Qualified Elders

Titus,1st & 2nd Timothy are called Pastoral Epistles, because they provide guidance concerning the organization and administration of the church.

It was written around AD 64-66 - probably after 1st Timothy, & before 2nd Timothy, while Paul was in Macedonia, after his release from his 1st imprisonment in Rome.

We don’t have a concrete record of Paul & Titus’ ministry in Crete, but it obvious from the way this letter is written that they had been there on one of his missionary journeys. Crete is a large island south of Greece, between Cyprus to the east, and Sicily to the west.

His purpose in writing this letter is like his writing to Timothy - provide guidance on Church organization, sound doctrine and Holy Living. Also, provides instruction for a young pastor with a big responsibility.

Timothy and Titus were both young pastors whom Paul led to the Lord and trained them. He considered them his sons in the faith.

Titus was Greek, and not a convert to Judiasm - as mentioned in Gal 2:3 - He accompanied Paul to Jerusalem to settle the issue of Gentiles converting to Judaism.

BBC:

“The theme of Titus gives a fine concise summary of how a believer should adorn the doctrine of grace with godliness and good works. Many today who seem pleased with the doctrine of grace apparently have little interest in displaying it in good works, or even godliness. Such an attitude is wrong and suggests a misapprehension of true grace.”

Titus 1:1-4

Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,

Paul was first a bondservant of G-d, but also an emissary of Jesus - representative of the Lord. Apostle means “sent one”, a title generally reserved for the original disciples and Paul.

Since Paul is addressing issues relating to the church, he is establishing his authority as an apostle, according to the faith - better translated “for the faith” of the elect - those who were Christians, and acknowledging the truth (of G-d) and that should bring about godly living.

2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

BBC:

The NT speaks of eternal life as both a present possession and a future hope. The word hope does not imply uncertainty. The moment we trust Christ as Savior we have eternal life as a present possession as referenced in

John 5:24- 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

We will become heirs to all the benefits of His redemptive work, but we will not experience the practical enjoyment of all of them until we reach our eternal home. We hope in the sense that we are looking forward to eternal life in its final form when we will receive our glorified bodies and be forever free from sin, sickness, sorrow, suffering, and death and

Phil. 3:21 - 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.)

We know this is a sure thing - as G-d cannot lie, and he promised it from before the world began.

Spurgeon: It is utterly inconsistent with the Holy One, whose kingdom is over all, that he could lie. God is too wise to lie. Falsehood is the expedient of a fool. Only a shortsighted person lies. For some present advantage the poor creature who cannot see the end as well as the beginning states what is false, but no wise person who can look far into the future ever thinks a lie to be profitable; this person knows that truth may suffer loss at first, but in the long run she is always successful.

3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

in due time - in Greek it means in its own season, G-d manifested - brought forth, revealed His word thru or in preaching - It is our responsibility to spread the gospel...

1 Cor 1:17-21 -17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

BBC: Earlier in the ministry Titus had accompanied Paul & Barnabas to Jerusalem for a conference with the other Apostles with the express purpose of clarifying whether gentiles needed to be circumcised, or Jews needed to leave the Jewish faith.

And this epistle was written about 10 years after this… Titus had established himself as a believer and leader in the church. Paul used him as a “troubleshooter” - sent to Corinth and Crete to set the church in order, which is the occasion of this writing.

Titus 1:5-9

Qualified Elders

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

Similar to Timothy… Paul is writing to Titus with instructions and clarification of Titus’ authority to setup elders in Crete.

Titus was instructed to appoint elders to provide for the administration of the various churches.

The role of an elder is one of responsibility - they are to help shepherd the flock - take care the sick and poor within the body.

BBC: We know what an elder is and what he is supposed to do. When we see qualified men who are actively serving as overseers, we recognize them (1 Thess. 5:12) and obey them (Heb. 13:17). It is not a question of ourelecting them but of recognizing those whom God has raised up for this work.

Titus was to look for men who were fulfilling this role....

Verses 6-11 lays out the requirements for an elder...

6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

Blameless does not mean perfect - just that any accusations of wrongdoing are not valid. His life should be above reproach and have a good reputation.

One wife - should be obvious - we do not have multiple wives in our culture, but at the time this was written it was not uncommon for men to have more than one. The idea here is with only one wife, you can love and care for them as Christ cares for the church - you’re not distracted by the drama that develops with multiple wives.

Can’t imagine that - one is more than enough!

children not accused of dissipation or insubordination - dissipation means debauchery or being wasteful … the idea is the children are not running wild - or being unruly, rude, disrespectful.

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,

The terms bishop and elder are basically interchangeable - the requirements of elders and bishops are essentially the same - as defined here and in

1 Timothy 3:2-7 - 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,

Pretty much self-explanatory when compared to 1 Timothy

9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

We need to be able to recognize erroneous teaching as it occurs, and be able to confront it - in love. The role of the elder is to provide guidance in order to reduce the strife.

And how do we recognize erroneous teaching? By knowing the word ourselves, and study.

The Elders’ Task

10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Insubordinate - not willing to follow the direction of the pastor, idle talkers/deceivers - gossips, spreading of lies, trying to undermine households - sake of dishonest gain - saying that believers need to do things a certain way, they have to purchase items only from them in order to enrich themselves - sort of like the temple money changers and those who sold “consecrated” doves for the sacrifices....

Interestingly,

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans arealways liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.

JVM: “Crete was evidently a pretty bad place, and the people were not very good people. Paul himself says that they were liars, and that is certainly the thing for which they were noted in that day. There was a Greek word, kretizein, which means to speak like a Cretan and was synonymous with being a liar. One of their own poets wrote, “Crete, which a hundred cities doth maintain, cannot deny this, though to lying given.””

Avoid the Judiasers… those who would try to say you need to follow Jewish law. Paul is telling Titus to admonish the people, to try and change their behavior -this is a big task. This is one of the reasons Paul gives Titus his authority - so hopefully they will follow it.

15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

If you are innocent, or naive - you assume everyone is like you. But, those who are “worldly” - they assume the worst, and nothing is pure. G-d has given them over to a reprobate mind…

Romans 1:28-And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Talk the talk, speak Christianese, but their actions don’t reflect the truth.

Romans 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.