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Index: Setting
in Order the Things That Are Wanting (10) – Robert D. Decker Doing (Material) Good to All Men – Barry L. Gritters The Doctrine of Eternal Justification (1) – John Marcus A
Presbyterian View of Covenant Children (1) – Mark L. Shand Romans: Exposition of Chapter 12, Christian Conduct,
by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. (Carlyle, PA: The
Banner of Truth Trust, 2000.) Pp.xi-513. [Reviewed
by Herman Hanko.] Truth
For Life: A Devotional Commentary on the
Epistle of James, by John Blanchard.
Webster, New York: Evangelical Press
USA, 2003. Pp. vii-404. $16.99 (paper).
[Reviewed by Robert D. Decker.] Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ,
by John Bunyan (1628-1688). Carlisle, PA:
Banner of Truth Trust, 2004 (first published in 1681, and republished in
Bunyan’s Works, Volume 1, Banner of Truth, 1991). 230 pp. (paper).
$8.99. [Reviewed by Barry Gritters.] Light
for the City: Calvin’s Preaching, Source
of Life and Liberty, by Lester De Koster. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2004. 139pp. (paper).
$20.00. [Reviewed by Barry Gritters.] The Pastor in Prayer, by C.H. Spurgeon. Carlisle, PA:
Banner of Truth Trust, 2004 (Based on the second edition, London, 1893). 184 pp. (cloth).
$15.99. [Reviewed by Barry Gritters.] Puritan Papers, ed. by D.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, J.I. Packer. Foreword by
W. Robert Godfrey. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 4 volumes (paper), 2000-2004. [Reviewed by Mitchell Dick.] |
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In his contribution Prof. Barry Gritters defines and discusses such questions as: 1) What is the church and her calling? 2) What is the kingdom of God? 3) How are the church and kingdom related? 4) What is the missio Dei? What is the believer’s calling as regards unconverted poor? Read, enjoy, and be instructed by this fine piece of work.
John P. Marcus treats the doctrine of eternal justification. He deals with a number of interesting and significant questions and controversies concerning this concept in the Presbyterian and Reformed traditions. We trust that our readers will benefit from this well-documented and well-written article. Mr. Marcus will conclude his discussion of this subject in the next issue of the Journal.
Rev. Mark L. Shand writes on the subject, Infant Baptism and the view of children in the Presbyterian tradition. His article is well-documented by references to the Reformers (Calvin, Bullinger, Zwingli, Knox) and by references to the Confessions of both the Presbyterian (Westminster Confession) and Reformed traditions (Heidelberg Catechism). Rev. Shand will conclude his excellent discussion of this subject in the next issue of the Journal.
The Editor concludes his exposition of the Epistle to Titus.
RDD
Setting in Order the Things That Are Wanting
An Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to Titus (10)
Robert D. Decker
We remind the reader that this exposition of the epistle to Titus was originally given in the form of chapel talks by the author during the weekly Wednesday morning chapel services at the seminary. The author began this exposition in the 1997-1998 school year and completed the series during the second semester of the 1999-2000 school year. The exposition is being published in the Journal with the hope that it will prove helpful to a wider audience of God’s people in their study of this brief epistle in the sacred Scriptures.
So that both those familiar with the Greek language and those who are unable to work with the Greek may benefit from this study, all references to the Greek will be placed in footnotes. The translation of the Greek text is the author’s.
We present this exposition pretty much as it was spoken in the chapel services, application and all. Perhaps this will help the reader gain some insight into what goes on in the seminary.
Chapter Three
Verse 1
Cause them
to remember to subject themselves to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient to
magistrates, and hence to obey a ruler, to be prepared for every good work.
In this third chapter, the apostle continues his instructions to Titus, the preacher in Crete. Titus is called to remind the people of God to subject themselves to rulers [1] and to the authorities. [2] These rulers are the civil magistrates, the local, provincial, and national rulers of the empire, also the police and soldiers. Both words, “rulers” and “authorities,” are used in the New Testament to refer to the minister and elders of the church, but that is not the reference here. For two reasons: One, the apostle has already dealt with the calling of God’s people with regard to the elders of the church in chapter 1. It would be strange and even tautologous for him to return to the subject here in chapter 3. Two, in addition, the second infinitive, which is a further explanation of the first, [3] means “to obey the magistrates.”
The New Testament Scriptures especially emphasize this truth in various passages. Romans 13:1-7 is the classic passage on the subject of civil government. “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers….” Also I Peter 2:13-15 teaches us that it is the will of God that we submit ourselves to every ordinance of man — to kings, governors, and those sent by them for the punishment of evildoers. Jesus likewise taught us to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (Matt. 22:15-22).
We must obey these civil authorities because they are of God, ordained of God. Therefore, if we resist them, we are resisting the ordinance of God. Not only is this the case, but the Bible goes so far as to say that the rulers are ministers of God to us for good. Hence, we must obey them and pay our tribute or taxes (Rom. 13:1-7).
They are our rulers because God placed them over us. They have been given the right to rule us from God. Therefore, they are the authorities to which we must subject ourselves. These rulers are this whether they know it or not. Whether they are righteous by grace through faith in Christ or ungodly; whether they rule in the consciousness of their accountability to God or no; whether they live scandalously, as did former President Clinton, or strive to live a godly life, they are in authority over us for God’s sake.
When the apostle wrote this, the church was in the Roman empire. The corruption of Rome was unbelievable. Homosexuality and lesbianism existed all over the empire, even among the highest government officials. Nero himself kept a male lover. Prostitution, both male and female, was legalized and abounded in the empire. Adultery and divorce were as common as marriage. The athletic games were unbelievably cruel. Men fought with other men or with animals to death. Gluttony, drunkenness, greed, and murder were the order of the day. Still more, these authorities were persecuting the church. Still, Titus is told that he must teach the people to subject themselves to and obey these rulers.
The only exception to all of this is when the authorities demand of us that which is contrary to the will of God. There are several examples of this in the Bible. The Hebrew midwives, because they feared God, refused to murder the male babies as Pharaoh had commanded (Ex. 1:16-22). Daniel and his friends in Babylon are outstanding examples of this. They refused the king’s meat and wine because it involved idol worship and the meat was unclean. The three friends refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s great image, though it meant a burning, fiery furnace for them. Daniel prayed to God as always in spite of the king’s decree and in spite of the lions. And according to Acts 4:19, 20 and 5:29, the apostles Peter and John testified, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” And they continued to preach the gospel even though they were forbidden to do so.
Hence, we obey the civil magistrates with that one exception and even then we do not rebel or attempt revolution. Quietly we suffer the consequences, whether that be imprisonment or perhaps martyrdom.
Finally, Titus must cause the saints to remember to be prepared for every good work. The concept “good work” has appeared earlier (1:16; 2:7; 2:14). Therefore we may be brief in its exposition. These good works are the fruit of faith, they are performed in harmony with God’s law, and they are done to the glory of God. The saints must be reminded to be prepared to do every good work. That preparation comes by the means of grace, chiefly by the means of preaching. That preparation also comes by the study of God’s Word and by fervent, daily prayer. When the saints are immersed in these, they are being prepared by God for every good work.
Our task as preachers is to remind the saints of this calling. By our preaching and teaching publicly and from house to house, and by our example of life (vv. 2-11), we must be teaching the saints to be prepared to do every good work.
Verse 2
Cause them to remember to speak evil of no man, to be no brawler, but gentle, showing all meekness to all men.
The infinitives of this second verse are all complementary with the main verb in verse 1 (put them in mind; cause them to remember). The sentence begun in verse 1 ends with this second verse. Titus is exhorted to remind the saints to be obedient to the magistrates, to be prepared to every good work. Further, he is to remind the saints to speak evil of no man. This verb literally means to blaspheme. It is used to refer to those who speak in contempt of God and things holy, of God’s church and kingdom and Word. In this verse the saints of Titus’ day, and we too, are reminded that we must not speak blasphemy, speak reproachfully, or revile and slander maliciously our fellow saints. Such speech arises out of hatred against God and, therefore, over against the neighbor, especially our fellow saints in the church.
The aim or purpose of this kind of speaking, this malicious slander, is to hurt and destroy one’s fellow saint. It is never intended to edify or build up that fellow believer in the faith. In fact, it is often done behind the back of the one of whom we are speaking evil. Those who are guilty of this great evil cause all kinds of tension and trouble in the church. They disrupt the unity of the church and create an environment where the truth of the gospel and the work of the church cannot flourish.
The mere fact that the Lord has so much to say about this sin and condemns it so sharply in so many passages of Scripture indicates what a great sin this is. This also indicates how easily this sin manifests itself among God’s people. God’s people need to be reminded repeatedly that they must not speak malicious slander concerning their fellow saints.
Further, they need to be reminded not to be brawlers, fighters, contentious persons. There are a few of these in virtually every congregation. They thrive on fighting. They are given to excessive, sharp, negative criticism. Often they mount their sharpest attacks against the minister. The minister’s preaching is no good, or he is guilty of this or that sin, or he sets a poor example for the congregation. Or these contentious persons pick fights with the elders and deacons and others in the congregation. And their fighting is over non-essentials or perceived evils. The motive of all this fighting is not the salvation and spiritual well-being of their fellow saints. Out of hatred against God and His church, they are out to hurt and to destroy.
The saints must be reminded to be, not brawlers, but gentle. One commentator translates the term gentle as “sweet reasonableness.” Mildness ought to characterize the Christian. He must always seek the spiritual good and well-being of his neighbors out of the love of God.
That sweet reasonableness shows all meekness to all men. This is the positive aspect of the exhortation. Meekness and gentleness are the very opposites of malicious slander and brawling. Meekness puts God first, then the neighbor, and self last. Meekness is quiet, humble submission to the will and service of God. The meek one does not call attention to himself. Rather he hates pride. He is lowly and strives to be Christ-like in all his speech and in all his actions. The aim of the meek is the salvation of the neighbor and the advancing of God’s cause and the glory of God’s name.
We must note that these virtues are gifts from God to His people in Christ. That is the emphatic message of the verses that follow verse 2. By nature, and apart from grace, we are blasphemers and we are brawlers. Since we are gentle and meek only in principle, we need to be reminded to fight against our blasphemous and brawling sinful flesh.
The fact that we are reminded to speak evil of no man and to be no brawler does not mean that we tolerate sin or false doctrine or ungodliness in the church. Not at all. There must be discipline of evil doers and false teachers in the church. We must gently and meekly admonish and call to repentance the evildoer. And we must earnestly contend, that is, fight for, the faith once delivered to the saints.
And while all of this begins in and applies especially to our relationships with our fellow believers in the church, we are called to speak evil of no man and to show all meekness to all men. We must not speak malicious slander of the ungodly neighbor and we must not be a brawler in society in general. As Christians we must be gentle and meek with all with whom we come into contact. With the godly fellow saint, this results in the blessing of the fellowship and communion of the saints. With the ungodly we meekly, but clearly, point him to his sin, and remind him of the just judgments of God, and call him to repent in godly sorrow lest he perish in his sin and unbelief. Furthermore, with the ungodly neighbor we refuse to fellowship in his sin.
Verse 3
For we
ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and
pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
When the text says we were once foolish, etc., it means “once” in the sense of “at some time or other.” Formerly, or aforetime, we were foolish, disobedient, etc. The apostle simply means the time before God in His kindness, love, and mercy brought them to conversion. Before their conversion they lived in all these vices. For this reason Titus must remind the saints to be subject to the principalities and powers and to manifest to their worldly neighbors those Christian virtues mentioned in verses 1 and 2. The implication is that God might use this godly conduct to bring some as yet unconverted elect to conversion and faith.
The apostle continues by specifying precisely those sins, vices, or evils in which they formerly lived. They were foolish. This means they were lacking in wisdom, i.e., the wisdom of God. Wisdom is knowing reality and living in harmony with that reality. Once they were foolish. They knew reality, and reality is God. They rejected God in unbelief and thus they were foolish. They refused to live in obedience to the Lord’s will.
They were disobedient. This was the manifestation of their foolishness. They refused to obey God’s will. God sent His Son into the world. And in spite of the fact that Jesus plainly revealed Himself as the promised Messiah by His gracious word, by the wonders He performed, healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and raising the dead, they, in their disobedience, refused to believe in Him or follow Him.
They were led astray, in the sense that they were led away from the way of virtue, and in this way they were deceived. Prior to their conversion, Paul and Titus were led astray. Paul was led astray by Gamaliel and the doctors of the law. He was led away from the truth as revealed in the law and the prophets. He was led astray into Phariseeism and the heresy of works-righteousness. He was led astray into false doctrine. In this way he was deceived by them, which meant he was led astray from Christ Jesus. The Old Testament Scriptures, in their entirety, pointed to Jesus as the Christ of God, the Savior. Paul, before he was struck down on the Damascus road, was led astray into believing Jesus to be an imposter, a false Christ. He was the bitter enemy of Jesus, a fierce, zealous persecutor of Jesus’ disciples and church.
Furthermore, they were serving various lusts and pleasures. The word translated “various” means “many different sorts or kinds of lusts and pleasures.” To lust is to desire that which God clearly forbids. I John 2:15-17 tells us that all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. They were pursuing pleasures. Our English word “hedonism” is derived from this term. It refers to sinful, ungodly pleasures, the pleasures of the unbelieving world of lust. Especially are meant the sins of immorality, fornication, adultery, and worse.
But other sinful pleasures are meant as well. Paul reminds Titus that, before they were converted, they served these lusts and pleasures. Literally they were enslaved to these. [4]
That is the way we are too by nature. Apart from grace we are enslaved to all the various kinds of lusts and sinful pleasures: immorality, the love of money, the pleasures of sin. These are legion. And constantly we need warning. As preachers, we need to fight these lusts and pleasures of our own sinful natures. But also, as preachers, we must warn God’s people concerning them.
They were living in malice and envy. Malice carries the notion of the desire to injure or hurt someone. That was literally true of the apostle Paul before his conversion. He consented to Stephen’s death and wrought havoc among the saints. Envy looks with ill will at others because of what they have and what they are. We may well face the question: What is the relationship between malice and envy? William Hendriksen, in his commentary on the passage, writes: “One of its (malice) most soul-destroying manifestations is envy.” This author thinks it is the other way around. Envy is the mother of malice. Because I am envious and look with ill will at others because of what they have or are, I seek to hurt them.
They were also hateful and hating one another. Once they were full of hate and therefore hating one another. They hated God and the neighbor. And to hate is to seek the destruction of the neighbor and the cause of God.
Again, this is what we are by nature. Apart from the grace of God, and since we have but a small beginning of the new obedience, we need warning, and we need to warn God’s people to put away these vices and evils.
How does this serve as a reason for the exhortations of verses 1 and 2? In this way, being reminded of what we were before conversion and are by nature, and what we have become because of the kindness, love, and mercy of God in Christ, inspires us to thankful living. And thankful living is manifest in loving God by loving the neighbor as ourselves.
Verse 4
But when the kindness and the love of mankind of our Savior God hath appeared,
These virtues, kindness and love toward mankind, are from God. God our Savior is the source of them, i.e., God shows kindness and love toward mankind, i.e., His elect in Christ. God is here revealed as our Savior. God is the One who, in His kindness and love for us, saves us from our sin and death and brings us into the highest glory of fellowship with Himself.
His kindness and love toward mankind appeared. The reference here is to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which climaxed in His atoning death on the cross and the victory of His resurrection from the dead. God’s kindness and love toward us appeared, i.e., was made visible and real especially in the atoning death of Jesus Christ and in His resurrection. God is our Savior God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, as is evident from what follows in verses 5-7.
Verses 5, 6
Not by works, those in righteousness which we did, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (v. 5); whom he poured out upon us richly by Jesus Christ our Savior (v. 6).
Here the inspired apostle attributes all of our salvation to the sovereign God through Jesus Christ our Savior. God saved us, note well, “not by works, those works which we did in righteousness.” It is utterly impossible for us to be saved by works that we did or do. We cannot do good works. We cannot merit or earn salvation. Prior to salvation and by nature, we were dead in trespasses and sins ( Eph. 2). As the Heidelberg Catechism puts it (Q and A 8), we are “so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness … except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.” Our works, therefore, can never be the basis for our righteousness before God. They are the fruit of our being made righteous by God in Christ. Therefore, not by works which we have done in righteousness, but (note well the sharp contrast as indicated by the Greek adversative alla) according to His mercy God saved us. Our salvation has its source in God’s mercy. God in His mercy pities His people in the misery of their sin and desires to take them out of that misery into the joy of His fellowship. And God saved us “according to his mercy.” By His mercy and on the basis of His mercy, to be sure, we are saved. But we are saved also according to His mercy. William Hendriksen puts it nicely in his commentary on the text when he writes, “The wideness of God’s mercy being the yardstick which determines the wideness of their salvation.”
God then saves us according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. When the apostle speaks of the washing of regeneration, he in all likelihood alludes to that which baptism signifies, viz., the washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of our lives. That connection between washing and sanctification is made clearly in Ephesians 5:25, 26: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Regeneration means to be born again. Regeneration is the essential gift of God in the order of salvation as applied to the Christian by the Holy Spirit. Regeneration really implies all of the blessings of salvation. The Holy Spirit causes us to be born again with the life of Christ.
And the Holy Spirit renews us. [5] This means a renewal effected by the Holy Spirit. Here the reference is to the lifelong process of the sanctification of the believer by the Holy Spirit according to which he becomes holy as God is holy. More and more holy — though always in principle. Perfection does not come until we are in glory. God our Savior saves us according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He (God our Savior) poured out upon us richly or abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. This is what took place when the day of Pentecost was fully come. God, through the exalted Christ, poured out the Holy Spirit. God did that richly. Each saint and the entire church of God in Christ receives an abundance of the Holy Spirit. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit ( Acts 2).
Note well how all three persons of the Godhead are not only mentioned but are actively involved in the work of our salvation. God the Father our Savior, Jesus Christ His only Begotten Son in the likeness of our flesh, and the Holy Spirit are all involved in our salvation. Can there be, then, any question or doubt concerning the fact that all of our salvation is completely the work of our kind, merciful Savior God? The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all involved in our salvation. Not in any sense by works of righteousness that we have done or do can we be saved. This makes salvation sure and certain. It is that blessed gospel we are privileged to preach. Good news indeed! Thanks be to God!
Verse 7
In order that, being justified by the grace of that one (God our Savior, v. 4), we might be made heirs with a view to the hope of eternal life.
In this text the inspired apostle expresses the purpose of God’s saving us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior. Being justified by His grace is the summary of verses 4-6. Justification involves the forgiveness of our sins, our adoption as God’s children, and the right to everlasting life and glory. In other words, we are saved by the grace of that One, God Himself. Grace here is the power by which God saved us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Always it is by grace, and never in any sense by our works, that we are saved. It is by grace through faith alone, God’s gift, not of works, lest any man should boast. And the purpose of our being saved is that we might be made heirs with a view to the hope of eternal life.
Hope is the certain, joyful expectation of a future good. It is to be taken in the objective sense in this text. That hope is defined as eternal life. Eternal life is not merely endless living. That we have eternal life does not merely mean that we continue to live endlessly. Eternal life is really the salvation God wrought for us through Jesus Christ our Savior. It is resurrection life in Jesus Christ. It is the life Jesus attained by means of His suffering and death on the cross. It is to be transformed from the earthly to the heavenly. Eternal life is that marvelous change of which this same apostle speaks in I Corinthians 15:51-54. This corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality. It is life that cannot die. When this corruptible puts on incorruption and this mortal puts on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written (Is. 25:8), death is swallowed up in victory!
This great change has taken place already in principle through the wonder of regeneration, and it shall be realized in perfection at the end of the ages when Jesus will raise us from the dead. At that time we will join the multitude that no man can number gathered out of all nations to show forth God’s praises forever in the new creation ( Rev. 7). With a view to that hope we have been saved by God, justified by the power of His wonderful grace.
This is the future good that we certainly and joyfully expect. Note well, that hope of ours is not doubtful. Our hope is absolutely certain. We must not anxiously wonder whether it is real or really going to happen. It is certain. Christ suffered and died on account of our sins, God raised Him from the dead, and in Him we have the beginning of that eternal life now.
Therefore we long for its realization. With joyful anticipation we continue our pilgrimage in the confidence that every moment of every day and every step of our way is bringing us just that much closer to the realization of our hope of eternal life. Thus we go about our work and our leisure. In this hope we marry and give in marriage, we have our children and fellowship with our families. In the hope of this eternal life we fellowship in the communion of the saints in God’s church, Christ’s redeemed bride.
That certainty rests in God. Precisely because it does not depend in any way on our works or will or contribution, precisely because we are justified by the grace of the sovereign God our Savior through Jesus Christ, it is absolutely sure. Jesus said this too, did He not? “I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25, 26).
That is the incentive to preach and teach the blessed gospel. That is the incentive to prepare you students to become preachers of the gospel. And that is your incentive to work diligently here in the seminary to become preachers of this wonderful gospel of the sovereign and particular and almighty grace of God in Jesus Christ our Savior.
Verse 8
Faithful is the saying even concerning these things, I will that thou affirm strongly in order that they may be careful to maintain good works, the ones believing in God, these matters are good and profitable unto men.
Faithful or weighty is the saying according to the text. William Hendriksen, in his commentary on this passage, translates the word “faithful” as “reliable.” The reference is to the statement of verses 4-7:
1) The kindness and love of God manifest in His saving us not by our works but according to His mercy.
2) The work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating and sanctifying us.
3) The grace of Jesus Christ by which power we are justified.
4) The purpose of all this that we should be heirs with a view to the hope of life eternal.
That is the weighty saying. The four-part heart of the gospel concerning our salvation is this: in no way is it our work. It is always all of God and, therefore, certain.
These things, the reliable, weighty, faithful saying, Titus is commanded to affirm strongly and confidently and constantly. The gospel is the only thing that can be affirmed strongly and confidently. This is the calling of Titus. And it is the calling of every preacher of the gospel. The preacher must not present the gospel as if it were merely some helpful hints for good living. The preacher must not present the gospel as some advice that the congregation is free to accept or reject. Neither must the preacher be weakly apologetic in his preaching. He must not be ashamed or embarrassed by the gospel. The preacher is called to assert or affirm the gospel strongly and confidently. The gospel, after all, is the truth, and the truth about everything. It is the truth about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit. The gospel is the truth about man, his creation, fall, depravity, his eternal election and reprobation, his salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, God’s gift. The gospel is the truth about our calling to serve the Lord.
That gospel is revealed in the inspired, infallible, sacred Scriptures. And, yes, this certainly implies that whatever we do in the pulpit we must expound the Scriptures, adding nothing to the Word and taking nothing from the Word.
To affirm or assert the gospel strongly and confidently means the preacher must warn the congregation in no uncertain terms against the many forms of error and the lies that contradict the truths of the gospel. His preaching must be polemical and antithetical. The preacher must show the congregation how the gospel affects, determines, how they live before God’s face and how they must not live.
To affirm or assert the gospel strongly and confidently will affect the delivery of the sermon, and that, too, from every point of view. The preacher must stand firmly and erect in the pulpit, with squared shoulders, and he must move and gesture at appropriate points. Do not allow your eye contact to be weakly furtive, but look the people in the eye. Let there be the ring of conviction in the preacher’s voice. Speak clearly and project your voice. Vary the rate, pitch, and volume as is appropriate to the content of the exposition. Pay careful and prayerful attention to these matters so that you assert the gospel strongly and confidently. The purpose of the preacher’s doing so is that the ones believing in God may be careful to maintain good works. The verb translated “careful” contains the notion of being thoughtful. The preacher must assert the gospel strongly in order that the believers give careful thought to maintaining good works.
Good works are the fruit of faith. They are performed in harmony with God’s law and they are to God’s glory. The believers must give them their undivided attention. They must strive to live in thankful service to the Lord. That purpose will be reached when the gospel is asserted strongly. And that is good and profitable (advantageous) unto men.
Where the gospel is strongly asserted and the believers give thought to maintaining good works, they will enjoy the blessings of salvation by God’s grace. The believers will edify one another and be good examples to one another. The glory of God will be reflected in them! Advantageous indeed!
Verse 9
But foolish questions and genealogies and contentions (wranglings or strifes) and fights about the law shun (avoid), for they are unprofitable and vain (devoid of truth, the lie, and, therefore, vain or useless).
This verse, with its warnings, stands in sharp contrast with the preceding verses 4-8 and especially verse 8. If Titus heeds the admonition of verse 8 and affirms or asserts strongly and confidently the gospel as summed in verses 4-7, he will of necessity shun foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, and fights about the law.
It is important to note the word order of this text. The four direct objects are placed before the verb, and there is the absence of the article before any of the four. As Hendriksen puts it in his commentary, “these facts clearly prove that all possible emphasis is placed on the quality and contents of the object.”
Precisely these things must be avoided. These are foolish questions. These are questions about which there are controversies and endless debates. They are foolish and imprudent and lacking in the wisdom of God and, therefore, vain, useless, futile. They contribute nothing at all as concerns the profit of the believer — the believer’s growth in the knowledge of God and the believer’s growth and development in the Christian life.
In the second place, genealogies must be avoided. They are the proud boasting of the Jews concerning their ancestry and their supposed superiority because they “had Abraham as their father.” The children of God are we, they were saying.
Contentions, wranglings, strifes, and fights about the law must also be avoided. No doubt the apostle is referring to the tradition of the Pharisees. The Pharisees could not agree on the proper interpretation of the law, and they argued and debated with wrangling and all kinds of fightings about the law. All of this Titus must avoid.
These foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, and fights about the law are unprofitable. This means they are lacking completely in profit for the believer. They contribute nothing to his knowledge of the truth of God’s Word. They are of no use as far as living the life of thankful obedience according to God’s perfect law of liberty is concerned.
They are without profit because they are vain. The term “vain” means “devoid of truth.” That is what these foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, and fights about the law are. They are simply lies and, therefore, useless and vain for the Christian, both as concerns the true doctrine of Scripture and the Christian life. Titus must avoid them. He must step around them and have nothing to do with them. And, positively, Titus must affirm strongly and constantly the gospel of God’s kindness and love towards His people in Christ Jesus.
That is our calling, too. We must not be involved in wrangling, contentions, fights about the law. That is vain. Preachers need to avoid all of that foolishness. It is a waste of time. We must avoid it in order to assert strongly and confidently the wonderful gospel of God’s kindness and love. That is profitable indeed for our salvation. And that is to the glory of our God.
Verses 10, 11
A heretical man following a first and a second admonition reject (v. 10), knowing that one who is such is perverted and sins, being self-condemned (v. 11).
Note the strong language of the text. The term “heretical” comes from a verb that means to choose a party or a sect and its teachings rather than believing the truth of Scripture with the faithful church. A heretical person in this way creates schism in the church. He is guilty of splitting the church. That is a terrible sin. Church members are led away from the truth into false doctrine. And that false doctrine inevitably yields the fruit of ungodly and disobedient living. The unity of Christ’s body as manifest in the congregation or the congregations of the denomination is broken. Brother is set against brother, and often families are divided as well.
But the worst of it is that, when there are heretics and schisms in the church, the name of Christ is blasphemed and the ungodly are given occasion to mock. The entire work and the life of the church and her members are severely affected. The preacher will not be able to avoid foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, and fights about the law, and in this way to assert strongly and confidently the gospel. Missions and evangelism suffer. God’s people are fighting rather than growing in the truth.
Hence, Titus and all preachers are commanded to admonish these heretics. Preachers must do that by means of antithetical preaching. Preaching must present the truth of the gospel by way of sharply exposing and condemning the lie of false doctrines and heresies. If you are not willing thus to preach, do not pursue the gospel ministry.
That admonition is done also by way of discipline in its various steps (carefully laid out in the Church Order both for lay members and officebearers, and in the case of the latter it is suspension and deposition and perhaps even further discipline if the man is impenitent, all the way to the last remedy, excommunication itself). The point made in the text is that the admonition does not continue indefinitely. It comes to an end. The man who remains a heretic and stubbornly impenitent after the first and second admonition must be forthrightly rejected.
The verb means to refuse, to reject, shun, or avoid. He is avoided by being put out of the church, and with him the believer must have no fellowship. All we can say to him is “Repent!”
This Titus, and all of us, especially the preachers, must do, knowing that one who is such is subvertive. Subvertive means “to turn or to twist or to tear up, to turn aside, pervert, or corrupt.” The heretical man is corrupted and completely turned and twisted by his heretical teaching. He is condemned by himself. This leaven of false doctrine may not be tolerated in the churches, for reasons already stated. This is why pastors are called to preach antithetically, sharply condemning the lie in its multitude of forms, and warning God’s people. Then they will assert strongly and confidently the blessed gospel of God’s sovereign and particular grace in Christ Jesus crucified and raised for the salvation of God’s elect.
That is why professors of theology in the seminary must expound the Scriptures in their teaching and expose errors and heresies, especially those of the present day. This is not easy, and it means opposition and even persecution. But it is in this way that God is pleased to preserve His precious church. There is unity in the church, unity in the truth. There is joy and peace in believing. And God’s name receives the glory.
May God be gracious to us, that we may be faithful to this sacred calling.
Doing (Material) Good to All Men
Barry L. Gritters
Preface
One of the important distinctions made in modern missiology is between missions and evangelism, where evangelism wins souls, but missions establishes the kingdom. In this theology of missions, kingdom becomes the main concept and goal; church is merely a “sign” of the kingdom. Kingdom is broad; church is narrow. Kingdom is cosmic and involves the establishment of Christ’s rule everywhere; church is parochial and only an instrument to accomplish the more important kingdom purposes of God in the world. Although there are variations among missiologists that range from a radical social-gospel approach, to a more moderate evangelical outlook, almost all agree that God’s church is penultimate goal; kingdom is ultimate.
With this understanding of kingdom and mission, missiologists ask how the church and how Christians will in fact promote and establish the kingdom. That is, how will they transform cities and develop communities for the kingdom? And how can believers and missionaries minister to the needs of the world—to promote God’s “shalom” everywhere?
Understanding this background will explain the approach of the following paper, originally written for one of the missions courses the undersigned took in preparation for teaching missions. The course, “Missions and Diaconal Ministries,” promoted the basic distinction mentioned above. The first part of the paper (revised for publication here) explains why the Protestant Reformed Churches would take a different approach to the question: the PRC defines “kingdom” differently. The second part of the paper examines some likely objections to the proffered definition of the kingdom. The third lays out principles of the church’s diaconal calling in the world. Finally, the paper offers a short study of the history of PRC “diaconal ministries” and a tentative analysis of them.
Colleagues and other readers of the Journal are invited to interact with the paper, especially its analysis of the PRC regarding Christ’s call to her to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Introduction
Although there have been almost 80 years of diaconal ministry in the PRCA (Protestant Reformed Churches in America) both congregationally and on the mission field, [1] there is no established policy that directs those ministries. As far as I have been able to determine, there have been no studies to consider the underlying principles of that work, either in the neighborhood or by missionaries. When faced with questions regarding this ministry of mercy, although some deacons and missionaries of the PRCA would have a general “sense” regarding their calling, most would likely admit either that they had not faced the question of how to minister mercy outside of the congregation, or that they had considered it but do not know what principles would apply. [2]
This paper will explore the doctrinal issues that underlie the subject of diaconal ministries as they relate to missions, witnessing, evangelism. [3] The paper is not a study of the work of deacons within the congregation and for the sake of the members of the congregation. Instead, it is a study of the mercy that deacons may show to their non-Christian or non-member neighbors, and of the neighborly gospel-mercy a missionary may express in the area he is called to serve.
Then, I briefly consider the history of such diaconal ministries in the PRCA. I recognize that a thorough knowledge of this history is impossible, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the labors of deacons are local and mostly private labors, and access to the records of each congregation is not possible. Second, and not insignificantly, even what has been done denominationally has not all been recorded in the Acts of Synod or the denominational paper. Besides, the archives of the various denominational committees, although accessible, are so deep that it would take years to research them all. Thus, the historical study will be unscientific, although from the perspective of an insider who is familiar (by experience) with the labors of the Protestant Reformed Churches.
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The Missio Dei
At the heart of the discussion regarding diaconal ministries as they relate to missions is the understanding of the so-called Missio Dei, or “the mission of God.” God’s mission in the world, or purpose in the world, becomes the church’s mission and purpose in her labors. What God’s goal is, the churches’ goal is. Thus, the important questions: what is the purpose of God in the world? Then, what is the church’s calling and goal? With what must the church busy herself? Along with those comes the question: Is hers a labor of the Word alone, or is hers a labor that involves relief of the poor? The latter, of course, say most. Then, is the mission of the church one in which the Word is primary and diaconal relief secondary? are Word and relief coordinate? are they somehow subordinated, one to the other? Since almost all would agree that the church’s calling involves relief for the poor, to what extent is that relief given? And to what poor is the help given: to all the poor of the world? If not, to whom? Then, what are the goals of this relief? All these questions are involved in the matter of missions and diaconal ministries, and their answers flow out of the definition of the mission of God in the world.
I note here that, significantly, there is no confessional definition of the term Missio Dei. Therefore, a Reformed Christian is not bound to anyone’s particular formulation of the concept, but must come to an understanding of the Missio Dei, and answer the questions raised above, from biblical and confessional principles. [4] This, I seek to do.
The Kingdom of God
Crucial to one’s understanding of the Missio Dei is one’s definition of the “kingdom of God.” In studying the various definitions of the “mission of God,” one regularly meets an attempt to define God’s kingdom. [5] One’s definition of the kingdom has direct bearing on, indeed determines, one’s understanding of the mission of the church. If the kingdom is the whole world, including all people and all the institutions of the world, then somehow the mission and goal of the church includes the whole world. I begin, therefore, with a brief biblical and confessional explanation of the kingdom.
Although the kingdom of God is not identical to the church, they are so closely related as to be almost identified, looking at the same reality from two different perspectives. The church and the kingdom must be distinguished, but it is not wrong to say that the kingdom of Israel was the Old Testament church, and that the church is God’s New Testament Israel (cf. Galatians 6:16: speaking to the church, Paul identifies them as “the Israel of God”). I begin here for more than one reason, not the least of which is that when this comparison is made and this connection is seen, many questions are answered and many of the problems resolve themselves. Israel is the Old Testament manifestation of God’s kingdom. That physical kingdom in the land of promise was a type of the New Testament spiritual reality. The New Testament reality of God’s kingdom is not a physical kingdom, but rather a spiritual reality with spiritual rule, spiritual blessings, and spiritual goals. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).
I mention, without developing them, some of the main concepts: In this kingdom, Jesus Christ is Lord and King. The believing, elect, saints are the citizens of the kingdom. Entrance into this kingdom is through a spiritual translation (Col.1:13), by regeneration itself, without which there is no ability even to see the kingdom (John 3:3). The principle of this kingdom is the rule and dominion of Jesus in the hearts of men (Ps. 110:3). For this reason, the “kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). The effect of this rule is the willing submission of the citizens so that they live godly in all spheres of their lives. Growth in the kingdom is the increase in members by calling men out of darkness into the true light of Christ, and the increase of submission by these citizens to King Jesus. The weapon in this kingdom is none other than the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. And, although all of the citizens of the kingdom wield the sword, of primary importance are the pastors who teach and the watchmen/elders on the walls who warn and defend ( Ezek. 33).
That this is the proper view of the kingdom is the teaching of a crucial passage in the New Testament where Peter calls the church the “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (I Pet. 2:9), fulfilling the Old Testament description of Israel in Exodus 19:6. The New Testament church of Christ is God’s new “kingdom/nation.”
For a Reformed believer, it is difficult to adopt any other view of the kingdom, since the only explanation that the Reformed creeds give of the kingdom runs along these lines. Decisive in its explanation of God’s kingdom is the Heidelberg Catechism’s explanation of the second petition. “Thy kingdom come” means “Preserve and increase thy church.” [6] There is no description of boundaries or citizens beyond the limits of the church. The King’s victory in this kingdom is described in the prayer of the citizens: “Rule us so by thy Word and Spirit that we may submit ourselves more and more to thee.” In Lord’s Day 12 of the Catechism, the Reformed believer speaks of “our eternal king, who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in (the enjoyment of) that salvation He purchased for us.” In the lengthy and important section of the Catechism, questions 82-87, regarding entrance into and putting out from the kingdom by “keys,” we confess 1) that the “keys of the kingdom” are the spiritual instruments of the gospel and discipline, 2) that none but converted Christians will inherit anything of the kingdom blessings, and 3) that in order to do so a man must become a member of the church, outside of which there is no salvation. [7]
In its Article 27, the Belgic (Netherlands) Confession of Faith connects the kingship of Christ to the church alone. And when it describes the duty of earthly magistrates in Article 36, it does so in these terms: magistrates must oppose the kingdom of the devil and promote the kingdom of Christ, by countenancing the true preaching everywhere and protecting proper worship. This is the magistrates’ calling regarding the kingdom of Christ.
The Canons of Dordt (III/IV:10) teach, in connection with a Christian’s “conversion to God and the manner thereof,” that to enter into the kingdom one must be translated out of darkness into the light of Jesus Christ, spiritually. That is the extent of the Reformed confessional teaching regarding God’s kingdom. [8]
Although missiologist Mark Gornik criticized him for it, the great church father Augustine was not wrong when he “conflated the church with the city of God.” [9] Making closest connection between church and kingdom does not meet with the favor of many missiologists (theologians, too) today; it does, however, meet with the favor of some giants of the faith. More important for the Reformed Christian, it is the view of the Reformed creeds.
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This spiritual view of the kingdom, which sees the kingdom as “the church from a different perspective,” runs up against a number of questions and objections, some of which should be treated here.
First, the Old Testament kingdom of David/Solomon extended beyond the boundaries of Israel and the people of God; therefore, must not the New Testament kingdom extend beyond the church “from sea to sea”? The answer to this comment/question contains two parts. Briefly, the extending of the kingdom from “sea to sea” is a prophecy of the catholicity of the church when it breaks the bounds of the nation of the Jews and the physical descendants of Abraham. More importantly, the kingdom of David/Solomon did extend beyond the boundaries of the national Jews, from the Euphrates to Egypt. David’s dominion was an extensive dominion, which typified Christ’s. About this dominion, however, note: 1) It was a dominion of power and not of grace, corresponding to the classic Reformed distinction between Christ’s regnum potentia and his regnum gratia. [10] 2) Those outside of the nation of Israel came under the dominion of David and Solomon, but to receive their blessings and favor these Gentiles must become members of the nation, the church. Even though Israel’s physical prosperity perhaps “flowed over” to these nations, these physical gifts were not the favor or blessing of God (see Psalms 37 and 73, where the psalmist expressed how he learned that the material wealth of his wicked neighbor was in fact not a sign of God’s favor). 3) The nation of Israel—God’s people—always remained antithetically distinct from these other nations (Deut. 33:28: “Israel then shall dwell in safety alone”). 4) The relationship between the two was: the nations existed for the sake of the church. Tribute was levied upon them so that Israel could prosper, so the kingdom of God could be rich. And if an Israelite on the outer boundary of the kingdom was interested in (and he should be!) the real welfare of his neighbor across the field, he would proselytize him—bring him into the nation of Israel so that he would receive the true goodness of the kingdom through the worship of Israel’s God. The corresponding reality of this in the New Testament would be clear. At the end of the day, the believer says to his neighbor, “The fashion of this world passes away; our pilgrim hope is in Jesus Christ; our real prosperity is in the gospel; our genuine freedom is as His people” (see more on this below).
Second, is not Jeremiah 29:7, which makes frequent appearance as a justification for “kingdom” concern outside of the church, [11] an important passage? Speaking to the Jews in captivity, Jeremiah calls them to “seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” Over against a common but very recent understanding of this passage, [12] the passage does not call the captive Jews to seek to transform (even develop) Babylon into the kingdom of God. Throughout Scripture, Babylon is always the inveterate and incurable enemy of God’s people, which is not won over by the church, but 1) continually threatens to destroy the church and 2) is herself destroyed in the end. The passage does not call Israel to hope for Babylon’s transformation or to pin any hopes on Babylon’s change. For the concern of the Lord as He conveys this message to His people is not Babylon, but the church in Babylon. A study of the context indicates that the people of God in captivity might be tempted to subvert the rulers in Babylon, or live in a revolutionary spirit toward Babylon. But because the Lord’s judgment on Israel required that they remain in captivity for 70 years, the people must settle in there, marry there, have children and build houses there. But, in order for Israel/church to do that and prosper there, Babylon herself must not be at war and in turmoil: “for” if she is troubled, you will be troubled, and if she is at peace, you will be at peace. Thus the call: pray for the peace of Babylon; even seek her welfare. In New Testament terms, the call to the people of God is this: “Although you are only pilgrims in the world, and you must pin your hopes on heaven, you must live in the world. Therefore, pray that there might be peace in the world; pray for and seek prosperity and do justice in the world. And as you do so, remember that the purposes of God remain in the welfare of His beloved church.” This explanation of Jeremiah 29 conforms to the reason that Paul, in the New Testament, gives to Timothy for prayers for civil rulers:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (I Tim. 2:1, 2)
The purpose of these prayers for the welfare of civil authorities is “that” (purpose clause) the church may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Timothy and his congregation may have imagined that their shalom lay in the destruction of the world. Ultimately it did. But until Christ returns, their welfare usually is promoted by the existence of a peaceful empire.
Third, the question might be raised: “But this view of the kingdom seems to discount the positive purpose of God in creation itself.” The view of the kingdom described in this paper recognizes a positive purpose of God in the creation, but reckons with two things: 1) The purpose of God in creation is not a purpose independent of, nor along side of, God’s purposes with the church and redemption. [13] 2) It is certainly not the purpose of God that, eschatologically, the creation will take the place of the church. [14] Rather, the creation is a glorious “stage” on which Christ’s redemptive purposes are accomplished, and a stage that itself will be redeemed in the end. [15] In this beautiful creation, itself a marvel that reveals God’s glory, God works His purpose of saving His church—the body of His dear Son. Through this creation, which contains a multitude of signs of God’s saving work in Christ, God teaches us how He works in His positive purpose in Christ as head of the church. Then, this creation itself will be redeemed as the object of God’s love in Christ (John 3:16). This is how to understand not only Romans 8, but also Colossians 1, which, if read in their context, show both the inseparable connection between creation and the redemption of the church and that, if there is any subordination, it is subordination of the world to the church.
Fourth, at the basis of most of the views that hold the kingdom to be far broader than the church, and the calling of the church to serve the kingdom, is the doctrine of common grace. [16] The doctrine of common grace asks: Is there no goodness of God for others than the elect? Are there no ‘crumbs’ for others than the church? Is there not a purpose of God in the world (a kingdom purpose) other than the purpose of the saving of the church? To those questions, the Protestant Reformed Churches have always given a clear and negative answer. The reader can see how the affirmation or denial of the doctrine of common grace will lead in quite different ways in the matter of the Missio Dei. Footnote 16 is important here, but this is not the place for a lengthy treatment of the doctrine of common grace. [17]
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Having briefly sketched the positive doctrine of the kingdom of God, and then having put that against the background of some different views, we now address the important questions that relate to ministries of mercy and the activity of the Christian in the world: 1) How does this view of the kingdom influence a Reformed Christian’s views of Christian activity in mercy (and justice)? 2) To what extent does the church inevitably influence the world about her, and to what extent does the church try to do so? 3) How do the citizens of the kingdom of Jesus Christ live their lives in the world, although they are not “of the world.” [18]
Briefly, now, it will have become clear what the Christian is not called to do as he seeks to live his Christian life in the world. It is not the missio ecclesia [19] to seek out all men in the world to eliminate all injustice, stop all oppression, root out all poverty, cure all disease, and thus create “shalom” for the world. This is not only impossible for the church, it would be a distraction from her primary responsibility. Rather, the church’s calling is to come to the aid of all who confess the name of Jesus Christ—“the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10) —and assist the non-Christian neighbor whose needs he observes, and in a way that maintains the primacy of aid to the church—“especially the household of faith.” In this work, there certainly is no tension between word and deed, between evangelism and benevolence, as is sometimes encouraged; there is not even some kind of balance that must be maintained, so that the one is not overemphasized and the other neglected. (Although this supposed “tension” or mandated “balance” are not surprising when one holds to an “independent purpose” of God in creation.) Rather, there is a relation between the two, wonderful to behold, in which they cooperate with and complement each other, just as priest and prophet did in the Old Covenant kingdom. Indeed, word and deed are the prophetic and priestly offices in Jesus’ kingdom, which not only may not be pitted against one another, but serve the one great purpose of Christ in His kingdom/church. The priestly office is the ministry of mercy, according to Hebrews 2:17: Jesus is “our merciful … high priest.” It relates to the prophetic office (the Word of God) in that it ministers to the bodily needs of the people of God, whom God has redeemed in their body as well as their soul, and who experience that redemption by the prophetic gospel.
Before I expand on what is the positive calling of the church toward non-Christians, two things must be mentioned. First, it is commonly said that the Old Testament gives a clear mandate to care for all the poor, widows, orphans, etc., in the world, [20] and that Jesus’ miracles of healing sick and caring for the poor are examples of the church’s calling among the sick and poor of the world. Both of these positions fail to take into account one fundamental reality: that the Old Testament calling, and the work of Jesus, were among the people of God. The calling of the Old Testament and the work of Jesus are not in the world, but in God’s Israel. This is not to say that the church does not have a calling among non-Christians; only that this calling cannot be found in Jesus’ examples of healing, etc. Regarding Jesus’ healing and feeding labors, note 1) that they were primarily signs of the spiritual work He was to perform for the people, although certainly they point to Jesus’ final deliverance of His people in the body; 2) it must be noted that Jesus did not heal everyone—not all the sick in the neighboring nations, and not even all the sick and hungry in Israel. He even refused to feed them all when He was pressed to do so. He did not succumb to the first temptation of the devil to “turn these stones into bread” (note the plural “stones,” which would have been more than to suffice Jesus’ hunger), or the temptation to become the king who would provide all the physical needs of an admittedly needy nation. From all the calls to the church to feed the world, one is almost left with the impression that if Jesus would return today and conduct Himself as He did when He first came, the churches would crucify Him again for not coming aboard their programs to feed the world. The principal work Jesus engaged in was the gospel—the good news of the spiritual deliverance of His people. Though He had a care for their physical needs and He emphasized that they may pray for those needs ( Matthew 6: “give us this day our daily bread”), He and His apostles reminded the citizens of the kingdom not to let that be much of an interest for them.
Second, if the objection is raised that this position does not give proper place to a concern for social justice, the objecting brother is pointed to the apostle Paul’s inspired instruction in I Corinthians 7. There, the wisdom of Jesus Christ teaches about a believer who is a slave:
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God (KJV).