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The Teachings of
Zane
Hodges,
Joseph Dillow,
Robert Wilkin and the extreme teachings of J. D. Faust |
Those Who Profess With Lips But Deny By Life
"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).
The Teaching of Zane Hodges |
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The fruitful believer The partaker or heir The believing believer The overcomer |
The barren believer The carnal one (non-heir) The saved person who stops believing The non-overcomer |
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This person professes that he knows God and his good works back up this profession. The message of his life is consistent with the message of his lips. |
This saved person professes that he knows God but by his wicked works he denies Him. He is saved even though the message of his lips is contradicted by the message of his life. He is a saved person who "lives like the devil" as it were. |
Dillow does not discuss this verse. Hodges (The Gospel Under Siege, p.96) teaches that this verse is describing those who are saved. Hodges says that this is a description of "redeemed and justified people" who were performing works that were "unsuited to a Christian profession" (Grace in Eclipse, pages 68-69).
It is much better to understand this verse as describing a person who merely professes but does not truly possess Christ. What does the verse itself say? Titus 1:16 says that these people profess with their lips but deny God by their works, being abominable (a strong word to use for God’s beloved children!), disobedient (used in Titus 3:3 of the unsaved) and unto every good work reprobate. The immediate context is speaking about those who are defiled and unbelieving (Titus 1:16).
This passage well illustrates the doctrine of Hodges. He teaches that a saved person can claim to know God and yet totally deny Him by his works and life-style, being totally devoid of good works. As we are about to see, Hodges will carry this teaching even a step further. Titus 1:16 teaches, according to Hodges, that a saved person can claim to know God yet deny Him by works. But Hodges also teaches that a saved person can even deny that he knows God! Hodges, as we shall soon see, gives the example of a saved person who does not even claim to know God and who also denies Him by works! How could such a person be saved? See the following page:
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The Middletown Bible Church |
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