Read with Me
Titus 1:5-9 (HCSB)
The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.
Listen with Me
The people of Crete were wild and unruly and were well-known as such (Titus 1:10-14). Because of that tendency, reinforced by the culture of idolatry and carnality that permeated the island nation, it was vital that a solid structure be established in the Church, and that that structure be led by men who were truly saved and completely sold out to God’s kingdom.
Paul’s qualifications for elders in the Cretan Church are consistent with those he listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. To begin with, they must be blameless, not in their own right, but clearly demonstrating a life lived in conformity with Jesus’ commands (Matthew 28:19), springing from a heart that has been made pure by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. A man whose life is untransformed and is therefore worldly is disqualified, simply because they cannot provide spiritual leadership.
The elder must be the husband of one wife, showing in his marriage the same fidelity to that wife that Christ shows to His Church. Those who followed the norms of Cretan society by having multiple wives and mistresses were disqualified. And the elder must also have children who are obedient to authority and to the faith because, as Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:5), “if anyone doesn’t know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s Church?”
In a society as carnal as that of Crete, it is very easy for Christians, even leaders, to compromise on scriptural standards of morality, or to excuse those who do. But elders in God’s Church must set a clear example for those who are looking to them for guidance. Thus, they must not allow any compromise in their own lives so that their example is clear and radiant. All things good, holy, and righteous must be actively pursued and embraced. All things unrighteous, unholy, and carnal must be completely avoided.
The elders must hold to the clear teachings of the apostles, never trying to reinterpret the Scriptures so that they are more in line with the norms of society and thus more palatable to the sensibilities of contemporary mores. They must understand that the true standards of the kingdom will never be “acceptable” to those who are perishing. Even well-intentioned efforts to water down scriptural ethical standards, or downplaying standards that seem harsh or exclusionary to modern sensibility will only serve to produce a crop of nominal followers of Jesus who are unholy, unjustified, and ultimately unsaved, but who believe they are fine, and even better than those who “legalistically” follow the ethical standards clearly shown in the Scriptures.
The Church in any society will either stand or fall with the leadership of the Church. Therefore, Titus is clearly instructed to install as elders only those whose lives are worthy of imitation as Paul’s own life was (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1; Philippians 3:17), but who will help others to find that same inner transformation that leads to holiness of heart and life.
Pray with Me
Father, being a leader of others is a serious business, and those of us who take up that task will be held to account for how we have led (or misled) those whom you have given us to shepherd, teach, and guide. The standard may seem high to many, but the stakes are unimaginably high as well: the eternal destiny of human souls. Help me, Lord, to be the kind of leader that only You can make me, a leader and teacher cast in the mold of Jesus Himself, so that I can not only lead the people well, but so that I also bring glory to You in all I do for You. Amen