Titus 3:8-15 | Gospel Doctrine & Gospel Culture as a Missional Community

1. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you like to argue? Do you like conflict, or do you try to avoid it?

2. Read Titus 3:8. What is the trustworthy saying Paul is referring to here in this verse? What effect does this saying have on us as a community?

3. Read Titus 3:9-11. In his book Finding the Right Hill to Die On, Gavin Ortlund argues for using theological triage in disagreements as a strategy for maintaining unity. Just as a hospital staff might prioritize which patients to treat based on the severity of an injury, so we must prioritize how we respond to disagreements based on the severity of the perceived error. For example, a disagreement about whether or not Jesus is God would be a more severe injury than a disagreement over the millennium. Dr. Ortlund offers these four questions to help diagnose the error:

   1. How clear is the Bible on this doctrine?

   2. What is this doctrine’s importance to the gospel?

   3. What is the testimony of the historical church concerning this doctrine?

   4. What is this doctrine’s effect upon the church today?

   What do you think about this idea of theological triage? How can we disagree well according to this passage?

4. Read Titus 3:12-15. In his commentary on these verses, Bill Mounce writes, “As a result of God’s gracious work, believers are obligated to be intent on performing good works, not in order to earn salvation but as the necessary consequence of being recipients of God’s graciousness.” What do you notice about the people and tasks Paul is giving to Titus? What role does God’s grace play in that?

5. Read John 17:20-21. What does Jesus pray for in these verses? Take some time together as a group to pray for these things with him.

6. What is one practical step you can take as a group to apply this week’s sermon?