Fools, Scammers and Liars call evil good to seek self-gratification without the constraint of God’s truth.

Calling evil good can be said in many different ways, but basically it is knowingly telling a lie about something that you know to be true. God does not like it when we lie as He is the God of truth. God values truth, knowledge, and honesty. When we lie we are at odds with God. Our lying demonstrates that we do not value truth, knowledge, or honesty.

All scams have some type of enticement that lures us into being scammed.
If there was no promise of reward or benefit, we would not entertain a scam.
It is the scam’s sweet lie that blinds us just enough for us to fall into the scammer’s trap.

Isaiah 5:20 gives us advice to not call evil good:“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

A Misleading Equivocation provides us a great example of how lies and deceptions can easily be taken as truth. Equivocation is a word seldom heard in our society, but it is practiced frequently by politicians and persons in authority who have no moral compass. Equivocation means “ambiguous expressions, especially in order to mislead or hedge”.

Many of us like to believe lies more than truth. We are enticed by what I call the “free money” syndrome. Many of us chase after free money at the casinos, playing the lottery, pyramid schemes, or “get rich” schemes. We end up surrounding ourselves with those who are wicked who will promise our heart’s desire. We place our hope in these empty promises, “yes men” and just plain lies, more than seeking God’s will for our lives.

Proverbs 29:12 advises us on those who like lies will surround themselves with those who are wicked. 
God desires all of us to prosper and at the same time add value to the world around us. If you obtain wealth through intimidation, deceit or scams, God will judge you. Ill-gotten gains will eventually lead to ruin. 

God blesses those that labor and produce real value and not to the scammers, the users, and slothful. Proverbs 13:11 warns us about ill-gotten gains.

Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”

God desires for us to seek truth more than self-gratification. If you seek self-gratification more than truth, you will never be satisfied. When we seek self-gratification above truth, we will believe empty promises and we open ourselves to scams. We are “… carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive …”. Ephesians 4:15 advises on the importance of truth over deceit.

Ephesians 4:15, But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Shepherd’s Do research on con artists and scams and have more information than you have time to read.

The definition of a con artist is a person who intentionally misleads another person for the sake of personal financial gain

As Micah the prophet warned, they dream up crimes while lying in bed and as soon as its morning light, they take off, full of energy to put their schemes into practice.  (Paraphrased; Micah 2:1) 


It’s one thing however to be a scam artist where people lose their money.  It’s another thing to be involved in  bottom corners of the Judicial Branch and the Legislative Branch – also called Congress: ignored scams where people lose both their money and their spiritual equilibrium.

The Apostle Paul instructs Titus in chapter 1 how to put the church in good, effective working order – it was paramount to find men to wear the mantle of the shepherd so that people would be led honestly and biblically in a genuine spiritual walk.  And so it’s little wonder that after giving the qualifications of an elder, Paul immediately reminds Titus and all the churches on the island of Crete that there are dangers on the island – and the primary danger is bound up in nothing less than con artists who were intent on scamming the church by teaching a mixture of truth and error.  Frankly, wherever the seeds of truth are sown, the seeds of deception will be close by.  There’s no such thing as a lawn or garden without weeds.  Those who serve as shepherds must not only sow the seeds of truth but pull out the seeds of dangerous deceptions and what Paul called in doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) – that is, doctrines that seem orthodox and correct, but actually mislead someone and take them through the doors of religion and into the jaws of hell. 

So, Titus . . . you gotta be able to spot the lie – and expose the liars . . . and for that you need to select men who can do the same with spiritual discernment and courage. 

“And how convincing these false teachers are while keeping their true nature carefully concealed – even from themselves where the Lord Jesus will say, “I never knew you” – yet they deftly move on among the elect, up through the ranks of authority, and into positions of power. 

Lacking [biblical] truth, they win friends and influence people by means of a charisma that’s difficult to resist, even for those who despise falsehood. 

Nevertheless a trained eye can spot them.
So, just how do you spot the con artists?  

Titus will be given several characteristics of con artists in chapter 1.   

Go back to verse 9 as it sets the stage for the defensive role of a shepherd; Paul writes, Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he (the elder/bishop/pastor) will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 
So, if  those who contradict are the false teachers . . . then how do you spot them, Paul? 
Paul provides three descriptive characteristics of these men and women who lead flocks astray.  
At least one or more of these characteristics will be evident to those trained in the word and given the role of guarding the flock – and certainly the church at large should be trained as well. 

Three Characteristics of Con Artists: 
1. Here’s the first one: they are known as unaccountable personalities.
2. Secondly, they are also known by their empty promises. 
3. Thirdly, they are known as deceptive promoters. 

Paul spent most of his life battling these Judaizers – they were called.  They dogged his footsteps, subverted his converts, attacked his apostleship, challenged his authority, undermined his teaching, and distorted the gospel.xiv 

Paul wasn’t going to take it sitting down.  So he tells Titus in very strong words – verse 11, they’ve gotta be silenced.  The word for silenced literally means, “to muzzle” – to cover over their mouths.xv 

The present tense points to continuous action – which lets you know that a elder/shepherd is never off duty in watching for and being alert to and addressing false teaching.  Titus, these con artists need to be caught – and you catch them – you expose them – you silence them – not by literally gagging them, but by responding with the truth.  You answer with the truth.  


Paul gives us Two Results of Being Conned and Two things are happening here:
Number one, families are being turned upside down (v. 11) 
The word translated ‘upsetting’ is the same word used of Christ turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple (Matthew 21:12)    Everything was literally turned upside down. 
Number two, The personal bank accounts of the teachers were filling up. 
Paul writes, in verse 11 –they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they shouldn’t each, for the sake of sordid gain.  The preposition, “for the sake of” indicates that this is the goal of their activity.  This was the heart of their motivation for teaching and By the way, where sordid gain can certainly mean money, Paul uses it elsewhere for non-financial motivation – for social leverage, for power and prestige.

In other words, these teachers were more interested in what they could get out of people than what they could invest in people.  They might defend their lifestyles by saying that since they preach prosperity they above all others should live prosperously. 

It will never cease to amaze the Holy Spirit on what false teacher campaigners are willing to get out of the Bible and what followers of Christ will let them get away with.

Can’t they see the main message is all about money and prestige and material wealth and prosperity and temporary stuff is all that matters to float the nations boat? 

Some will have televised campaign advertisements that In fact, if you were to eliminate everything from their programs having to do with wealth and health and prosperity all you’d end up with is the opening music and the closing credits and nothing more than the spiritual con. 

Paul says to Titus, the flock is in constant danger of being misled and abused and fleeced – so once you find elders in the church, make sure they both build up the body, but also have the courage to take off the mask of the false teacher and speak up for the truth which will keep the flock on the right path.