After mentioning the teachings and actions of the heretical teachers, Paul now turns his attention to the teachers themselves, although in a subtle manner, referring to them by the expression a man who is factious. The word for factious appears only here in the whole New Testament; it is the word from which the modern word “heretic” is derived. The term is derived from the word that means “division” and therefore is used to describe the act of being divisive or causing divisions and splits within a certain group. King James Version has used the word “heretic” in this verse, which seems to be less than accurate, since “heresy” as it is now understood puts focus on wrong or false doctrines that are professed by people, whereas the focus here is on the negative behavior of these people that for whatever reason gives rise to divisions and splits. It has been appropriately remarked by one commentator that, in the present-day church, people who are so intent on getting rid of heretics (in the sense that they hold different theological views) are in fact the ones who are causing the greatest divisions within the body of Christ! (Another way of putting it is that it is the people who want to get rid of heretics [in the modern sense] who in fact are the heretics [in the biblical sense].)

Admonishing comes from a verb that refers to advising someone regarding the serious consequences of some action; hence “to warn,” “to admonish,” “to caution.” Once or twice may mean “at least two times” (so Good News Translation “Give at least two warnings”) or “no more than twice” (Translator’s New Testament; so also New Revised Standard Version “after a first and second admonition,” Revised English Bible “he should be allowed a second warning”). In languages that must give the content of the verb “admonish” or “warn,” one may translate “You must warn at least two times those who cause divisions in the church to stop doing that” or “You must say to those who cause people in the church to divide into groups, ‘Stop doing this!’ If you have to say this on two occasions and they won’t stop, don’t have….”

For the expression have nothing more to do with him, see 1 Tim 4.7, where a similar expression occurs; also 2 Tim 2.23. The expression may simply mean not to have any more dealings with the person so as to make them feel that they are no longer part of the Christian community, or less likely, to formally exclude the person from the church (hence excommunication). See further comments on 1 Tim 1.20.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Titus. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .