Polybius the historian was not fond of the people on the island of Crete. He stated that they loved money so much “that they are the only people in the world among whom no stigma attaches to any sort of gain whatever.”
They were also liars. In fact, to “cretanize” was to deceive.
Epimenides said, “The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies!” This is quoted by Paul in Titus.
Remember this when the people in your part of the world seem difficult or even incorrigible: Paul and Titus planted churches on the Island of Crete! And, Paul told Titus to stay on in Crete to appoint elders of solid commitment to the truth who would be able to rebuke those church members who strayed from sound doctrine and behavior, and to set things in order in the nascent churches. Not easy work.
Paul was concerned for the behavior of the Cretans because deceiving teachers were itinerating for monetary gain among the churches that had been started and “they must be silenced.”
The way to silence them was to teach the believers in the various churches solid doctrine and the behavior that flows out of the doctrine of the gospel (“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine,” Titus 2:1). That behavior, inside and outside the body of believers, which flows from the gospel, is what the letter to Titus is all about and its the right thing to do in wicked places.
That’s Paul’s plan for wicked places like your own context, with its materialism, deceit and opposing teachers. Do it.
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