Titus 1.6-9-Seventeen Qualifications Required for the Man with the Gift of Pastor-Teacher to Assume the Office of Overseer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday December 3, 2022
Pastor-Teacher Series: Titus 1:6-9-Seventeen Qualifications for the Man with the Gift of Pastor-Teacher to Assume the Office of Overseer
Lesson # 9
The apostle Paul wrote not only to Timothy regarding the qualifications for the man who aspires to the office of overseer but also to a man named Titus.
The name Titus means, “pleasant.”
He was a trusted companion of the apostle Paul who had been left as superintendent of the churches on the island of Crete.
Like the first epistle to Timothy, this letter had as its purpose to give the young pastor instructions to aid him in his work.
Paul gave Timothy 15 qualifications but he gives Titus 17.
Of course, many of these qualifications that Paul gives Titus he also gave to Timothy, therefore, we will only note here in Titus 1 those qualifications that were not given to Timothy.
Titus 1:6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. (NASB95)
Titus 1:6 If-and let us assume for the sake of argument you appoint elders, and we agree that you need to appoint elders, then they must be of irreproachable character, the husband of one wife, having believing children, who are not under accusation of loose living, or rebellious. (Lecturer’s translation)
“Above reproach” is the adjective anegklētos (ἀνέγκλητος) refers to the fact that in order to be ordained the man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher must have a good reputation in the local assembly in the sense that he has led an exemplary life that there is no occasion to call him to account or bring a charge against him.
We have already noted in 1 Timothy 3 the second qualification listed here in Titus 1:6, “the husband of one wife,” therefore we will move on to the third and fourth qualifications.
“Having children who believe” refers to the fact that the man who aspires to the office of pastor-teacher must also be able to lead his own children to the Lord.
“Not accused of dissipation or rebellion” refers to the fact that the children or teenagers of the man who aspires to the office of pastor-teacher must not be under the accusation of rebellion against legitimate authority.
Titus 1:7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain. (NASB95)
“Not self-willed” is composed of the negative particle mē (μή) and the adjective authadēs (αὐθάδης), “one who pleases himself, self-pleasing, self-satisfied, self-willed, stubborn, obstinate, arrogant, one who pleases himself without regard for the rights, feelings and interests of others, selfish.”
Trench defines the word, “the person who is so pleased with himself and his own actions that nothing else pleases him. He is the person who regards nothing as correct except what he himself does. He so overestimates any determination of his own that he will not be moved from it. Such a person obstinately maintains his own opinion and asserts his own rights, regardless of the rights, feelings, and interests of others. With no motive at all, he is quick to act contrary to the feelings of others, rather than to fall in with them” (Trench Synonyms of the New Testament pages 367-368).
“Not quick-tempered” is composed of the negative particle mē (μή) and the adjective orgilos (ὀργίλος), “quick-tempered, inclined to anger, irritable, easily provoked to anger.”
It is related to the noun orgē (ὀργή), “anger, wrath.”
This adjective describes a person who cannot control his anger.
Anger is a sin (Prov. 22:24; 29:22; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8).
The next four qualifications that appear in Titus 1:7 also appear in 1 Timothy 3:2-3, thus we will not study them.
Titus 1:8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled. (NASB95)
“Loving what is good” is the adjective philagathos (φιλάγαθος), “a lover of divine good, a lover of good of intrinsic value.”
We have already noted the next qualification “sensible” in 1 Timothy 3:2.
“Just” is the adjective dikaios (δίκαιος), “just, righteous, virtuous, one who fulfills his obligations to God and man, well-balanced in his relationships with both God and man.”
In the Greco-Roman world, dikaios applied to the model citizen.
In the classical period, dikaios described individuals who were “well-balanced, fair, impartial, lawful, and just in their dealings with men.”
They were individuals who fulfilled their legal obligations in life.
Our Lord used dikaios to describe the Father (John 17:25).
It is also used to describe Abel (Matt. 23:5), and God’s judgment on an unbelieving world (Rev. 19:2).
It is used with reference to those believers in Christ who have received the imputation of divine righteousness at the moment of justification (Rom. 5:19; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38; 1 Pet. 3:12; 4:18).
Dikaios in Titus 1:8 describes the man who has personal love for God the Father, thus fulfilling his obligation to God and operates in the love of God toward all men, thus, fulfilling his obligation to man.
It describes the model citizen according to the Word of God.
“Devout” is the adjective hosios (ὅσιος), which means “holy, one who has integrity, one who is faithful or loyal in his relationships with both God and man.”
“Self-controlled” is the adjective egkratēs (ἐγκρατής), which describes someone who is “disciplined, self-control, organized life, one who has right priorities” which are based upon the Word of God.
Enkrates comes from the verb stem krat, “power, lordship,” and the prefix en, thus it expresses the power or lordship, which one has either over oneself or over something.
In classical literature, it could mean, “to have power or dominion over all things and over oneself, to be inwardly strong, one who has endurance.”
According to Galatians 5:23, God the Holy Spirit will produce this Christ-like characteristic in a believer (Gal. 5:23).
The adjective enkrates indicates that the man who aspires to the office of pastor-teacher must be disciplined meaning that he makes the study of the Word of God and applying it his number one priority in life.
Titus 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. (NASB95)
Titus 1:9 states that the man who aspires to the spiritual gift of overseer must hold fast cling to, be devoted, occupied with the Word of God in the midst of stiff opposition.
The Greek word translated “holding fast” namely, the verb antechomai (ἀντέχομαι) speaks of occupation and devotion to something.
The man who aspires to the office of overseer must continually devote or occupy himself with the Word of God in the midst of stiff opposition in accordance to that which his pastor-teacher has taught him.
Paul uses the phrase “sound doctrine,” which means “healthy doctrine” that promotes spiritual growth and protects the believer’s soul from the lies of the cosmic system of Satan.
The man who aspires to the office of pastor-teacher must be able to do two things according to Titus 1:9: (1) Teach the Word of God (2) Refute the heretics.