Thoughts on Titus 3

I finished the raw translation of Titus last week (I think; the days tend to blur together on the farm). The last chapter of Paul's letter to his friend has been rattling around in my mind since, so I cleaned up the raw translation a little:

    " Remind them to be subordinate to the head authorities, to obey the one in authority, to be prepared towards every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be pacifists, tolerant, demonstrating every courtesy towards all human beings. Because we also were at one time without intellect, unconvinced, being made to wander off, being enslaved to desires and many different kinds of sensual pleasures, going through life with badness and envy, hated, hating one another. Yet when God our deliverer’s kindness and affection for human beings was manifested, He delivered us, not by works from a right state of being which originated with us, but, in line with His mercy, through the bath of rebirth and renewing of the Holy Breath, which He began pouring out upon us abundantly through Yeshua the Anointed our deliverer, so that having been made right by the charity of that One we became heirs in line with the hope of the life of eternity.
     The message is trustworthy; and about these things I would for you to insist on, so that those having trusted in God are mindful of good works to set them in front; these things are good and assistive to human beings. Yet avoid moronic searchings and genealogies and discords and legal battles; because they are disadvantageous and empty. Avert a factionalist human being by entreaty after one or the second warning, knowing that a person such as this has been turned aside and errs being self-condemned.
     When I would send Artemas to you or Tukhikos, be quick to come to me at Nikopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there. Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos ahead quickly, so that nothing would be lacking for them. And let those of ours also learn to set good works in front for the necessary needs, so that they wouldn’t be fruitless.
     All those with me embrace you. Embrace those who have affection for us with the faith. Charity with all of you."

     In the first paragraph Paul instructs Titus to emphasize right behavior among the Christians in Crete more than anything else while being pacifists and tolerant of everyone else's errors and mistakes, because it wasn't that long ago that the Christians were just like everyone else, and it is only because of God's charity towards them through Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Christ that they themselves can do anything that is right, not from any kind of keeping a moral code or keeping the commands of the Law. That is, it has nothing to do with their own rightness, but the change in origin of their behaviors to the Spirit of Christ.
     In the second paragraph, and what has been rattling around in my mind in particular, is where he says explicitly that those having trusted in God, that is, having cooperated with the Spirit of Christ for their right behaviors, are to be mindful of these good works or right behaviors first and foremost. They are to keep these out front. Whereas everything else, what he calls "moronic searchings, genealogies, discords, and legal battles" are to be avoided. More to the point, anyone who tries to create or perpetuate factions (likely based on the above searchings, geneaologies, discords, and legal battles) is just off. That is, he's wandered off the Path of Jesus Christ, and is in error and as such must be averted or avoided.  That is, if he is no longer living as Jesus taught, and walking as He walked, then he is no longer in communion and must be removed until he comes to his senses. This is how serious factionalism is.
      As Paul describes it, the unity of a church or The Church cannot be based on these searchings or investigations, genealogies, arguments, discords, or the "legal battles" (lit. Greek), which likely referred to the endless fights over what the Torah does and does not say (What other Law would they be battling over?). Much like the endless fights modern Christians have over Bible verses which appear contradictory when taken out of context.
     No, the unity of the church must be based on the personal cooperation with and submission to the Spirit of Christ as displayed in their behaviors, and most specifically, the fruit of the Spirit which Paul laid out in Galatians 5, that is, love (which Jesus specifically taught and commanded every possible way), joy, peace, patience, kindness, courtesy, trust, self-control, and so on. The unity of the church must be based on the members of that church manifesting and demonstrating Jesus Christ through their words and behaviors. The unity of the church must be based on the God who is love being expressed and yes, channeled, through them. Not on what they profess to believe about things in spiritual realms which they have neither seen nor heard, not on which Bible translation they prefer, not on their political party or position (which can be the very definition of hairesis, "heresy"), but only and solely on their union with and manifestation of Jesus Christ. Because it is only as we maintain connection with the head who is Jesus Christ that we have unity with one another, just as the unity of the members of a body comes from their connection with the head or brain through the system of nerves. If there is no connection with Jesus Christ maintained, then there is no unity of the body of Christ either, no matter how much someone tries to base that unity on creeds, doctrines, books, or whatever else they try to distinguish their faction with.
     Paul, from the beginning of his letter to Titus through to the end, was instructing him to not only find people to lead the gathering of Christians there who understood this principle and could teach it, but who practiced it and could be seen manifesting Jesus Christ by everyone. This understanding of remaining in Christ, connected to the head, had to be firmly ingrained in the members of that community before Titus' work was done and he could head for Nikopolis to meet up with Paul.