SELECTING PROPER CHURCH LEADERS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:5-9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There was unfinished business to be carried out in Crete in order for the Christian church to take root properly and so the Apostle Paul entrusted his ministry partner and the man he referred to as a “true son in our common faith”, Titus, to carry it out.

As we turn to our passage for today, we find Paul telling Titus (and us) the reason why he had been left in Crete. For elders needed appointed “in every town” and not just anyone would qualify for the assignment. There would need to be an intentional, judicious screening of men to make sure they would be qualified to lead the church as it grew and became better established on the island.

The criteria for selection were comprehensive and only the best men would be eligible to serve in the elder capacity. That criteria included the following:

1.  A household in good order.

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

If a man is to lead the people in the house of the Lord, it would only make sense that his own home would be under control. For if the husband was unfaithful to his spouse, breaking the Lord’s command to not commit adultery, how could be trusted to serve the Lord and His people? And of the children of the man were wild and disobedient, showing the man had failed to discipline and teach them the right ways of the Lord, how could the man discipline or teach any congregation to live as the Lord expected?

2. Self control.

Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

One of the fruits evident in a person who is firmly under the control and leading of the Holy Spirit is the self control exercised by that person. Any man who is overbearing, quick tempered, a drunkard, violent, or dishonest in what they do should not be placed in a position of authority anywhere let alone the church.  

Conversely, a man who submits to the guiding of the Holy Spirit will show himself to be hospitable and friendly, a lover of good things with a desire to do always do good for others, one who is upright and holy with a commitment to be more like Jesus than the world, and person who is disciplined in the way they carry out their lives.

3. Devoted to the Gospel.

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

If a man meets all the other requirements, it would only come to figure that he would need to be dedicated to Christ and “hold firmly to the trustworthy message” (aka the Gospel), protecting its purity “as it has been taught” and using it as “sound doctrine” so to “encourage others” and “refute those who oppose it”.

In the end translation, it’s only Jesus that makes any church Christian. He is the Head and anyone who is appointed as a leader within the church is subordinate to Him, responsible to submit to His authority and will. That will included the Great Commission, the calling for all Christians to make disciples of all nations.

If the church in Crete was going to flourish, if any church today is going to flourish, proper leaders will need to be screened and selected to serve. Thanks be to God for His word here in the first chapter of Titus that helps guide us to that end.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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