Please click here for the audio and click here for the video links to this message.
GODLY ELDERS. Titus 1:1-9. 01/08/2023. #1.
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and [a]the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of [b]dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a [c]bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
1. Titus, faithful servant of the Lord
a. Titus = not mentioned in Acts, but thirteen times in the New Testament
b. Apparently, Titus worked with Paul in Ephesus
c. A faithful worker and the example that Paul used of an uncircumcised Gentile Christian (Galatians 2)
d. Titus was used on several missions: he went with Paul to Jerusalem for the Council (Galatians 2), to Corinth to correct error (I Corinthians 2), to Dalmatia (II Timothy 4:10) and to Crete
e. “My son in the faith” probably refers to the fact that Paul had led Titus to faith in Antioch
f. Paul had worked briefly with Titus in Crete and then left Titus there to organize the churches
2. Paul’s calling card
a. Paul identifies himself with three terms:
a1. A bondservant (slave) of God => committed to obey God in all things
a2. An Apostle of Jesus Christ => one sent to share the Gospel of Christ, to draw all men to the Savior
a3. A preacher of the Word of God => committed to him for evangelism and discipleship
b. Paul spends extra time to define his role
a1. His apostleship is according to faith in common with all the elect (chosen) of God
a2. For the purpose of godliness
c. Faith has a purpose
a1. Hope of eternal life (reward of faith)
a2. Since God can’t lie, the hope is real
a3. Truth of election predates creation
3. Titus’s task
a. Titus was to appoint elders to direct the churches
a1. Not an enviable task since the churches were knew and Cretans were often lazy
a2. The standard for eldership is very high
b. An elder’s family must be in order
a1. Husband of one wife
b1. Romans 7:1-4 married for life
b2. Not “one wife at a time”
a2. Faithful children (believing children, following the Lord) – I Timothy 3:1-7
c. An elder must be moral
a1. Blameless (lit., “not called against”) = someone unable to be accused of wrong doing or evil intent
a2. Not a drunkard or addicted to alcohol
a3. Not rebellious or insubordinate to God or legitimate authority
a4. A good steward (household manager) of God (doing all things for his glory and will)
a5. Not self-willed (prideful stubborn)
b1. A prideful dominating man is not elder material
b2. Not insisting on his own way
a6. Not quick-tempered (wrathful)
a7. Not a violent man (a brawler)
a8. Not greedy or covetousness
b1. Not seeking ill-gotten gain
b2. Not a lover of money
d. An elder must be a good example: hospitable to all people, loving goodness, prudent (living wisely and properly), just (doing right), holy (set apart from sin and world unto God), holding onto Words of faith
e. Task: to able to teach believers and defend the faith
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3:1-71 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.