ONE OR TWO WARNINGS. Titus 3:10-11 Our attitude toward error, false teaching, and heretics is that we should reject a self-opinionated and self-directed individual who is divisive and persistently pushes his opinions to gain a following. He enjoys arguing but goes beyond simply holding false teachings; he is determined to have others follow his line of teaching. This person is more concerned with his self-interest and attracting followers than with false teaching itself. The main issue lies with the person himself rather than just his words. Such a self-opinionated individual should be admonished by highlighting what he is saying, why he is saying it, and the effect it has on the assembly.
Admonition is a vital method of discipline within an assembly that ideally addresses issues before they gain momentum among the Lord’s people. It is where all correction begins and often occurs with very few people even aware that it has taken place. Spiritual brethren quietly, kindly, and firmly demonstrate from the word of God what is right scripturally and what is wrong with what is being suggested by someone inclined to be self-opinionated.
The goal is to correct the behavior and false teachings promoted by a divisive person and to restore that person to harmony and fellowship with other Christians. If the initial warning does not work and a second one is needed, it shows a stubborn mind that refuses to stop sinning even after being warned twice. That person must be removed from the group, and social contact should be avoided to encourage a change of heart and mind. True repentance usually happens when someone is a genuine believer in Christ, as they do not want to dishonor their Lord or His name.
His focus should be on the fact that what he is doing and saying is sin because he is causing strife and division among the saints. An admonition involves clearly stating what is wrong and affirming what is right. Opportunity is given to change, but if that doesn't happen, a second admonition is issued. If the heretic still does not change, he should be avoided by all of the saints and prevented from representing the assembly publicly. Hopefully, the seriousness of his actions will be understood by him, leading him to change his behavior and opinions.
Ostracism involves avoiding social contact with the intention of prompting someone to reflect on why this happened and what can be changed in themselves to better understand the word of God. For some reason, the person who rejects the advice has become distorted and believes their way of thinking is correct while everyone else's is wrong.
A person who is overly self-opinionated and resists respectful, biblical discipline poses a serious threat to the entire assembly of believers. A stubborn refusal to accept the correction from the community exposes an inner issue. Either the person is not truly a child of God, or they have an internal, twisted, sinful problem that condemns them, and they are unwilling to address it.
They are self-condemned and reject the grace, meekness, and caring qualities of Christianity. By stubbornly holding on to their own wicked opinions, they sin even more by trying to gather a following. For a pet peeve or an unclear statement they think they have the answer to, they overlook the rest of the word of God and turn away from the Lord of the assembly.
Many heretics have formed religious groups under their control. This has resulted in cults centered on the words of a false teacher or some practice that appeals to humans' basest nature. Unhappy people with a religious inclination but lacking the Savior are sometimes prone to blindly follow a heretic who leads them into division, heartache, and hopelessness, and occasionally to their death.
Satan sometimes exploits sincere people when they rely on books written by men or programs they watch on television and radio instead of the Bible. He condemns himself by continually sinning due to his hard-heartedness and refusing to listen to those trying to help him through correction. His unwillingness to change and his stubbornness condemn him.