Explore: Look for qualified spiritual leaders

• The Explore the Bible lesson for May 12 focuses on Titus 1:1-16.

This lesson is the first concerning the epistle to Titus. Titus, one of the Apostle Paul’s missionary companions, is stationed on Crete, a large island southeast of Greece in the Mediterranean Sea. He previously had traveled with Paul on other journeys (see Galatians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:6; 12:18).

While the New Testament does not record Paul ever traveling to Crete, the backstory of the letter is that Paul has left Titus to continue their work on the island (v. 5). This letter is the third of the “Pastoral Epistles,” along with 1 & 2 Timothy. Not surprisingly, similar stylistic and thematic elements are found in each letter, such as a concern with godliness and organization of church leadership. In fact, the main focus of the letter to Titus is pursuing godliness between the first and second comings of Christ, or as one scholar states, “between the epiphanies.”

Qualifications

The letter includes a list of qualifications for two ministerial roles, both of which were discussed in 1 Timothy—elders and overseers (or bishops). Many biblical scholars have pointed out a great deal of diversity within Scripture regarding how church leadership should be organized.

Some passages suggest as many as three ministerial roles while other texts seem to indicate only two. Although “elder” and “overseer” are terms used in 1 Timothy and Titus, in the former they are used to refer to separate positions; here in Titus, they are used interchangeably for the same position.

As was discussed in 1 Timothy, the phrase “faithful to his wife”—which older translations have worded “husband of one wife”—should be seen as a reference to fidelity in marriage, not an indication of gender roles (other contemporary translations read “married only once”). Moreover, much of the elders’ qualifications center on what we might call “family values,” such as being a good spouse and a good parent.

Overseers

Certainly it is true responsibility within one’s own household is an important place to learn leadership within God’s household. Overseers—a word translated elsewhere as “bishops”—must have an even-tempered disposition: “not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain … hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (vv. 7-8).

The mention of “sound doctrine” (v. 9) reminds us of a crucial detail related to these roles—elders and overseers are not primarily administrative positions. Rather these folks will be expected to teach and perhaps even preach.

Often, we think of church leaders—deacons, for example—as the church’s board of directors. While they may make decisions of this sort, their main focus is to serve in a teaching capacity. Along these lines, this letter warns against false teachers who offer “meaningless talk and deception” (v. 10).

False teachers

From the context, we can glean that some of these false teachers were Jewish while others were Gentiles. Moreover, they are disrupting family lives in Crete as they profit from this error. In fact, to emphasize the problems with these teachers and their Cretan heritage, the letter quotes a line from Epimenides—a Cretan poet who lived in the 6th century B.C.

Despite the tone directed toward the false teachers, we should notice the goal is not to destroy them or even make an example of them by other extreme measures—imprisonment or violence. Instead, the goal is to correct their errors and bring them back into the fold as a full part of the community. Here, we find a desire for community and love driving the advice given to Titus.

The faithful

The final verses of this passage continue to contrast those who are faithful and those who are not. More than just their actions are involved, however: “To the 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” (v. 15).

Another way to say this is to note that our actions shape how we see and live in the world around us. In other words, our moral vision is affected by our behavior—whether good or bad—to the point we see our actions as acceptable. Thus, if you have the habit of doing bad things, you probably don’t see anything wrong with those bad actions.

Because of this, even one’s conscience, what we sometimes call one’s “moral compass,” is shaped negatively by bad actions. Conscience, then, must be formed by a life of integrity—or as the letter states, godliness—which helps us see the world rightly. Otherwise, we will experience the corruption mentioned in this passage and become “unfit for doing anything good” (v. 16).