Titus 1:7-9
7For 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, 8but
hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9holding 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.
Verse
7
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,
Overseer
This
word “overseer” here could also be translated bishop. Both words have the same meaning: one who watches over, protects and
leads. Many have tried to build
doctrines that we are supposed to have “elders” and “overseers” but here (as
well as in other places) Paul uses these
words interchangeably (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-2). To Paul they were two
words for the exact same thing! It
carries the idea of “the elders, who are also overseers” not two separate
offices, but rather “Elder” is the office and “overseeing” is what that officer
is to be doing.
above
reproach
So
once again we see this idea of the elder being above reproach. Calvin asserts that this is not demanding
perfection out of the elder, because no man could ever be found after
Christ. However, it is reinforcing the
high standard for this position of leadership.
The idea, here as with the rest of this passage, is that there is not
current standing charge against him.
This would be a distraction to both the elder and the body for him to
have accusations leveled at him currently, with his character in question.
God's steward
Stewardship
is a very important concept in the Bible.
God has worked throughout all time using stewardships, and each is very
important. Even the idea of the
“dispensations” would better be described as “stewardships.” Every stewardship has a steward, a principle
of stewardship, and a domain. As we look
at past stewardships we can look at Adam.
Adam was given the stewardship over God’s garden of Eden. His stewardship was to care for it and
multiply and not to eat of the fruit.
The domain of his responsibility was over the garden and not extending
past the garden.
Another
stewardship that we could look at was the stewardship of government. God, though the Noahic covenant, gave a
stewardship to human governments that continues to this day, that they should
maintain order, having been given the righteous command to take life from the
murderer. The steward is human
government, the domain is all of mankind and the principle is that of law.
Once
we begin to see and understand these stewardships much comes into clearer
understanding. Moses had a stewardship,
the domain was Israel, the principle was that of Law. It was then handed off into three separate
stewardships, Prophets having the stewardship of representing God to the
people. The Levitical priesthood had the
stewardship of representing the people to God, and the kings had the
stewardship of ruling the national affairs of the people. This is why Christ’s role as “prophet, priest
and king” is so important during the Millennial Kingdom.
When
it comes to governing the family every husband and father has a stewardship.
The family is not his, but it is his to care for as God’s chosen steward for
the task. This is also how the church is
to be ruled. Initially the church was
ruled by Apostles, but when this gift expired the stewardship was passed to
elders. These elders are to act as
stewards, entrusted with the management of the affairs of the body of
Christ. Notice the stewards are the
elders, the domain is the church, and the principle is the principle of
grace.
Not
self-willed
The
Greek word translated “self-willed” here is authadês. It means:
one who
is pleased with himself and despises others, insolent, surly, the contrast of
courteous or affable. A person who
obstinately maintains his own opinion or asserts his own rights but is reckless
of the rights, feelings and interests of others.[1]
So
this is the type of person who is running his life in such a way that is
thoughtful of himself before others, who is willing to act on his own behalf
even though it is painful or inconvenient for others.
not
quick-tempered
This
quality is very desirable in a leader.
It would be a terrible thing for a church leader to be constantly
working himself up into a fury over every tiny thing. It suggests a level-headedness. The word in
Greek is related to the Greek word for wrath.
It means that the mature Christian is not hot-headed. However, it does NOT mean that the mature
Christian is weak or wimpy in any way.
Not being quick tempered does not mean someone who puts up with
violations because of cowardice or inability to confront problems. The idea is that he is not easily provoked to
fits of temper, one may say that the character of this person is that he has a
long fuse.
not
addicted to wine
Even
more so than today wine was a common drink of the people. However, just like today, there were those
who would become addicted to it. The
word in Greek for “not addicted to wine” is a compound word that would
literally be translated ‘not-next-to-wine.’
Clearly the word picture is quite plain.
The person who is always hanging out next to the alcohol source is
clearly controlled by something other than the Lord, and this is
unacceptable. It is, in fact, even a
form of idolatry. Obviously, someone who
is an alcoholic should not be chosen to lead God’s people. However, it must be noted that this is by no
means forbidding responsible drinking, that is not the purpose of this passage.
not
pugnacious
Pug-a-whatty? Pugnacious is a word that we don’t use very
often in modern English. It basically
means one who is violent. Some have put
it as a fighter, or a bruiser; that is, Someone who is always ready for a
fight. Paul also pairs these two qualities
together in 1 Timothy. It may be the case
that he is relating the two: that an addicted person is more likely to be a
fighter. Either way this is not the type
of person to lead the Church. And
walking around looking for a fight, or an argument is not the type of person
fit for eldership. Most can think of a
person who seems to be just on the cusp of explosive anger at all times. This is the kind of person for whom physical
violence seems just at the tip of their fingers at all times. This is not the character of Christ, this is
a fearful person.
not
fond of sordid gain
This
word means someone who is not greedy, or not motivated by dishonest gain. It means it’s the type of person who will not
cheat or lie or steal just to make some extra money for himself. It is the type of person who will not lie, to
a person or a government to try to get extra gain for himself. Imagine if an elder of the church was accused
of cheating on his taxes. It would be
destroy his witness altogether to non-believers everywhere, and once again
shows that something else (the love of money) is calling the shots, rather than
the life of Christ within.
Verse
8
but hospitable,
loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
Hospitable
Having
finished a list of vices that should be avoided Paul moves onto more traits
that should be found in the believer. The word for hospitable here is a
compound word combining the word for “love” and the word for “stranger.” So it has the idea of welcoming people into
ones home. Peter extends this to say
that hospitality should be offered “without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). So this love for guests should be extended
after they have left not to grumble and complain about having had them.
Hospitality was especially important
in the New Testament times because every inn or “hotel” during this time and in
this area would be a brothel. This means
that even if the Christian could convince the owner to let him stay there
without a prostitute his witness would still be destroyed among the people of
that community.
loving
what is good
This
is another compound word that could combines the Greek for “love” with the
Greek word for “good.” This can be extended
to anything. The mature Christian is one
who loves good people, good music, good art, good literature. God is the creator of all good things and
anything that is good, in some way, points to Him. So we can love good music, even if it is not
specifically “Christian.” This should
free the Christian from “Christian Pop-Culture” and see the world as God sees
it.
sensible
This
is a word that is also translated “sober.”
It combines the words for “wisdom” and the “mindedness”, so this is a
“wise-minded” person. It has the sense
of someone who is not flippant or silly.
It does not mean that a mature Christian has no sense of humor. It simply means that the mature Christian is
not silly or foolish. It also means
someone who is not easily given to the pleasures or passions of the world.
just
This could be interpreted two ways. It can mean someone who is just and fair in their own personal lives, and the way that they run their lives, or it can mean someone who can be trusted to judge fairly in all things. This would be someone who would not judge quickly based on prejudices or divisiveness. It seems that it could well be both. Someone who is just in their own personal lives, but also is able to judge will in matters of the church.
This could be interpreted two ways. It can mean someone who is just and fair in their own personal lives, and the way that they run their lives, or it can mean someone who can be trusted to judge fairly in all things. This would be someone who would not judge quickly based on prejudices or divisiveness. It seems that it could well be both. Someone who is just in their own personal lives, but also is able to judge will in matters of the church.
devout
This
word means someone that is dedicated. This
describes someone who is consciously trying to choose a path, and a way that
will please God. Who is, in all areas of
life and in every facet of life, acting in a way that is specifically to please
God. This is one who is characterized by
their resting in Christ, and abiding in Him.
self-controlled
Self
control is among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. It does not mean Paul is asking us to be
“self-helpers” or trying to do these things from our own power or might, but it
is something that comes out of the work of indwelling Holy Spirit. This is a result of the Spirit’s work, not
the result of our labor and efforts to control our actions. Just as a healthy vine does not have to “try”
to make fruit, so a healthy believer will naturally exhibit these things as the
Word is read and applied and as the believer is brought to maturity. However, the fruit of the spirit is manifest
in a person who is not out of control.
We know when a person flies into a fit of rage, or under the control of
a substance that they are no longer exhibiting self-control, and this is not
the character of the mature believer.
Verse
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.
The
Shift
There
is a shift in gears again between verses eight and nine. It moves from focusing on the traits of the
person to the abilities that are most central to the job of elder.
holding fast
the faithful word
“Holding
fast” could also be translated “clinging to.”
It gives the idea of someone who is holding tight to doctrinal truth and
who is not letting go. The first
qualification of ability for an elder is someone who is VERY concerned with
good doctrine being at the center of the Church and his life. As Calvin puts it: the chief purpose of the
elder is “principally for the sake of teaching; for the Church cannot be
governed in any other way than by the word.”
This means that the elder first a teacher. Not a counselor, nor a great public speaker,
but a teacher. Someone who is able to
teach from the Scriptures reliably not inserting anything of his own, but
letting the Word of God speak for itself.
Not the primacy of this function when discussing the actual “work” of
the elder. It is not hand-holder,
visitations, cheerleader, or visionary.
It is one who clings to the faithful word.
exhort
in sound doctrine
So
empowered by “holding fast to the faithful word” the elder will have the
ability to complete his other jobs.
Exhorting in sound doctrine means calling others to follow the
word. This means not
watering down the truth of the Word! Not
avoiding things that are in conflict with the culture. It means taking a stand against everything
that is not Biblical and boldly teaching the church to follow the Word of God
and not the murmurings of popular science or psychology, or the other lies of
the modern culture. But calling the believers
to God’s standard by the explanation and teaching of the word, not by giving
happy “Sunday pick-me-up” sermons but by teaching the Word.
refute
those who contradict
Only
if the elder is steeped in this doctrinal soundness can he refute those who
contradict. Immature Christians are
easily swayed by any popular thing that claims to be for Christians. Whether it is music that is obviously not
correct doctrinally, or the newest fad book in modern Christianity. It is the elder who should be have his eyes
on the horizon to protect to church from the lies of the world and the Culture,
and especially the lies of the false teachers who would claim to be Christians!
More
will be said of these people, however, it is the consistent teaching of
scripture that we are not to be a “buffet of ideas about God.” We are to be concerned with attaining “the
unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13). It
is the job of the elder to identify divisive people, and work towards
correcting them, and putting them out of the fellowship, if necessary (Titus
3:10).
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