Movatterモバイル変換

1 Timothy 1:4-7
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith:so do…

2 Timothy 4:4
And they shall turn awaytheir ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

commandments.

Isaiah 29:13
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nearme with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Matthew 15:9
But in vain they do worship me, teachingfor doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 7:7
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teachingfor doctrines the commandments of men.

turn.

Galatians 4:9
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

2 Timothy 4:4
And they shall turn awaytheir ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Hebrews 12:25
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much moreshall not weescape, if we turn away from him thatspeaketh from heaven:

or to the commands of men
This part of the verse highlights the danger of adhering to human traditions and regulations that are not rooted in divine revelation. Jesus Himself criticized the Pharisees for elevating human traditions above God's commandments (Mark 7:8-9). The early church faced challenges from those who sought to impose additional rules and rituals, which could lead to legalism and detract from the grace offered through Christ. This warning serves as a reminder to prioritize God's Word over human doctrines.

who have rejected the truth
This phrase identifies the source of these misleading teachings: individuals who have consciously turned away from the truth of the Gospel. The rejection of truth implies a deliberate choice to ignore or distort the message of Christ. In the broader context of the New Testament, truth is often synonymous with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles (John 14:6,John 17:17). The rejection of truth is a serious matter, as it leads to spiritual deception and the potential to lead others astray. This serves as a call to discernment and faithfulness to the true Gospel message.

Paul tells Titus to guide the Cretan believers so they “will pay no attention” to certain teachings. The phrase is active and deliberate—turn your ears away, do not give these ideas oxygen. Just as1 Timothy 1:4 warns against “myths and endless genealogies,” and2 Timothy 4:4 pictures people “turning their ears away from the truth,” the apostle insists that genuine faith requires disciplined focus. Giving time or curiosity to deceptive ideas quickly muddies clear convictions, so the safest path is conscious avoidance.

These were extra-biblical stories, embellished legends, or speculative traditions that had grown up around Old Testament characters and laws. While sounding pious, they distracted from Christ and the gospel.Colossians 2:16-17 reminds believers that the ceremonial shadows have been fulfilled in Jesus; adding layers of myth only blurs that fulfillment. Peter echoes the same concern when he writes, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths” (2 Peter 1:16). In every age, even well-intentioned religious tales can pull hearts from simple trust in Scripture’s plain teaching.

The danger is not only fanciful stories but also man-made rules. Jesus confronted this directly: “You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). These regulations often appear rigorous, but they are powerless to change the heart (Colossians 2:20-23). The gospel offers transformation by grace; human commands offer conformity by pressure. When believers elevate human standards to divine status, they step onto the shaky ground Paul warns against.

Those spreading myths and man-made commands are described as people “who have rejected the truth.” This is not about minor misunderstandings; it is a willful turning away. In1 Timothy 4:1, Paul says that “some will depart from the faith and follow deceiving spirits.” Truth is not merely information but the very revelation of God in Christ (John 14:6). To reject it is to abandon the only solid foundation for faith and life, leading others into the same ruin.

Titus 1:14 calls believers to intentional discernment—refusing to entertain religious myths or human-devised rules, because both spring from hearts that have turned from the truth. Scripture alone must shape belief and behavior, guarding the church’s purity and keeping every eye on Christ, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

And commandments of men.--The nature of these commandments we gather from the words of the next (the 15th) verse. They seem to have been on the subject of abstinence from meats and from other things created by God for the use and enjoyment of man. The directions of St. Paul here are, in spirit, in exact accordance with the Lord's teaching at Jerusalem, related inMatthew 15:1-9. St. Paul's dread of this kind of asceticism and of the peculiar school of teaching, then so popular among the Jews, which enjoined an elaborate system of ritual and observance, which pronounced meritorious in the sight of the Eternal the practice of rites and ceremonies minute and trifling, was grounded upon a fear--too often, alas, verified--lest with the observance of the ritual, and the careful practice of the ceremonies and rites, the moral law should be lost sight of. With this school a holy life consisted rather in observing carefully a ritual, than in living justly, nobly, generously.