Titus’ Instruction about Elders

Chapter 16

Moving to Titus 1:5-9, we discover some nuances which are a little different from those found in Timothy. Elders are commanded in Titus to be “above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion, above reproach, not self willed, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospital, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.” We will ignore instructions like the Elder must be, the husband of one wife, above reproach, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, hospital, because we have already addressed them in Paul’s admonitions to Timothy. We will address the issues of “not accused of dissipation or rebellion, and not self-willed, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, and holding fast the faithful word which is accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.”

It is not possible to completely separate the meaning of Paul’s instructions to Timothy and Titus. Both are meant to be conclusive. In other words, Timothy did not need to hear the instruction Paul gave to Titus to select godly men to lead God’s church in Ephesus, and Titus did not need to hear Paul’s instructions to Timothy to know how to select godly Elders on the isle of Crete. That said, we have the luxury of having Paul’s instruction to both Timothy and Titus. Therefore, we are expected, according to the admonitions of Romans 15:4 and I Cor. 10:11, to apply them both to our thinking when we select Elders in God’s local church today.