Titus 1:5-16
7/6/10
In our generally anti-institution ethos, most do not want to talk about structure and organization. It all smells of corruption and the misuse of power. However, the purpose of the book of Titus is about structuring the church. This is an important point to make, because even when there is little talk of organization or the downright resistance to it, in the end there will be some sort of structure. Therefore, it behooves us to see what Titus teaches concerning the importance of church organization in general and elders in particular.
From a literary point of view, Titus 1:5-16 seems to break down into three parts. The first section (1:6-7) speaks generally in the negative. An elder must not be blameworthy, the husband of one wife, have faithful children who are not accused of riotous and unruly behavior, not self-willed, not quick to anger, not addicted to wine, not violent, and not greedy. The second section speaks in the positive (1:8-9). An elder must be hospitable, lover of good, just, holy, self-controlled, and able to teach.
The above juxtaposition is theologically significant, because Christianity not only advocates the absence of sin, but also the presence of godly fruits. In other words, Christianity deals with heart issues. When a heart is transformed, there is fruitfulness. In light of this, we have good grounds to say that an elder must be a person with a good and godly heart, and the evidence is in the quality of life.
If the book of Titus emphasizes the heart, it also emphasizes the gift of teaching. Part of the reason for this is because there is so much false teaching and this false teaching has the potential to destroy lives (1:11). Therefore, what an elder must do is lovingly discern error and teach the truth.
In conclusion, an elder is a person with a good heart and mind.