Christianity For Profit

(Titus 1:10-11 – Christianity for Profit)

If there is one thing that I find abhorrent in the modern church it is the practice of selling Christianity for profit. The classic example of this is in the prosperity gospel taught in many churches. But that is not the only place where this occurs.

I have seen and heard things in the church and online that fall in line with this evil philosophy. There are those who offer prophecies for a payment. And I have heard it preached in one large church that God will bless only those who give money to the church.

This is not a new phenomenon. Paul also hated the whole Christianity for profit and wrote about it in his letter to Titus as well as in other places too.

Christianity for profit in Paul’s time

In these verses we see Paul warning about those who taught Christianity for profit. Look at what he had to say in these verses today.

10 For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party; 11 they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have no right to teach. (Titus 1:10-11)

The last section of these verses is the point Paul was making. He stated that these teachers and preachers were, “…teaching for base gain what they had no right to teach.”

Base gain is profit, and specifically a profit gained by low qualities. When something is described as “base” using the word as an adjective, it means that it is lacking in higher values and qualities of mind or spirit. It is something degrading and ignoble.

The bottom line is that these preachers should not have been preaching for gain. They were using Christianity for profit and as a means to make money.

Do those who preach have the right to earn an income from preaching the gospel? Yes, they do as can be seen in 1 Corinthians 9:1-18. But it is evident that what these preachers were doing was not right. We see the error of what they were doing in the rest of these verses.

What were they teaching for base gain?

In verse 10 from this section we see that these teachers who were preaching Christianity for profit were not teaching the truth. It says that, “…there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party.”

They were false teachers, but note that Paul specifically singled out the circumcision party.

What was the specific teachings of the circumcision party? They taught that the new Christian churches had to be circumcised and be told to keep the law of Moses.

The early church came together specifically to discuss this matter and to come to a determination as to whether Christians had to keep the law or not. At the end of their deliberations they made it clear that the new Gentile churches did not have to be circumcised or to keep the law. You can read the debate and outcome of this discussion in Acts chapter 15.

However, it is evident that even though that decision was made by the Elders and Apostles in the early church, it was still being preached and was a major problem in the early church.

It was still a problem when Paul wrote to the Galatians church. There were teachers of the circumcision party still trying to introduce circumcision and the law to the Galatians. In fact the whole of Paul’s letter to the church of the Galatians was to try and show them the error of such teaching. He showed that if they followed that path, they would be led away from Christ and be removed from the grace of God. Note these words that Paul wrote to the Galatians.

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:1-4)

This is quite clear. Preaching circumcision and the law will not lead you to Christ. In fact it will sever you from Christ and the grace of God.

Paul describes these men to Titus as empty talkers, deceivers, and insubordinate because they have not heeded the ruling of the Elders and Apostles.

But there is still more. At the end of verse 11 we see that Paul calls these false teachers out again because they are teaching, “…what they have no right to teach.” And to make it worse, they teach these things for base gain.

The error in their teaching

What is it that they are specifically teaching that Paul takes issue with?

Quite simply, it is the fact that they are teaching the law.

They are supposed to be teachers of Christianity, not teachers of the law. The law of Moses does not belong in Christianity as through the death of Christ, the law has been taken away. We have been set free from the law because we have died with Christ, and the law is not binding on someone who is dead. As the scripture says in Romans 7:1

Do you not know, brethren–for I am speaking to those who know the law–that the law is binding on a person only during his life? (Romans 7:1)

When we die with Christ and put on His death as our own through baptism, then we die to sin and we die to the law. There is no place for the law in Christianity. The law is part of Judaism.

So, these false teachers should not be preaching the law as if it were part of the Christian covenant, because it is not. And to make it worse, they are charging money for their teaching. They are actually teaching things that have no place in Christianity and they do it for profit.

Christianity for Profit Today

So, what has changed in the past two thousand years?

Sadly, not a lot, and in fact it has gotten worse. Christianity for profit seems to be running rife throughout much of the broad church. Money has taken a greater part of the focus of many churches, even above teaching the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And it is getting worse. I can personally testify that many churches I have visited hardly even use the Bible in services any more. And the churches are having all manner of troubles and problems, just like the rest of the world.

The point here is that if you take Christ out of Christianity, then it will fail. And the evidence of those churches that have sought base gain over gospel truth are showing those failures.

The truth of the teachings of Christianity are to transform the spirit of man to become like Christ. Jesus established the way and the Holy Spirit works the transformation in us when we follow the sound words of Jesus Christ.

But much of the church is seeking the things of the flesh rather than the Spirit. They are seeking wealth, money, health, and so on, which are all fleshly matters. Christianity for profit is flourishing as the word of God gets thrown out of many churches.

So, what to do about it.

Avoid them. Any church that pushes profit before the word of God is teaching Christianity for profit. Avoid them because their teachings will not lead to Christ.

Likewise, if they are teaching the law above the word of Christ then they have fallen into the same trap as the circumcision party in Paul’s time. Seeking righteousness by works of law will separate you from the grace of God and the power of Jesus Christ to transform.

So, where will you find the truth?

You will find the truth by looking to Jesus, not to any man or any church. Jesus is the truth and He is the way. If you look to Him He will lead you where He wants you to be. As Jesus said to His early disciples, “Follow me.”

Follow Jesus. Pray to God in the name of Jesus. Read the Bible, especially the New Testament, because that is where we find His words of life.

Christianity for profit is an evil that has been around for two thousand years and will not go away until Christ Himself deals with it and shuts it down. In the meantime keep your eyes on Jesus and follow His words and His ways, and have nothing to do with Christianity for profit.

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