In Titus 1:5-9, Paul provides a list of characteristics requisite of church leaders: elders and overseers. These characteristics demonstrate the need for alignment between a leader’s character, conduct, and communication. It is through a leader’s example that false teachers can be challenged.
Titus 1:5-9Titus 1:5-9 commentary deals with finishing something that had already been started in Crete, namely completing setting up leadership for the churches that had been established. Verses 5-8 form a cohesive unit centering on the appointment and qualities of elders. After the salutation, the Apostle Paul moves directly to instructions regarding the character and behavior of godly leaders sharply contrasted by that of those who contradict the gospel.
In this section, Paul explains why Titus was left in Crete: Titus was left on the island to continue the missionary work that he and Paul had started together and to organize church life in the island. Paul directs: 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 (v. 5).
Crete is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea south of Greece that has been settled for thousands of years. The phrase what remains would, in context, refer to what remains to be organized (set in order). That the specific mention of appointing elders in every city tells us a number of things. First, that each city of Crete had its own church structure. The early church often met in houses, as we know from a number of mentions of house churches (Romans 16:5Romans 16:5 commentary, commentary1 Corinthians 16:191 Corinthians 16:19 commentary, commentaryColossians 4:5Colossians 4:5 commentary, commentaryPhilemon 1:2Philemon 1:2 commentary).
So it could be that each city in Crete that had believers meeting would have elders appointed. And it could also be that there were some cities which had a number of house churches, so might need elders for each church. Or it could be that the elders in each city were expected to shepherd all the churches in their city.
Jewish and Gentile Christians of that era would have recognized the term “elder,” and it would have functioned in and out of the church (as part of the larger community)—there were already men who were considered elders in the Church by virtue of their status in their communities (men who were aged, esteemed, and who held great influence).
The overarching descriptions of both the characteristics and qualities of elders are found in the introduction and repetition of the word: above reproach. The phrase above reproach translates a single Greek word “anegkletos.” This word can be thought of as introducing the list of qualifications for church elder. To be above reproach is to possess all the characteristics that follow being an elder (v. 6) and an overseer (vv. 7-9).
Paul created a spiritual lineage of Divine authority—the trustworthy God entrusted Paul with the authority to appoint faithful leaders.
The progressive description of elders begins with the qualities of their home life, then moves to their leadership over the church, and concludes with the way in which elders engage to confront and defeat those who contradict the gospel.
In contrast to the salutation, this section serves to describe the characteristics and actions of certain rebels as a stark contrast to faithful elders. These rebels will be introduced in Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary. In this passage, Paul emphasizes explicitly that church elders, both in character and behavior, must be distinguishable from those who are in rebellious opposition to the Gospel.
Titus 1Titus 1 commentary is closely connected to 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary. There is debate as to which epistle was written first; however, Titus is intimately connected with the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy. Chronology of the Pastoral Letters (Paul’s letters to Titus and Timothy) aside, it seems that Titus and 1 Timothy, and the lists contained therein, are interconnected and one is a recontextualization of the other.
The virtue lists of Titus and 1 Timothy are similar but have distinguishing characteristics. The lists in Titus and 1 Timothy follow a similar argument.
In each listing, Paul addresses a leader’s reputation, marriage, family, and behavior (affirmative and prohibitive). The qualifications in Titus stand apart from 1 Timothy given its more elaborate list of virtues, the absence of a secondary list for deacons, and its place within a larger conversation about how to address rebellious individuals and groups. Below is a chart comparing Paul’s listing in 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary with his listing in Titus 1:Titus 1: commentary
one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
6
having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion
5
but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?
Affirmative
2
temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach
8
hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled
3
gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money
9
holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
Prohibitive
3
not addicted to wine or pugnacious
7
not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain
7
not a new convert
The implication of the list in Titus is that the situation in Crete was more elementary: given that Paul left out the prohibition against new converts, it is entirely possible that the situation in Crete required the church to ordain elders who were newer Christians compared to those of Ephesus, where Timothy ministered when he received the letter we know as 1 Timothy.
The Titus context leaves the impression of a rough and violent Cretan culture that Paul sought to reform through effective church leaders and their teaching (Titus 1:12Titus 1:12 commentary). The Apostle sought to differentiate between the culture of the Church and that of Crete: encouraging the leadership of the church to leave behind the lifestyles of revelry and the sinfulness of their pasts.
The lists in 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary and commentaryTitus 1Titus 1 commentary are used to draw the proverbial line-in-the-sand: the only way to confront the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete was through the character and conduct of authentic and righteous church leaders.
Paul reconfigures the Hellenistic virtues that he believes correspond with biblical ones: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, and piety. However, Paul does not limit Christian ethics to Hellenistic virtues. Paul contextualizes the virtues within a biblical paradigm: understanding Christian ethics as a characteristic of those who live their lives as stewards of God.
In actuality, Paul flips the Greek paradigm of leadership and stewardship: he calls for leaders to be servants, to humble themselves, and to serve others. He calls for them to consider themselves stewards of God’s flock, and accordingly to exercise great care for them. Paul uses three terms to describe church leaders: elders, overseers, and stewards. These three terms underscore Paul’s emphasis that church leaders are to lead as God’s servants.
The Greek word translated elders, “presbyteros,” is central to the message of Titus as Titus’ purpose in Crete was to appoint elders (v. 5). To correct that which was lacking in Crete and to establish order, Titus was instructed to appoint and establish elders for the churches there.
The letter to Titus points to a general environment of chaos in the church in Crete. We see a lack of church organization (v. 5), unchecked false teachers (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary), and the need for instruction in sound doctrine (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary). Elders in Jewish and Hellenistic cultures were responsible for maintaining moral order and exercising moral judgement. As such, the qualifications for elders and overseers in the Church stressed personal excellence, spiritual maturity, and social skills. The elders of the church were to provide biblical order and moral judgment as stewards of God.
It is worth noting that the word elders is plural. Paul anticipated Titus appointing a multitude of elders, not just one person. Applying context from the rest of the New Testament infers that each church would have a multitude of elders.
James 5:14James 5:14 commentary infers that an assembly of believers has multiple elders.
1 Peter 5:11 Peter 5:1 commentary also indicates a plurality of elders in shepherding the church.
Having a multitude of counselors is consistent with biblical wisdom literature (Proverbs 11:14Proverbs 11:14 commentary, 15:2215:22 commentary, 24:624:6 commentary.
As previously mentioned, the idea of eldership was common to both Jewish and Greek culture. Paul specifies the kind of person he desires Titus to name as an elder: namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion (v. 6). The particular focus at hand was to appoint leaders who were above reproach for the local churches in Crete.
The first characteristic for the elder to be above reproach as an elder is to be a husband of one wife. Even though God accommodated polygamy and divorce in ancient Israel, that was not His perfect design. As Jesus stated when the Pharisees asked Him about divorce:
“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” (Matthew 19:4-5Matthew 19:4-5 commentary)
God’s design was for two, husband and wife, to become one. Even though the Pharisees asked Jesus “Is it lawful for a man to divorce?” they should have known from the scriptures that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16Malachi 2:16 commentary).
Sexual immorality was widely accepted as a behavioral norm in Greek culture. We can see evidence of this in the New Testament. For example, when Paul spoke of a member of the Corinthian church taking his father’s wife he said it was a level of immorality “as does not exist even among the Gentiles.” This indicates that the Gentiles/Greeks tolerated sexual immorality to a substantial degree, but even they had a limit.
To ask that church elders be the husband of one wife would require someone to have stepped away from the pagan culture of sexual immorality. This is consistent with 1 Thessalonians 4:31 Thessalonians 4:3 commentary where Paul asserts that God’s will for us is our sanctification, to be set apart from the world. The first characteristic he then mentions to paint a word picture of what he means by sanctification is to abstain from sexual immorality.
Thus, this characteristic of being above reproach provides an important example for the assembly to display to them a model of sanctification—being set apart from the world for service to God. There is also a pragmatic application. It is apparent that placing someone in a position of authority in the church who is prone to sexual misconduct might lead to exploitation rather than service.
It would be biblically consistent that a husband of one wife could include someone who had remarried after losing a wife to death. We see in scripture that marriage ties are released at death (Romans 7:1-3Romans 7:1-3 commentary). To be the husband of one wife would exclude having a wife as well as a consort, concubine, and/or boy as was common among the Greek upper class. This is because biblically, having sexual intercourse is tantamount to marriage (1 Corinthians 6:161 Corinthians 6:16 commentary).
Jesus said, “whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matthew 19:8Matthew 19:8 commentary). This would indicate that if a man divorces for any reason other than immorality, he would not fit this requirement so long as the wife lives. However, if a man divorced due to immorality of the wife he would be free to remarry. Scripture indicates a desire for marital reconciliation and for a faithful spouse to sanctify one who is apart from faith (1 Corinthians 7:12-131 Corinthians 7:12-13 commentary). It follows that this requirement to be a husband of one wife might require a measure of judgment.
This would fit the pattern here of Paul delegating to his proven and faithful ministry partner Titus to initially appoint elders. Titus would be able to bring experience, wisdom, and sound judgment to the assignment. Context would indicate that Titus largely functioned as a facilitator because he would have to rely largely on input from the locals as to the reputation of the candidates.
To discern whether a man was, in fact, husband of one wife, would require input from the assembly. However, it was his job to collect that information, add spiritual discernment and wisdom, and make the appointments.
That the qualification is for the elder to be a husband of one wife also presumes that these particular leaders will be male. The Bible includes a number of mentions of female leaders, including Phoebe who is said to be a “diakonos,” which is the same Greek word translated in 1 Timothy 3:81 Timothy 3:8 commentary as “deacons.” But Paul specifically says in 1 Timothy 2:121 Timothy 2:12 commentary, commentary “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.”
He points to the natural order of creation as his rationale. First, that Adam was created before Eve. Second that the woman was deceived (1 Timothy 2:13-141 Timothy 2:13-14 commentary). It is the job of males to guard the church from false teaching (Acts 20:28-20Acts 20:28-20 commentary). Paul will specifically state in Titus 1:9-10Titus 1:9-10 commentary that part of the goal of Titus’s project is to overcome the adverse influence of false teachers.
Women have equal status with men in God’s economy; in Christ all are one (Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:28 commentary). All are one, but all do not have the same role. Elders are authorities, but those in authority do not have a superior status in God’s kingdom; rather they are to be the chief servants. The idea that authority equals status is consistent with the world’s culture of “the strong get to exploit the weak.” But in God’s economy the shepherds are specifically instructed to avoid lording over or exploiting those in their care (1 Peter 5:1-31 Peter 5:1-3 commentary).
Rather, elders have an elevated level of service and responsibility (1 Peter 5:2-41 Peter 5:2-4 commentary). God does not show partiality (Romans 2:11Romans 2:11 commentary). If elders are faithful with their elevated responsibility, they will be greatly rewarded for their faithful discharge of service (1 Peter 2:41 Peter 2:4 commentary). Those who serve are the ones granted authority in God’s kingdom (Matthew 25:21Matthew 25:21 commentary). Those who are self-serving do not gain the reward of the joy of their Master in stewarding His kingdom (Matthew 25:26-28Matthew 25:26-28 commentary).
The candidate for elder is also to have children who believe. Since we are speaking here of elders for a Christian church in the early part of Christianity, the word believe here likely applies to belief in Jesus—having believed the gospel of Christ (John 13:14-15John 13:14-15 commentary). Paul does not want an elder dealing with a divided family.
The phrase not accused of dissipation or rebellion appears to refer to the children of the elder, since the next verse says that those selected to be an elder or overseer should not be addicted to wine. The Greek word translated dissipation is used in Ephesians 5:18Ephesians 5:18 commentary to describe being drunk with wine. So, if this phrase not accused of dissipation referred to the elder it would be redundant.
The idea here seems to be that part of the evaluation of an elder is to look at his children. If they are addicts or rebellious that would disqualify the father from candidacy to be an elder. The point would seem to be this: if an elder does not do a good job of training his own children, then he is probably not well-suited to be a trainer of the flock of God. Perhaps a similar idea would be “Look at the behavior of a coach’s players to see what sort of leader he is.”
Paul now introduces another term for elder, overseer, by saying: For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain (v. 8).
The Greek work translated overseer is “episkopos.” It is translated “bishop” in some translations. It seems to be used interchangeably with elders in Titus. The word elders is used in the NASV 95 translation to translate “presbyteros” and overseer to translate “episkopos.” The word “presbyteros” is used frequently to describe Jewish leadership. It was apparently a common phrase among the Jews at that time.
It appears that “episkopos” was a more familiar term among Greeks/Gentiles. Perhaps Paul began by describing elders then switched to overseer to emphasize that the terms are interchangeable. The very Jewish Paul, self-described as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” was appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13Romans 11:13 commentary). He insisted that in Christ there is no distinction (Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:28 commentary). But the Jews clearly had a greater biblical foundation and were, quite reasonably, looked to as the foundation of the church.
Perhaps by beginning with a Jewish-oriented “presbyteros” and switching to a Greek-oriented “episkopos” Paul is asserting that the Gentiles properly serve as leaders in local assemblies of believers in Jesus. This would fit with a common theme in many of Paul’s letters, namely him having to exhort Gentile believers to cast out Jewish false teachers who insisted they be circumcised and follow Jewish laws in order to be saved (Acts 15:5Acts 15:5 commentary, commentaryGalatians 6:12Galatians 6:12 commentary).
It could be that Titus is identifying the office of overseer as a subset of elders. This would fit the biblical context where local assemblies of believers had a multitude of elders. Paul uses the term elders in verse 5 to refer to the oversight team and in verse 7 he refers to an individual candidate as an overseer.
It could also be that the body of elders for the church is being selected from a group that would have been considered elders in the community. It could also be that the intent is simply to demonstrate that an elder in the church is to function as an overseer.
The phrase for the overseer must be indicates that Paul is expanding on what it means to be an elder who is above reproach, from verse 5. Paul now adds that an overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward. This adds a dynamic that not only is the elder to be an example of stability and sanctification in his sexual conduct, being the husband of one wife. He is also to bear characteristics that cause him to be above reproach as God’s steward.
The Greek word translated steward is “oikonomos.” This word is also translated as “manager” and “treasurer” in the NASV 95. Luke uses “oikonomos” to describe someone who manages a household for the lord of the house (examples are Luke 12:42Luke 12:42 commentary, 16:116:1 commentary, 33 commentary, 88 commentary). That the Gentile Luke uses “oikonomos” and the Jewish gospel writers do not use “oikonomos” might indicate that this is more of a Greek term. Since Paul is asking the Gentile Titus to appoint elders/overseers among Gentiles, it would make sense that he use a familiar term in common use among the Greek population in Crete.
To be a faithful steward of God’s flock who is above reproach requires a pattern of behavior Paul will describe. If we consider Paul’s directions in conjunction with 1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary, commentary the office of overseer is also the function of a shepherd:
“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer [“episkopos”] of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary)
The term “Shepherd and Overseer” in 1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary refers to Jesus. Jesus is also referred to as the Chief Shepherd in 1 Peter 5:41 Peter 5:4 commentary. In 1 Peter 5:1-41 Peter 5:1-4 commentary Peter asserts that overseers or elders should be good shepherds of the flock of believers they oversee, because they are accountable to the Chief Shepherd, who will reward faithful shepherds at His appearing:
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:41 Peter 5:4 commentary)
The use of the term steward and “shepherd” to describe overseers seems to support the premise that the Christian community viewed themselves as a household (Galatians 6:10Galatians 6:10 commentary). God is the Father and Master of the house. Believers make up the members of His house (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary). The elders/overseers are the stewards of God’s house, that is made up of His people, those who have believed on Jesus.
Given this, the character of the leader was as important as the specific task of leadership. The readiness for leadership was evidenced by fidelity to the marital covenant and the capacity for good moral judgment.
Paul utilizes affirmative and prohibitive statements that served to distinguish church leaders from the false teachers. The descriptions served to further define the qualities of church leaders who were to be above reproach as God’s steward as good under-shepherds of His flock of believers:
not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain (v. 7)
but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, (v. 8)
holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict (v. 9).
Interestingly, aside from the general admonition to be above reproach, Paul begins his list with a series of prohibitive statements. These vices to avoid are common throughout the New Testament and are found elsewhere in Greco-Roman literature. In this way, Paul calls the church, and specifically leaders, to move past the world’s twisted standards of morality and invest their lives into a greater virtue.
The Greek word translated self-willed is used one other time in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 2:101 Peter 2:10 commentary it is connected with the unsavory description of those who “indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.” Someone who is quick-tempered will not be a good listener. Listening to others trains us to listen to God. And listening to God is how we set aside the lusts of our fleshly nature and replace them with the goodness of God’s word (James 1:19-21James 1:19-21 commentary).
To be addicted to wine is to be under the control of a substance rather than the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18Ephesians 5:18 commentary). The Greek word translated pugnacious is rendered variously in other translations as “bully” and “violent.” It also carries the notion of being quarrelsome. This is the characteristic of a tyrant-leader rather than a servant leader. Jesus came and served, refusing to lord over, and calls us to do likewise (Mark 10:45Mark 10:45 commentary).
A person who is fond of sordid gain would be a terrible selection for church leadership. Paul apparently encountered and opposed numerous people whose primary ministry objective was financial gain. He does not want to be any part of that and vehemently denied any such thing for himself (2 Corinthians 2:172 Corinthians 2:17 commentary).
In fact, Paul went out of his way to avoid even a hint of financial impropriety, earning his own way rather than asking for financial donations (1 Corinthians 9:11-121 Corinthians 9:11-12 commentary). He also appointed third parties to collect donations from the Gentiles to minister to the Jewish believers suffering persecution in Judea and Jerusalem to avoid any appearance of financial gain for himself (2 Corinthians 8:18-212 Corinthians 8:18-21 commentary).
Next, Paul contrasts the widely known Hellenistic vices in verse 7 with character standards for church leadership by identifying six virtues: hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled (v. 8).
The virtues list begins with love: the overseer should be hospitable (a lover of strangers) and a lover of good. Hospitality was greatly appreciated in Mediterranean society and was important to the first century Church; the steward of the house churches was responsible for celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the teaching of sound doctrine, and the administration of the church.
Hebrews 13:2Hebrews 13:2 commentary elevates hospitality as a wise choice for one seeking to live as a faithful witness. The story of Abraham is likely alluded to in Hebrews 13:2Hebrews 13:2 commentary, commentary which speaks of unwittingly entertaining angels. Abraham was hospitable to a group of travelers who turned out to be angels, or messengers of God. This was the group that informed Abraham that his elderly wife Sarah was to have a son (Genesis 18:10Genesis 18:10 commentary). The point seems to be that being hospitable can lead to immense blessing.
Loving what is good was frequently used by Paul to describe people worthy of praise.
Loving what is good is further understood later in Titus as being manifested in good works (Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary). The Greek word translated as good, “agathos,” is used to describe the quality of something or to express its beneficial effect.
Paul uses “agathos” to describe both the inner qualities and outer behaviors of believers. In the books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul calls for believers to have a good conscience (1 Timothy 5:11 Timothy 5:1 commentary; 1919 commentary), good works or deeds (1 Timothy 2:101 Timothy 2:10 commentary, 5:105:10 commentary, 2 Timothy 2:212 Timothy 2:21 commentary, 3:173:17 commentary, Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary), as well as good faith (Titus 2:10Titus 2:10 commentary). This should be contrasted with 2 Timothy 3:2-32 Timothy 3:2-3 commentary where Paul challenges the readers not to be lovers of self and lovers of money (2 Timothy 3:22 Timothy 3:2 commentary) and “haters of good” (2 Timothy 3:32 Timothy 3:3 commentary). Loving what is good is a quality that is demonstrated by those who are “ready for every good deed” (Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary). This sets aside selfish desires and focuses on serving others in the obedience of Christ.
Further, the overseer was to be self-controlled or sensible. Temperance is one of the central themes of the Pastoral epistles of 1, 2 Timothy and Titus, especially in Titus. Temperance stands in contrast to the gluttonous culture of the Cretans; church leaders were expected to be in control of their impulses and desires.
The next two virtues, just and devout, are regularly found together. The overseer must be upright (just): conforming his conduct to right standards. The Greek word translated just is “dikaios” which is just as often translated “righteous” in scripture. For example, the theme verse of Romans uses “dikaios”: “But the righteous [“dikaios”] man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17Romans 1:17 commentary).
The idea of “dikaios” is for all the parts to work together according to the shared purpose. Paul uses the body as an example of “dikaios.” When the members of the Body of Christ play their assigned roles in harmony with one another and under the Head, Jesus, then the body functions in “dikaios.” Paul uses this example of a body to describe the practical picture of what it looks like to live by faith and therefore be “dikaios” (Romans 12:4-8Romans 12:4-8 commentary).
Devout denotes the inner attitude of conforming to what pleases God. The Greek word translated here as devout is normally translated “holy.” The idea is to be set apart to God by following Him and walking in His ways.
The last virtue is to be self-controlled. Like sensible, this virtue calls for leaders to exhibit control over their impulses; however, sensible connotes control over one’s mind and self-controlled connotes control over one’s behavior. The noun form of the Greek word translated self-controlled appears in Galatians 5:23Galatians 5:23 commentary as a fruit of the Spirit, “self-control.”
When we think according to God’s ways we submit to the leading of His Spirit. This leads us to be self-controlled rather than being controlled by our inner pleasures or lusts. James 1:14-15James 1:14-15 commentary tells us that following our inner pleasures leads us to sin, which leads to death. The progression of Romans 1:24Romans 1:24 commentary, 2626 commentary, 2828 commentary tells us that walking in unrighteousness, by following self rather than God, leads to addiction and a depraved mind. Galatians 5:19-21Galatians 5:19-21 commentary tells us that when we follow the flesh rather than live out the fruit of the Spirit, like self-control, we gain the fruit of the flesh, which is behavior destructive to ourselves and to others.
The virtue and vice lists that describe the characteristics and qualities of the overseer (“episkopos”) ends with an emphatic point: holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching (v. 9). The phrase holding fast indicates a continuous, perpetual effort. The inference is that the overseer should be one who puts in the continual effort to read, understand, and keep/live the words of scripture and the teaching therefrom.
This is a repetition of sorts, as the Apostle Paul has already described the overseer as upright, holy, and disciplined. To be upright, holy, and disciplined would necessarily come from holding fast the faithful word. The purpose for the overseer is to be continually holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict (v. 9).
The sound doctrine the overseer is to use to refute those who contradict the faithful word would come from the faithful word. This faithful word would be the word of the scriptures and the revelation given Paul by God which he passed to them in his teaching, much of which we now have through his writings which became a part of the faithful word.
This faithful word has come to the Gentiles through the agency of Paul and his appointment by Jesus as an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13Romans 11:13 commentary). He has given them teaching that is the truth of the word of God and the revelation given him by God (2 Corinthians 12:12 Corinthians 12:1 commentary, 77 commentary, Romans 16:25Romans 16:25 commentary, commentaryGalatians 1:12Galatians 1:12 commentary, commentaryEphesians 3:3Ephesians 3:3 commentary).
The Apostle Peter acknowledged the writings of Paul as scripture in 2 Peter 3:162 Peter 3:16 commentary. Thus, we have his teaching which is also the faithful word. Paul’s writings are filled with scriptural references from the Old Testament, which were the scriptures in existence during the time when the New Testament was being written. The New Testament did not replace the Old; Jesus did not come to remove but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17Matthew 5:17 commentary, commentaryRomans 8:4Romans 8:4 commentary).
In Romans 10:17Romans 10:17 commentary, commentary Paul says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word leads to faith in God rather than faith in self. This is the path to righteousness. Habakkuk 2:4Habakkuk 2:4 commentary—quoted in the New Testament three times, including in Romans 1:17Romans 1:17 commentary—tells us that faith is the opposite of pride. The word not only leads to faith, it is itself faithful. The idea is that the word of God is something we can place our trust in and depend upon because it is true and right (2 Timothy 3:15-172 Timothy 3:15-17 commentary).
In Verse 9, Paul connects the qualities of leadership with the necessity of effective communication. The overseer must be able to effectively communicate sound doctrine and challenge the rebellion of those who contradict (refute those who contradict). Here, Paul challenges conventional wisdom, asserting that effective communication comes through character not eloquence.
When understood in contrast to the “empty talkers and deceivers” (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary), church leaders must first teach through example. One of the criticisms Paul received was his lack of oratory skill. He chided the believers in Corinth for being persuaded by this, telling them “You are looking at things as they are outwardly” (2 Corinthians 10:72 Corinthians 10:7 commentary). By contrast, Paul’s effort was not to beat the empty talkers and deceivers at their own game. He asserted to them that his was a spiritual battle. The primary war is a battle for the mind:
“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4-52 Corinthians 10:4-5 commentary)
This is why it is so important for overseers to be continually holding fast the faithful word, that they might be equipped to tear down fortresses of untruth. This is that they might refute those who contradict the word using the sound doctrine they gain from having command of the scriptures.
Ethics are central to the message of Titus. The ethic of the “episkopos” (overseer) is founded upon of stewardship and servanthood. Overseers are to serve as God’s steward (v. 7). They are to know, follow, and teach the faithful word. They are to serve the church by refuting those who contradict the faithful word, and place themselves at risk to endure the pain associated with confronting and refuting those who contradict God’s word.
This means an essential function of the overseer is to engage in conflict and confrontation against those who elevate false teaching. The overseer is the guardian of the ethic of community. The fabric that holds the community together is devotion to living out the truth of the faithful word. The lifestyles, biblical knowledge, capacity, and willingness to defend the faith of leaders in the church were essential to the long-term viability of the church.
Central to the message of Titus is the development of God’s people: Paul outlines a pattern for leadership that progresses from the inner workings of the heart (Titus 1:1Titus 1:1 commentary) to the consistency of conduct (vs. 7-8) and ends with effective communication of the gospel (v. 9). Paul believed that the hope for changing an immoral and self-centered social and spiritual environment was the leadership of consistent, principled, and respected men who were committed stewards of God’s house and word.
Paul’s directions for choosing church leadership infers that Paul believed leaders were to be appointed as change agents who were to bring order and spiritual maturity to the churches in Crete. For leaders to be change agents, they must be those of good reputation: both in their private home lives and their public lives. They were also to be students and teachers of scripture as well as defenders of the word of God, capable of confronting and defeating those who would lead the flock astray.
The overseer is viewed as one who exhibits commitment to: (a) God, as a steward (v. 7), (b) family, as a husband and father (v. 6), (c) the stranger, as a hospitable host (v. 8) , and (d) the faithful word, as an effective teacher and defender of the Gospel, refuting those who contradict scripture (v. 9). This passage contains five vices and six virtues. The vice list serves as a sort of minimum qualifications for leaders: what was expected of leaders not to have in the Hellenistic culture within and without the church. The virtues describe the characteristics desired in the life of an elder or overseer.
Paul espouses an image of leadership in which character, conduct, and communication are perfectly aligned with a mission of serving God as a servant and steward of the local flock. It is the consistent pattern of godliness, internally and externally, that provides the leaders with the ability and, even more so, the right, to speak and engage the areas in the community where rebellion exists.
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Titus 1:5-9 meaning
Titus 1:5-9Titus 1:5-9 commentary deals with finishing something that had already been started in Crete, namely completing setting up leadership for the churches that had been established. Verses 5-8 form a cohesive unit centering on the appointment and qualities of elders. After the salutation, the Apostle Paul moves directly to instructions regarding the character and behavior of godly leaders sharply contrasted by that of those who contradict the gospel.
In this section, Paul explains why Titus was left in Crete: Titus was left on the island to continue the missionary work that he and Paul had started together and to organize church life in the island. Paul directs: 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 (v. 5).
Crete is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea south of Greece that has been settled for thousands of years. The phrase what remains would, in context, refer to what remains to be organized (set in order). That the specific mention of appointing elders in every city tells us a number of things. First, that each city of Crete had its own church structure. The early church often met in houses, as we know from a number of mentions of house churches (Romans 16:5Romans 16:5 commentary, commentary 1 Corinthians 16:191 Corinthians 16:19 commentary, commentary Colossians 4:5Colossians 4:5 commentary, commentary Philemon 1:2Philemon 1:2 commentary).
So it could be that each city in Crete that had believers meeting would have elders appointed. And it could also be that there were some cities which had a number of house churches, so might need elders for each church. Or it could be that the elders in each city were expected to shepherd all the churches in their city.
Jewish and Gentile Christians of that era would have recognized the term “elder,” and it would have functioned in and out of the church (as part of the larger community)—there were already men who were considered elders in the Church by virtue of their status in their communities (men who were aged, esteemed, and who held great influence).
The overarching descriptions of both the characteristics and qualities of elders are found in the introduction and repetition of the word: above reproach. The phrase above reproach translates a single Greek word “anegkletos.” This word can be thought of as introducing the list of qualifications for church elder. To be above reproach is to possess all the characteristics that follow being an elder (v. 6) and an overseer (vv. 7-9).
Paul created a spiritual lineage of Divine authority—the trustworthy God entrusted Paul with the authority to appoint faithful leaders.
The progressive description of elders begins with the qualities of their home life, then moves to their leadership over the church, and concludes with the way in which elders engage to confront and defeat those who contradict the gospel.
In contrast to the salutation, this section serves to describe the characteristics and actions of certain rebels as a stark contrast to faithful elders. These rebels will be introduced in Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary. In this passage, Paul emphasizes explicitly that church elders, both in character and behavior, must be distinguishable from those who are in rebellious opposition to the Gospel.
Titus 1Titus 1 commentary is closely connected to 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary. There is debate as to which epistle was written first; however, Titus is intimately connected with the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy. Chronology of the Pastoral Letters (Paul’s letters to Titus and Timothy) aside, it seems that Titus and 1 Timothy, and the lists contained therein, are interconnected and one is a recontextualization of the other.
The virtue lists of Titus and 1 Timothy are similar but have distinguishing characteristics. The lists in Titus and 1 Timothy follow a similar argument.
In each listing, Paul addresses a leader’s reputation, marriage, family, and behavior (affirmative and prohibitive). The qualifications in Titus stand apart from 1 Timothy given its more elaborate list of virtues, the absence of a secondary list for deacons, and its place within a larger conversation about how to address rebellious individuals and groups. Below is a chart comparing Paul’s listing in 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary with his listing in Titus 1:Titus 1: commentary
1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary
Titus 1Titus 1 commentary
Argument
Verse
Scripture
Verse
Scripture
Reputation
2
Above reproach
6
Above reproach
7
have a good reputation with those outside
7
Above reproach
Marriage
2
Husband of one wife
6
Husband of one wife
Family
4
one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
6
having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion
5
but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?
Affirmative
2
temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach
8
hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled
3
gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money
9
holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
Prohibitive
3
not addicted to wine or pugnacious
7
not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain
7
not a new convert
The implication of the list in Titus is that the situation in Crete was more elementary: given that Paul left out the prohibition against new converts, it is entirely possible that the situation in Crete required the church to ordain elders who were newer Christians compared to those of Ephesus, where Timothy ministered when he received the letter we know as 1 Timothy.
The Titus context leaves the impression of a rough and violent Cretan culture that Paul sought to reform through effective church leaders and their teaching (Titus 1:12Titus 1:12 commentary). The Apostle sought to differentiate between the culture of the Church and that of Crete: encouraging the leadership of the church to leave behind the lifestyles of revelry and the sinfulness of their pasts.
The lists in 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3 commentary and commentary Titus 1Titus 1 commentary are used to draw the proverbial line-in-the-sand: the only way to confront the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete was through the character and conduct of authentic and righteous church leaders.
Paul reconfigures the Hellenistic virtues that he believes correspond with biblical ones: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, and piety. However, Paul does not limit Christian ethics to Hellenistic virtues. Paul contextualizes the virtues within a biblical paradigm: understanding Christian ethics as a characteristic of those who live their lives as stewards of God.
In actuality, Paul flips the Greek paradigm of leadership and stewardship: he calls for leaders to be servants, to humble themselves, and to serve others. He calls for them to consider themselves stewards of God’s flock, and accordingly to exercise great care for them. Paul uses three terms to describe church leaders: elders, overseers, and stewards. These three terms underscore Paul’s emphasis that church leaders are to lead as God’s servants.
The Greek word translated elders, “presbyteros,” is central to the message of Titus as Titus’ purpose in Crete was to appoint elders (v. 5). To correct that which was lacking in Crete and to establish order, Titus was instructed to appoint and establish elders for the churches there.
The letter to Titus points to a general environment of chaos in the church in Crete. We see a lack of church organization (v. 5), unchecked false teachers (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary), and the need for instruction in sound doctrine (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary). Elders in Jewish and Hellenistic cultures were responsible for maintaining moral order and exercising moral judgement. As such, the qualifications for elders and overseers in the Church stressed personal excellence, spiritual maturity, and social skills. The elders of the church were to provide biblical order and moral judgment as stewards of God.
It is worth noting that the word elders is plural. Paul anticipated Titus appointing a multitude of elders, not just one person. Applying context from the rest of the New Testament infers that each church would have a multitude of elders.
Having a multitude of counselors is consistent with biblical wisdom literature (Proverbs 11:14Proverbs 11:14 commentary, 15:2215:22 commentary, 24:624:6 commentary.
As previously mentioned, the idea of eldership was common to both Jewish and Greek culture. Paul specifies the kind of person he desires Titus to name as an elder: namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion (v. 6). The particular focus at hand was to appoint leaders who were above reproach for the local churches in Crete.
The first characteristic for the elder to be above reproach as an elder is to be a husband of one wife. Even though God accommodated polygamy and divorce in ancient Israel, that was not His perfect design. As Jesus stated when the Pharisees asked Him about divorce:
“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?”
(Matthew 19:4-5Matthew 19:4-5 commentary)
God’s design was for two, husband and wife, to become one. Even though the Pharisees asked Jesus “Is it lawful for a man to divorce?” they should have known from the scriptures that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16Malachi 2:16 commentary).
Sexual immorality was widely accepted as a behavioral norm in Greek culture. We can see evidence of this in the New Testament. For example, when Paul spoke of a member of the Corinthian church taking his father’s wife he said it was a level of immorality “as does not exist even among the Gentiles.” This indicates that the Gentiles/Greeks tolerated sexual immorality to a substantial degree, but even they had a limit.
To ask that church elders be the husband of one wife would require someone to have stepped away from the pagan culture of sexual immorality. This is consistent with 1 Thessalonians 4:31 Thessalonians 4:3 commentary where Paul asserts that God’s will for us is our sanctification, to be set apart from the world. The first characteristic he then mentions to paint a word picture of what he means by sanctification is to abstain from sexual immorality.
Thus, this characteristic of being above reproach provides an important example for the assembly to display to them a model of sanctification—being set apart from the world for service to God. There is also a pragmatic application. It is apparent that placing someone in a position of authority in the church who is prone to sexual misconduct might lead to exploitation rather than service.
It would be biblically consistent that a husband of one wife could include someone who had remarried after losing a wife to death. We see in scripture that marriage ties are released at death (Romans 7:1-3Romans 7:1-3 commentary). To be the husband of one wife would exclude having a wife as well as a consort, concubine, and/or boy as was common among the Greek upper class. This is because biblically, having sexual intercourse is tantamount to marriage (1 Corinthians 6:161 Corinthians 6:16 commentary).
Jesus said, “whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matthew 19:8Matthew 19:8 commentary). This would indicate that if a man divorces for any reason other than immorality, he would not fit this requirement so long as the wife lives. However, if a man divorced due to immorality of the wife he would be free to remarry. Scripture indicates a desire for marital reconciliation and for a faithful spouse to sanctify one who is apart from faith (1 Corinthians 7:12-131 Corinthians 7:12-13 commentary). It follows that this requirement to be a husband of one wife might require a measure of judgment.
This would fit the pattern here of Paul delegating to his proven and faithful ministry partner Titus to initially appoint elders. Titus would be able to bring experience, wisdom, and sound judgment to the assignment. Context would indicate that Titus largely functioned as a facilitator because he would have to rely largely on input from the locals as to the reputation of the candidates.
To discern whether a man was, in fact, husband of one wife, would require input from the assembly. However, it was his job to collect that information, add spiritual discernment and wisdom, and make the appointments.
That the qualification is for the elder to be a husband of one wife also presumes that these particular leaders will be male. The Bible includes a number of mentions of female leaders, including Phoebe who is said to be a “diakonos,” which is the same Greek word translated in 1 Timothy 3:81 Timothy 3:8 commentary as “deacons.” But Paul specifically says in 1 Timothy 2:121 Timothy 2:12 commentary, commentary “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.”
He points to the natural order of creation as his rationale. First, that Adam was created before Eve. Second that the woman was deceived (1 Timothy 2:13-141 Timothy 2:13-14 commentary). It is the job of males to guard the church from false teaching (Acts 20:28-20Acts 20:28-20 commentary). Paul will specifically state in Titus 1:9-10Titus 1:9-10 commentary that part of the goal of Titus’s project is to overcome the adverse influence of false teachers.
Women have equal status with men in God’s economy; in Christ all are one (Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:28 commentary). All are one, but all do not have the same role. Elders are authorities, but those in authority do not have a superior status in God’s kingdom; rather they are to be the chief servants. The idea that authority equals status is consistent with the world’s culture of “the strong get to exploit the weak.” But in God’s economy the shepherds are specifically instructed to avoid lording over or exploiting those in their care (1 Peter 5:1-31 Peter 5:1-3 commentary).
Rather, elders have an elevated level of service and responsibility (1 Peter 5:2-41 Peter 5:2-4 commentary). God does not show partiality (Romans 2:11Romans 2:11 commentary). If elders are faithful with their elevated responsibility, they will be greatly rewarded for their faithful discharge of service (1 Peter 2:41 Peter 2:4 commentary). Those who serve are the ones granted authority in God’s kingdom (Matthew 25:21Matthew 25:21 commentary). Those who are self-serving do not gain the reward of the joy of their Master in stewarding His kingdom (Matthew 25:26-28Matthew 25:26-28 commentary).
The candidate for elder is also to have children who believe. Since we are speaking here of elders for a Christian church in the early part of Christianity, the word believe here likely applies to belief in Jesus—having believed the gospel of Christ (John 13:14-15John 13:14-15 commentary). Paul does not want an elder dealing with a divided family.
The phrase not accused of dissipation or rebellion appears to refer to the children of the elder, since the next verse says that those selected to be an elder or overseer should not be addicted to wine. The Greek word translated dissipation is used in Ephesians 5:18Ephesians 5:18 commentary to describe being drunk with wine. So, if this phrase not accused of dissipation referred to the elder it would be redundant.
The idea here seems to be that part of the evaluation of an elder is to look at his children. If they are addicts or rebellious that would disqualify the father from candidacy to be an elder. The point would seem to be this: if an elder does not do a good job of training his own children, then he is probably not well-suited to be a trainer of the flock of God. Perhaps a similar idea would be “Look at the behavior of a coach’s players to see what sort of leader he is.”
Paul now introduces another term for elder, overseer, by saying: For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain (v. 8).
The Greek work translated overseer is “episkopos.” It is translated “bishop” in some translations. It seems to be used interchangeably with elders in Titus. The word elders is used in the NASV 95 translation to translate “presbyteros” and overseer to translate “episkopos.” The word “presbyteros” is used frequently to describe Jewish leadership. It was apparently a common phrase among the Jews at that time.
It appears that “episkopos” was a more familiar term among Greeks/Gentiles. Perhaps Paul began by describing elders then switched to overseer to emphasize that the terms are interchangeable. The very Jewish Paul, self-described as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” was appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13Romans 11:13 commentary). He insisted that in Christ there is no distinction (Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:28 commentary). But the Jews clearly had a greater biblical foundation and were, quite reasonably, looked to as the foundation of the church.
Perhaps by beginning with a Jewish-oriented “presbyteros” and switching to a Greek-oriented “episkopos” Paul is asserting that the Gentiles properly serve as leaders in local assemblies of believers in Jesus. This would fit with a common theme in many of Paul’s letters, namely him having to exhort Gentile believers to cast out Jewish false teachers who insisted they be circumcised and follow Jewish laws in order to be saved (Acts 15:5Acts 15:5 commentary, commentary Galatians 6:12Galatians 6:12 commentary).
It could be that Titus is identifying the office of overseer as a subset of elders. This would fit the biblical context where local assemblies of believers had a multitude of elders. Paul uses the term elders in verse 5 to refer to the oversight team and in verse 7 he refers to an individual candidate as an overseer.
It could also be that the body of elders for the church is being selected from a group that would have been considered elders in the community. It could also be that the intent is simply to demonstrate that an elder in the church is to function as an overseer.
The phrase for the overseer must be indicates that Paul is expanding on what it means to be an elder who is above reproach, from verse 5. Paul now adds that an overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward. This adds a dynamic that not only is the elder to be an example of stability and sanctification in his sexual conduct, being the husband of one wife. He is also to bear characteristics that cause him to be above reproach as God’s steward.
The Greek word translated steward is “oikonomos.” This word is also translated as “manager” and “treasurer” in the NASV 95. Luke uses “oikonomos” to describe someone who manages a household for the lord of the house (examples are Luke 12:42Luke 12:42 commentary, 16:116:1 commentary, 33 commentary, 88 commentary). That the Gentile Luke uses “oikonomos” and the Jewish gospel writers do not use “oikonomos” might indicate that this is more of a Greek term. Since Paul is asking the Gentile Titus to appoint elders/overseers among Gentiles, it would make sense that he use a familiar term in common use among the Greek population in Crete.
To be a faithful steward of God’s flock who is above reproach requires a pattern of behavior Paul will describe. If we consider Paul’s directions in conjunction with 1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary, commentary the office of overseer is also the function of a shepherd:
“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer [“episkopos”] of your souls.”
(1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary)
The term “Shepherd and Overseer” in 1 Peter 2:251 Peter 2:25 commentary refers to Jesus. Jesus is also referred to as the Chief Shepherd in 1 Peter 5:41 Peter 5:4 commentary. In 1 Peter 5:1-41 Peter 5:1-4 commentary Peter asserts that overseers or elders should be good shepherds of the flock of believers they oversee, because they are accountable to the Chief Shepherd, who will reward faithful shepherds at His appearing:
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
(1 Peter 5:41 Peter 5:4 commentary)
The use of the term steward and “shepherd” to describe overseers seems to support the premise that the Christian community viewed themselves as a household (Galatians 6:10Galatians 6:10 commentary). God is the Father and Master of the house. Believers make up the members of His house (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary). The elders/overseers are the stewards of God’s house, that is made up of His people, those who have believed on Jesus.
Given this, the character of the leader was as important as the specific task of leadership. The readiness for leadership was evidenced by fidelity to the marital covenant and the capacity for good moral judgment.
Paul utilizes affirmative and prohibitive statements that served to distinguish church leaders from the false teachers. The descriptions served to further define the qualities of church leaders who were to be above reproach as God’s steward as good under-shepherds of His flock of believers:
Interestingly, aside from the general admonition to be above reproach, Paul begins his list with a series of prohibitive statements. These vices to avoid are common throughout the New Testament and are found elsewhere in Greco-Roman literature. In this way, Paul calls the church, and specifically leaders, to move past the world’s twisted standards of morality and invest their lives into a greater virtue.
The Greek word translated self-willed is used one other time in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 2:101 Peter 2:10 commentary it is connected with the unsavory description of those who “indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.” Someone who is quick-tempered will not be a good listener. Listening to others trains us to listen to God. And listening to God is how we set aside the lusts of our fleshly nature and replace them with the goodness of God’s word (James 1:19-21James 1:19-21 commentary).
To be addicted to wine is to be under the control of a substance rather than the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18Ephesians 5:18 commentary). The Greek word translated pugnacious is rendered variously in other translations as “bully” and “violent.” It also carries the notion of being quarrelsome. This is the characteristic of a tyrant-leader rather than a servant leader. Jesus came and served, refusing to lord over, and calls us to do likewise (Mark 10:45Mark 10:45 commentary).
A person who is fond of sordid gain would be a terrible selection for church leadership. Paul apparently encountered and opposed numerous people whose primary ministry objective was financial gain. He does not want to be any part of that and vehemently denied any such thing for himself (2 Corinthians 2:172 Corinthians 2:17 commentary).
In fact, Paul went out of his way to avoid even a hint of financial impropriety, earning his own way rather than asking for financial donations (1 Corinthians 9:11-121 Corinthians 9:11-12 commentary). He also appointed third parties to collect donations from the Gentiles to minister to the Jewish believers suffering persecution in Judea and Jerusalem to avoid any appearance of financial gain for himself (2 Corinthians 8:18-212 Corinthians 8:18-21 commentary).
Next, Paul contrasts the widely known Hellenistic vices in verse 7 with character standards for church leadership by identifying six virtues: hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled (v. 8).
The virtues list begins with love: the overseer should be hospitable (a lover of strangers) and a lover of good. Hospitality was greatly appreciated in Mediterranean society and was important to the first century Church; the steward of the house churches was responsible for celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the teaching of sound doctrine, and the administration of the church.
Hebrews 13:2Hebrews 13:2 commentary elevates hospitality as a wise choice for one seeking to live as a faithful witness. The story of Abraham is likely alluded to in Hebrews 13:2Hebrews 13:2 commentary, commentary which speaks of unwittingly entertaining angels. Abraham was hospitable to a group of travelers who turned out to be angels, or messengers of God. This was the group that informed Abraham that his elderly wife Sarah was to have a son (Genesis 18:10Genesis 18:10 commentary). The point seems to be that being hospitable can lead to immense blessing.
Loving what is good was frequently used by Paul to describe people worthy of praise.
Loving what is good is further understood later in Titus as being manifested in good works (Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary). The Greek word translated as good, “agathos,” is used to describe the quality of something or to express its beneficial effect.
Paul uses “agathos” to describe both the inner qualities and outer behaviors of believers. In the books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul calls for believers to have a good conscience (1 Timothy 5:11 Timothy 5:1 commentary; 1919 commentary), good works or deeds (1 Timothy 2:101 Timothy 2:10 commentary, 5:105:10 commentary, 2 Timothy 2:212 Timothy 2:21 commentary, 3:173:17 commentary, Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary), as well as good faith (Titus 2:10Titus 2:10 commentary). This should be contrasted with 2 Timothy 3:2-32 Timothy 3:2-3 commentary where Paul challenges the readers not to be lovers of self and lovers of money (2 Timothy 3:22 Timothy 3:2 commentary) and “haters of good” (2 Timothy 3:32 Timothy 3:3 commentary). Loving what is good is a quality that is demonstrated by those who are “ready for every good deed” (Titus 3:1Titus 3:1 commentary). This sets aside selfish desires and focuses on serving others in the obedience of Christ.
Further, the overseer was to be self-controlled or sensible. Temperance is one of the central themes of the Pastoral epistles of 1, 2 Timothy and Titus, especially in Titus. Temperance stands in contrast to the gluttonous culture of the Cretans; church leaders were expected to be in control of their impulses and desires.
The next two virtues, just and devout, are regularly found together. The overseer must be upright (just): conforming his conduct to right standards. The Greek word translated just is “dikaios” which is just as often translated “righteous” in scripture. For example, the theme verse of Romans uses “dikaios”: “But the righteous [“dikaios”] man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17Romans 1:17 commentary).
The idea of “dikaios” is for all the parts to work together according to the shared purpose. Paul uses the body as an example of “dikaios.” When the members of the Body of Christ play their assigned roles in harmony with one another and under the Head, Jesus, then the body functions in “dikaios.” Paul uses this example of a body to describe the practical picture of what it looks like to live by faith and therefore be “dikaios” (Romans 12:4-8Romans 12:4-8 commentary).
Devout denotes the inner attitude of conforming to what pleases God. The Greek word translated here as devout is normally translated “holy.” The idea is to be set apart to God by following Him and walking in His ways.
The last virtue is to be self-controlled. Like sensible, this virtue calls for leaders to exhibit control over their impulses; however, sensible connotes control over one’s mind and self-controlled connotes control over one’s behavior. The noun form of the Greek word translated self-controlled appears in Galatians 5:23Galatians 5:23 commentary as a fruit of the Spirit, “self-control.”
When we think according to God’s ways we submit to the leading of His Spirit. This leads us to be self-controlled rather than being controlled by our inner pleasures or lusts. James 1:14-15James 1:14-15 commentary tells us that following our inner pleasures leads us to sin, which leads to death. The progression of Romans 1:24Romans 1:24 commentary, 2626 commentary, 2828 commentary tells us that walking in unrighteousness, by following self rather than God, leads to addiction and a depraved mind. Galatians 5:19-21Galatians 5:19-21 commentary tells us that when we follow the flesh rather than live out the fruit of the Spirit, like self-control, we gain the fruit of the flesh, which is behavior destructive to ourselves and to others.
The virtue and vice lists that describe the characteristics and qualities of the overseer (“episkopos”) ends with an emphatic point: holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching (v. 9). The phrase holding fast indicates a continuous, perpetual effort. The inference is that the overseer should be one who puts in the continual effort to read, understand, and keep/live the words of scripture and the teaching therefrom.
This is a repetition of sorts, as the Apostle Paul has already described the overseer as upright, holy, and disciplined. To be upright, holy, and disciplined would necessarily come from holding fast the faithful word. The purpose for the overseer is to be continually holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict (v. 9).
The sound doctrine the overseer is to use to refute those who contradict the faithful word would come from the faithful word. This faithful word would be the word of the scriptures and the revelation given Paul by God which he passed to them in his teaching, much of which we now have through his writings which became a part of the faithful word.
This faithful word has come to the Gentiles through the agency of Paul and his appointment by Jesus as an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13Romans 11:13 commentary). He has given them teaching that is the truth of the word of God and the revelation given him by God (2 Corinthians 12:12 Corinthians 12:1 commentary, 77 commentary, Romans 16:25Romans 16:25 commentary, commentary Galatians 1:12Galatians 1:12 commentary, commentary Ephesians 3:3Ephesians 3:3 commentary).
The Apostle Peter acknowledged the writings of Paul as scripture in 2 Peter 3:162 Peter 3:16 commentary. Thus, we have his teaching which is also the faithful word. Paul’s writings are filled with scriptural references from the Old Testament, which were the scriptures in existence during the time when the New Testament was being written. The New Testament did not replace the Old; Jesus did not come to remove but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17Matthew 5:17 commentary, commentary Romans 8:4Romans 8:4 commentary).
In Romans 10:17Romans 10:17 commentary, commentary Paul says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word leads to faith in God rather than faith in self. This is the path to righteousness. Habakkuk 2:4Habakkuk 2:4 commentary—quoted in the New Testament three times, including in Romans 1:17Romans 1:17 commentary—tells us that faith is the opposite of pride. The word not only leads to faith, it is itself faithful. The idea is that the word of God is something we can place our trust in and depend upon because it is true and right (2 Timothy 3:15-172 Timothy 3:15-17 commentary).
In Verse 9, Paul connects the qualities of leadership with the necessity of effective communication. The overseer must be able to effectively communicate sound doctrine and challenge the rebellion of those who contradict (refute those who contradict). Here, Paul challenges conventional wisdom, asserting that effective communication comes through character not eloquence.
When understood in contrast to the “empty talkers and deceivers” (Titus 1:10Titus 1:10 commentary), church leaders must first teach through example. One of the criticisms Paul received was his lack of oratory skill. He chided the believers in Corinth for being persuaded by this, telling them “You are looking at things as they are outwardly” (2 Corinthians 10:72 Corinthians 10:7 commentary). By contrast, Paul’s effort was not to beat the empty talkers and deceivers at their own game. He asserted to them that his was a spiritual battle. The primary war is a battle for the mind:
“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
(2 Corinthians 10:4-52 Corinthians 10:4-5 commentary)
This is why it is so important for overseers to be continually holding fast the faithful word, that they might be equipped to tear down fortresses of untruth. This is that they might refute those who contradict the word using the sound doctrine they gain from having command of the scriptures.
Ethics are central to the message of Titus. The ethic of the “episkopos” (overseer) is founded upon of stewardship and servanthood. Overseers are to serve as God’s steward (v. 7). They are to know, follow, and teach the faithful word. They are to serve the church by refuting those who contradict the faithful word, and place themselves at risk to endure the pain associated with confronting and refuting those who contradict God’s word.
This means an essential function of the overseer is to engage in conflict and confrontation against those who elevate false teaching. The overseer is the guardian of the ethic of community. The fabric that holds the community together is devotion to living out the truth of the faithful word. The lifestyles, biblical knowledge, capacity, and willingness to defend the faith of leaders in the church were essential to the long-term viability of the church.
Central to the message of Titus is the development of God’s people: Paul outlines a pattern for leadership that progresses from the inner workings of the heart (Titus 1:1Titus 1:1 commentary) to the consistency of conduct (vs. 7-8) and ends with effective communication of the gospel (v. 9). Paul believed that the hope for changing an immoral and self-centered social and spiritual environment was the leadership of consistent, principled, and respected men who were committed stewards of God’s house and word.
Paul’s directions for choosing church leadership infers that Paul believed leaders were to be appointed as change agents who were to bring order and spiritual maturity to the churches in Crete. For leaders to be change agents, they must be those of good reputation: both in their private home lives and their public lives. They were also to be students and teachers of scripture as well as defenders of the word of God, capable of confronting and defeating those who would lead the flock astray.
The overseer is viewed as one who exhibits commitment to: (a) God, as a steward (v. 7), (b) family, as a husband and father (v. 6), (c) the stranger, as a hospitable host (v. 8) , and (d) the faithful word, as an effective teacher and defender of the Gospel, refuting those who contradict scripture (v. 9). This passage contains five vices and six virtues. The vice list serves as a sort of minimum qualifications for leaders: what was expected of leaders not to have in the Hellenistic culture within and without the church. The virtues describe the characteristics desired in the life of an elder or overseer.
Paul espouses an image of leadership in which character, conduct, and communication are perfectly aligned with a mission of serving God as a servant and steward of the local flock. It is the consistent pattern of godliness, internally and externally, that provides the leaders with the ability and, even more so, the right, to speak and engage the areas in the community where rebellion exists.