Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Job 24:13: “They are those who rebel against the light, they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.”
Titus 1:15: “Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience are defiled.”
Titus was most likely a gentile who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem and some dogmatic Jews insisted that Titus be circumcised but Paul would not allow it because of principle. To do otherwise would suggest that all non circumcised Jews would be second class Christians.
It was very difficult for many Jews who became Christians to accept instruction from a Gentile. After all, they were the people of God, circumcised, a separate holy people who grew up in the faith of Jehovah and along comes this unholy, unclean Gentile who tries to organize the church and choose a leader for the church. I could see many well robed, educated, pious, religious, law keeping men lining up for the job of bishop and Paul warns Titus to choose only those who are lovers of men, good reputation, having one wife etc. The only spiritual requirement is that they be of sound doctrine (Titus 1:7-9). Paul is not looking to one’s educational credentials, position of rank, or popularity or even popular teaching because in verse 10 we learn there are many unruly, vain talkers and deceivers out there who seek such a position of power over the church.
Christians play many games, I think one game Paul is referring to is WYHBACALAM (When you have been a Christian as long as me). Paul is telling Titus to seek out a mature believer to be a bishop. I believe Paul realizes that maturity as a believer does not necessarily have anything to do with the length of time someone has been a believer. In fact some believers who have been a Christian for many years, followed the law, lived a righteous life can be very immature in their attitude toward other believers as Titus discovered when the circumcised Jews started to criticize him for not being circumcised.
I can not help but read the writings of Paul and wonder if he, at times, was not thinking: “Father don’t forgive them for they know darn well what they are doing.” I recall as a student in Bible College we had a student that was very popular and respected for his walk with God. He was easily elected the student body president. He would be called upon by the President of the college to pray and address the student body. I recall in one address he exhorted us to live a pure and holy life. He was one who walked the walk and talked the talk. Yet, there was a undercurrent of students who had been shamed by this mature popular example of Christianity. I wanted to serve as a leader for a prayer group but the class president vetoed the idea or forbid it because I shown to be a rebel. You see, my hair got a little too long for the College standards. The dean had one of those “secret meetings” with me about it. I am sure you know about these “secret meetings.“ I assured the dean and all the other ease droppers that I would comply. I did go to the barber and asked him to give me a hair cut that only he and I knew that I had a hair cut. I was forced to return the next day and ask the barber to give me a haircut that only he and I and the dean knew I had a haircut. Still, because of this little mix up the class president, who had the final word on who lead the prayer groups, refused to give his blessing as I was obviously in rebellion.
Well, I suppose you can figure out what happened to our class president. He missed curfew one night and the dean found him drunker than Noah after the flood. Later that week he appeared in chapel one more time to address the student body and this time it was with an apology and a good bye as he had been expelled from the college. All this time he stood in judgment over me for not making things clear with the local barber while he was out getting himself bombed.
Sometimes we think some of these verses, like Job 24:13, apply to some completely pagan, low life sinner. Actually such a verse could apply to a Bible College class president or to you and yes, even to someone who plays around with an archaic rule in a Bible College about hair length.
Job 24:13 which says that we could be rebelling against the light and know not the ways thereof. You see the word used for “know” in the Hebrew is “naka.” This word does mean “to know,” but in Job 24:13 it is used in a Hiphal form which means they are causing themselves to not know. In fact in the Hiphal form this word, when put into a construct form with the word “Lo” (not), would more appropriately be rendered “pretend.” In other words we could translate this as “they are pretending to know the ways thereof and the paths thereof.” Who are these people who pretend to know the way? It is someone who really knows the light but rebels against the light and pretends to walk in the light for purposes of personal gain in honor, finance or to just enjoy some carnal pleasure..
Unfortunately, like in the time of Titus, there are those who are supposedly the most mature believers, the ones with all the credentials and the education who sometimes can be the most guilty of “pretending” to walk in the light.
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