Titus 3:10-11
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Paul's instruction to "reject" a divisive person isn't about punishment, but about ceasing to engage with them after repeated warnings, recognizing that further argument is futile and potentially damaging. The original Greek word for "heretic" here doesn't necessarily mean someone with wrong beliefs, but more broadly someone who causes division and dissension, regardless of the specific issue.
Paul is concluding his letter to Titus by offering final instructions for leading the church on Crete, moving from general teachings on godly living to practical matters of church discipline. He has just instructed Titus to promote sound doctrine and good works, and now he addresses how to handle those who disrupt unity and spread harmful influences within the community.
The word 'heretic' often makes us think of someone with wild, wrong beliefs. But in Titus 3, it points to something more practical and disruptive. What did Paul really mean?
In Titus 3:10, Paul uses the Greek word for 'heretic' (hairetikos), which appears only here in the New Testament. While later interpretations focused on doctrinal error, the New Testament usage of the related word 'heresy' (hairesis) leans towards 'sect' or 'party' (Acts 15:5, 26:5).
A Divider, Not Just a Doctrinal Rebel
When someone is causing trouble in the church, what's the right response? Paul gives a clear, two-step process that prioritizes reconciliation but ultimately protects the community.
Paul's instruction isn't to immediately ostracize someone. There's a deliberate process designed to offer a path back to unity and soundness.
A Measured Approach
Understand the original words
hairetikos · Greek Noun/Adjective
The act of creating factions or causing a rupture in the unity of the church. It often refers to someone who persistently pushes their own agenda or erroneous views to alienate members of the community.
ekstrephō · Greek Adjective (participle)
A general term for deviating from the standard or moral path; in a theological context, it refers to a person whose moral or doctrinal integrity is twisted or perverted.
hamartanō · Greek Adjective (participle)
A state of missing the mark of God's standard, involving actions, thoughts, or states of being that fall short of His holiness and glory.
autokatakritos · Greek Adjective
The concept of 'heresy' in the early church, as addressed in Titus, was less about strictly defined doctrinal errors and more about disruptive behavior that caused division and factionalism within the community. Paul's instruction to Titus reflects a pastoral approach focused on restoring unity through repeated warnings before ultimately withdrawing fellowship from persistent troublemakers.
c. AD 62-64— this verse
Paul Writes to Titus
The Apostle Paul, likely while imprisoned or traveling, writes to his protégé Titus, who is tasked with establishing order and sound doctrine on the island of Crete.
c. AD 48-50
Council of Jerusalem
A pivotal early church council addresses whether Gentile converts must adhere to Jewish law, establishing a precedent for dealing with doctrinal disputes and church governance.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Ministry in Corinth
Paul spends significant time in Corinth, a major Roman city, establishing a church and later writing letters (1 & 2 Corinthians) that address divisions and false teachings within the community.
c. AD 53-55
Paul Writes to the Corinthians
Paul addresses serious divisions, factions, and the misuse of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church, warning against 'heresies' (sects or divisions).
This passage lays out Jesus' teaching on how to handle conflict within the community, emphasizing private confrontation, bringing witnesses, and finally, telling it to the church, which parallels the 'first and second admonition' before exclusion in Titus 3:10.
Romans 16:17Paul directly instructs believers to 'mark and avoid' those who cause division and create obstacles contrary to the teaching they have learned, echoing the principle of separation found in Titus 3:10.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5This passage describes the church's serious responsibility to discipline a member who is living in unrepentant sin, even to the point of handing them over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh, illustrating the grave consequences of unaddressed wrongdoing within the community.
2 Timothy 3:1-5Paul warns Timothy about difficult times and the nature of destructive individuals who are 'lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant,' and more, which can describe the characteristics of those who create divisions and strife within the church.
ellicottTitus 3:10: "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;"
(10) A man that is an heretick. —The Greek word translated “heretick” in the New Testament occurs here only. The term “heresies” occurs twice ( 1Corinthians 11:19 ; Galatians 5:20 ). In neither, however, of these passages does the word signify there a fundamental or doctrinal error. This sense belongs to a usage of later times. From the meaning of the word “heresy” in these passages of St. Paul, we are able to…
barnesTitus 3:10: "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;"
A man that is an heretic - The word "heretic" is now commonly applied to one who holds some fundamental error of doctrine, "a person who holds and teaches opinions repugnant to the established faith, or that which is made the standard of orthodoxy." Webster. The Greek word here used αἱρετικὸς hairetikos occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The corresponding noun (αἵρεσις hairesis) occurs in the foll…
Paul's instruction to "reject" a divisive person isn't about punishment, but about ceasing to engage with them after repeated warnings, recognizing that further argument is futile and potentially damaging. The original Greek word for "heretic" here doesn't necessarily mean someone with wrong beliefs, but more broadly someone who causes division and dissension, regardless of the specific issue.
Paul is concluding his letter to Titus by offering final instructions for leading the church on Crete, moving from general teachings on godly living to practical matters of church discipline. He has just instructed Titus to promote sound doctrine and good works, and now he addresses how to handle those who disrupt unity and spread harmful influences within the community.
Paul is concluding his letter to Titus by offering final instructions for leading the church on Crete, moving from general teachings on godly living to practical matters of church discipline. He has just instructed Titus to promote sound doctrine and good works, and now he addresses how to handle those who disrupt unity and spread harmful influences within the community.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Titus 3:10-11 is available in the Sola app.
What 'Reject' Means
The Greek word here (paraitou) carries the sense of 'shun,' 'avoid,' or 'refuse.' It's not about wishing them harm or actively persecuting them. Instead, it's about severing fellowship and ceasing to engage in further debate or attempts at reconciliation that have proven futile. The community protects itself from further disruption by withdrawing association. As one commentator put it, it means 'cease to admonish him, for of what advantage is it?'
Why such a strong directive to withdraw from a divisive person? Paul is passionate about protecting not just individuals, but the entire community from harm.
Paul's command to reject a persistent troublemaker isn't arbitrary; it serves a vital purpose for the health of the entire church.
The Dual Goal
The Shepherd's Duty
Paul sees Titus, the pastor, as a shepherd responsible for the well-being of his flock. This includes protecting them from harmful influences, much like a shepherd guards sheep from predators or dangerous terrain. The rejection is not punitive but protective – it prevents further damage to the spiritual health and unity of the believers on Crete. It's a tough but necessary step to ensure the church remains a place where genuine faith can thrive.
A person who has passed judgment upon themselves through their own actions or choices, placing themselves outside the bounds of fellowship by rejecting correction.
c. AD 55-57
Paul Writes to the Galatians
Paul confronts a serious threat to the gospel in Galatia, where some Jewish Christians were insisting that Gentile believers must be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law.
"As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." — Paul's instruction to "reject" a divisive person isn't about punishment, but about ceasing to engage with them after repeated warnings, recognizing that further argument is futile and potentially dam…
