fulfilled part of it. But then the rest of, this generation will not, pass away till all things be fulfilled. The generation that saw the rebirth of the nation of Israel, in the lifetime of some of those people, the End of time would come. we are still in what many call the age of grace, but really, the judgment is coming, the tribulation is going to come. I do think this is one of about half a dozen passages that are pretty, pretty tough to understand. I tend to believe that, you know, the, the birth, the rebirth is not the nation of Israel is one of the super signs, that we are living very likely near the end of history. But how do you handle this, Matthew 24 passage, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Right. And like you mentioned, there are a few different views that people usually take. One is that it was a first century fulfillment. You know, in AD 70, the Roman armies destroyed the Jewish temple and they say that was the fulfillment of it and that it's already done. I would say that that is an incomplete fulfillment. So at the very, you can say that maybe it's a partial fulfillment, but I don't think it really fits. The, second view is the one that was mentioned by our caller, this idea that 1948 Israel became a nation again after 1900 years. Now that's a prophetic sign. I would argue that's true. But this idea of this generation passing away would say, one generation after 1948, then this is all going to happen. Well, if that's the case, we have to be really, really close. So that would be the major objection there, that we're almost to the end of that generation and it hasn't happened yet. So possibly. But the more likely, scenario that other people take, and I would agree with, is the idea that when it's talking about this generation, it's talking about the Jewish people in general. And some people see that as challenging in the sense that, okay, how does that fit? But the context is king here. And it's really an argument the Jewish people will not pass away, no matter how bad anti Semitism is in some parts of the world, that the Jewish people will endure until God's plan is fulfilled at the end of time. And that's something I very strongly am convicted of. The more I read scripture from Genesis through Revelation that the Jewish people have a plan that is not complete yet, and God still has a plan for his people that he's going to bring to fulfillment just as he promised. And we're still seeing that unfilled today.
Alex McFarland Well, thanks for the call, Dylan. Thanks for, your contribution to that answer. Okay, Brent Austin, where do we go next?
Robert in Ohio says calling on church elders to pray for sick is not biblical
Alex McFarland All right, let's go to Robert in Ohio. Robert, thank you for calling.
Caroline Thanks very much. And that longtime listener and I just thank you for all your ministry.
Alex McFarland thank you.
Caroline God bless. I'm a very young deacon. Young, as in deaconship? we have a small local church. our pastors stepped down recently after 37 years because of health reasons. And it was plan, but, this past Sunday we had a sister come up and ask for anointing for a family member in the hospital. But she wanted to have it done to her and she would take that to the hospital. My conviction was that that's not biblical, but in the study I've done, I can't find it. And if it's not, how should they, they did do it? If it's not biblical, how should that be a threat?
Alex McFarland Great question. Dylan, I'm reminded of James, 5, 14 that says, is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5. And I would encourage people to read, James 5, 14, 16. You know, you got to appreciate this sister's heart of compassion. But, you know, I don't really think this fits what the NewSong Testament is saying. I think it would be fine to go get some leaders from the church, go to this person, you know, pray over this person. anointing with oil, I seen that done. I've, participated in that. But, I don't really believe you can impart, healing power that somebody could carry, and then impart themselves. as well intentioned as that might be, I just don't see that in the NewSong Testament, do you, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Yeah, that would be among the most shocking miracles in the NewSong Testament where you had a couple of cases where, you know, people were trying to get the shadow of Peter to fall on them to heal the sick or, people trying to heal from a distance like Jesus did. So that would be a very rare case, if that were to happen. So we wouldn't want to say that's the norm that we would call believers to do. And what you're talking about from James 5 is the more common thing, that we see the NewSong Testament teach, where you're calling on the elders to come and pray on behalf of the sick so that they may be healed. So we believe God heals and he does so supernaturally sometimes.
Alex McFarland Absolutely.
Alex McFarland And whether by miracle or by medicine, God can intervene however he wants. But, we want to be cautious in how we say that that happens. So we do the prayers and we let God answer in the way he wants. And we leave it at that. So I think that's the simplest way to address it.
Alex McFarland God bless you. Thanks for calling, sir. Okay, Brent, where to next?
Nicole asks which member of the Trinity do I pray to
Alex McFarland next up, I've got a question from Nicole on Facebook. She asks, to which member of the Trinity do I pray?
Alex McFarland Good question. We've had this a time or two. Well, one of the. One of the attributes of God is that God is indivisible. God can't be separated. There's one God. Deuteronomy 6:1:4. It's called the Shema. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Now, very often we pray, in Jesus name, because in Jon 15:16, Jesus says that we're to pray in his name. very often. You know, Dylan, I've heard people, and they certainly say heavenly Father, I actually believe, because the Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, God is not divided. I think you could pray in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, you could pray in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, you could pray to God the Holy Spirit. and in fact, you know, we sing a song, Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me very often. In fact, just yesterday, I was praying with somebody, and I said, God, by your Holy Spirit, draw this person back to Christ. So because of the triune, indivisible nature of God, Dylan, I think we could pray to any or all of the members of the Trinity. What say you?
Caroline You?
Alex McFarland Yeah. I think it's clear from the Bible that if God is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, that any of those three would be acceptable to pray to. We see specific times where we're told to pray in the name of Jesus, but it doesn't mean we can't pray to God the Father or to God the Spirit. they're all part of the one true God. So we're certainly safe praying to any of the three, even though we are specifically directed at times to pray in the name of Jesus. And that's an emphasis that we see in the Gospels and in the NewSong Testament in general, emphasizing his deity. So it's highlighting who Jesus is. It's not negating the the Spirit or the Father. So I think you've addressed that well.
Alex McFarland M. Okay, Brent.
One church in particular thinks a woman can be a pastor if she's watched
Alex McFarland All right, next is Canaan, from Kansas. Kanan, you had a question?
Caroline Hey, I appreciate you guys taking my call. My question has to do kind of with some stuff happening at our church here. I go to an amazing church, really blessed by our elders and pastors, but we're in a fellowship that's kind of going through this debate over complementarianism. And there, there's one church in particular who thinks that a woman can be a pastor if she is being watched by elders. I obviously were.
Caroline I.
Caroline Sorry, I don't fall in that camp. I kind of wanted your opinion.
Alex McFarland great, great. Ah, question. Because, you know folks, the, the battle has been egalitarianism versus complementarianism. And, by the way, I want to encourage people to, maybe you might want to Google the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I had several of my professors at Liberty University that were the founders of this, and of course my boss for eight years, James Dobson, contributed to this. I do believe in what is called complementarianism, that men and women are equal before God, equal in worth, value, dignity, heirs of the kingdom, equal in terms of salvation, but unique in calling and function. And, I love to recommend good books. And there's a husband wife team that has written a book on biblical manhood and womanhood. And, it's called God's Design for Man and Woman by Andreas Costenberger and, his wife, and I'm trying to remember her name, I think is Margaret. Andreas and Margaret Costenberger. God's Design for Man and Woman. Fantastic book, but I'm just going to say this and feel free anybody to disagree with me, but biblically and historically, the role of senior pastor was male. And you know, like here in Titus when it says the husband of one wife, I don't think a woman can be, quote, the husband of one wife. And I'm not being sarcastic, I'm just trying to be logical here. And really the idea of ordained female clergy and the insistence that, a woman be a senior pastor, it's not that scripture has changed or church history was wrong, but it's that really in the Western world, I would say the influence of the feminist movement over the last 60 years, the insistence of this enforced egalitarianism that men and women must necessarily be equal in all things. And, let me say we can't say enough about the contribution women make to the Great Commission. you know, Dylan, one of our mutual friends who was just an absolute giant in defending the faith, was norm Geisler. And Dr. Geisler, one of the greatest ever defenders of Christianity. He was led to Christ by a woman. Ravi Zacharias, was led to Christ by a woman. so in no way, in no way are we minimizing the incredible contributions of women to ministry. And to the Great Commission, but the local church pastor, as I read the NewSong Testament, is male. What do you say, Dylan?
Alex McFarland Well, yeah, and the biggest thing you have to deal with, if you take any other view, is the data in the NewSong Testament itself. In First Timothy 3 and in Titus 1, the only two places that it directly talks about the qualifications of an elder or the pastor of a church, it's specifically using male pronouns. So to do anything differently in terms of your application of pastoral leadership for women, you have to somehow redefine those passages to say that it was only, a cultural thing for that time and not for now, which is a really hard stretch. So some people do try to take that view and argue for that. I would argue alongside Alex that, biblically, we're told in the scriptures that the NewSong Testament elder, which would be the pastoral role in a church, would be male and male only. But that does not negate from women having other leadership roles in a church. There are plenty of other ways for women to serve that aren't a senior pastor or an elder type of position. And we should encourage women with those gifts to serve in those areas as God leads them to.
Dylan: In some churches, everybody prays at once
Alex McFarland Brent, do we have time for another question?
Alex McFarland All right, Carolyn, in North Carolina, we don't have a lot of time. Carolyn, what's your question?
Caroline I'll be quick. So I have a conundrum about the whole order thing that you were talking about. And I. I go to an amazing church now, too. But one of the things that I've noticed they do here and on a. In a couple of different churches, is that when someone prays, like when they start the meeting on Sunday, the service, somebody will pray and. And other people will also pray, all at the same time. And I. There's part of me that says that it's kind of that whole, how can I say amen if I can't hear you and can't understand you? Because there's 20 people praying at once.
Alex McFarland Yeah. You know, in Acts 2. 2, it talked about the sound of a mighty rushing wind. And I. I know everybody praying in unit praying all at once. It's. Some people say, oh, that's the sound of the mighty rushing wind. I've been in churches that do that. Dylan, I'm not saying it's unbiblical. Maybe it is hard to concentrate on your own prayers, though. but, I trust the church is a blessing to you. Hey, well, Dylan, thanks, for being with us, and we'll continue again tomorrow. We're gonna pick it up in Titus, chapter one, verse 14.
Dylan: Well, as we've encouraged you today, I hope
Dylan, give us a word as we close today.
Alex McFarland Well, as we've encouraged you today, I hope you will encourage others that Jesus is here for us now. And we encourage you to share him with others and join us again tomorrow. Thanks so much for being with us.
Alex McFarland The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
Opening Words: Titus 1-13
💬 Show Notes
In this episode of Exploring the Word, join Alex McFarland and Dylan Burroughs as they delve into the rich content of the Book of Titus, one of the Apostle Paul's last letters. With just three chapters, this epistle is packed with profound truths that resonate deeply in today's culture.
As they explore the opening verses, they discuss the significance of Paul's greeting to Titus and the foundational truths of the Christian faith. The conversation shifts to the qualifications for church leaders, emphasizing the importance of character over external appearances. Listeners are reminded that the heart of a leader is paramount in fulfilling their role within the church.
Throughout the episode, they address the contemporary challenges facing the church, including the shortage of pastors and the importance of strong, godly leadership. With engaging dialogue and biblical insights, Alex and Dylan encourage believers to consider their own roles in ministry and the impact they can have on the next generation.
To wrap up, they take listener calls, answering questions about prayer, church leadership, and the interpretation of biblical prophecy. This episode is a powerful reminder of the timeless relevance of Scripture and the call to live out our faith actively.
Introduction to the Book of Titus
Paul's Greeting and Gospel Truths
Qualifications for Church Leaders
Contemporary Church Challenges
Listener Calls and Questions
✍️ Episode References
American Family Radio
https://afr.net
The Book of Titus
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus&version=ESV
Alex McFarland
https://alexmcfarland.com
Dylan Burroughs
https://dylanburroughs.com
The Ten Commandments Project
https://afr.net/ten-commandments-project
James Dobson
https://drjamesdobson.org
First Timothy
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy&version=ESV
Second Timothy
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy&version=ESV
First Peter
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter&version=ESV
Proverbs
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs&version=ESV
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