St. Paul to Titus

To rescue a church at war with itself Paul wrote Titus: ‘When a man stirs up division warn him once, warn him a second time, then have nothing more to do with him.’ (Titus, 3:10)

Titus was from Greece. The divided church was in ancient Crete.

Today political civil wars rule the news – you see it every night on CNN, Fox. Elections used to be different: Reagan battled Tip O’Neil and Walter Mondale but, at the same time, treated both with respect. Now Trump calls DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron’ – and mutual respect flies out the window. Trump’s an entertainer. And civil war is entertaining.

To salvage a tottering church Paul told Titus to use what evangelical pastor John Stott once called ‘Christian maturity, mirroring Christ.’

What can a nation plagued by dividers do? Have a little respect for the man you disagree with – and stop cheering insults.