In Titus 1:13, the apostle Paul tells his apostolic legate, Titus, that because the false teachers in Crete match the vile reputation of the island, “Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.”
We know what rebuke means – to expose sin and command repentance. But sharply? Like, with biting rhetoric, smoke in the eyes, vinegar in the teeth? Like, tear into them? Lambast them? Shame them? Deride them?
No, not that. What, then, does rebuking “sharply” mean? Permit me a word study paragraph to clarify.
The ESV’s translation, “sharply,” is a good one – the word has the root in it for “to cut.” The adverb applied here to words of rebuke means to do it solemnly, sternly, and with the full weight of apostolic authority. This same word is used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:10 “For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.” Paul goes on to say in Titus 2:15 “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” So, to “rebuke them sharply” seems to mean, “rebuke them in such a way that they know the weightiness of authority behind the rebuke.” Like, when one of my kids tells the other, “Please stop,” but then ups the ante to, “Mom said you have to stop.” Only, the authority here is Paul’s apostolic authority, which is by extension the authority of Jesus Christ who sent him. Rebuke in such a way that they know that the authority of Jesus is exposing this sin and commanding repentance – “that they may be sound in the faith.”
There’s no getting around it – Paul commands Titus to rebuke sharply – with strong, overt apostolic authority. Here’s the question for us: When are we supposed to rebuke like that? When should you rebuke sharply?
When to Rebuke Sharply
The examples of sharp rebuke that we see in the New Testament seem to indicate a two-fold distinction. That distinction is less of a “when” and more of a “who.” When rebuking a false teacher, rebuke sharply. When rebuking a Christian brother in sin, rebuke gently. For the wolves, a rod. For the sheep, a staff.
First, some examples of sharp rebuke in the New Testament, which are aimed at false teachers. When Elymas the magician was “seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith,” Paul responded with a sharp rebuke, saying,
“You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time” (Acts 13:9-11).
When Peter confronted Simon Magus for trying to buy a Holy Spirit supply chain, he rebuked him sharply saying,
“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:20-23).
And when Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in their false teaching, he rebuked them sharply with seven woes, saying,
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves” (Matt 23:13, 15).
When to Rebuke Gently
In contrast with rebukes lobbed at false teachers, the New Testament paints a gentler picture for rebuking a brother caught in sin. “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36). Jesus knows that Peter will betray him, he warns him, and when he sees the disgraced disciple after his resurrection, he gently restores him (John 21:15-17). And when Jesus delivers his seven messages to the churches through John, his needed rebuke to his followers sounds like,
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:2-5).
Direct, clear, but not sharp.
Paul encourages the same attitude when rebuking a brother in sin. The apostle writes in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” He instructs his protege in 2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” Similarly, he writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” Paul goes on to instruct the church in Thessalonica,
“If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother” (2 Thess 3:13-14).
You can see where this paradigm (sharp rebukes for false teachers, gentle rebukes for erring believers) should have a profound impact on the life and speech of the church. In many cases, we need to be sharper, more weighty, and more solemn with our rebukes toward those who would lead the sheep to hell in the name of Christ (2 Pet 2:1-3). On the other hand, how careful we need to be when we confront a brother or sister in sin!
This dual way of speaking does not reflect double-minded deception but a spirit of truth and love. May the church be marked by both sharp and gentle rebukes for the purity and joy of the Bride of Christ.