Titus 3:10, Biblical Doctrine, the NIV

Titus 3:10 and the NIV

On one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to we've been having a nice if basic discussion on various points of Christian doctrine, especially "Arianism" and the identity of "Babylon the Great."

One of the regular posters there enjoys posting verses she believes supports her views without comment or reply. On this thread she posted Titus 3:10 in reference to my views on Arianism (ie the biblical doctrine that Master Y'shua was a fully human, divinely inspired Hebrew prophet of HaShem), as usual from the NIV.

Following is my response, I thought it might be of interest to some of of my readers here and hopefully spark some interesting discussion. I invite your thoughts. What are your beliefs on the Trinity and the Divinity of Jesus? On the identity of Babylon the Great? On the NIV?

First, the verse as she presents it, then my reply:

Titus + 3:10

"If a man disputes what you teach,

then after a first and second warning,

have no more to do with him.

You will know that any man of that sort

has already lapsed and condemned himself as a sinner."

Wow!!!

Thanks for posting this! Seriously.

I knew the NIV ("New International Version" aka Not Inspired Version) had fundamentally changed the Bible (the Authorized King James Version/Textus Receptus historic source materials), deleted scores of verses and fundamentally changed many others (I can demonstrate this if desired), but I must add this one my list of heretical changes!!!! I don't know how I missed it!!!

Here's what the real Bible says:

Titus 3:10 and 11

A man that is an heretic
after the first and second admonition reject
Knowing that he that is such is subverted,
and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

The biblical admonition is:

Acts 17:11

These [ie the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Far too many Christians today are accepting the "traditions of men" as though they were the teachings of God.

It is very rare to find Christians who are willing to openly study and discuss the scriptures to determine the truth. The exact heresies being warned of in Titus 3 are the same Nicolaitane heresies condemned in John's letter to the Seven Churches as contained in the Book of Revelations, that were eventually canonized into doctrine by Constantine's Universal Church via Nicea. I discussed this in depth in my study on Babylon the Great (http://www.allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide/babylon.html).

The Bereans during this period were careful to avoid these now accepted Roman heresies because they based their doctrine on the Scriptures (which at the time meant the Torah and Tanach (ie the "Old Testament") and educated themselves to what they taught. When the Apostle Paul and others, including the Nicolaitane heretics, tried to teach the Bereans they eagerly listened, then compared what they heard with the Scriptures and determined the truth of the teachings.

AFTER this research and open discussion, if they concluded that the teachings were at odds with the Torah and the Tanach in fundamental ways, the Bereans maintained their scriptural doctrines and rejected the heresies. This is the biblical method. Master Y'shua's followers are to be very knowledgeable and studious people. Somewhere (ie at Nicea) this was lost.

This deceptive NIV change in the biblical text and teaching turns a Scripture that demands biblical education and a scriptural basis for all doctrine into a system that forbids questioning and biblical research and promotes intolerance. Ingenious!

I can't believe I hadn't found this one before!

Again, thank you!
~ John of AllFaith