"REJECTING THE HERETICK"
The church, at its beginning, was evangelistic as the gospel of the kingdom spread throughout all the known world (Colossians 1:23). We have no way of knowing the exact number of converts or the number of those who remained faithful. The warning was given that there was coming a time of men departing from the faith (I Timothy 4:1). For some it would be that their love for God grew cold (Matthew 24:12). Others would listen to the call of the world around them (II Timothy 4:10). Still others would become offended by what the truth showed and, thereby, would quit the faith (Matthew 13:21). Whatever the cause, men would depart from the faith.
How could the church keep this from happening? In the sense that I Timothy 4:1 was a prophecy, the short answer is that nothing could be done. What the church could do, however, is limit the danger and, thereby, the number of those who would be lost to the faith. The warnings given by Paul and others were meant to stir the church up to be aware of efforts to change the doctrine of Christ. Whether Paul or an angel from heaven, that preached another gospel, would be condemned by God for doing so (Galatians 1:8,9). John warned about those who continually went beyond the teachings of Jesus Christ (II John 9). Paul warned the elders from Ephesus that from among them would arise those who would teach perverse things to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20: 29,30).
Individual congregations of the Lord’s people would have to exercise sober thinking to keep the flock from being fed the wrong material. Elders, accepting the charge given them by God to feed the flock implied not only proper teaching but, likewise, the application of that teaching to their lives and the lives of the flock which they were to oversee (Acts 20:28). Were there individuals within the church who would not be satisfied with the Lord’s way and, thereby, go and try to win disciples away from the Lord? Such a question is answered in the affirmative based on the warnings that we cited above.
Paul states that these men serve their "…own bellies" (Romans 16:18). They would use good words and fair speeches as their tool to deceive the hearts of the simple. They were driven by trying to get a following rather than helping men to the truth which would save. These individuals were to be marked. The purpose of such marking was in order for the church to know who they were and, thereby, limit their access to the local congregation. The use of good words and fair speeches implies a hidden agenda. However, once they were made known, then the church would be on alert to not listen to them. Their agenda exposed, they would no longer be able to cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine of Christ.
Paul warned Titus about a person who was a heretic. A heretic was one who causes division by a party spirit, factious. The word factious through our English dictionaries means "causing dissension". Corinth is an example of this beginning to work among Christians. Paul calls on them to be of the "same mind and in the same judgment" (I Corinthians 1:10). When he comes to verse 12, he speaks about the party spirit. Those Christians who favored Paul were surely superior to those who followed Apollos. Those who lined up with Peter had to be more spiritual than those who followed Paul. Herein is the party spirit. Paul, Apollos nor Peter would be in favor of such thinking.
If the heretic will draw away disciples from the Lord to himself, then at some point he must convince those he is trying to pull away, that they are superior to those "other Christians" who just do not understand. The church has been through it with Campus Advance, Crossroads and the Discipling Movement, always some more superior than others. If a man is given two warnings to cease this kind of swaying of God’s people, then he must be rejected by the church to reduce his influence (Titus 3:10).