Qualified Church Leadership – Titus 1:6-9

Titus verse by verse. Qualifications of the New Testament Pastor.

The Apostle Paul has just outlined the purpose for which he left Titus in Crete, to set things in order.

The first item on Paul’s to do list is that Titus sees to it that the churches have godly leaders to oversee them.

The importance of having qualified, local church leadership: Everything rises and falls on leadership. Hosea 4:9 “like people like priest” Strong leadership = strong church. Weak leadership = weak church

Note: The terms ‘elder’ and ‘bishop’ are used interchangeably to refer to the same office in the N.T. Compare Vs. 5 & 7

General Qualification (Vs. 6a & 7a)

Blameless Life (6a)

1. A general description of one’s life.
2. No just cause for accusation; above reproach
3. Note: This is why the Scriptures put strict guidelines in place for dealing with a man of God in leadership lest His credibility be unfairly undermined and the ministry harmed.
   1. 1 Tim. 5:19 “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
   2. B.H. Carrol (An Interpretation of the English Bible):The next thing is: “Receive not an accusation against an elder, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses.” If that rule were followed strictly, many needless scandals and troubles in churches would be avoided. It is such an easy thing to call a man off and whisper, “Don’t say anything about this, but I want to tell you something about our pastor.” We should stop the whisperer at once: “Are you about to tell me something against the pastor? If so, do you know it to be true, or are you proposing to circulate a hearsay? If you know it to be true, can you furnish the corroborative testimony of other witnesses? And will you and the other witnesses go with me now and tell what you know to the pastor himself, face to face, giving him an opportunity to meet the accusation?” The whisperer will be apt to reply: “Oh, no! I don’t know anything myself. I have heard so and so.” Thus we not only silence the whisperer, but we save ourselves from becoming a partaker of his sin. The necessity for this rule, in all cases, is more emphasized in the case of a preacher, whose reputation is a large part of his capital. It is shameful the way good, God-fearing men are slandered by irresponsible reports against them. Bring the accuser to task and make him come out in the open and give his corroborative evidence, and allow the accused a chance to answer.

Steward of God (7a)

1. ‘steward’ = word made up of house (oikos) and law (nomos). Refers to a manager of a household.
2. “Into such a person’s hands is entrusted the responsibility to properly administer the affairs of the household. The bishop is given the responsibility of properly administering the affairs of the local church.” (Wuest)

Family Qualifications (Vs. 6)

His Marriage (6a)

1. “husband of one wife” = Lit. “a one woman man”
2. No divorce or polygamy
3. Question: Does a man have to be married to pastor? Answer: Not stated as a qualification but is assumed (also Vs. 4-5). B.H. Carrol stated, “I will say this for the unmarried pastor: If he is not wiser than Solomon, more prudent than Augustus and more patient than Job, he certainly has rocks ahead for him.” (Interpretation of the English Bible)

His Children (6b)

1. Faithful children – saved and committed to the things of God
2. Upright children
   1. ‘riot’ = Refers to one who lives an abandoned life, one who squanders his means and wastes his money on pleasures, one unable to save
   2. ‘unruly’ = disorderly, not in submission, insubordinate

Character Qualifications (Vs. 7-8)

What is to be absent (Vs. 7)

1. Not self-willed = made up of self (autos) + enjoy oneself (hedomai). Refers to one who is self-pleasing and self-centred, not open to the thoughts and feelings of others.
2. Not soon angry = reference to a quick temper (boiling hot easily)
3. Not given to wine = abstaining from intoxicating beverages
4. No striker = not a giver of blows, not a fighter
5. Not given to filthy lucre = not covetous. “Not adopting one’s teaching to the hearers in hope of getting more from them.” (Linguistic Key)

What is to be present (Vs. 8)

1. Lover of hospitality = lit. a lover of strangers. A man with an open home.
2. Lover of good men = in pursuit of godly associations (Prov.13:20)
3. Sober = of a sound mind
4. Just = upright, man of integrity
5. Holy = unpolluted, a man who is serious about separation and purity
6. Temperate = self-mastery (control), under the control of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:23)

Doctrinal Qualifications (Vs. 9)

Standing for Doctrine (9a)

1. “holding fast” = to cling to, to hold firmly to (in the face of opposition)
2. 1 Tim. 1:3 “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,”
3. “faithful word” = trustworthy, reliable
4. “as he hath been taught” = reference to Apostolic doctrine. Paul instructed Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;” (2 Tim. 3:14) The N.T. requires strict adherence to an authoritative system of doctrine
5. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” Acts 2:42

Correcting the wayward (9b)

1. ‘that’ = the goal of “holding fast”
2. “sound doctrine” = healthy teaching (essential for a healthy church!)
3. ‘exhort’ = urge, encourage, plead
4. ‘convince’ = rebuke, reprove
5. ‘gainsayers’ = the “talkers back”. Those who resist and contradict sound doctrine

Conclusion

1. Pray for your pastor. Turn these qualifications into a prayer list.
2. Do we have a biblical view of the ministry?

Sermon 2 of 9 in Titus Series

Sermon Audio Id: 6111763152