con el honor, el gozo de parte del hermano Ramón, el pastor Ramón, de darnos la invitación de compartir la palabra con ustedes, hermanos. Y sabemos que aunque no nos conozcamos en cuanto a intimidad, de verdad, de en cuanto como amistades en el sentido personal como una iglesia congregacional, lo que sí sabemos que somos hermanos bajo una misma convicción y fe. And that conviction and faith only stands out in the moment when we can all immerse ourselves in the scriptures. And we can all, in the same way, glorify the God of heights. Brother Ramon has given me El privilegio de cuando me invitó y yo le comenté, hermano, ¿qué quieres que predique? Dijo, no, yo ya tengo unos textos del libro de Tito que quiero que te encargues. Y cuando me dio los textos de Tito del capítulo uno, versículo del 10 al 16, yo dije, uy, hermano, me diste textos de pesos pesados. because it is not easy at the moment when we can learn the theory, but another thing is to live the practice of reality when we find ourselves with men, as the Bible tells us, of what the Word of God mentions here. Pablo presents a detailed description, as the brother read to us at the beginning of the teaching, to make this We see that in verse 9 califica a Pablo fuertemente para demostrar la necesidad y la urgencia para preparar a los ancianos para que pudieran con un objetivo no solamente de enseñar a la iglesia, edificar a la iglesia, sino también de esta parte que a veces es en lo cual tenemos que estar también con una postura firme. Y esa postura significa es, los ancianos tienen que prepararse, sabemos que esto es una aplicación general también para toda la iglesia, pero como el contexto de los versículos están enfocados es para la elección de ancianos, sabemos que otra responsabilidad que tienen los ancianos es reprender aquellos de los cuales pueden llegar o incluso pueden salir de donde estamos acá mismo, con otro tipo de doctrinas. Solamente quiero leer el versículo nueve que lo hizo el hermano Uriel. Retenedor de la palabra fiel, tal como ha sido enseñada, para que también pueda exhortar con sana enseñanza y convencer a los que los contradicen. If we look at our verse number 10, because we are going to immerse ourselves in the word of the Lord, we can see what the text says. Because there are still many contumaces, talkers of vanities and deceivers, mostly those of circumcision. First, we are going to break down the biblical text so we can see the whole, the first projection or the emphasis that there is in this first verse that we are analyzing from all this context that Pablo is giving to Tito. These individuals, he says, are contumaces. The question now is, what is that? What is contumaces? In the translation it says that The word contumaces is that they were not willing to submit to God or His law. In other words, the word contumaces is simply insubordinate, rebellious, and disobedient. Insubordinate, rebellious, and disobedient. That's what the translation says. So, these individuals are contumaces. Now, this is important to understand. Why? Because the scripture says in verse 9 that these elders also had to go and stand in front, fight against these men with tumaces who were disobedient, right? Against the word of God. Now, the text also tells us that these individuals were speakers of vanities. In other words, the translation says that these vanities speak without meaning or with bad intentions, that they are idle speakers. Their vain conversations had no foundation, no weight, no projection, no foundation of the Scripture in which the Church had to build itself. For example, I'm going to read verse 1 of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy 1.6 tells us the word of God, which says, of which things, deviating from some, have deviated to vain talk. He's talking about a type of man that is with your mother, where they spoke in a vain way. Luego en el siguiente versículo de primera de Timoteo dice la palabra que queriendo ser doctores de la ley sin entender ni lo que hablan ni lo que afirman. Luego si nos vamos a nuestro texto en el capítulo 3. Now, another characteristic that we see in verse 10 is that these individuals are deceivers. In other words, they are people who mislead the mind. When Paul comes and teaches the Scripture, he comes to project the Gospel. He comes and gives us the word so that we have a change of mentality. But these men with Thomases are deceiving men. The translation to that means that they mislead the type of mind, they seduce the minds. When we hear this word of seducing, Sometimes it has a bigger connection in the colloquial part, the sense that when a man seduces a woman, it's there where we can understand as an illustration that they say that the man, his weakness is the sight, but that the weakness of the woman is the ear. In such a way that in Greek, when Pablo uses this word, or the translation of deceivers, it is that they really seduce, they are very, they apply the cunning to be able to introduce their types of deception, or in this part, their type of bad teachings. Now, in verse 10, After the text says that they are contumaces, that they are deceivers, a part says that they are mostly those of the circumcision. In this part I want to stop because there is a very debatable point in the theological world. The doctors of theology have a position as to what they refer to as those of the circumcision. Normally, we can say, well, he's talking about circumcision, he's talking about Jews. But now, I want to tell you, brothers, that circumcision can be classified into three groups. ¿Cuáles son esos tres grupos? Bueno, lo primero que pueden calificar de estos detractores de la fe cristiana son los judíos ortodoxos, posiblemente los judíos ortodoxos porque practican la circuncisión. El segundo grupo en el cual nosotros podemos encontrar that we can find are the Judeo-Christians. Who are the Judeo-Christians? They are from the ethnically Jewish biological part, but they have embraced the Christian faith in such a way that they are called Judeo-Christians. And then they are in a third category and possible, this is to identify who can be the possible detractors of the faith, Spanish. Spanish. the part of the Jewish law, of which we have a lot, a lot of testimony of what Paul, how he attacked, for example, when he speaks to the Galatians, when he tells them who had fascinated them, who knew how to seduce them. So, in that way, we know that also today, this is something, at least in this third group of the gentile Judeo-Christians, it is something that is very latent. In what sense? Well, look, brothers, I'm going to tell you that What some brothers shared with you before I start the speech is that I come from a background, or my Christian origins were Pentecostal. And we know that in a Pentecostal church it is so sacred to have a flag of Israel in a congregation. And a flag, for example, of the country where we are from. I am from Venezuela. And in that way we always had that kind of admiration, and I'm not saying that we don't love the Jews, only that there is a different projection that has, so to speak, a large number of the Pentecostal world. El punto a lo que quiero ir es que a mí me llegaron a enseñar que nosotros teníamos que reverenciar a los judíos porque era el pueblo de Dios. Al punto que, sin darme cuenta, uno se va introduciendo a un mundo en el cual, no sé si lo han escuchado, en cuanto al de querer la iglesia ser judaizante. Right? We don't want to say, for example, attack so that we don't pronounce the name of Jesus as we normally know him. We want to say Yeshua, right? Or Joshua, depending on how many want to fight, how it can be pronounced. We don't want to say Spirit of God anymore. We want to say Ruach HaKosh. and things like that, in which they think and believe that if we cling more to the Jewish culture and we detach more from the Gregorian culture, even in the calendars, then we think that we are more spiritual or more belonging to the biblical, in quotation marks. So, why do I tell you this, brothers and sisters? Because in what verse 10 says, that the vast majority of the detractors, or rebel contumaces, were of the circumcision. But we know that there are three groups, the Orthodox, the Judeo-Christians, or the gentile Judeo-Christians. Let's identify, or let's see if it's possible to identify, what type of circumcision are those. In verse 14, it's very clear. If you can see, brothers, in verse 14 of Titus 1, it says, Okay? En esa primera expresión de no atender a fábulas judaicas, podemos comprender primeramente que no ahí clasifican a los gentiles judio-cristianos. ¿Por qué razón? Porque los judíos gentiles judio-cristianos sencillamente no tenían el trasfondo histórico y conocedor para saber lo que al judío le encantaba. Al judío lo que le encantaba era saber y conocer, ¿qué cosa? Eran grandes líneas descendencias en las cuales ellos caían para poder de esa forma filtrar sus fábulas. En ese sentido, al menos sabemos en ese versículo, entendemos que no pueden calificar los gentiles judio-cristianos. Por ejemplo, en Hechos capítulo 10, versículo 45, nos dice la palabra, y los fieles de la circuncisión que habían venido con Pedro se quedaron atónitos de que también sobre los gentiles se derramase el don del Espíritu de Dios. ¿Por qué estoy citando Hechos 10.45? Es para resaltar que habían, como se mencionan y los nombraban circuncisión, a judíos, pero no judíos ortodoxos. ¿Recuerdan que los judíos ortodoxos No querían nada con el Señor. Pero habían también judíos que se aferraban a la fe. Cristiana. A eso se le conocían como cristianos judíos. Entonces dice el texto, y los fieles de la circuncisión que habían venido con Pedro se quedaron atónitos, que también sobre los gentiles se derramaba el don del Espíritu de Dios. Luego dice en Gálatas, capítulo 2, versículo 12, pues antes que viniesen algunos de parte de Jacobo, que era líder de la iglesia en Jerusalén, comía con los gentiles. ¿Quién comía con los gentiles? Pedro. Pero después que vinieron, se retraía y se apartaba porque tenía miedo de los de la circuncisión. ¿Quiénes son esos según el texto de Gálatas 2.12? ¿Judíos ortodoxos, gentiles judio-cristianos o judíos cristianos? El hecho de que vinieran de la circuncisión a sentarse a comer con los gentiles pero apartados, en este caso que entró Pedro y entró Pablo, vio esa hipocresía de Pedro y lo regaña, ¿verdad? Sabemos eso. El punto lo que quiero resaltar es que en estos textos la mención de circuncisión es aplicativo para esos judíos que creían en el Mesías. Colossenses 4.11, y Jesús llamado justo, que son los únicos de la circuncisión que me ayudan en el reino de Dios, y han sido para mí un consuelo. Mira lo que dice Pablo, los llama de la circuncisión, pero que ayudaban en el reino de Dios. Está hablando que étnicamente eran Jesus. eran judíos que habían abrazado a Cristo, pero al mismo tiempo no se terminaban de desglosar, de apartar del mundo judaico en cuanto a todo el ritualismo y en cuanto a todas esas cosas de lo cual era el judío ortodoxo. Porque estaba dentro de las iglesias, y dentro de las iglesias no podían estar judíos ortodoxos porque no creían en el Señor. Luego vemos algo importante en el versículo 12 y 13, ¿verdad hermanos? Vamos a leer. Dice el 12, que uno de ellos, su propio profeta, dijo, los queretenses, siempre mentirosos, malas bestias, This testimony is true. I'm summarizing it between verses 2 and 13. There is a narrative of ammonization that Paul makes. Pablo cites, when he speaks, to know what he is talking about in this specific verse, when he says that one of them, his own prophet, said these words, always declare yourselves liars, Pablo in his narrative of amnesty cites Epimenides of Knossos, He was a well-known philosopher of the 6th century BC, that is, 600 years before the moment in which Paul is giving this quote. That philosopher, a Cretan, describía el poeta en sus palabras la naturaleza de la cultura de la población allá con los gretenses, y evaluó en sus propias palabras la introducción en cuanto a lo que reflejaban estos hombres. De tal manera que Pablo lo que está haciendo acá, después de hablar de qué clase de hombre eran, que eran contumaces, Pablo va, ¿verdad? Pablo va y sencillamente le dice, en palabras de tu propia gente, les voy a decir quiénes son ellos. So, Pablo evidently applied this quote to the false teachers, Cretans, and not to the Cretans in general, we have to be specific with this, because there was a church, there was a remnant with this people, but simply, this word he is using of this philosopher, he is applying it to the false teachers. Another important fact, the Greek world at that time also agreed to use the verb to criticize. This is like when 2,000 years ago, in the same way, in the Palestinian world, you know that the terminology of the word Nazareth Do you remember when they told Nathanel, sorry, he mentioned that if something good could come out of Nazareth, making it clear that this word that gave a specific place had a bad reputation. In such a way that when Paul went to that council, before being exported to Rome, he was told that he was the leader of the sect of the Nazarenes. But what I want to get to with that is that the detractors of faith used that word as a way to discredit. that in the Greek world, as I mentioned, they also used that word to belittle those who were from that place. They called it, and that's why the verb is applied, to criticize, to express the lie or deception of a person. Ah, this is criticizing, they called a person. Those individuals, afirmaban ser cristianos. Ellos estaban a la altura de la reputación que se les había dado como un pueblo no regenerado siglos antes de Cristo. ¿Verdad? Esa palabra, terminología, ya tenían esa fama, allá donde estaba Tito. Entonces, en el versículo 16 dice, profesan conocer a Dios. Pablo estuvo de acuerdo con esta evaluación. Pablo estuvo de acuerdo declarando que este término, este testimonio que daba este filósofo era verdadero, lo dice el versículo, ¿verdad? Esto lo que está diciendo es verdadero. In verse 11 we find the first order of Paul. It says in verse 11, to which it is necessary to cover the mouth. And it's precise, that translation of the word is precise, of that verb means that it was necessary, it's obligatory, it's convenient, it can't be questionable, you have to do it, you have to cover their mouths, says the text. So, literally what he's saying is, you have to silence them, prevent the teachers from spreading their teachings. Now, Pablo exposes the fundamental task that leaders have to perform. That's what brother Uriel taught. The requirements are there for the leaders. But in this part of what we are studying, we are seeing that those leaders had to prepare, as I told you, just as you have to give the word to exhort, to console, to found the faith and strengthen the doctrine in the brothers, it was also necessary that those leaders were sufficiently capable to be able to refute those contumaces, those men who come to harm the church. Paul exposes this fundamental task to them. It was necessary to proceed in this way, as the following words indicate. Why? Because he says that what these men did was to devastate entire families. That was, when he said that the houses were totally damaged, it means that what caused that kind of teaching. And using that kind of strong language, as Pablo is using it here in the texts, he says, it is necessary to cover their mouths. Now there is something important that I want to take you to, brothers, when he says in the text that it is necessary to cover their mouths. Let's apply a little of what is called the biblical context. ¿Dónde podemos encontrar algo que suene de tapar bocas o esa expresión en la cual podemos verlo en otras partes de la palabra? ¿Se hace un eco a esto de tapar la boca? Por ejemplo, vamos a ver lo contrario, lo que no se debe de hacer en un hombre de Dios, en un anciano bíblico. Primera de Corintios, capítulo 9, Primera de Corintios, capítulo 9, versículo 9. Vamos a leer desde el 9 al 11. ¿Amén? Primera de Corintios 9, del 9 al 11. Miren lo que dice la palabra, el versículo 9. Porque en la ley de Moisés está escrito, No pondrás bozal al buey que trilla. ¿Tiene Dios cuidado de los bueyes? Diez. O lo dice enteramente por nosotros. Pues por nosotros, dijo Pablo, se escribió. I repeat, because for us he wrote that of what the law says, because with hope he must reap what he reaps, and what he sows with hope of receiving the fruit. Eleven. If we sow among you the spiritual, it is a great thing if we sow the material among you. It ends with a rhetorical question. What is this text saying? En resumen, está hablando que el obrero es digno de su salario. Amen. Eso es. El punto de lo que está hablando es que el buen obrero, ¿se le debe de poner bozal? En otras palabras, ¿se le debe de tapar la boca? No. Al contrario, dice. Por eso estamos hablando lo contrario de lo que nos dice el texto de Tito. Pero en nuestro texto Pablo lo usa de forma negativa. Let's go back to the text, verse 11. It says that it is necessary to cover their mouths, because they disturb the whole house, showing by dishonest gain what is not convenient. The translation of the word disturb means literally to turn 180 degrees. ¿Y por qué se usa esa expresión de casas? Porque se sabe cómo inició la iglesia, ¿verdad? ¿Dónde comenzaban las iglesias a crecer? Eran en las casas. Trastornan las casas enteras, las voltean. In the true sense, there is an emphasis that may sound like a hyperbole, an exaggerated language, but it is to emphasize what false teachers do with their bad doctrine. Now, the image is strong, but it is very descriptive. You must cover your mouth. It says, not only, look brothers, not only must you cover your mouth, and that they do not continue to disturb the work of God with their false ideas, but also when it comes to covering their mouths, it is seen in a tacit way, that is, it is understood that if you cover their mouths, they cannot feed themselves either. It is necessary to cover their mouths. Significa entonces que no se pueden permitir que se sigan alimentando. ¿De qué forma? Alimentándose, que dice el resto del versículo. Que se sigan alimentando obteniendo dinero de forma indebida de la iglesia. Por eso es que es sinónimo de los falsos profetas el dinero, hermanos. Siempre van de la mano. Un falso profeta es conocido porque de alguna forma siempre busca con astucia, con sabiduría, entre comillas, del mundo, de cómo poder engañar para sacar al final el dinero. Seduce las mentes. Por eso la enseñanza de esta noche, le llamé, sin apología hay un caos. In other words, because I say it so that the title is not so long, without a defense of faith there is chaos, brother. It is a duty to be apologists, not only the elders, each one of us. We have to be defenders of faith. But to be defenders of the faith, we need to grow more and more in the knowledge of the word. Because if we don't grow in the word, then we will be carried away by any kind of winds and rivers, in whatever way you want to express it. These false teachers are characterized as disruptors. They failed not only in teaching, Okay? We know that there are ministers who can be incapable of studying writing, they can project something wrong because they haven't studied it, etc. But there is also a kind of men who can preach with an intention to harm. And we know that. Because they seek to divert people from the truth, they seek to drag them to error for money, So, the measure that the apostle indicates is really appropriate. Pablo, in other words, is saying, we can't tolerate them, we have to silence them. The question now is, are there indications of how to cover the mouth of a false teacher? Are there indications? I think so. Let's start with verse 9. Because the 9th verse of Titus says that the elders have to have retainers of the faithful word, as has been taught, so that they can also exhort with healthy teaching. And then it says, and convince those who contradict. What is to exhort, according to what the 9th verse says? To call near, to invite, begging, encouraging, encouraging, consoling and demanding. That's what the elders should do. And that's what Paul says in verse 9. You have to exhort and convince those who contradict you. But then we see in verse 13 a second order of Paul. What does he say in verse 13 specifically? Por tanto, ese por tanto y nos detenemos, ese por tanto y por todo lo que se ha mencionado, desde el versículo 10, en cuanto a los falsos maestros de lo que se ha hablado, por tanto a eso reprendelos duramente. Se repite dos veces. Primero dice, se les tiene que tapar la boca, y luego dice, se les tiene que reprender, y dice, y duramente. We know, right, that when something is repeated twice in writing, it's because we have to pay a lot of attention. The term to repress, the word to repress, Pablo uses it in Greek just like the word to exhort. Okay? The word to repent in Greek is the same as the word to exhort. In other words, it has to call close to false teachers, it has to invite them, it has to beg, it has to encourage, it has to encourage, it has to console, it has to ardently demand that they stop persisting in that thought they have. That's the first step. That's why when Paul sends Timothy to Ephesus, Look, I beg you to go and rise up against men like Alejandro, who preached that the resurrection had already happened. It is necessary that you rise up. When it comes to dealing with sin in the church, the main objective must always be the correction, the restoration of the mistakes of the teaching. That is the first step. If there is a brother who is in the church and gets up with strange things, we are not simply going to reach him with a whip. The text says, you have to exhort him, you have to reprimand him. With what? With love, with consolation, demand, encourage, pray, look for where he failed so that he understands and can correct himself in his path. That's the first thing. Now, not all the time, those men change, yes or no? The fact of not facing the problems inside the church ya sea con base teológica o práctica, puede ser un indicativo de una indiferencia. ¿Qué pasa si la iglesia es indiferente ante cosas como esas? Veamos el ejemplo en 1 Corintios capítulo 5. No hay una mala enseñanza, pero había una práctica errónea en pecado. Había un joven viviendo con su madrasta. Yes or no? There is no doctrine, there is erroneousness, but there is a practice. The point is that this is equally applicable. And what does Paul say? What does he say to the Corinthians? He doesn't exhort them? And he says, that's it. This, this is not seen, he says, this is not seen. Paul was always to speak sarcastically, emphatically, and with rhetorical questions to call the attention of the church when it was wrong, for example. Y dice, ya va. Está esto que esto no se ve ni afuera en el mundo. Y no hay ninguno de ustedes que juzgue que lo que están haciendo está mal. La indiferencia es algo tan terrible, hermanos. But why is there indifference sometimes? First of all, it could be that there is no true love. Or it could also be that the theological foundation of the Church is in moving sand. Fear, to offend, can discourage any leader of a church if repression is not practiced. That's the emphasis we see in these texts from 10 to 16. If repression is not practiced, exhortation, we can simply become people or elders who are simply indifferent. Primera de Timoteo, 1, 3, le dice Pablo a Timoteo, ¿Cómo te rogué que te quedases en Éfeso cuando fui a Macedonia para que mandases a algunos que no enseñan diferente doctrina? Y luego dice ahí en Primera de Timoteo, capítulo 1, versículo 19 y 20, el 19, First Timothy 1.19, sorry. Maintaining faith and good conscience, discarding which they sank in terms of faith, some of whom are Hymenaeus, the one I mentioned, and Alexander. Look at what Paul said, to those who surrender to Satan so that they may learn to blaspheme. There is something very popular that we sometimes find in the name of ethics, in the name of education. I can mention what a brother is doing wrong, right? But they never mention names. For example, why do they say education? Have you heard that? Look what Pablo does, it's not frank, it's what Pablo says in writing. Cuando él miraba hombres detractores, contumaces, rebeldes y desobedientes, después que se le podía llamar, porque recuerden que el primer paso es exhortarlos, llamarlos en amor, enseñarles, pero si siguen tercos en ese proceder, mira la respuesta de que hace Pablo del 20. Los menciona por nombres que son Jimeneo y Alejandro. Eran dos líderes de la iglesia en Éfeso. and sends Timoteo. And Paul says to Timoteo, let no one have your youth for less. Imagine that work, brothers. Imagine that we are 2000 years ago in the church of Ephesus, and there are these men like Alexander and Meneo preaching a false teaching, as there are so many today, brothers, right? But he doesn't come to hug his brothers and tell them, let's see what practice we do so we can tell these two men in love that what they are doing is wrong. Brothers, there is no greater love evidenced for the church than to call things by their names and how they are. I had to go to Timoteo, specifically to Jimenao and Alejandro, and tell them, look, Paul has already given you to Satan so that you don't blaspheme. What was the blasphemy in Alejandro and Jimenao? They were saying that the resurrection had already happened. Brothers, we are in a pragmatic society, we are in what is called the era of the crystal, where you can't say anything because everything is a demand, everything is wrong. We were talking about that with brother Ramon in the last classes we had, and with what happened in Canada. The approval of the law of the pulpit, the pastors can't say anything against homosexuality, because if they don't, it's prison. That's the beginning. Eso va a seguir hermano, eso se va a regar más. Entonces, a veces eso es bueno hermano, que ocurra. ¿Saben por qué? Porque de esa forma se tienen que filtrar en las iglesias qué clase de ancianos están dirigiendo. O es que me salvo el pellejo, por así decirlo, o hablo la verdad, aunque me lleve a la cárcel. O como dice el Segundo de Pedro, si vamos a la cárcel que sean por las razones válidas, no porque me he peleado con otro hermano. If I go to jail, it's because I have spoken in favor of the truth of God and not in favor of the relative truth of men. What is the purpose? What is the purpose of Pablo with this repression, of talking to Tumases, of talking to bad beasts, all these things? What one used from that Cretan philosopher. He used these words to say, look, even your own people speak ill of you. of the character, not of the whole church, of the false teachers. What is the purpose, brothers? The correction. What does verse 14 say? I'm sorry, verse 13. Verse 14. So that they may be healthy in the faith. Be healthy. Those who are healthy It's a present verb, it's active, it's in motion. It had to be occurring if those men were paying attention to the repression that was happening to them. Be healthy, have good health. What does good health mean? The physical part? No. Good health in terms of the fidelity of the doctrine. The restoration that is possible both in communion and in the Holy Doctrine is compromised if it is not confronted. A loving confrontation, a sensitive but firm, forceful confrontation. Because the word is what they call, when we talk about exhortation, when we talk about exhortation, not that it is simply whipping without mercy, but looking for restoration. But we know that if you don't get to that point, because the characteristic of a false teacher is that they are what? Contumacists, they are rebels, they are stubborn, disobedient, they don't want to be subject to any authority, they simply have to be denounced and taken out of the church. It could be a simple ammonization for this type of men, even for the excommunication of the church. It all depends on how the person's response looks like when it comes to edifying them, if they take notice. Now, identification. We are going to make an identification of the fundamental errors that we see here in these verses. Por ejemplo, en el versículo 14, que es el versículo que estamos ahora ya en continuación, se dice que no atendiendo a fábulas judaicas, ni a mandamientos de hombres que se apartan de la verdad. Vuelvo a repetir. no atendiendo a fábulas judaicas, ni a mandamientos de hombres que se apartan de la verdad. El origen de esta doctrina errónea puede encontrarse en dos fuentes, hermanos. Acá lo que dice el versículo 14. En dos fuentes se pueden encontrar. Por un lado, podemos encontrar el fariseísmo judío que enfatizaba un ritualismo externo y extremo. that sought to achieve spiritual purity. We know that, in conclusion, what did the pharisees practice, for example? The detractors of the Lord Jesus in his time in the earthly ministry. What did the pharisees do? They emphasized a legalism, something external. For what purpose? With a spiritual purity. But they followed legalist norms. But this position was so typical of them which was reproved by the scriptures. Now, on the other hand, what we see in verse 14, also in these first years of Christianity, we know that a very famous heresy began to emerge, known as Gnosticism, which had as one of its central ideas the pagan dualism. In other words, what did Gnosticism teach 2000 years ago? They taught that everything material, physical, was sin. that everything physical was a sin. And that's why they came, also Gnosticism, was what introduced an erroneous doctrine in that Jesus had come, but he had not come in flesh, but only in spirit. That's why the apostle John, when he says in his letters that everyone who denies that Christ has come in flesh is an antichrist, attacking Gnosticism. they were promoting an ascetic legalism, which is a hard treatment to the body, among Cretan Christians. And that's what I want to project so you can see from verse 14. that there is a legalist movement of action of works with the purpose of purification and spirituality at a high point, according to their perspective, but also in terms of material and physical things, they were also sinful. For example, the pharisees, eating or drinking certain things was impure. But on the other hand, the Gnostic influence, to satisfy the body's need was also a sin, from their perspective. For example, they also considered that getting married was a sin, that having children was a sin, the Gnostics. And since for them all material things, including the body, were bad, all this coincides with the description we see in verse 14, that these mistakes had to do with Jewish myths and commandments of men, says verse 14. Not attending to these Jewish fables, nor to these commandments of men. Now, Paul attacks this ascetic heresy, this heresy in terms of the hard treatment of the body. Now, the apostle indicates that, unlike the lies that were spreading in Crete, the true purity in Christian life no se basa, hermanos, verdad, la verdadera pureza en cuanto lo que hacemos para el Señor no se basa en rituales externos, sino en una pureza interior. Por ejemplo, dice en Tito ahí, pero en el versículo 15, más adelante, que dice, todas las cosas son puras, for the pure, but for the corrupted and unbelievers nothing is pure, for even their mind and their conscience are corrupted." Now, this confirms the type of error that the Christians in Crete were contaminated with, which related to the wrong concept of spiritual purity. They wanted to get to spiritual purity, but by the wrong means. It is also relevant to add that if the first part of this phrase is taken in an isolated way, what verse 15 says, I don't know if you notice, you can also get to another very dangerous extreme. And it's in the first prayer, up to where the coma is. All things are pure for the pure. Imagine this text for a person who is corrupted in his doctrine. What does this mean? All things are pure for the pure. And that's why we need to know how this is taught. Why? Because it can be misinterpreted, that is, it can be used in an abusive way to justify an erroneous conduct. Because the text says that everything, for me, if I consider that this is bad, for me it's good, then I will continue doing it. Now, in the 21st century we live this relativism of values, that everyone has their truth, everyone has their perspective of what they consider their affirmations and beliefs. But in theology, this is known as antinomianism. What is antinomianism? In colloquial words, it's just the belief that I think I'm saved by grace, but from now on I can do whatever I want. That's the other extreme. There are two dangerous extremes, right? There is legalism, which is what you are seeing here in the biblical texts, in terms of wanting to seek some spiritual purpose, but through works. And the other extreme is anti-humanism. It is totally a liberal life. That's what I mean in terms of the care of having the biblical texts when it says, right, all things are pure for the pure. So even today's Christians could be affected by this devil's deception. As a father of all lies, who can even transverse Scripture to lead to error. Look at what Mark 7.15 tells us. Mark 7.15. There is nothing outside of man Esto es para atacar el legalismo de lo que está mencionando acá Pablo, a los cretenses. Nada hay fuera del hombre que entre en él que le pueda contaminar. Pero lo que sale de él, eso es lo que contamina al hombre. Palabras del Señor. And these words were marked for what audience when Jesus said these words? Specifically, with which religious group? The Pharisees, right? Why? Because remember that the Pharisees, as I mentioned, had a custom that there were things that were a sin for them and they didn't do it. And Jesus comes and says these words. What contaminates man is not what enters, but what comes out of man. Verse 16, we see that there is a hypocritical character, because in the first sentence is where we see that hypocrisy. That kind of men with tumaces say, they profess to know God. They are not ignorant, they are not simply a group of natives in the middle of nowhere, in the jungle. They profess, they declare, they say that they know God. pero con los hechos lo niegan. En Venezuela hay un dicho que dicen, cuando se habla de estas hipocresías, dicen, muchos andan con un Cristo colgando en el pecho, pero al diablo en los hechos. Profesan conocer a Dios, pero los hechos lo niegan. ¿Por qué? Dice el texto, 16, siendo abominables. rebels, I use the word again, but in more synonyms, which is the same with Tumases, being abominable, rebellious, reprehensible in terms of any good work. They are blind men, brothers, but they say they can see. That makes them guilty. That is to say, there is an incongruity between what they say and what they are, between their words and their works. Once again, it is pointed out that those deceivers emphasized mere words and rituals, but they did not have a truly real and effective spiritual life. And that is why, brothers, sometimes in that part, at least in that aspect, we have to be very careful. Why? Because we are now so, at least, well, I speak for myself, coming from a world so out of writing. but wrapped in a mystical ritual world, in which you can surround many churches. And now we come to the introduction of Scripture, and we only want Scripture, and we want to know the word of God, and grow in the knowledge of the word of God, because the people of God perishes, right? Because they lacked knowledge. But we can get to a point where there is also that exhortation that Paul gives to the Corinthians. No es solamente un conocimiento pleno, teológico, y que hablen terminologías que nadie le entiende, pero que, digamos, no le entendemos, pero de que sabe, sabe. Porque por algo dice todas esas palabras. Podemos decir, estoy hablando sarcásticamente, pero el punto es, Pablo dice, hermanos, cuidaos de aquel tipo de conocimiento vago, vacío, frío, It's better, and with this I don't want to take away from the study, we have to study, brother, so as not to twist the scriptures. But the point is that it has to be balanced. We study the word, we have to learn more about the word, as Arthur Sproul said, we all have to be theologians, or rather, we are all theologians because we study the scriptures. But it also has to go with a spiritual life, our devotional life, our spiritual life has to go strong with that knowledge. And sometimes it happens that right now, in the Reformed world, it's being given a lot of emphasis, it's falling more in the part of the intellect, of knowing, but we are cold, brothers. We can have all the knowledge, but if we don't have love, said Pablo Los Corintios. So we are like a piece of metal that resonates. The text then teaches us, brothers, that simply, the only thing I want to highlight in that part, is that we are not simply men who can speak beautifully, or men who can develop well biblical forests, or men who can share the word and biblical texts, and we know so many types of biblical verses, but it really goes with a real spiritual life, which is what in the end becomes effective, brother, which is what we preach, lo estamos viviendo. Porque como estos contumaces que no eran, eran puras palabras bonitas o como dicen, puro pico de oro, pero no hay una vida espiritual correcta ante los ojos de Dios. Entonces, sencillamente dice el texto, dice la palabra, profesan conocer a Dios, pero lo niegan con sus hechos. Entonces, ¿qué estaban haciendo? Promovían una fe sin obras. Y eso es muy claro lo que encontramos en el libro de Santiago, capítulo 2, versículo 17. Que la fe sin obras es muerta, hermanos. La fe sin obras es muerta. Confesaron que conocían a Dios, dice el texto. Este uso del término confesar indica que estos falsos maestros en realidad afirmaban ser creyentes, cristianos es lo que están diciendo. Por eso es que tampoco lo califican como los judíos ortodoxos que mencionamos al principio. Porque profesan que eran cristianos, pero sin embargo con los hechos lo niegan. Este juicio pronunciado contra estos falsos maestros es el mismo que Dios habló a través de lo profeta Isaías. Cuando Isaías dijo en Isaías 29.13, Sus corazones están lejos de mí. Pero finalmente el apóstol se refiere a estos falsos maestros con calificativos bastante fuertes, hermanos. Imaginen cuando dice la palabra ahí, abominables. That word means to be detestable, repulsive, and it is used to refer to the false idols in Scripture. And now the Lord, through Paul, speaks of these men as abominable, at the same time as the false idols, brothers. So, it is striking that it is called like that, despite its emphasis on their rules. Externally, they looked like, as the word says, they can even imitate the appearance of piety. Maybe it is precisely because of that false appearance of piety that these deceivers are more repugnant. And I want to give a quote from an observation by Lewis, and I quote, De todos los hombres malos, los hombres religiosos malos son los peores. Y hay una ironía en lo que dice acá C.S. Lewis. Hay una ironía grande porque aquellos de estos hombres que confiaron en las obras no son aptos para las buenas obras. Irónico. Confían en las obras, pero no son aptos para las buenas obras. Las obras que Dios desea, según Efesios 2.8. Que Dios nos ha hecho para buenas obras. Entonces, hermanos, Pablo de los versículos del 10 al 16 expuso y reprendió a los falsos maestros que ponían en peligro a las iglesias queretenses. Usó un lenguaje fuerte al exponer su pecado, porque también añadían requisitos religiosos externos, así pervirtiendo el evangelio de la gracia de Dios. Y sabemos que esta cuestión de la justicia por las obras tuvo que ser confrontada en la iglesia, incluso en Jerusalén, en Hechos capítulo 15, hermanos. No es algo nuevo acaso solamente que Pablo está dándole a tito en la iglesia gretense. Desde Hechos 15 se estaba batallando si los gentiles tenían que entrar en la iglesia, si se tenían que circuncidar o no se tenían que circuncidar. Because in the end, the works of this perspective were battling because they were simply attacking the heart of the Gospel, which was to believe in the Lord with a salvific faith. And apparently it became a topic within many churches, whether they were reconciled or not. We also see that example of Galatians. And that had also happened throughout the Mediterranean world. The most complete theological refutation, to finish, of Paul on this problem, we know is contained in the epistle of the Galatians. Galatians is the epistle where this is attacked, about legalism, about hard asceticism towards the body, and how we really have and enter into the Gospel by the grace of God. Now, unfortunately, brothers, Debemos reconocer que, tanto históricamente como en la actualidad, muchos de los problemas de la iglesia provienen, ¿dónde? Del interior. Yes, as we mentioned, the attacks of the world, the approval of not speaking against homosexuality, and so on. And these are tangible problems, brothers, in which we have to be firm and we have to be prepared for these waves of attacks from the enemy. But brothers, let's not forget that the word says that wheat and chaff deben crecer juntos. Y no es porque Dios quiera eso, pero Él lo permite porque es necesario que la iglesia se filtre en cuanto realmente lo que son aprobados. Los ataques más grandes hacia la iglesia han venido desde la parte interna. Lo que Satanás no puede destruir a través de las fuerzas externas, por la parte secular, lo atacará de una forma tan sigilosa a través de la confusión interna. Acá cito a Charles Spurgeon, uno de mis favoritos. Cito, el discernimiento es la capacidad de distinguir entre la verdad y la casi verdad. Es ahí el peligro. Because if he introduces himself, I'm going to be sarcastic, he introduces himself as Satan, with horns and a tail, and he says, come worship me. It's very obvious, right? Or come from those men who are already so stubborn and naïve. How many have heard of that woman who thinks she is Christ, this beloved Christ Elizabeth? How many have heard of her? I am the true Christ, and well, there are few things that are truly incoherent. It's very evident, right? It's very evident. I don't believe in this, and yet people follow it. But the point is, we have to, when we are being submerged in the doctrine, and as Isaiah said, that the words of the shepherds are like nails that enter the wood, that if they are good teachings, brothers, they are established for all life, but if they are twisted doctrines, imagine, brothers, So, what happens? The point of why I'm quoting Charles Spurgeon is because we have to make an apology if there is no chaos in the Church. Houses turn upside down because of the lack of apology, of defense, of faith. But discernment, right? As Pastor John McArthur said, what is the number one problem in the Church? Discernment. Y el discernimiento es por medio del desconocimiento de la palabra de Dios. Porque es por medio del discernimiento, entonces dice Spurgeon, que se puede distinguir entre la verdad y la casi verdad. Es ahí donde muchos caen en los enredos y en las astucias del enemigo. Tenemos que aprender a diferenciar entre la doctrina correcta y la falsa, y la casi falsa. Y aunque muchas de las cuestiones that cause divisions can be insignificant, brothers. There should be no commitment in the most significant question about what constitutes salvation. Just as Pablo faced this problem with respect to the Jewish heresy here in Tito, also the leaders of the Church, through the times, just as Martin Luther, who is an example of many, have fought to clarify to the Church that salvation was only by faith. That's what started and led to the reform, brothers. It was when he found the wonder of justification for faith in the book of Romans. And always, as this is the heart of what is known as primary doctrines, because we know that there are secondary doctrines in which we can differentiate ourselves from other brothers, right? For example, I'll give you an example. For example, with our brothers who were reformed, Presbyterians. What can be a secondary doctrine that separates us? What do you think it is? The baptism of the children is classified as a secondary doctrine, that is, it doesn't affect and doesn't touch the heart of the Gospel, which is a salvation by faith and grace. But there is a primary doctrine in which we are affected, and we can't call ourselves brothers. I can't categorize myself as a brother of the Adventists, of the Mormons, who believe that Jehovah comes from Mundo por ahí en la luna, que se llama Colob, no sé cómo le dicen a ellos. O de los testigos de Jehová, los famosos arrianos, que creen que Cristo es inferior, que Dios lo hizo a él como la primera creación, y atentan contra el corazón, primeramente con la persona de Cristo, su doble naturaleza. Right? Or like what is known in theology, the beautiful hypostatic union, 100% God and 100% man. And the Harrians, the witnesses, are against it. I can't say that they are my brothers, because they are not. The problem now is what happens to those who are closest. Right? And that's where that delicate part comes in. Who can I say, this is wrong? And brothers, be careful with what... Look, brothers, with this I'm going to finish now. We have to be careful that we are not judging. It's the haircut, how you speak, if you speak nicely, if you speak badly. It's what comes out of the mouths of men, what we can judge and we must judge. Because that's what Mr. Pablo said to the Corinthians. El que profetice, profetice uno a la vez, y los demás juzguen, y ser como los de Berea, dice el texto. Entonces, hermanos, tenemos que tener cuidado, y más, por lo le digo, debemos seguir en qué cosas podemos diferenciarnos con otros hermanos, pero aún así seguir llamándonos hermanos en la fe. En este caso, como los previterianos reformados. But there is another group that we cannot simply call brothers, but we have to point them out as detractors, as false teachers of the word of God, without any fear, brothers. Why? Because if we speak according to the word, we must be confident that this is what God wants. Not only to encourage them, but also, as the good pastor says, not only to comfort them, but also to throw stones at the wolves. We have to do it. Father, Te damos las gracias por tu palabra en esta noche. Bendito por tu gracia, Señor Santo, que nos has derramado. Que nos es un deleite estar acá, reunidos, con las Biblias abiertas, aprendiendo de tu palabra. Señor, porque dependemos de ti, queremos más de ti, anhelamos más de ti. Queremos vivir más en santidad, Señor, para tu gloria. Queremos más pasión de tu palabra para tu gloria, Señor. Perdona nuestras debilidades. También perdona nuestros temores, Señor. Tú nos llamas a esa gran comisión de Mateo 28 y 19. A que podamos proclamar y ser la luz y la sal del mundo. De iluminar al mundo. ¿Qué triste es vivir incluso en un lugar donde conoce que somos cristianos? Perdónanos, Señor, y ayúdanos. Danos mayor celo por tu palabra, como nos dice en el libro de Judas. Para pelear arduamente por tu palabra. No buscando pelear, sino defender por causa de que tú te lleves la gloria. No es para demostrar quien tenga más conocimiento, es para tu gloria, Señor. centrados en tu evangelio, centrados en tu persona, centrados en darle la gloria al Padre, y que el Consolador, el Vicario del Señor, está con nosotros para darnos fuerzas hasta el fin del mundo. Señor, estamos en tiempos oscuros y difíciles, pero es en los tiempos difíciles donde más la iglesia se ha multiplicado, en los tiempos antiguos, es en las persecuciones donde más la iglesia ha crecido, Pero hace falta eso, Señor Santo, para también distinguirnos de los falsos y los verdaderos. Que esta palabra de esta noche retumba en nuestra mente, en nuestro corazón, y que podamos meditar para no irnos así como así, sino que podamos salir meditando en lo que hemos aprendido. Que en la cena, que cuando llegue la hora de acostarnos y estar en nuestras oraciones ante ti, Señor, no olvidarnos de decirte, bendito Dios, Cuando llegue la hora de defender tu palabra, quiero hacerlo sin temor. Todo esto te lo pedimos en el bendito nombre de nuestro salvador, Cristo Jesús. Amén. Amén. Gracias, hermanos.