The Apostolic Requirements - Qualifications for Elders (Part 3) (Titus 1:9)
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
Good morning, brothers and sisters!
We are now entering the summer season.
Students are about to be off school.
Oakridge Park recently opened.
Perhaps some of you already have vacation plans.
Nevertheless, I’m so grateful that we get to gather for corporate worship.
I hope you’re blessed by the Lord because we’re here together.
After this service, we get to spend time with one another for fellowship.
Now, we get to hear from God through the preaching of His word.
Illustration
Let me begin by asking you a question:
Out of all the responsibilities that a pastor has, what is the one specific duty he should excel in above everything else?
The pastor counsels people.
He visits the sick.
He buries the dead.
He marries couples.
He navigates conflict.
He leads the church.
The Apostle Paul puts his finger on one non-negotiable competency.
If he isn’t good at this one skill, then he shouldn’t be a pastor.
And it’s the skill that you see the pastor do Sunday after Sunday.
Context
We have been slowly and carefully walking through the qualification of the pastor, elder, or overseer in Titus 1:5-9.
Before we go any further, I want to remind you of something we established earlier in this series.
The words pastor, elder, and overseer do not describe three different men.
They describe one man.
Brother Keon introduced us to the acronym PEO: Pastor, Elder, Overseer.
We will keep using that language today from time to time.
If I just say pastor or elder, then know that I’m referring to the PEO.
[SLIDE 2] In Titus 1:5, Paul sends Titus to the island of Crete with a single, urgent assignment: put things in biblical order.
The specific order is to appoint biblically qualified men as elders in the local churches.
[SLIDE 3] Titus has to do so in every town across the entire island.
[SLIDE 4] Titus 1:5 is not just an opening instruction.
It is the interpretive key to the entire letter.
Once you understand what Paul sent Titus to do, everything else in this letter falls into place.
It is a carefully structured letter with one driving purpose:
[SLIDE 5] To bring the church of Jesus Christ into proper order and genuine godliness.
[SLIDE 6] Now, in Titus 1:6-8, Paul gave us a portrait of the elder's character.
And the list is demanding.
Twice in this passage Paul says the elder must be above reproach.
That phrase is worth pausing on.
Above reproach does not mean perfection.
It means his life is so characterized by integrity, self-discipline, and godly conduct that his critics cannot find legitimate ground to accuse him.
He is not sinless, but blameless.
This standard applies everywhere.
In his home.
In the church.
In the community.
In society.
Who he is in the 4-walls of the church is consistent with who he is outside of the church.
There is no compartment of his life where the standard drops.
[SLIDE 7] Paul says the same thing in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
An overseer must be above reproach.
Paul is drawing a clear, non-negotiable line.
It is consistent in his pastoral letters.
So, Paul has established the godly character of the PEO.
Now he turns to a distinguishing skill required of him.
This is not merely a character quality.
It is a competency.
A duty.
A responsibility that belongs to the office itself.
[SLIDE 8] 1 Timothy 3:2 says the overseer must be able to teach.
Teach what?
The Bible.
Sound doctrine.
And Titus 1:9 brings it all together.
It shows us the relationship between the PEO, the Word, and the ministry of teaching.
Paul gives those godly men of the church two clear, non-negotiable mandates.
Let us look at them together.
Exposition
[SLIDE 9] First, the elders are committed to “Getting The Message Right.” (v.9a)
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught...
They are to cling to the message.
And they are to be convicted by the message.
What does it mean to “hold firm?”
It means clinging onto something tightly.
It means to give your complete devotion to something.
So, the pastors, elders, and overseers are to pay careful attention to the trustworthy word by devoting to it and clinging on to it.
He should be zealous in their devotion to biblical truth. (1 Timothy 4:16).
He should be a man of biblical conviction. (1 Timothy 4:6)
He should know what he believes and teaches.
He should especially be like-minded in faith and doctrines alongside other PEOs,
The purpose is that there’s unity of faith or unity in doctrine in the church leadership.
When he’s holding fast, this is a continuous action, not a one-time action.
If he is appointed to be an elder, he doesn’t immediately drop his responsibility.
If anything, it should intensify his responsibility.
It’s like a man in a storm who refuses to let go of the rope.
He doesn’t touch the rope, but clings onto it.
That’s the image we are given.
The elder's relationship to the Word is one of gripping devotion.
What is the PEO called to hold firm to?
The text is precise.
Paul does not say the elder is to hold firm to the vision of the church.
He does not say hold firm to the mission statement.
He does not say hold firm to the big picture or a five-year plan.
He does not say hold firm to what the congregation wants to hear.
All of those things may have their place.
However, none of them are what Paul puts in the elder's grip.
The text tells us that they are to hold firm or cling onto the trustworthy word as taught.
Paul was talking about God’s word or the Bible.
Paul does not say the Word becomes trustworthy when the elder grips it.
The word is already trustworthy.
Its trustworthiness is intrinsic, not assigned by us.
The word is objectively trustworthy and faithful.
Our subjective opinion does not determine its trustworthiness.
The world’s opinion does not determine its trustworthiness.
The Word stands, whether the world agrees with it or not.
And the elders and pastors who understand that will handle the word with reverence.
[SLIDE 10] He will do what Paul said:
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
They are to love the faithful word of God.
The Bible is the foundation of their lives.
They are to study it.
Believe it.
Obey it.
It is their spiritual nourishment.
There is one last thing we need to notice.
They are to hold fast to the trustworthy word AS TAUGHT.
This trustworthy word is NOT a new teaching.
The PEOs are not called to teach something fresh and new that’s never been said before.
He is called to hold fast to what has been received and passed down through the apostles.
It’s the content of that which is taught, to doctrine, divinely revealed truth.
[SLIDE 11] It comes from the apostolic teaching.
1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
In Acts 2:42, the 1st century church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ Teaching.
In 1 Timothy 6:20, Paul commands Timothy to guard the deposit entrusted to Him.
Primarily, this would have been the message of the gospel.
It would also include all the teachings and doctrines taught by Christ.
And we have the apostolic teachings found in the New Testament.
Brothers and sisters, pray for your elders and pastors.
Holding fast to the trustworthy word is especially true in the face of opposition and confusion.
There will be some in the church or outside of the church who may pressure us to loosen our grip of the word.
They may tell them (and myself):
to soften the message.
to be less doctrinal.
to be more culturally adaptive.
They may tell us to tell more stories and entertain them.
However, the PEOs do not have the authority to loosen their grips.
They are not casually holding onto the word.
Paul’s instructs them to hold to the word as if your life depends on it.
The word is the Sword of the Spirit.
And the man of God knows that if he drops his weapon, he’ll lose the battle.
So, before appointing this man to be an elder, he must have already demonstrated his confident devotion to the word.
And church leadership and the members of the church can affirm that.
Would you want a man who doesn’t hold fast to the trustworthy word?
I hope you wouldn’t want that.
I hope you are grateful to the Lord that the PEOs are holding fast to the trustworthy word as taught.
Paul explains the purpose behind what he just said.
[SLIDE 12] Second, the elders are committed to “Getting The Message Out.” (v.9b)
9b so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Paul gives the elder a two-fold purpose with the Word.
To declare the message.
And to defend the message.
One theologian put it this way:
“A pastor needs two voices: one for gathering the sheep, and the other for driving away the wolves.”
Both voices come from the same source.
The Word of God.
First, he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.
The PEOs are to declare the message.
To give instruction can also be translated as “to exhort.”
It literally means “to call alongside of” for the purpose of giving strength and help.
It is to strongly encourage an individual with something.
Giving instruction in sound doctrine can take place in different context.
Bible study.
Sunday school.
Counseling.
And preaching.
Giving instruction has a positive aspect of ministry of the word.
It is not merely giving you information.
It builds you up.
It draws you toward the truth.
Notice that Paul doesn’t simply say “exhort.”
He says that he has to do so in sound doctrine.
That word “sound” is powerful and crucial to understand.
This is not talking about noise per se as if you’re hearing a sound.
In fact, in the original language, the word “sound” here carries the same meaning as our English word “hygiene”
We may immediately think of having a clean body after showering.
“Sound” means healthy.
Wholesome.
Free from infection.
Free from error.
And then we learn the word, “doctrine.”
Perhaps for some of you, you think doctrine sounds deep and abstract.
But doctrine simply means “teaching.”
Teaching refers to the entire body of essential theological truths that define and describe the message of Christianity.
So, when Paul uses the phrase, “sound doctrine”, he is using the language of medicine.
He’s talking about “healthy teaching.”
Sound doctrine gives health to our souls. It is life-giving.
We need healthy teaching so that we can become spiritually mature in Christ.
Without sound doctrine, brothers and sisters, you’re not receiving medicine for your souls.
My mom made Chinese soup and medicine for me.
And I can tell you that it is not always tasty.
Sometimes it is bitter.
Sometimes it is hard to swallow.
But you drink it because you know it is doing something inside you that nothing else can do.
It’s the same thing with sound doctrine.
It exhorts you.
It confronts you.
It convicts you.
It corrects you.
Sadly, here’s the sobering reality.
[SLIDE 13] In 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul warned Timothy that a day would come when people could no longer endure sound doctrine.
They would surround themselves with teachers who only say what they want to hear.
That day is no longer coming.
That day is already here.
And maybe you’re one of those people described in this verse.
That is why sound doctrine is not optional for the church.
Without it, you’re not receiving the spiritual food you need to grow in spiritual maturity.
In contrast, there is a “diseased teaching” of the false teachers.
They prescribe poison for your souls.
That’s why the PEOs have to guard the pulpit.
Sometimes, one error multiplies into more errors.
It has a dominino effect.
Here is something you need to hear clearly.
Some Christians carry a wrong idea about sound doctrine. Let me name them directly.
First, sound doctrine drives people away.
Now, it may drive non-believers away.
However, it should draw God's people toward maturity.
Second, sound doctrine divides.
Perhaps.
It does divide truth from error.
We’ll learn in a bit that sound doctrine corrects errors.
Third, sound doctrine is irrelevant.
Christianity is about a lifestyle, not theology.
It’s probably the most dangerous idea in modern churches.
People think that there is no connection between what you believe and how you live.
NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
What you believe about the Bible.
What you believe about God.
What you believe about salvation.
What you believe about the church.
What you believe about the end times.
They all shape how you live.
There is no version of Christianity where what you believe does not matter.
We’ll learn in Titus 2 that sound doctrine establishes Christian practice for men and women and in the household.
What believers hold to be true directly shapes their behaviour.
Your conduct flows from your theology.
As a pastor, my duty and joy is to preach the whole counsel of God’s word.
It is my responsibility to give you instruction in sound doctrine.
[SLIDE 14] Second, he may be able to rebuke those who contradict it.
We learn that the PEOs defend the message.
Now, let me be honest about something.
If I can be completely honest and perhaps (MAYBE) speak on behalf of the elders and pastors of OBC, we don’t like to do this part.
We do not take pleasure in confrontation.
Rebuking is not something any of us looks forward to.
However, it is necessary because the God’s people must be protected.
So, what does it look like for the elders to rebuke?
Here’s what it doesn’t mean:
It doesn’t mean we have to yell at false teachers.
It doesn’t mean being aggressive or combative.
It doesn’t merely mean being confrontational.
Here’s what it does mean:
Paul uses the word “rebuke” to mean bringing something hidden into light.
It’s a process of revealing error through truth.
It is to bring a person to the point where they can no longer deny what is wrong.
Sometimes, it can be translated as “to convict.”
It is the word of God that is our authority for such a rebuke.
In the context of preaching, God would use the preaching of His word to edify and instruct God’s people, and to rebuke those in error all at the same time.
Paul says to “rebuke those”
He’s talking about the people who try to contradict sound doctrine.
This can be personal and also pastoral.
The goal of rebuking is never to simply win an argument.
The goal is always the correction and restoration of the person teaching error.
[SLIDE 15] Titus 1:13 makes it clear that such rebuke contains both education and restortation.
13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
The context and intensity of the rebuke varies depending on the situation.
There is a time when PEO should be sharp in their rebuke.
[SLIDE 16] That’s because the false teachers are actively upsetting the family of God.
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
In this case, sometimes, it may be appropriate to publicly rebuke them.
However, there are other moments that call for gentleness.
We go to that person privately.
Correct him with patience and gentleness..
Giving him the opportunity to turn back. (2 Tim 2:24-26; Titus 3:10-11; Matt 18:15))
Some may think that rebuking false teachers with sound doctrine is not the most loving thing or the most Christlike behaviour.
Let me respond to that statement:
First, open almost any book of the New Testament and you will find a warning against false teachers.
Jesus warned of them.
Peter warned of them.
Paul warned of them.
If you believe that confronting false teaching is unloving, your disagreement is not with the elders of this church.
Your disagreement is with the Word of God.
Second, if the elders do not rebuke false teachers, those teachers spread.
They poison the church of Jesus Christ, such as OBC.
The shepherd who allows wolves to roam freely among the sheep is not being kind.
He is being negligent.
Silence in the face of danger is not love.
It is abandonment.
Third, this church does not belong to the PEOs.
We are undershepherds.
The Chief Shepherd is Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the head of the church.
He owns this flock.
And Hebrews 13:17 tells us that we will give an account before him for how we led his people.
Every decision we make, including the decision to rebuke, is made with that accountability before us.
Why did Paul give this immense responsibility and duty to the biblically qualified men for pastors, elders, and overseers?
Paul will explain in verses 10-16 that it’s because there are many in the Island of Crete who are rebels, deceivers, and false teachers.
Therefore, they must be silenced.
They need to be rebuked.
[SLIDE 17] Conclusion
So, we have learned the PEOs are to be committed to “Getting The Message Right” and “Getting The Message Out.”
You cannot get the message out unless you have first gotten the message right.
The private grip of God’s word precedes the public declaration of God’s word.
You cannot give away what you have not first held onto.
Here are some questions and comments to reflect on for application:
Can I invite you to pray for the pastors and elders of OBC that we would hold firm to the trustworthy word as we lead this church?
While this speaks to the qualification of elders, it doesn’t mean you cannot apply the principles as well. I pray that you would desire to get the message right so that you can get the message out into the world.
Let me speak to the men of this church. Do you have the desire to be an elder? If so, then I encourage you to be devoted to the word of God by studying it, reading it, and obeying it.
