Reflection
Titus 1:5-9
- (Tit 1:5 ESV) This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you–
- (Tit 1:6 ESV) if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
- (Tit 1:7 ESV) For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
- (Tit 1:8 ESV) but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
- (Tit 1:9 ESV) He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Discussion
Paul was a prolific church planter and outlines in his book to Titus the necessity of church leadership. This section of Scripture very closely resembles that in 1 Timothy chapter 3 covering both elders (overseers) and deacons. The church is ordered to establish positions of authority and responsibility among its ranks then to honor and follow those leaders as they seek the will of God
The Scriptures also give some strict guidelines by which those leaders should live. Really, those standards are the measure for all disciples of Christ, but the leaders are called to be out in front teaching both in word and in example.
A dangerous area can be entered when we modify either the requirements or the responsibilities of leadership to meet our own desires. That negates the very Word of God.
Connection
Is it allowed for us to leave out or modify part of the requirements for an elder or deacon in order to fit someone into the role?
Should we expand the roles of church leadership to also include other things like prior experience in the same role or a formal education?
Are church leaders somehow above the ability to sin and fail in their lives?
What should the church membership do if a leader has a sinful failure that is dishonoring to the role, the church, and the Lord?
Expansion
The Church Family
The church is both the universal and local people called by the Holy Spirit and redeemed by Jesus alone. Our citizenship is secure in heaven and our devotion on earth is the work of God. We are baptized into His body and led by men called of God to the roles of elders and deacons with the purposes of fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and ministry.
Jude 4, 8, 12, 13, 16, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 5:23-32, Acts 20:28, Colossians 3:15, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-2, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Acts 2:42-49. Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 28:19-20