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We must be those who are “holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles”—Titus 1:9:
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The churches were established according to the apostles’ teaching and followed their teaching, and the order of the churches was maintained by the faithful word, which was given according to the apostles’ teaching.
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We must speak the things that are fitting to the healthy teaching of the apostles, the teaching of God’s economy—2:1, 7-8; 1 Tim. 1:4.
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Any teaching that was different from the apostles’ teaching was not allowed by the apostles; teaching “different things” was prohibited—Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 1:3-4:
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Differing teachings refers to teachings that are not in line with the economy of God—6:3.
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The disorder in the church is due mainly to deviation from the apostles’ teaching—Acts 2:42:
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To counter this, we must hold to the faithful word taught in the churches according to the apostles’ teaching—Titus 1:9.
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In a darkened and confused situation, we need to cleave to the enlightening and ordering word in the New Testament—the apostles’ teaching—Acts 2:42.
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We must avoid differing teachings and concentrate on God’s economy concerning Christ and the church—1 Tim. 1:3-4; Eph. 3:9; 5:32.
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The apostle Paul taught the same thing in all the churches; we also must teach the same thing in all the churches in every country throughout the earth—1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; cf. Col. 4:16.
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The crucial point of the healthy teaching of the apostolic ministry concerns the Triune God processed to dispense Himself as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit into His chosen ones so that they may be brought into an organic union to receive the divine transfusion and thereby become sons of God and members of Christ; as a result, they can become the Body of Christ to express Christ, the One in whom the fullness of God dwells—1 Cor. 15:45b; 6:17; 12:12-13, 27.
Morning Nourishment
Titus 1:9 Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles, that he may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose.1 Tim. 6:3 If anyone teaches different things and does not consent to healthy words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching which is according to godliness.
The teaching referred to [in Titus 1:9] is the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), which eventually became the New Testament. This indicates that the churches were established according to the apostles’ teaching and followed their teaching. It also indicates that the order of the churches was maintained by the faithful word, which was given according to the apostles’ teaching. The disorder of the church was mainly due to deviation from the apostles’ teaching. To counter this, we must hold to the faithful word taught in the churches according to the apostles’ teaching. In a darkened and confused situation, we must cleave to the enlightening and ordering word in the New Testament—the apostles’ teaching. To maintain the order of the church, the word according to God’s revelation is needed in addition to the eldership. (Life-study of Titus, p. 6)
Today’s Reading
The pure church life is built only upon the healthy teaching of the apostles. This is the reason Paul says that elders must hold to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching, so that they may be able to exhort by healthy teaching. The teaching in Titus 1:9 refers to that of the apostles (Acts 2:42), which eventually became the New Testament…. In Jerusalem those who received the Lord Jesus and were added to the church continued in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles.In Titus 1:9 Paul does not say “sound teaching” or even “pure teaching”; he speaks of “healthy teaching.” Certain teachings may be sound or pure without being healthy. Healthy teaching is always related to life and is able either to nourish us or to heal us. Only something living can be healthy. For example, we do not speak of a table or chair as being healthy. The teachings of the apostles were not only sound and pure, but were healthy, full of life.
The crucial point of the healthy teaching of the apostolic ministry concerns the Triune God processed to dispense Himself as the all-inclusive Spirit into His chosen ones so that they may be brought into an organic union to receive the divine transfusion and thereby become sons of God and members of Christ. As a result, they can be the Body to express Christ, the One in whom the fullness of God dwells. Almost all of this is neglected by Christians today. Even those teachings which are truly sound are for the most part superficial.
Our burden is not simply to oppose superficiality, hypocrisy, and superstition. It is to minister Christ and the church for the fulfillment of God’s economy. God our Father certainly has an eternal purpose to fulfill. But Satan has come in with many distractions and falsehoods. Our burden must be to minister the all-inclusive Christ and the church as the Body of Christ to those who love God and seek Christ. We need to help all those who pursue the Lord to come to the full knowledge of the truth. We need to sound the trumpet that those who seek the Lord Jesus may come together as a living Body of Christ to fulfill God’s purpose and to hasten the coming of the Lord. Concerning this, we all must be desperate and give ourselves to prayer. On the one hand, we like to maintain a peaceful situation with others. On the other hand, for the sake of God’s purpose, we must stand firm for the full knowledge of God’s truth and fight the good fight against the evil powers of darkness. (Life-study of Titus, pp. 16-17, 19-20)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1986, vol. 1, “Elders’ Training, Book 7:One Accord for the Lord’s Move,” chs. 3, 8; CWWL, 1952, vol. 2, “How to Administrate the Church,” ch. 4; CWWL, 1989, vol. 3, “The Experience and Growth in Life,” ch. 26