Currently, the Text-Driven Podcast is walking through a new series entitled, "Why You Need a Pastor." Therefore, every Tuesday, the accompanying article series will provide essential commentary on the various passages handled in each episode through the Book of Titus. This week's passage is Titus 1:5-16 (Episode 178: The Qualified Pastor).
Essentially, the big idea of Titus 1:5-16 is to have a pastor.
The Structure
The structure of Titus 1:5-16 has one main concept and then three explanatory sub-points. The main idea is found in verse 5, where Paul instructs Titus to set in order the things that are lacking and to appoint elders in every city as Paul commanded. The principle, or timeless truth, of this command is that every church, and, therefore, every Christian, should have a pastor/elder/bishop.
The conjunction "as" provides the transition of Paul into the type of pastors/elders/bishops that should be appointed. Paul divides his explanation of what kind of pastor/elder/bishop should be appointed into two sets of qualifications, beginning both with the concept of "blameless." The first use of blameless in verse 6 explains that a man must be blameless in family life, leading to the principle "Have a Pastor Blameless in Family." The second use of blameless in verse 7 explains that a man must be blameless in character, leading to the principle "Have a Pastor Blameless in Character."
Paul concludes his list of qualifications by transitioning into why Titus needs to appoint pastors/elders/bishops and why those men need to be qualified by saying, "so that he may be able to exhort and convict." This statement is still found under the heading of "Blameless in Character," but the next sub-point in verse 10 explains that qualification. The use of "for," or in the Greek "γαρ," is a coordinating conjunction that explains what has been previously stated. Paul points to wicked people among the Cretan Christians as the reason why qualified pastors/elders/bishops were necessary. The third sub-point of explaining why one must have a pastor is found in verse 13b, where Paul commands the Cretan pastors to rebuke the wicked sharply so that the wicked may be sound in the faith, leading to the principle "Have a Pastor Who Wants You Healthy."
To conclude structure, a short definition of the size of this pericope seems necessary. The amount of content in each sub-point may lead to the desire to separate each sub-point as a main idea, but the conjunction structure of the text does not allow this. In verse 6, the conjunction εἴ connects that sub-point back to verse 5. In verse 7, the conjunction γαρ connects that sub-point back to verses 5 and 6. In verse 10, the conjunction γαρ connects that sub-point back to verses 5-9. For the structure of the text to be adhered to, the conjunctions must connect back to what was previously stated instead of using them to create a new pericope. The outline then of Titus 1:5-16 is as follows:
Have a Pastor (v. 5)
Have a Pastor Blameless in Family (v. 6)
Have a Pastor Blameless in Character (v. 7-9)
Have A Pastor Who Wants You Healthy (v. 10-16)
The Spirit
The spirit of the text, which is the tone of the text, is one of exhortation, seriousness, and instruction. Paul does not write rebuking as he does in Galatians and Corinthians. Nor does he write in an abundantly joyful tone as he does in Philippians. Rather, he writes as a mentor to his mentee, urging the mentee to do what the Lord has called him to do. The tone is one of a coach before a big game. In this pericope, specifically, Paul isn't critical of Titus or the Cretan pastors. His purpose in giving qualifications is not to beat up on pastors but rather to help Titus and the Cretan churches to know the kind of men they should be looking for. Even at the end of the pericope, when Paul seems especially harsh toward the wicked people in Crete, his desire for these wicked people, and what he wants Titus and the Cretan pastor's desire to be, is desiring for them to be spiritually healthy. Reading the text with a critical and harsh tone is incorrect. Paul is focused, serious, and straightforward, but he's not critical or harsh.
The Substance
In studying the substance of the text, key phrases will be addressed instead of the entirety of the passage. For a precise explanation of the text, make sure to listen to Episode 178 of the Text-Driven Podcast.
Verse 5: "Appoint elders in every city as I commanded you."
καταστήσῃς: The concept of "appoint" is "authorize." Titus was not meant to assign elders to a church but rather help churches decide who would be their elders according to the standards Paul prescribes.
πρεσβυτέρους: The word elders is synonymous with bishop and pastor. The title "elder" means the wise sage of the community. The elder (bishop/pastor) is to be the one with the most spiritual maturity. Elder is in the plural in relation to "according to each city/town." It is in the plural not because a church necessitates multiple elders but because each city/town needs an elder.
Verse 6: "If a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination."
ἀνέγκλητος: The word "blameless" or "above reproach" is intangible in relation to qualifications. The word outside the biblical qualifications describes what Christ does to the believer in eternity. If this concept is taken with "blameless," it would mean perfect. Paul does not seem to communicate that whatsoever, though. Rather, it seems that blameless is an intangible concept that can only be seen in the other qualifications, i.e., if one is blameless, they'll meet the other qualifications, and if they meet the other qualifications, they'll be blameless.
μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ: "Husband of one wife" is a domestic phrase and does not refer to the moral purity of that marriage but the status of it. As a domestic idiom, it is saying that the marriage vow has been honored by the man since that marriage began. Implicit in it would be the man must be a godly husband, but its more explicit command is that a man cannot be divorced or polygamist. Paul does not give any exceptions to this for a divorce that preceded conversion or one that was due to the fault of the wife. As the phrase is idiomatic, it is speaking of the quality of the marriage, i.e., that there has not been a break in the proper order in marriage, that is, one husband, one wife, for one life, and not the quantity of the marriage, meaning that an unmarried man ("a pastor must be married") or a remarried widower ("a widowed pastor can't remarry" are not in view. (For a contrary view on the widower, but a complementary view on divorce and polygamy, see Bart Barber's article here: http://praisegodbarebones.blogspot.com/2010/04/one-woman-man-in-new-testament.html).
τέκνα ἔχων πιστά: "Having faithful children" means that if a pastor has children, those children are obedient and responsive to their father's discipline. It does not mean the children must be believers (translations that say "believing children" are mistranslations). This also speaks to the quality of a man's children, not the quantity of them, i.e., a pastor does not have to have children.
Verse 8: "Sober-minded"
σώφρονα: This means self-controlled in action. The actions of the pastor are thought out, wise, and under control. "Self-controlled" ἐγκρατῆ This means self-controlled in emotions and feelings. A pastor is able to control his mood and emotions.
Verse 12: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."
Paul's use of a Cretan prophet is not an ethnic prejudice but an honest appraisal of a consistent problem on the Crete island.
Verse 13: "Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith."
ὑγιαίνωσιν: "Sound in the faith" means healthy in the faith. The pastor rebukes sharply so that the false teachers would become healthy in the faith.
Verse 15: "To the pure all things are pure,"
Paul gives a proverbial statement to Titus and the Cretan pastors to deal with legalistic teachers. To the pure, that is those who have been saved, all things are pure. This means that there is no action a Christian can do to be more pure in the eyes of God. The blood of Christ is enough. The contrast for the unbelieving, given after, is that to the unbeliever, nothing is pure because there is no act that can make them pure.
Translation
The following translation is done by Klayton Carson with an attempt at hyper-literalism and exposing the concepts that lie behind each Greek word. For balance, reference NKJV, CSB, ESV, and NASB95.
Titus 1:1-16
1 Paul, a bondslave of God, and at the same time an Apostle of Jesus Christ in accordance to the faith of God's elect and the recognition of truth 2 in accordance to godliness in the hope of eternal life, which the trustworthy God promised before the long ago ages, 3 but also revealed, in due time His word in preaching, which was entrusted to me in accordance to the command of God our Savior, 4 To Titus, the true child in accordance to the common faith, grace, and peace from God Father and Lord Christ Jesus our Savior. 5 For this reason, I left you behind in Crete, so that you may set right the lacking and authorize elders according to each city, as I commanded you; 6 if anyone is blameless, a husband of one wife, having faithful children, not charged with recklessness or undisciplined. 7 For it is necessary the bishop be blameless as God's household manager, not self-willed, not inclined to anger, not given to much wine, not a bully, not fond of dishonest gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled in action, upright, devout, self-controlled in emotion, 9 clinging to the faithful word according to the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort, by sound teaching, and to rebuke those who contradict. 10 For there are many, many insubordinate, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially among the circumcision, 11 whom it is necessary to silence, who ruin whole households, teaching what is not necessary for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of their own prophets said: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies." 13 This testimony is true. Because of this reason, expose them rigorously so that they may be healthy in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 Claiming to know God but the works deny Him, being abhorrent, and disobedient, and unfit for every good work.
Written by Klayton Carson
The "Why You Need a Pastor" series is also on the Text-Driven Podcast. You can listen to the Text-Driven Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at www.textdriven.org/podcasts. New episodes are released every Monday, just in time for your morning commute.
