Tit 1:7 | KingComments | STEP | . After his introduction Paul comes to the main point of his letter in . He has founded some churches in Crete. That he speaks about “every city”, gives the impression that the gospel has been accepted on a large scale on that island, due to which possibly in every city in the island a church has come into existence. However, Paul has not had the opportunity to build up and confirm the churches in the truth. There was still something missing regarding the teachings. If you read the next chapters you may think for instance of the teaching on the relationships among the believers (chapter 2) and the attitude toward the government (chapter 3). Although Paul himself is not able to provide what is lacking, he provides in the person of Titus someone who is capable to replace him. Besides, it is not the purpose that Titus stays in Crete. Paul will have him to be replaced by someone else ( ). Every ambassador of the apostle will be of great support to the believers in order to live their lives as Christians. But there is also qualified leadership needed among the believers that will not be changed. Therefore Titus receives the direction to appoint elders in every city where there is a church. That’s what the greater part of chapter 1 deals with. The Cretans are wicked people by nature ( ). Paul knows them. Therefore he knows what qualifications elders should have to be able to lead the churches in Crete so that they meet the will of the Lord. In order to keep them in line or to bring them into order, Paul doesn’t develop a church order. He doesn’t order Titus to introduce church regulations that seem to be most suitable for their way of life on the island. That has certainly happened in church history, but that is not in accordance with the Bible. I will try to explain what it takes to appoint elders. There has always been a lot of discussion about appointing elders. There are continually questions like: ‘Who is going to appoint?’ and ‘Do we still have elders nowadays and how do you recognize them?’ In order to find correct answers to these kinds of questions, you should consider some things. One of them is to bear in mind that elders occupy a position of authority and that they are put in that position by a higher authority. You notice that where you read about the appointment of elders in the New Testament ( ; ) they are appointed by apostles or their representatives. So appointment cannot be done by the church. It would be strange if the church itself determines who exercises authority over it. That’s why this letter is addressed to Titus and not to the church in Crete. No, authority always comes from above. Titus receives the direction to appoint elders on behalf of the apostle. The appointment of elders is necessary here because the church doesn’t have the complete New Testament yet. An official appointment gives the authority to elders to take action against people who pretend to be spiritual leaders, but who actually are deceivers. The church ought to listen to the elders and will as a result experience the blessing. In our days it is not necessary to have that official appointment, for we have the complete Word of God. The question whether elders are still to be appointed is not that difficult to be answered if you consider that elders can only be appointed by a higher authority. There are no apostles anymore and neither are there people who can act as representatives of an apostle. Therefore it is not right to appoint elders in our days. But that doesn’t mean that they are not anymore to be found. The Bible more often speaks about elders without saying that they are officially appointed (e.g. ; ; ; ). The word ‘elder’ indicates in both the Old Testament and the New Testament a mature person with life experience. In that sense there are fortunately still ‘elders’, including those who have a leading position, pastors, the gift of leadership ( ; ; ; ; ). They all have no formal authority, but you are willing to submit yourself to them if you notice that they act in accordance with God’s Word. . Then the qualifications follow an elder must meet. Before I deal with those I want to point out to you that those qualifications do not only apply to an elder. It is a good thing to ask yourself to what extent they are present or absent with you. You may say that what is required for an elder as a qualification, is required to you as a rule of conduct. The first qualification is that an elder must be “above reproach”. That means that he shouldn’t be accused of anything, that he is not to be blamed for anything. The first area where that applies is his marriage and family. He must be “the husband of one wife”. If he has more than one wife, as a result of his life in sin, he cannot be an elder. And in case he has children, they also have to be believers. And not only that. Those children should not be known as money wasting freeloaders, who cannot be controlled by their father. Therefore the family of the elder may not be blamed for anything. For if he doesn’t manage his family well, how will he be able to manage the church ( )? Does it seem to ask too much of you? It may be, but can you imagine God to lower His standards to fit our practice? That’s not possible. It is absolutely grace if the children come to faith, for faith is not a heritage. But there is also the side of human responsibility. God assumes that in a family where there are believing parents, the children are also believers. It is God’s purpose to save someone with his household ( ; ; ; ). Application: Spiritual leaders are responsible for causing their children to desire to follow the Lord Jesus. . After the family the personal qualifications of the overseer follow. Have you noticed that Paul spoke about ‘elders’ in and about “the overseer” in ? As it has been noticed already (see the explanation of 1 Timothy 3:1-5) this clarifies that the elder and overseer are the same person. 1. As the first personal qualification, now apart from his family, it is said again that he “must be above reproach”, i.e. not to be accused of anything. 2. He must be aware that it is about a task in God’s house. He is a “steward” there and not the owner. He has been entrusted to manage something that belongs to Another, God. Therefore he is also responsible, concerning his conduct, to Him. 3. When an overseer is conscious of that, he will “not” act “self-willed”. He will not claim any authority and obedience without any reason. 4. He recognizes the right of the others for explanation whether something is good or bad. When questions rise he will not respond “quick-tempered” as if being stung by a wasp, even if he has the presumption of evil intentions. He is not quick to anger, but has self-control. 5. That self-control is also there over his lusts. He is not to be tempted by alcohol, he is “not addicted to wine”. There is nothing wrong with drinking some wine at times ( ), but to desire it is wrong. 6. An overseer is also not a brawler, he is “not pugnacious”. He doesn’t seek to overpower other people, neither with his fists nor with his tongue. 7. He is also “not fond of sordid gain”, which implies that he doesn’t exercise his service to make financial profits. . After the characteristics in (of which six are negative) Paul reminds Titus of a number of positive characteristics in . Being a Christian is not only characterized by the absence of negative things, but especially by the presence of positive things that are also to be developed. Instead of seeking his own interest and profit the elder ought to seek to be meaningful to others. 1. That is especially expressed in being “hospitable”. He not only invites friends for a cup of coffee, but he has an open heart for needy believers who may be unfamiliar to him. 2. As one “loving what is good” (or: ‘a friend of the good’) he has a heart that is wide open for everything that is good and useful. That doesn’t make him thoughtless, a person who gets excited about everything, without distinction. 3. He is “sensible” or thoughtful, well-balanced in his view and deeds. 4. He acts “just” toward other people: he deals fairly and uprightly with others. 5. He is “devout”, which means that He is focused on God and lives in devotion to Him. 6. As far as he himself is concerned, he is “self-controlled”. That includes more than only with regard to the consumption of alcohol. It is about a person who can control himself and who is able to control his desires and lusts. An elder must therefore be just toward people, holy toward God and sober-minded toward himself. . An elder also has to deal with contradictors, especially from the Jews – ‘those of the circumcision’ ( ). These people are always and everywhere active against the truth. They try to confuse the thoughts of people in a devious way. The overseer is not to try to resist these people with his own words, but with a word that is in accordance with the teaching of the apostle. He ought to exhort and convict with a word that comes from the Word, for that alone is truly trustworthy because it comes from God, and Paul passed it on. The overseer is actually a man with authority, but he himself is also under authority, that is the authority of the Word of God that has been taught by the apostle. This is called “sound doctrine”. It is sound in itself, not mixed with strange, human thoughts. Its effects are also sound. Therefore you will grow sound in faith if you listen to it. Now read Titus 1:5-9 again. Reflection: Which of the characteristics do you want to be seen in your life? What do you think you could do about it?

‏ Titus 1:7

Elders

Tit 1:5. After his introduction Paul comes to the main point of his letter in Tit 1:5. He has founded some churches in Crete. That he speaks about “every city”, gives the impression that the gospel has been accepted on a large scale on that island, due to which possibly in every city in the island a church has come into existence. However, Paul has not had the opportunity to build up and confirm the churches in the truth. There was still something missing regarding the teachings.

If you read the next chapters you may think for instance of the teaching on the relationships among the believers (chapter 2) and the attitude toward the government (chapter 3). Although Paul himself is not able to provide what is lacking, he provides in the person of Titus someone who is capable to replace him.

Besides, it is not the purpose that Titus stays in Crete. Paul will have him to be replaced by someone else (Tit 3:12). Every ambassador of the apostle will be of great support to the believers in order to live their lives as Christians. But there is also qualified leadership needed among the believers that will not be changed. Therefore Titus receives the direction to appoint elders in every city where there is a church. That’s what the greater part of chapter 1 deals with.

The Cretans are wicked people by nature (Tit 1:12). Paul knows them. Therefore he knows what qualifications elders should have to be able to lead the churches in Crete so that they meet the will of the Lord.

In order to keep them in line or to bring them into order, Paul doesn’t develop a church order. He doesn’t order Titus to introduce church regulations that seem to be most suitable for their way of life on the island. That has certainly happened in church history, but that is not in accordance with the Bible. I will try to explain what it takes to appoint elders.

There has always been a lot of discussion about appointing elders. There are continually questions like: ‘Who is going to appoint?’ and ‘Do we still have elders nowadays and how do you recognize them?’ In order to find correct answers to these kinds of questions, you should consider some things. One of them is to bear in mind that elders occupy a position of authority and that they are put in that position by a higher authority.

You notice that where you read about the appointment of elders in the New Testament (Acts 14:23 ; Acts 20:28; Tit 1:5) they are appointed by apostles or their representatives. So appointment cannot be done by the church. It would be strange if the church itself determines who exercises authority over it. That’s why this letter is addressed to Titus and not to the church in Crete. No, authority always comes from above.

Titus receives the direction to appoint elders on behalf of the apostle. The appointment of elders is necessary here because the church doesn’t have the complete New Testament yet. An official appointment gives the authority to elders to take action against people who pretend to be spiritual leaders, but who actually are deceivers. The church ought to listen to the elders and will as a result experience the blessing. In our days it is not necessary to have that official appointment, for we have the complete Word of God.

The question whether elders are still to be appointed is not that difficult to be answered if you consider that elders can only be appointed by a higher authority. There are no apostles anymore and neither are there people who can act as representatives of an apostle. Therefore it is not right to appoint elders in our days. But that doesn’t mean that they are not anymore to be found. The Bible more often speaks about elders without saying that they are officially appointed (e.g. Acts 11:30; 1Tim 5:17; Jam 5:14; 1Pet 5:1-2).

The word ‘elder’ indicates in both the Old Testament and the New Testament a mature person with life experience. In that sense there are fortunately still ‘elders’, including those who have a leading position, pastors, the gift of leadership (Acts 15:22; Rom 12:8; 1Cor 12:28; 1Thes 5:12; Heb 13:7 ; 17 ; 24). They all have no formal authority, but you are willing to submit yourself to them if you notice that they act in accordance with God’s Word.

Tit 1:6. Then the qualifications follow an elder must meet. Before I deal with those I want to point out to you that those qualifications do not only apply to an elder. It is a good thing to ask yourself to what extent they are present or absent with you. You may say that what is required for an elder as a qualification, is required to you as a rule of conduct.

The first qualification is that an elder must be “above reproach”. That means that he shouldn’t be accused of anything, that he is not to be blamed for anything. The first area where that applies is his marriage and family. He must be “the husband of one wife”. If he has more than one wife, as a result of his life in sin, he cannot be an elder. And in case he has children, they also have to be believers. And not only that. Those children should not be known as money wasting freeloaders, who cannot be controlled by their father.

Therefore the family of the elder may not be blamed for anything. For if he doesn’t manage his family well, how will he be able to manage the church (1Tim 3:5)? Does it seem to ask too much of you? It may be, but can you imagine God to lower His standards to fit our practice? That’s not possible.

It is absolutely grace if the children come to faith, for faith is not a heritage. But there is also the side of human responsibility. God assumes that in a family where there are believing parents, the children are also believers. It is God’s purpose to save someone with his household (Acts 16:31; Jos 2:18; Exo 12:3; Gen 6:18 ; Gen 7:1).

Application: Spiritual leaders are responsible for causing their children to desire to follow the Lord Jesus.

Tit 1:7. After the family the personal qualifications of the overseer follow. Have you noticed that Paul spoke about ‘elders’ in Tit 1:5 and about “the overseer” in Tit 1:7? As it has been noticed already (see the explanation of 1 Timothy 3:1-5) this clarifies that the elder and overseer are the same person.

1. As the first personal qualification, now apart from his family, it is said again that he “must be above reproach”, i.e. not to be accused of anything.

2. He must be aware that it is about a task in God’s house. He is a “steward” there and not the owner. He has been entrusted to manage something that belongs to Another, God. Therefore he is also responsible, concerning his conduct, to Him.

3. When an overseer is conscious of that, he will “not” act “self-willed”. He will not claim any authority and obedience without any reason.

4. He recognizes the right of the others for explanation whether something is good or bad. When questions rise he will not respond “quick-tempered” as if being stung by a wasp, even if he has the presumption of evil intentions. He is not quick to anger, but has self-control.

5. That self-control is also there over his lusts. He is not to be tempted by alcohol, he is “not addicted to wine”. There is nothing wrong with drinking some wine at times (1Tim 5:23), but to desire it is wrong.

6. An overseer is also not a brawler, he is “not pugnacious”. He doesn’t seek to overpower other people, neither with his fists nor with his tongue.

7. He is also “not fond of sordid gain”, which implies that he doesn’t exercise his service to make financial profits.

Tit 1:8. After the characteristics in Tit 1:7 (of which six are negative) Paul reminds Titus of a number of positive characteristics in Tit 1:8-9. Being a Christian is not only characterized by the absence of negative things, but especially by the presence of positive things that are also to be developed. Instead of seeking his own interest and profit the elder ought to seek to be meaningful to others.

1. That is especially expressed in being “hospitable”. He not only invites friends for a cup of coffee, but he has an open heart for needy believers who may be unfamiliar to him.

2. As one “loving what is good” (or: ‘a friend of the good’) he has a heart that is wide open for everything that is good and useful. That doesn’t make him thoughtless, a person who gets excited about everything, without distinction.

3. He is “sensible” or thoughtful, well-balanced in his view and deeds.

4. He acts “just” toward other people: he deals fairly and uprightly with others.

5. He is “devout”, which means that He is focused on God and lives in devotion to Him.

6. As far as he himself is concerned, he is “self-controlled”. That includes more than only with regard to the consumption of alcohol. It is about a person who can control himself and who is able to control his desires and lusts.

An elder must therefore be just toward people, holy toward God and sober-minded toward himself.

Tit 1:9. An elder also has to deal with contradictors, especially from the Jews – ‘those of the circumcision’ (Tit 1:10). These people are always and everywhere active against the truth. They try to confuse the thoughts of people in a devious way. The overseer is not to try to resist these people with his own words, but with a word that is in accordance with the teaching of the apostle. He ought to exhort and convict with a word that comes from the Word, for that alone is truly trustworthy because it comes from God, and Paul passed it on.

The overseer is actually a man with authority, but he himself is also under authority, that is the authority of the Word of God that has been taught by the apostle. This is called “sound doctrine”. It is sound in itself, not mixed with strange, human thoughts. Its effects are also sound. Therefore you will grow sound in faith if you listen to it.

Now read Titus 1:5-9 again.

Reflection: Which of the characteristics do you want to be seen in your life? What do you think you could do about it?