Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. (Titus 1:12-14)

Christians have no obligation to follow the customs and standards of this world, especially when they hinder the advance of the gospel. The Scripture defines the way that we are to think and behave, and that is sufficient and authoritative. Non-Christians may fluctuate, and they may disagree among themselves. Sometimes a practice is acceptable, and after a while an ethical fad comes along and the opposite becomes the thing to do. They regard this as progress, but they are foolish thinkers and false guides.

God’s revelation remains true and unchanged. Men have no right to judge it, but it is the standard by which men are judged. Paul shows that it is acceptable to make a generalization about a whole people group if that testimony is true. The issue is truth. If it is alleged that generalizations are never true, then this is a generalization about generalizations. If the generalization is false, then it does not matter who we are talking about – it should not be accepted or repeated. But if a group of people – be they from a certain tradition, or gender, or race – exhibits a common flaw, then it is appropriate to acknowledge it and state the fact.

When we encounter those who deviate from the Christian faith in their theology, character, and lifestyle, whether they are individuals, churches, or entire races and nations, we must rebuke them. To rebuke someone is not only to teach him and reason with him, although it entails these things, but it is to aggressively point out his shortcomings and mistakes, to criticize and threaten him, and to verbally pressure him to change and improve. This is more than mere noise, but it is an intelligent and responsible activity.

There is great reluctance to rebuke those who are in error, because believers usually lack the zeal and courage to uphold God’s word, and they lack the love to correct those who wander from the faith and to protect those who might be affected by them. Thus if they admit the need to rebuke people, they often insist that it is to be done with unchristian “gentleness,” an effeminate tone and vocabulary entirely foreign to the Bible, but that they have inherited from non-Christian culture.

Paul commands his student to make a sharp rebuke, not what modern men might regard as sharp, which is nothing, but as demonstrated by the ancient prophets and apostles, and the Lord Jesus himself. A sharp rebuke must be characterized with a loud and harsh tone, filled with divine threats and curses, and insulting words and degrading jeers. This is not the time to praise the people and then sheepishly suggest a better way. No, in a sharp rebuke we put people down for the way they think and behave, shout at them, and command them to change. This is especially needed when the people are stubborn and the errors are grave.

Although we rebuke people not because we derive some sick satisfaction from it, there is no reason to dislike doing what God commands. In any case, we rebuke people because we want them to become sound in the faith, and this means to affirm the correct doctrines and to behave in a way that is consistent with these doctrines. God despises the kind of love that is so concerned with people’s momentary feelings that it would rather leave them in bondage to the devil. But the love that is deep and true and powerful issues a sharp rebuke, and it liberates men from myths, false teachings, and the control of those who reject the truth. It beats back the wolves and chases the sheep back to safety. Therefore, be bold and be fierce. Rebuke sharply and with all authority.