Titus (Part 1)
Since as far back as I can remember, I've always dreamed of my future home - perfectly decorated, clean, organized with everything in its place; the inviting front porch where fresh flowers greeted visitors to the wide back porch where palm trees swayed. A home so warm that friends were always welcome. (Not to mention the pool in the backyard!) Home brings a sense of warmth and comfort. The house is one concept, but when I think of a home, I can't help but think of my grandmother, who past away way too early. If cleanliness was next to Godliness, she was His right-hand-woman. Daily chores of laundry, sweeping, dishes, gardening and a home cooked meal every night. She was a Proverbs 31 woman if there ever was one. I wished my grandmother was around so that I could learn from her. She
passed away when I was 14. However, I can remember following her around
with a notebook, taking notes on how she did things - mainly cook.
The Book of Titus has been on my mind here lately. And then last week my pastor made a statement during his sermon about how older people should be a role model for younger people. (Technically he was saying that older people should know better and be able to show younger people how to behave, but I digress!) After hearing that statement, it made me want to look at Titus even more so.
Titus should be implanted on every believer's heart. Titus shows us that building our character isn't optional; its vital to the health of our relationship. The Book of Titus is actually a letter written to Titus, a Christian pastor who was left in charge of churches on the Mediterranean island of Crete. Paul asked Titus to reach the people via the homes of the believers instead of powerful messages delivered in the town. Paul advised Titus to focus on character development - marital fidelity, gentleness, self control and respect of authority.
First things first. The church needed elders. The churches that were planted in Crete were young churches. They were not like the churches that you see in Ephesus. However, whatever the circumstances of the church, its leadership must be the highest moral standard in all aspects of life. Let's face it. The reputation of the pastor (or any church leader) can make or break the church. To require anything less than a blameless leader places the church's reputation and ministry in jeopardy. Paul is asking Titus to make sure, first, the leader's home is in order. His instructions are clear: the leader of the church must be a model of faithfulness in marriage.
Not only was the leader to love his wife (mutual respect, Eph 5:22-33), but children should be faithful and obedient. They should be children who honored their parents; who were trustworthy. They should not be the kind of kids who would bring shame to the parents. They shouldn't be rebellious. This alone should narrow it down, huh?
Paul compares the household to the church. The steward of the household is responsible for managing the household and its affairs. Therefore the church leader is likewise responsible for the church. Paul prohibits four kinds of behavior. Typically being overbearing and angry does not bode well when working with a group. (How many of you have had those kind of bosses? Yikes!) They don't listen, have their own ideas and force their views on others. This kind of behavior causes discord with the group. This was very much the qualities of the false teachers that Paul speaks about in Titus 3:9. The leader must lead as Christ, which would imply gentleness and amicability. Heavy drinking is also disallowed as well as violence. These types of people are not in control of themselves, their emotions or their behavior. If they can't control themselves, how are they to properly lead others? Finally he must be honest with financial matters, not tempted for financial gain.
Next is my favorite part. Leaders were to be hospitable. It was a widely praised virtue and became a common gesture in Christian behavior. Today we think of being hospitable as entertaining friends and it truly doesn't go beyond the social aspect of the idea. However, in biblical times, it meant much more. Often early Christians were forced from their homes and sometimes even lost their jobs. They turned to fellow Christians who shared what little they had. Also to harbor a refugee such as these early Christians, could mean trouble for the hosting family. It was a true testament of sacrificial love.
The leader must love what is good. Self-control was fundamental. It meant respect to the outside world. Then comes upright, holy and disciplined. Upright refers to behavior in relation to people that are holy in the presence of God. Discipline means to be in full control of oneself - temper, moods, behavior, etc. These characteristics are truly a mark of the Spirit's work in the individual.
Lastly the leader must hold fast to the Christian doctrine and not sway or toy with any new doctors. Staying faithful to a sound doctor enables the leader to properly minister and produce healthy believers. Being knowledgeable in this area also helps to rebut those who opposed you.
Sounds a lot like today, doesn't it? Did you ever know someone who liked to talk the talk, but didn't walk the walk? False teachers are willful and defiant. Their talk is meaningless and their works are idle. However, as deceivers they are gifted in leading people astray. Although Paul doesn't come out and name the group with whom is referring to, one can only speculate that he is referring to Jewish Converts. This group was preaching the need to go the ceremonies of the law in order to obtain righteousness. False teachers have a way of disrupting the unity of any church and endangers its reputation with those outside who value the highly traditional social structure. False teachers could also be made known by their false motives. These teachers in Crete were seeking to make a profit from their ministry. Such financial motives expose the false teacher's selfish desire to benefit more than the hearers from the "ministry."
Certainly leading a church takes more than management skills! As I read these passages, I want to so badly to have those characteristics: faithful, gentle, kind, pure, honest, hospitable, upright, holy and disciplined. I want to claim to know God and by my actions acknowledge Him. I'm want to be delightful, obedient and adept for doing anything good.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that my life is a shining example of You and Your Love. Please mold me to exhibit the characteristics that were mentioned in our passages today. Lord, I pray that when others see me, they know I am Yours. I pray that they will know You by my words and by my actions. Please create in me a clean heart that will love and worship you continuously. In Jesus name, Amen.
Click here for Titus Part 2
"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 disabedient. Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless - not overbearing, no quick-tempered, not given to drunkeness, not violent, not pursing 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 encourages others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:5-9 (NIV)
First things first. The church needed elders. The churches that were planted in Crete were young churches. They were not like the churches that you see in Ephesus. However, whatever the circumstances of the church, its leadership must be the highest moral standard in all aspects of life. Let's face it. The reputation of the pastor (or any church leader) can make or break the church. To require anything less than a blameless leader places the church's reputation and ministry in jeopardy. Paul is asking Titus to make sure, first, the leader's home is in order. His instructions are clear: the leader of the church must be a model of faithfulness in marriage.
Not only was the leader to love his wife (mutual respect, Eph 5:22-33), but children should be faithful and obedient. They should be children who honored their parents; who were trustworthy. They should not be the kind of kids who would bring shame to the parents. They shouldn't be rebellious. This alone should narrow it down, huh?
Paul compares the household to the church. The steward of the household is responsible for managing the household and its affairs. Therefore the church leader is likewise responsible for the church. Paul prohibits four kinds of behavior. Typically being overbearing and angry does not bode well when working with a group. (How many of you have had those kind of bosses? Yikes!) They don't listen, have their own ideas and force their views on others. This kind of behavior causes discord with the group. This was very much the qualities of the false teachers that Paul speaks about in Titus 3:9. The leader must lead as Christ, which would imply gentleness and amicability. Heavy drinking is also disallowed as well as violence. These types of people are not in control of themselves, their emotions or their behavior. If they can't control themselves, how are they to properly lead others? Finally he must be honest with financial matters, not tempted for financial gain.
Next is my favorite part. Leaders were to be hospitable. It was a widely praised virtue and became a common gesture in Christian behavior. Today we think of being hospitable as entertaining friends and it truly doesn't go beyond the social aspect of the idea. However, in biblical times, it meant much more. Often early Christians were forced from their homes and sometimes even lost their jobs. They turned to fellow Christians who shared what little they had. Also to harbor a refugee such as these early Christians, could mean trouble for the hosting family. It was a true testament of sacrificial love.
The leader must love what is good. Self-control was fundamental. It meant respect to the outside world. Then comes upright, holy and disciplined. Upright refers to behavior in relation to people that are holy in the presence of God. Discipline means to be in full control of oneself - temper, moods, behavior, etc. These characteristics are truly a mark of the Spirit's work in the individual.
Lastly the leader must hold fast to the Christian doctrine and not sway or toy with any new doctors. Staying faithful to a sound doctor enables the leader to properly minister and produce healthy believers. Being knowledgeable in this area also helps to rebut those who opposed you.
"For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they out not to teach - and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of the Crete's own prophets has said it: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To be pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. Titus 1:10-16 (NIV)
Sounds a lot like today, doesn't it? Did you ever know someone who liked to talk the talk, but didn't walk the walk? False teachers are willful and defiant. Their talk is meaningless and their works are idle. However, as deceivers they are gifted in leading people astray. Although Paul doesn't come out and name the group with whom is referring to, one can only speculate that he is referring to Jewish Converts. This group was preaching the need to go the ceremonies of the law in order to obtain righteousness. False teachers have a way of disrupting the unity of any church and endangers its reputation with those outside who value the highly traditional social structure. False teachers could also be made known by their false motives. These teachers in Crete were seeking to make a profit from their ministry. Such financial motives expose the false teacher's selfish desire to benefit more than the hearers from the "ministry."
Certainly leading a church takes more than management skills! As I read these passages, I want to so badly to have those characteristics: faithful, gentle, kind, pure, honest, hospitable, upright, holy and disciplined. I want to claim to know God and by my actions acknowledge Him. I'm want to be delightful, obedient and adept for doing anything good.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that my life is a shining example of You and Your Love. Please mold me to exhibit the characteristics that were mentioned in our passages today. Lord, I pray that when others see me, they know I am Yours. I pray that they will know You by my words and by my actions. Please create in me a clean heart that will love and worship you continuously. In Jesus name, Amen.
Click here for Titus Part 2
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