Is This Profitable, or Merely Popular?
By Al Felder
Popularity is easy to measure. A podcast can count its downloads. A video displays its views. Social media platforms report likes, comments, shares, and followers. These numbers show how much attention content receives. They do not show whether that attention produces spiritual good.
A religious message may be widely shared because it is shocking, controversial, frightening, or emotionally satisfying. Thousands of people may discuss it without anyone becoming more faithful to God. Paul gave Titus a different standard for evaluating teaching. After reminding him of the salvation and mercy Christians receive through Christ, Paul instructed him to affirm these truths constantly so that believers would be careful to maintain good works. Paul described such teaching as “good and profitable to men.”
He then presented the opposite:
“But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).
Paul contrasted profitable teaching with useless controversy. One leads Christians toward good works, the other consumes their time in disputes. This distinction is urgently needed in an age when religious popularity can be mistaken for spiritual profit.
Faithful Teaching Produces Good Works
Paul told Titus to affirm the truth confidently so that “those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8). Biblical teaching is intended to produce action. Christians do not perform good works to place God in their debt or earn the salvation His grace provides. We are saved through God’s mercy, and that grace trains us to live obediently. The proper response to salvation is a life devoted to what is good.
Sound teaching should help Christians become:
More faithful in worship.
More devoted to prayer.
More honest in speech.
More patient in conflict.
More loving within marriage.
More responsible as parents.
More dependable at work.
More generous toward those in need.
More active in the local church.
More willing to teach the lost.
More prepared to endure trials.
More careful to avoid sin.
These are not side issues. They are the intended fruit of biblical instruction. Paul did not tell Titus merely to increase the believers’ religious knowledge. He wanted truth to make them careful about their conduct.
Good Works Require Careful Attention
Paul said believers should “be careful to maintain good works.” Good works do not usually happen by accident. They require attention, discipline, and deliberate effort. A Christian must notice opportunities to serve. He must organize his time, control his impulses, and choose obedience when easier alternatives are available.
Maintaining good works also requires perseverance. It is possible to act generously once and then return to selfishness. A person may speak kindly when circumstances are easy but become harsh under pressure. He may begin serving enthusiastically and then withdraw when the work receives little recognition.
Paul wanted Christians to maintain good works, to continue in them. This places an important responsibility on religious teachers. Their work should prepare believers not merely for an emotional response but for sustained obedience. A message may produce temporary excitement without forming lasting character. The audience may feel inspired for a few hours while remaining unequipped to live differently. Profitable teaching helps Christians turn conviction into consistent action.
What Does “Profitable” Mean?
Religious content is profitable when it contributes to the spiritual good of those who receive it. It does not have to be easy, comforting, or popular. A strong rebuke may be profitable if it leads a person to repentance. A difficult lesson may be profitable if it corrects error. A familiar truth may be profitable if it strengthens faithfulness. Profit is determined by spiritual fruit, not emotional response.
Profitable teaching:
Explains Scripture accurately.
Strengthens faith.
Corrects false beliefs.
Exposes sin.
Encourages repentance.
Trains righteous conduct.
Builds up the church.
Protects families.
Develops godly character.
Equips believers to serve.
Directs attention toward eternal life.
A message can be profitable even when it receives little attention. An older Christian privately teaching a younger believer may accomplish more spiritual good than a viral religious video. A sermon heard by a small congregation may produce repentance, stronger homes, and faithful service that no online metric can record. God’s work cannot be measured merely by an audience counter.
What Makes a Dispute Foolish?
Paul told Titus to avoid “foolish disputes.” A dispute may be foolish because it concerns something God has not revealed. It may depend upon speculation or assumptions. It may focus on details that have no meaningful connection to faith or obedience. A dispute may also become foolish because of how it is conducted.
Even an important subject can be handled foolishly when participants:
Refuse to listen.
Misrepresent one another.
Repeat arguments without progress.
Insult opponents.
Assign hidden motives.
Ignore clear evidence.
Treat every disagreement as a personal attack.
Care more about winning than understanding.
Continue after the discussion has ceased to be useful.
Christians must learn to recognize when a conversation no longer serves truth. The fact that people remain willing to argue does not mean the argument remains profitable.
Genealogies and Unanswerable Questions
Paul again mentioned genealogies, a subject he also addressed in his first letter to Timothy. The particular genealogical disputes troubling the early church arose within their historical circumstances, but Paul’s reason for rejecting them remains clear: they were not producing spiritual good. They encouraged speculation rather than faithful obedience.
Modern religious content can become equally absorbed in matters that cannot be established:
Hidden identities.
Secret bloodlines.
Unrevealed details about biblical events.
Elaborate connections between ancient symbols and modern people.
Precise predictions God has not provided.
Theories constructed from silence.
Current events forced into prophetic passages without contextual support.
Such subjects can hold attention precisely because they cannot be settled. Every answer creates more questions, allowing the discussion to continue indefinitely, but endless discussion is not evidence of depth. Some questions remain unanswered because God did not choose to reveal the answer. Faith does not require us to fill every silence with speculation.
Contentions and Strivings About the Law
Paul also warned about contentions and strivings concerning the law. This does not mean the law was unimportant. Paul carefully explained the purpose of the Law of Moses and the Christian’s relationship to it. The distinction between the old and new covenants is essential to understanding Scripture.
The problem was useless wrangling that did not lead people toward truth or godliness. People can argue about an important subject in an unprofitable manner. The discussion may generate more heat than light. Participants may become so invested in defeating each other that the Word of God becomes secondary to the contest.
A biblical discussion should move toward understanding.
What does the passage say?
How does the context define its meaning?
How does it relate to the covenant under which it was given?
What conclusion does the evidence require?
How should that truth affect our lives?
When those questions are replaced by personal attacks, repeated slogans, and endless accusations, the discussion ceases to be profitable.
Popular Content Often Rewards the Opposite
Digital platforms tend to reward content that keeps people watching and reacting. Controversy is useful for that purpose. A provocative title creates curiosity. An accusation produces comments. A frightening claim encourages shares. A conflict between personalities creates anticipation for the next episode. The creator learns what performs well and produces more of it.
This can create an unhealthy cycle:
Controversy attracts attention.
Attention increases the platform’s reach.
Greater reach rewards the creator.
The creator searches for another controversy.
The audience develops an appetite for conflict.
Ordinary biblical teaching begins to feel uninteresting.
What is popular may become increasingly unprofitable. A teacher does not need to say anything false to participate in this cycle. He may select only the most divisive subjects, present them in inflammatory ways, and neglect the practical instruction Christians most need. Truth can be used irresponsibly when it is chosen primarily for its ability to provoke.
The Cost of Useless Controversy
Unprofitable disputes consume more than time. They influence character. A person who continually listens to arguments may become argumentative. Someone who consumes suspicion may begin assigning evil motives to others. A Christian who follows teachers known for mockery may become comfortable speaking contemptuously. Useless controversy can also distract from actual responsibilities.
While Christians debate a theory online:
A spouse may need attention.
A child may need instruction.
A discouraged member may need encouragement.
A sick Christian may need a visit.
A lost person may need to hear the gospel.
A temptation may need to be resisted.
A duty may need to be fulfilled.
A congregation may need faithful service.
The controversy may create the feeling that something important is being accomplished when ordinary responsibilities are being neglected. Religious activity is not always spiritual productivity.
Dealing With a Divisive Person
Paul continued by instructing Titus to reject a divisive person after a first and second warning. The church was not required to permit endless disruption. A divisive person persists in creating factions despite correction. He does not merely hold a different opinion. He uses his position to draw people apart and refuses admonition.
Paul’s instructions show both patience and firmness. The person receives warning. He is given an opportunity to recognize the harm and repent, but if he continues after repeated correction, the church must not allow him to consume its attention and disturb its peace indefinitely.
This principle also has practical value in online discussions. Christians do not have to continue every argument. They are not obligated to give unlimited access to people who repeatedly insult others, spread unsupported claims, disrupt meaningful conversation, or refuse correction. Ending an unprofitable exchange is not an admission of defeat; sometimes it is obedience to Paul’s instruction.
Questions for Content Creators
Christian teachers should examine more than whether their content is accurate. They should consider what it is designed to accomplish.
Before publishing, they might ask:
Why have I chosen this subject?
Is it important because Scripture emphasizes it or because controversy attracts attention?
Will this help Christians maintain good works?
Have I explained what believers should do in response?
Am I distinguishing facts from speculation?
Does the title accurately represent the content?
Am I encouraging careful thought or emotional reaction?
Could this unnecessarily create suspicion or division?
Am I producing this because it is profitable or because it performs well?
These questions cannot be answered by analytics. They require honest examination before God.
Questions for Listeners
Listeners also determine which content becomes popular. Before giving religious content our attention, we should ask:
What spiritual good is this producing?
Is it helping me understand Scripture?
Is it correcting something in my life?
Is it equipping me for good works?
Is it strengthening my home and congregation?
Does it increase faith, love, holiness, and service?
Or does it leave me angry, suspicious, distracted, and eager for another controversy?
We should not confuse repeated consumption with spiritual growth. Listening to ten hours of religious content does not necessarily mean we have been edified. The question is whether the truth has entered our lives and produced obedience.
A Better Measure of Religious Influence
Imagine measuring a ministry by different standards.
Instead of asking how many people watched, ask how many were helped to understand Scripture.
Instead of counting comments, consider whether marriages were strengthened.
Instead of measuring shares, consider whether Christians were moved to serve.
Instead of celebrating controversy, look for repentance, holiness, forgiveness, generosity, and faithfulness.
These outcomes may be less visible, but they are more valuable.
The greatest spiritual work often happens quietly. A Christian chooses not to retaliate. A husband changes how he speaks to his wife. A parent begins teaching his children. A congregation cares for a needy saint. A sinner obeys the gospel. A discouraged believer decides to remain faithful. That is profit no algorithm can adequately measure.
Good, Profitable, and Necessary
Paul did not tell Titus to avoid teaching difficult subjects. He did not forbid doctrinal correction or necessary confrontation. He told him to affirm the truth that would lead believers toward good works and to avoid useless disputes. That is the distinction Christians must preserve.
The question is not whether content is controversial. Truth itself may create controversy when people resist it. The question is whether the teaching is grounded in Scripture, necessary for faithfulness, and productive of spiritual good. Popular content attracts attention while profitable teaching produces obedience. Popular content may cause people to talk while profitable teaching helps people live. Popular content builds an audience while profitable teaching builds Christians. Before we click, share, preach, record, or publish, we should ask
Paul’s question in practical form:
Is this helping believers maintain good works?
Is this good and profitable?
Or is it merely popular?
Reflection Questions
How does Paul distinguish profitable teaching from useless controversy?
Does the religious content I consume help me maintain good works?
Have I confused popularity with spiritual value?
What qualities make a dispute foolish or unprofitable?
Am I spending time on controversies while neglecting my responsibilities in my home or in my congregation?
How does repeated exposure to argumentative content affect my character?
When is it appropriate to end an unproductive religious discussion?
Do the teachers I follow explain what Christians should do in response to their messages?
Would I value a lesson as highly if it received little public attention but produced faithful obedience?
What good work should I be maintaining more carefully right now?
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