Titus - A Servant Pleasing to God Greek Elder in God’s Church. His name may mean “pleasing” or “honorable.” “Titus, a true son in our common faith” Titus was given the task by Paul to set the congregation in Crete in order, appointing elders, teaching sound doctrine, and developing leadership. Elders/Bishops: Not two separate positions or offices, but two ways to describe the job that leaders of God’s people take on. • Elder: implies someone who is older, or someone who is not new to the truth. Deuteronomy 1:13 13 Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. • Bishop: overseer, superintendent, someone with oversight of the people. Titus 1:6-9 The character traits described here also apply to every individual in the Church of God. We are all supposed to be developing into leaders and servants, but each with different responsibilities in the Church. • Blameless: unaccused, irreproachable. This implies someone not living in sin, a baptized member of the body of Christ. We want to choose leaders who are already a good example, who are already leading us in the right way to go. Also, those who are up in front of us leading us have the responsibility to remain obedient to God. • Husband of One Wife: This implies a man who is faithful to their wife, but also one who is faithful to God. It shows commitment to their promises and effort in strengthening the relationships they have. • Faithful Children (not accused of dissipation or insubordination): faithful, trustworthy, obedient. People who are able to raise families who are generally obedient might have a better chance of working with a whole congregation of people. After all, a congregation is one big family. Remember, however, that not all of an elder’s children may stay in the Church. That is not necessarily fair a reflection of a godly man. Each child has their own decision to make and must receive their own calling from God. • Blameless: Living a right way of life that is obedient to God. Not necessarily perfect, but working towards perfection. A good and effective teacher and leader must be willing to live what they are teaching others to do. Our example goes even further than our words do to convince someone that God’s word is true and that they should follow it themselves. • Steward of God: overseer, employee, agent. Someone who takes care of God's possessions. In this case His people. This implies having love for God’s people and a love for passing along the truth of God to others. • Not Self-willed: not focused on pleasing themselves. Not arrogant. In order to become a leader, we must first learn how to submit to leadership. We must first learn how to be disciples before we make disciples of others. Christ said, “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27). • Not Quick-Tempered: Proverbs 15:18; 16:32; Psalm 103:8; 145:8 - God is our example. If God were quick tempered then we would not have a chance at eternal life. A good leader will allow the chance to grow and to repent of their mistakes, helping them and encouraging them instead of just throwing them out. • Not given to wine: not an alcoholic. Not letting substances control them. They don't get drunk. They would rather be in a state of clear thinking.
• Not violent: not a striker, not quarrelsome. They don't solve problems by fighting or arguing. Willing, rather, to talk things out with others. • Not greedy for money: their priority is not to gain wealth, especially through dishonest methods. The leaders in God’s Church should have a good reputation among their brethren, but also a good reputation in the community. • Hospitable: a lover of hospitality, willing and prepared to take care of other people. Fond of guests. You could say they like people. This is important since they will be working with people all the time. The leaders God is looking for must be willing to take care of others. • A lover of what is good: a promoter of virtue, loves what is good, and people who are good people. Doesn't spend their time with people who practice evil. They keep good company, and also practice doing good to all people. • Sober-minded: moderate as to opinion or passion. They have control over their own thinking. Temperate and balanced. Not extreme. In touch with reality and able to think through situations clearly. • Just: impartial, including towards his own actions and character. Doesn't choose favorites or give favor to themselves. A person who is just must be honest with themselves about their own actions and their own character. They must also stand up for what is right in the eyes of God. • Holy: of godly character, right or righteous in the eyes of God. Someone acting on the truth, living righteously no matter who is watching. • Self-controlled: strong in a thing. Disciplined. Temperate, moderate in behavior. Steady and reliable. Calm and confident in right things. Able and willing to make changes in themselves in order to grow spiritually. • A description of the ability and the job of an elder of the Church of God: Titus 1:9 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. An elder must be able and willing to learn, to remain faithful to the truth he has learned, and must be able and willing to teach others and encourage them to do the same. Members of the Congregation: (these also apply to Elders of the Church) Titus 2:2-10 Older Men: (verse 2) • Sober: aware of what is going on. Still involved in the congregation. Continuing to think about how they can serve. Always thinking about the future of the congregation, willing to teach and train the younger generation. • Reverent: honorable, honest, worthy of the respect that comes with old age. A good example of obeying God and living a godly way of life. • Temperate: balanced, self controlled, stable in thought and in action. • Sound in Faith, Love, Patience: Stable and reliable in these things. Examples of living in faith, endurance in following God. Caring for others because the younger generation is in need of good role models. Not thinking they are better than the youth because they have been around longer, but encouraging them and patiently teaching them the truth they know so well. Older Women: (verse 3-4) • Reverent in behavior: Living examples of a godly life. Endurance, not giving up on doing what is good even into old age. • Not slanderers: speaking the truth. Not passing along gossip or lies. Even if something is true, knowing that not everything needs to be passed along to everyone. There are times when it is better to be discreet.
• Not given to much wine: Not letting any physical substance control them. Self controlled. • Teachers of good things: willing to take the time to pass along the truth to others. Teaching takes patience and time. It takes getting to know other people to understand how they learn and what approach will help them the best. • Admonish the young women: Special attention given to the young women by the older women. We could even say the women who have been in the Church a long time have the special opportunity to encourage and teach those who are new, those young in the faith. Young Women: (verse 4-5) • Love their husbands: Older married couples should still be an example of loving each other. Those experienced in relationships can help pass along the wisdom they have gained through the years, helping the younger couples avoid the same mistakes we have made. Encourage them to prepare for what marriage is really like. Godly Love is action, and takes effort and patience. Without this outgoing care for others, no marriage (or congregation) can be successful. And for men, remember that any good relationship has two sides. • Unmarried Women/Men: No one has to be married to be a Christian. The entire Church of God is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). We are to remain faithful and to love Christ just like in a faithful, loving marriage. • Love their children: Care and patience in raising godly children. Even in correction showing our children that we care about them. • This goes for everyone in the congregation. Parents ultimately are responsible for raising and correcting their own children, but we all need to take the time to care for and teach our children. We need to acknowledge them and care for them. • Discreet: Self controlled, moderate and balanced in opinion and in thinking. Moderate in action, taking into consideration the impact of their actions on others both good and bad. • Chaste: Innocent, clean, modest, pure. These are how we are to remain. In a marriage this means being faithful to our spouse physically and emotionally. When a couple marries, they become one flesh and are to remain that way. In preparation for marriage, young people should remember that they should remain chaste, innocent for both their future spouse, and for their God. There are many implications, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for not remaining chaste. • Homemakers: We are to build our household up and keep them maintained. This is a team effort from both husband and wife. This dynamic can change depending on if a man or woman work outside the house, or are looking for work outside the house. A principle we can take from this is to care for whatever we are in charge of, whether it is our house, our career, our family, our spouse. Any responsibility we are given we should take seriously. • Good: In the sense of being a benefit to others. We are to be productive and of good use to each other, willing to serve and to help in whatever way we are needed as we are able. • Obedient to their husbands (that the word of God may not be blasphemed): In a healthy marriage we must submit to each other. The husband is the head of the household and the wife submits to him, being obedient to the decisions he makes. But a good husband must be one worthy of submission, considering his wife in the decisions he makes. We submit to God because He is worthy of submission and obedience. Young Men: (verse 6-8) • Sober-Minded: Able to think clearly. Moderate in opinion or passion. Having control over their own thoughts. Temperate and balanced. Not extreme. In touch with reality, and constantly thinking about their own future, as well as their impact on those around them. • A Pattern of Good Works: Young men are those who the children look up to. These have an impact on younger generations. Of course this goes for young women as well. We should always be aware of how our actions look to others. It gives us an added reason to stay focused on doing what is good and what is right in the eyes of God. This also means being active in serving others, and encouraging others to do the same.
• In Doctrine showing Integrity, Reverence, Incorruptibility: • Integrity: Solid in the doctrines of the Bible. Willing to stand firm in the truth no matter who is around. Someone who is genuine and honest. Christian leaders are supposed to be steady in character, not twofaced. God sees right through any fake words or actions that people put on. We are to develop righteous character that is unchanging like God’s own character. • Reverence: Giving honor and respect to the doctrines of God. Respecting what God thinks about how we live our lives. We honor God and His truth by living what He says. • Incorruptibility: Not easily swayed by lies. Confident and firm in the knowledge of the truth. We have to study the Bible often, and study it carefully so we aren’t corrupted by Satan or by those around us who teach the wrong doctrines. • Sound in Speech that cannot be condemned: This doesn’t mean that we all have to be good at speaking. But we are to be thinking through what we say before we give an answer. We must be prepared to “give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). A leader in God’s Church must be able to explain what they believe. In fact we all should be able to explain why we do what we do.