Titus 1:11 11who must be silenced because they are ruining entire households by teaching things which are not necessary for the sake of dishonest gain.
Paul gets deeper into the problem of the false teachers in Crete. The key question is, who will be the major influence in the Cretan churches? The false teachers were ruining entire households and thereby also corrupting the churches which met in them. Ruin (anatrepousin) is a strong word that can mean destroy or cause to fail. These teachers were a big problem and could lead people away from Christ and the hope of eternal life. Distorting the gospel is a serious matter because eternity is at stake. This ruin could impact many other aspects of the life of a family such as relationships and behavior. Any deviation from or compromise of the truth of the gospel will have devasting effects.
The contrast between these false teachers and the overseers becomes apparent in this verse. They are motivated by dishonest gain. They are not truthful and honest but selfish. They are in the ministry for power, glory, and wealth. They abuse the trust people have placed in them. They do not know the truth that leads to godliness (verse 1). They get caught up in trivial and controversial ideas. They teach their opinions. They are self-promoters. The gospel is the opposite of all of these qualities.
The only answer is to silence them. This is simply statement but difficult to implement. Titus has a challenging job because he needs to shut these people down while at the same time recruit and train leaders who know the truth and have integrity. So much of the church rests in the character of its leaders. That is why those who lead must be carefully examined and go through rigorous training. Any compromise in the process could lead to disastrous results.
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