Explore the Bible
Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile
Look for Qualified Spiritual Leaders
Titus 1:1–16
Questions of leadership arise at all levels of society. Adults everywhere have experienced the difference between good leaders and ineffective leaders. In the life of the local church, effective leadership is just as important. In Baptist life, many questions are apparent: What is the relationship among the terms used in the New Testament for leaders, such as pastor (shepherd), minister (servant), elder and overseer (bishop)? What about pastors who become too autocratic? What should happen when leaders seek to lead people away from biblical teaching? What spiritual qualifications should be expected of volunteer leaders, such as Sunday School teachers? All adults will be helped by looking at the instructions Paul gave Titus on this timely topic.
Build Up Believers (1–4)
Titus was one of the young men who trusted Jesus under Paul’s personal ministry and later traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. At the time this letter was written, Titus was on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Greece. Paul had left Titus there to help guide the young church. In this letter, Paul gives Titus wise instruction and practical advice for building a spiritually healthy church with a quality spiritual leadership.
In a lengthy greeting, Paul emphasized the importance of preaching and teaching God’s Word. The faith of God’s people is built up by the knowledge of the truth found in Scripture. This truth, practiced in daily living, results in godliness and a confident expectation of experiencing eternal life. Paul wanted Titus to know the importance of preaching and teaching the Bible. We can trust spiritual leaders who firmly grasp God’s promises now revealed through Christ in the gospel.
Guard Your Character (5–9)
Paul was especially concerned about having qualified spiritual leadership in the churches of Crete. He instructed Titus to appoint spiritual leaders in every town. These leaders are called by different terms, each stressing a different aspect of spiritual leadership. “Elder” emphasizes maturity, especially spiritual maturity. “Overseer” and “bishop” refer to the task of supervising the spiritual ministry of the church. “Pastor” (shepherd) points to the task of caring for the church primarily by means of teaching. “Steward” is one who manages spiritual truth on behalf of others. “Minister” stresses the aspect of serving God’s people. Each of these leaders has a unique ministry in the Body of Christ.
These men rise to places of leadership because of their godly character. They are “blameless,” which means their personal lives are beyond accusation and public scandal. This means that a man qualified for spiritual leadership will be humble (not arrogant), slow to anger, consistently devoted (both inwardly and outwardly) and faithful to his wife. He will not be given to alcohol or other addictive substances, and he will not be addicted to money.
Positively, he will be a family man, guiding his children to faith in Christ and Christian behavior, possessing a love of strangers and a man with the right priorities. He knows the Scriptures and how to use them when confronting sin and error. We can trust spiritual leaders who are biblically qualified and faithful in their responsibilities.
Correct False Teachings (10–16)
It does not take long for false teachers to arise in the church. Wherever God sows the gospel, Satan quickly shows up to sow lies. Here it was a mixture of Jewish legalism, man-made tradition and mysticism. These false teachers were rebellious, full of empty talk and deception, destroying families in order to get money. Paul quoted one of the sixth century B.C. Greek poets, Epimenides, himself a Cretan, to point out that false teachers at Crete were the dregs of Greek culture. They were detestable, disgusting and disqualified for any good work, corrupt on the inside (“mind and conscience”) and on the outside (“works and disobedient”). We can trust spiritual leaders who correct false teachings because they are concerned for believers’ purity.
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