It has been claimed that an over-dependence on the Titus 1 (and 1 Timothy 3) criteria, for example, in pastor or church planter job descriptions and job adverts, has led to a lowering of the bar – a watered-down, lowest-common-denominator, pedestrian, tick-box exercise. When what we really need in our church leaders is not cookie-cutter, reasonably-satisfactory ‘church managers’ but rather courageous, passionate, world-denying, full-of-the-Spirit ‘mighty men’ who will endure suffering, pray desperately, preach fervently.
I would argue that a careful, contextual reading of Titus 1 does
not give us a mundane tick list but rather is calling for exactly the
Spirit-filled leaders that we need.
The Elder is a miracle
“Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” So how
are you going to find Cretans who are faithful, good, hard-working – men who
fulfil the criteria of Titus 1:6-9? Only by a miracle of God’s grace. Only by
the glorious truth of the gospel producing godliness (Titus 1:1-2) – that is ‘a
life of goodness from the inside out.’ Only by the grace of Christ-crucified-and-returning
training a man to say “No” to being overbearing, quick-tempered, drunk, violent,
pursuing dishonest gain and to live self-controlled and upright (Titus 2:11-14
cf. 1:7-8). Only by the mighty saving power of God rescuing from a slavery of
mind, will and heart and giving rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus
3:3-5) – born again, new creation.
In some ways, as it has often been pointed out, the qualifications
for an elder are just ‘the normal Christian life’. But the ‘normal Christian
life’ is utterly miraculous. It is miraculous anywhere in the world at any time
in history. But particularly in the context of first century Crete the miracle
would have shone with staggering brilliance. This was one of the most dysfunctional,
hardened, violent, dark societies ever recorded. There are plenty of contemporary
Greco-Roman writers (e.g. Strabo)
who will tell you this was a place synonymous with lying, corrupt from top to
bottom, famous for youth violence, shameless in the pursuit of money, legendary
for its messed up sexuality. And here of all places Paul is confident that the
Spirit – the Living God – will raise the dead, free captives, give sight to the
blind, turn rocks into sons of Abraham.
The Elder is exemplary
So is the elder just an ordinary Christian? Well yes and no.
Yes in the sense that he still has a sinful nature like everyone else. He is
weak like everyone else. And wonderfully he is a beloved child of God like every
other believer, accepted never on the basis of his work or ministry but purely
on the basis of Christ’s work and ministry (Titus 3:5). But there is a sense in
which the elder is not simply an ‘average Christian’ with an average level of
faith and maturity. The whole point of the letter of Titus is that Titus should
‘stress these things so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to
devote themselves to doing what is good’ (Titus 3:8). So clearly it is possible
to have trusted in God (be a believer) and yet not be doing a great job of
devoting yourself to doing what is good (cf. Acts 19:18-19). The whole point of
the criteria in Titus 1:6-9 is clearly to give Titus (and others) a way of
discriminating between ‘any Christian’ (they weren’t stupid – they would
obviously be looking among the believers) and someone who was fit to be an
elder. This is a way of telling the difference between someone who has the
Spirit and someone who is full of the Spirit, between someone who has faith and
someone who is full of faith (cf. Acts 6:5).
In Titus 2:7 it’s made explicit – Titus (and presumably the pastor-elder-overseers
who will be appointed) should “in everything set them an example by doing what
is good.” All areas of life are to be exemplary. Not perfect, obviously, but
modelling a life that has been transformed by truth and grace and the Spirit in
a way that others (who are further back in their transformation) can learn
from.
The Elder is lion-hearted and lamb-like
When you look at the detail of what exactly the elder is called to you see how these virtues and practices are far from being pedestrian and dull. These are rare jewels of sparkling brilliance. Shockingly counter-cultural. Vibrating with other-worldly energy. Red hot. Powerful. Sharp-edged. The elder is to be:
- Male.
- One of a plurality. “Elders in every town” (v5).
- In the context of family – Blameless (v6). What does that mean? Paul explains: “faithful to his wife, a man whose children are πιστα.” What does πιστα mean? Paul explains: “not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” This is in a militarised Cretan culture (similar to Sparta) where most men were absent husbands and absent fathers off fighting as mercenaries or pirates and getting up to all sorts of immorality. And where children were running feral - boys were taken away to live literally in ‘herds’, fighting each other in gang warfare. To be a faithful husband and effective father in this context was utterly radical.
- In the context of church – Blameless (v7). What does that mean? Paul explains with 5 things not to be and 6 things to be: “not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who is devoted to what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” This is not a low bar. These are things the church leader ‘must’ be or not be. In other words being self-willed (arrogant, separatist, overbearing) and quick-tempered (easily angered) are disqualifying qualities. Hospitality (loving strangers, moving towards the other, welcoming the non-family) and being devoted to what is good are not just ‘nice to have’ but essential to the office. And notice the strength of these virtues – self-controlled (sober, sound mind), upright (righteous, particularly in passing judgment), holy (white hot), disciplined (hardened, strong, especially towards the self). This is the manner in which the elder “manages God’s household” – not a weak, wet kind of management but strong and decisive leadership; not a turn-the-handle or secularised kind of management but holy and zealous leadership. Because this is the household of the living God.
- Fiercely loyal to the truth (v9). The message is trustworthy and you need men who will trust it as it deserves – not swayed by culture or pressure or money - who will be willing to die for the Truth if necessary. Lie Athanasius who was willing to be contra mundum. Like John Hus of Prague who said, “I would not, for a chapel full of gold, recede from the truth” and was burnt at the stake on 6th July 1415. Like Martin Luther at the diet of Worms: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” It is that loyalty - clinging like a limpet to the Truth – that is the foundation for the elder’s encouraging and refuting. Both are vital and encouraging comes first but interestingly it’s the refuting (literally rebuking) that is then expanded and emphasised most in Titus 1. Because there are many false teacher ruining whole households (v11) – wolves who are savaging the flock of God – they need to be ‘silenced’ and ‘sharply’ rebuked. As Adam should have beaten off the serpent seducing his wife, the elder must not be passive when the beloved of the Lord is being wooed by poisonous false ‘gospels’ that will ruin her. Mighty men – men who are really men – are needed to rebuke the spiritual bullies and corrupters. (Which takes us back to the first point.)
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