Titus 1.5-Titus' Task in Crete
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 5, 2013
Titus: Titus 1:5-Titus’ Task in Crete
Lesson # 4
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 1:1.
Titus 1:1 From Paul, God’s servant indeed an apostle of Jesus, who is the Christ for the purpose of producing faith in God’s chosen out ones resulting in an experiential knowledge of the truth, which is for the purpose of producing godliness 2 resulting in the confident expectation of eternal life, which the truthful God promised before eternal ages. 3 However, He has manifested His message at His own appointed time through the proclamation which I myself was entrusted with because of the decree originating from God the Father, our Savior. 4 To Titus, a legitimate spiritual child on the basis of a mutual faith: Grace resulting in peace from God the Father as well as the Christ who is Jesus, who is our Savior. (My translation)
Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” (NASB95)
“For this reason” indicates that the purpose for which Paul left Titus in Crete was so that he would set in order the remaining matters in Crete and to appoint elders in every town as the apostle had directed him.
“Crete” is a large, mountainous island in the Mediterranean Sea, which was 152 miles long from east to west, located across the south end of the Aegean Sea.
“That you would set in order what remains” presents the purpose of Paul leaving Titus behind on the island of Crete.
“Set in order” is the verb epidiorthoō (ἐπιδιορθόω), which means “to put in order, straighten out, to cause matters to be ordered in the correct manner” and refers to Titus “straightening out” or “putting” matters “in order” on the island of Crete by appointing elders in every city on this island.
“What remains” is the verb leipō (λείπω), which refers to Titus putting in order “that which is lacking” in the Cretan church, namely, appointing elders in every city.
“And appoint elders in every city” is defining Paul’s previous ambiguous statement that he left Titus behind in Crete in order that he would set in order that which is lacking in the church on this island.
“Elders” is the adjective presbuteros (πρεσβύτερος), which is referring to those who held the office of overseer, which could only be held by those men with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher that had met the qualifications listed by Paul in Titus 1:6-9 which parallel those which are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
Titus 1:5 For this purpose, I left you behind in Crete so as to set in order that which is lacking, specifically, so as to appoint in each and every town elders as I myself commanded you. (My translation)
The main body of Paul’s letter to Titus begins here in verse 5 with the apostle reminding his friend and delegate of one of the purposes for which he left him behind on the island of Crete.
He ambiguously tells Titus that he wanted him to set in order that which was lacking in the church in Crete but then defines specifically what he means by this, namely, he wanted him to appoint elders in each and every town on the island.
The apostle’s statements in Titus 2:1-3:11 make clear that the other purpose for which Paul left Titus in Crete was to teach the Cretan church the Word of God and specifically communicate Paul’s apostolic teaching.
Towner writes that Crete “was an important commercial weigh station for the seagoing trade. This meant that it was also a place where most of the current philosophies and religions would pass through at one point or another, undoubtedly leaving their marks. Unquestionably, it would have been just the sort of strategic location where Paul would wish his gospel to find a foothold.”
When Paul mentions “elders” here in Titus 1:5, he is referring specifically to those men with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher who have demonstrated sound Christian character over an indefinite period of time.
It does not refer to those men with the spiritual gift of leadership (cf. Romans 12:8), which is called “administrations” in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and nor does it refer to those men who held the office of deacon which is clearly indicated by Paul’s statement in Titus 1:9.
He tells Titus that the elder who was to receive authority over the church must hold fast to the faithful word which is in accordance with his apostolic teaching in order that he would be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.
Exhorting the church with sound doctrine and refuting those who contradict the apostle’s teaching is the role and function of the man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher.
The function of the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher was to teach the Word of God whereas the function of the spiritual gift of leadership was to lead and not teach and neither is the function of the office of deacon involve teaching.
In fact, a deacon is not a spiritual gift but an office which can be held by those with the gift of leadership or any other gift.
All this makes crystal clear that “elders” in Titus 1:5 is referring to pastor-teachers, who held the office of overseer whose function according to 1 Timothy 3:2 was to teach sound doctrine to the body of Christ and to refute those who reject the apostle’s teaching according to Titus 1:9.
The noun episkopos, “overseers” and presbuteros, “elders” are synonymous which is attested to by the passage in Acts 20 where the apostle Paul calls for a meeting with the pastor-teachers in Ephesus.
Notice that Luke says that Paul called the presbuteros and then addressed these same individuals saying that the Lord made them episkopos.
Some argue from Titus 1:5 that there was a plurality of elders in the apostolic church of the first century meaning that there was more than one pastor in a house church but it is hard to imagine more than one pastor per house.
It is more likely that there was one pastor in each house.
Therefore there were many elders on Crete but each served in a home.
Now, when Paul orders Titus to appoint elders in each and every city, he means that he was to ordain only those men who had met the qualifications he lists in verses 6-9.
The fact that Paul orders Titus to ordain qualified men would appear to indicate that the church on the island of Crete was relatively young in age.
In direct contrast when Paul lists the various qualifications for ordination for Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, he does not order Timothy to ordain men like he does Titus.
However, as Hiebert writes “the whole tenor of the Epistle implies that Christianity was widespread on Crete and had been in existence long enough to admit irregularities, and to be endangered by false teachers.”
So Titus was at the very least to initiate the process of ordaining men and instructing the Cretan church as to what type of men they were to ordain.
Interestingly, Paul tells Titus at the end of this epistle in Titus 3:12 that when he sends Artemas or Tychicus to him, he is to make every effort to come to him at Nicopolis because he decided to spend the winter there.
Now, this would not give Titus enough time to go throughout this island which the ancients called “the island of a hundred cities” and appoint elders in each and every city.
The reason it wouldn’t be enough time is that it would take an indefinite amount of time, namely years to determine if a man possessed the gift of pastor-teacher and consistently exemplify Christian character so as to be delegated authority over the church.
Therefore, when Paul makes this statement here in Titus 1:5, it is not only for the benefit of Titus but more than likely it is more for the benefit of the Cretan church.
This is further substantiated by Paul’s statement in the conclusion of this epistle in Titus 3:15 where he says “Grace be with all of you.”
He uses the plural ὑμῶν.
So when Titus leaves to go with Paul and Artemas or Tychicus arrived to take his place, the Cretan church will have in writing from Paul the mandatory qualifications to ordain men to the ministry.
Artemas and Tychicus would know these qualifications and thus along with the Cretan church, together they would determine which men were qualified to serve as an elder.
The comparative clause “as I commanded you” is not so much a reminder to Titus of his duties but more than likely it was designed to communicate to the Cretan church that he had delegated authority to Titus.
This would not go unnoticed by the Cretan church when they heard this letter read or read it themselves and would be unmistakable.