TITUS 3: 1-11 

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is sure. 

I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone. 9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, 11 since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.. †

Adults Only? 

One of the themes that has run throughout this Storming the Gates series is the constant problem of dumbing down reality only to the political level. Let’s be clear: life is complicated and reality terribly complex. It is only too much of a temptation to simplify all the complexities of life so they can fit into a manageable scheme. This oversimplification seems to be the stock-in-trade of politicians, and also of fanatics. Sometimes the two are one and the same. 

In America, we have simplified all of politics and rule into two parties (yes, I realize there are more than two, but for now, only two really matter). As we enter into another election year, we can expect Democrats and Republicans to remain at each other’s throats, exchanging vicious criticisms and keeping score of one another’s sins as each vies for the hearts, minds, and votes of the American public. 

Unfortunately, the kind of scathing  polemics that has patterned our political discourse has come to resemble Springer Show confrontations more than serious debate. It’s enough to make us wonder, “Where are all the adults?” 

We see on both sides an enormous emotional investment in one’s political opinions. Whether Democrat or Republican, it looks the same, albeit on differing sides. Much of this investment may be noble—a serious hope for our problems to be solved. More often than not, this fervor for one’s preferred party tends toward fanaticism. 

Do you know any superfans? Da Bears! Go Niners! I HATE the Patriots! HATE the Yankees! LOVE the Seahawks! Enjoy your sports as much as you like, but you have to admit this is all just one notch above moronic, and for some, that notch is tiny. Political discourse—especially by the politicians themselves—can leave us feeling like there are no adults in the room. 

ADULTS IN ABSENTIA

Adults, by my reckoning, are people who don’t get carried away with their views. Adults remain capable of acknowledging the complexities of life and can live with some unresolved tensions. Adults can think twice about everything and can see the good in their political opponents and the weaknesses of their party. 

I’m not saying that adults don’t have political convictions—they do—but they shouldn’t lapse into fanaticism or become a dumping place for misspent aggressions. 

Our text gives us excellent guidance and life application for how Christians can live their political lives as adults, and I want us all pointed in that direction so that our witness to Jesus Christ would not be sullied and cheapened by party politics. 

I’m taking care with my terms, here. Regarding politics, I’m going to avoid terms like liberal and conservative, because these terms are moving targets. We are all conservative about something and liberal about others. I’ve never met an absolute liberal or absolute conservative. Instead, I’ll reference right-wing and left-wing political preferences. 

We can make a graph of the political spectrum with the political extremes on each  end. The curve indicates the population. There are far fewer extremists than moderates, which is a good thing, as I’ll show. While the extremes are most vocal, most people live somewhere in the  middle of these extremes. Part of our problem is the perception that our sides are defined by the extremes. They should not be, but it works like this. When a Republican hears a Democrat talk about social programs, she perceives hard-left socialism. When a Democrat hears a Republican talk about basic border regulations, he perceives full-on racism. We should not allow the moderate majority to be defined by the extremes. But this is exactly what the rhetoric assumes and the media depend upon to drive ratings. Without exacerbated tensions, there would be much less “gotcha” journalism, and that means fewer likes or reposts on Facebook and Twitter and lower ratings for Tucker Carlson and Rachel Maddow. 

To put the bigger picture more kindly, let’s acknowledge what we have in common: for the most part, we all—across the political spectrum—agree on what America’s problems are; we just differ on what is the best way to solve them. Isn’t it kinder to acknowledge this—that we are together trying to solve the same problems, but we are simply arguing Plan A versus Plan B? 

We’re not denying real differences, but rather wondering whether or not we can agree to deal with the core problem of the tension itself. Would we not, by lowering the political tension, increase the probability of cooperation? 

If the tensions increase, it’s hard to see things going well for us. If you can imagine this bell curve flattening out, it means that tension has increased to the point where the extremes equal and then surpass the moderate center. When that curve becomes completely inverted, you have a completely divided heart, and civil war becomes a historical norm. Again: no adults in the room. 

How can we Christians best witness to Christ amid such turmoil, tension, and division? Our text gives us a prescription—a much needed purgative to American political indigestion. 

PAUL’S PRESCRIPTION

Verse 2 of our text: 

 speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone.

Speak evil of no one. That gets rid of about half of politics and 90% of cable news. 

Avoid quarreling—that’s the rest of politics. 

Be gentle. This is not fawning or obsequious—rolling over and giving the other whatever they want—but gentleness in the sense of nobility. Do what is noble and good in the sight of all. That’s gentle. 

Show every courtesy to everyone. Does it seem there was a day when political opponents were kinder to each other? It’s difficult to find much kindness within the same party anymore, let alone across the aisle! My heart warms to the old stories of Reagan and Tip O’Neil going out for drinks or dinner after wrestling with tough legislation. We need courtesy—both from our politicians and the media—let alone all of us involved in social media. 

Verse 9: 

But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 

The Greek word for stupid here is...stupid!  

Genealogies are those lists of Jewish tribes and families found in Scripture. People used them to establish their status and place in the world. Genealogy obsession was the ancient version of identity politics. Who you are is expected to mean more than what you think or do. Stupid. 

By dissensions, Paul refers to the kind of partisan spirit that seeks division over unity. Taking sides, Us vs. Them—all the attitudes entrenched in win/lose mentality—these are also stupid. 

Quarrels about the law refer to legalism, literalism, and those attitudes that pursue the letter of the law with no regard to the spirit. Literalists tend to avoid any kind of compromise. Again, stupid. 

Unity is of such a high value that Paul offers this disturbing corrective in verse 10: 

 After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

Harsh! But what can you do with someone who is patently divisive and incapable of entering into a reasonable win/win solution? What can be done with someone who is Hell-bent on dividing a congregation or a community of faith? Such people ought to be “admonished”—dressed down, rebuked, lovingly informed of their toxic behavior—and given at least a couple of chances to change their tune and remain included. 

Altogether, we are seeking something like a Purple Zone—a common good/common ground—where we can major on the majors, minor on the minors, and differ in good character. 

THE PURPLE ZONE

Throughout the works of the Founding Fathers, there appears, again and again, a phrase which sums up the focus of their dedication: The Common Good. The common good was that which could and would benefit everyone in the long run. 

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 saw delegates from the colonies gather to overcome ideological conflicts of their day. The issues were many and the opinions diverse and passionately held, but despite significant disagreements, advocates on all sides of the many issues compromised to create a system that was not perfect but workable.

he 1787 convention reveals that compromise does not require abandoning core convictions or creating a system in which everyone must think the same, but it does require civility and the adult awareness that no one will agree with any legislation. What matters is that it advances the common good, not one person’s, party’s or group’s agenda.

CAN WE BE THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM? PLEASE?

The adults in the room are precisely those who can see and serve the common good. They have their respective convictions and opinions, but they also keep a sense of humor about themselves. They see their own party’s flaws and the virtues in their opponents’ views. 

They can disagree without becoming disagreeable. They can differ in good conscience without failing to be kind, gentle, and even loving. They acknowledge that this life is truly complex and that most oversimplifications are not worthy of much attention. They are at peace with unresolved tensions and don’t feel they have to have it all figured out or fixed to their personal satisfaction. 

Adults are content, peaceable, and kind. 

Adults make great witnesses to the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Can I get an Amen?  †