Titus 3:8-15 AFFIRMATION The last of the "faithful sayings" in the pastoral epistles is to "maintain good words." The book of Titus defined the work of Titus as the steward who was to "Set in order things" in assembly life, in chapter one; as the servant, he was to teach believers how to "Adorn the doctrine" in chapter two, and in chapter three the testimony of the saints was "To maintain good works." Motivation for Titus to carry out this work he had been given was from the doctrine taught and the conduct expected of one who has received this "faithful saying" from the apostle Paul. He was not to make casual suggestions to the Lord's people at Crete but to constantly "affirm" these truths that do not change. They were to be gone over and over again and again.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are those people who, in personal faith, believe in God. That means the things the word of God says they take literally and personally. However, to act on what we confess is evidence of true faith that becomes real when we maintain good works. These are deliberate acts that have been thoughtfully planned and carried out. Sometimes things happen quickly, and with a sense of urgency, we "rise to the occasion" and do "random acts of kindness." Maintaining good works is more consistently fulfilling our responsibilities, both to God and people in general.
The previous verses in the chapter teach us our obligation to authority and also to every good work. Faithful, on-going service, meeting the needs of others, and fulfilling our responsibilities as citizens are all requirements for God's children. It is right to do those things unto men, but more importantly, it is honorable and fair that we act unselfishly for the benefit of others. Profitable does not mean we charge for everything, but it is profitable for those whom we serve. It is also profitable for us because it is a positive affirmation of our Christian faith. By our reaction to truth and error, and honest evaluation, we need to avoid those things that only cause problems.
Some things are not profitable, such as foolish questions, ancestries, arguments, and controversial opinions, but truth can be affirmed when we face false teaching directly. To argue over things of no value is not what we are called to do. We are to avoid those impractical, unprofitable debates that are only a waste of time. Honest discussion over scriptures in order to better understand the teaching in context and the practical application of truth is an affirmation of that which is right. Arguments that come from strange interpretations that come from a person's imagination, or strange experiences recounted about things that happened to someone in the past, are to be avoided. Contention is really outward strife that is motivated by inward jealousy in people who want power, prestige, and position. It is a malicious intent to interfere with what one is doing or stop it.
This contention comes when false teachers base when they say about old pedigrees on private interpretations of the Old Testament prophecies. Those who affirm truth should not even engage in reacting to foolish questions and genealogies because it creates an unhealthy curiosity in people for no good reason. Avoiding is simply not paying attention to those things that are trivial and unprofitable. Strange ideas and erroneous teaching are where arguments and controversy start. To overreact or pay any attention to those things is a waste of our time and gives unneeded attention to the wrong things. Our attitude toward error, toward false teaching, and toward heretics is that we are to reject a self-opinionated and self-directed man.