The Pastor's Responsibility to the Church
It's good to remind ourselves that after the Jews rejected the Gospel that a man
called Saul took the Gospel to the Gentiles and they accepted it. From that point
on, he became Paul, a Roman citizen, an Apostle to the Gentiles and a servant of
Jesus Christ.
Notice why Paul believed that he was called. "To further the faith of God's
elect." His purpose was to strengthen their faith, encourage their witness and
meet their spiritual needs. Secondly, he was to increase their knowledge of the
"truth" and he did this by preaching and by writing letters. Note that faith does
not rest on fallible reasoning or probable opinions. It rests on the infallible
Word of God and truth that is witnessed to in every Christian's life by the Holy
Spirit.
Notice to whom Paul was sent, "God's Elect". Those who God had chosen from the
beginning for salvation thru the leading of the Holy Spirit. These chosen people,
Paul witnessed to, to build their faith and increase their knowledge. This message
Paul calls, "The Truth".
Paul gives three reasons why he believes what he preached was "The Truth":
- Because God never lies. What God says is always true. There
is comfort in this for the believer whose eternity is determined
by God's faithful promises.
- Because it was promised years ago. In creation, God determined
that eternity for man would be by His Grace. God knew that
man, by sin, would fall from Grace and He designed a way for
man to reclaim that Grace. So, from the beginning, Christ
was the source of man' eternity with God. John says in his
Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God and the Word was God." Now the Word have been made real
- Because it has now come into reality. With the coming of
Christ and the promise realized and made understandable thru
the preaching and the writing of Paul, God's Truth is now
a reality and Paul says in verse 3, it was entrusted to him
by command of God, our Savior. Paul believed in the deity
of Jesus. He believed Jesus was the Christ, God incarnate,
God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity.
Now notice to whom the letter was written. "To Titus, my true child (son) in a
common faith." For a devout alien pure Jewish Pharisee to call a Greek Gentile,
son, required all the Grace of God. In first Corinthians, Paul says of Titus, "I
have begotten you through the Gospel." We who are privileged to lead someone to
Christ have a very real responsibility to that person. Paul felt a great
responsibility for those who shared a "common faith" with him. Paul felt that is
was his responsibility to enlighten Timothy and Titus about the false teachings
that were creeping into the early churches and Crete was no exception.
Paul ends his preface by wishing Titus the best of God's blessings, "Grace and
Peace", Grace sufficient for his sins and peace that is provided by this. So to
this man that Paul had led to Christ, whom he loved like a son, whom he had
entrusted God's Word, to this man Paul says, "Preach God's Word".
Ordain Qualified Leaders
["Click here for Titus 1:5-9"]
The second instruction to Titus has to do with the selection of qualified church
leaders. In these verses Paul again gives the qualifications for the office of
Elder, Bishop or Deacon. These ordained leaders have different names in the
different denominations. There is some difference of opinion about the early
responsibilities that were assigned to these three positions. In the early church,
Bishops and Elders tended to the spiritual affairs of the congregation and the
Deacons tended to the financial affairs. Today, their duties depend on the
denomination to which they belong. Either way, Paul is stressing the importance of
the minister and the congregation of seeking qualified people for these places of
leadership.
Paul spells out these qualifications in First Timothy and here in his letter to
Titus. Here he suggests some 16 qualifications that should be used as a
"yardstick" in the selection of these people.
- He should be blameless. This, at first thought, seems impossible.
This means that men of good character and good report from those
outside the church as well as inside the church should be secured.
They must not be guilty of any sin that would bring reproach upon
the office.
- He should be the Husband of one wife. This was later changed
in Roman Catholicism to read, the husband of no wife. This
qualification has taken on many explanations over the years.
- It means that they have to be married.
- It means that they cannot be divorced.
- It means that divorce is all right, but
they cannot be remarried.
It seems evident that Paul wrote this qualification for one of
several possible reasons:
- In the Jewish religion, a man had to be
married to at least one wife to be
eligible to serve on the Sanhedrin as
it was believed that a single man was
not settled down enough to accept the
responsibility.
- Paul may have very well have been condemning
bigamy. At the time of Paul, a man could
have as many wives as he could afford.
Also concubines were legal in Paul's day.
I believe Paul wrote this qualification to try to bring men
into this office who had only one wife and had no other
relationship with other women.
- He should have obedient children. Children who were faithful
to the church and obedient to the Lord. Matthew Henry says
as parents, we should try to bring up our children in the
Christian faith and endeavor to keep them straight in as far
as it is possible for us to do.
- He should not be arrogant or self-willed (KJ). This simply means
that they should not think to highly of themselves and their
opinions or abilities. They must not seek to "run things" nor
to be "in love" with their own voice.
- He should not be quick tempered. (not soon angered, KJ) Nor
should they be easily provoked. Matthew Henry says that a
man that cannot govern himself should not govern the church.
This does not mean that we should look for men who will not
speak their opinion, but rather we should seek men who speak
their opinion in love after much prayer and thought.
- He should not be a drunkard. This is self-explanatory. The
KJ says, "not given to wine." Matthew Henry says that "seasonable
and reasonable" use of wine is not unlawful as is true of all of
God's creations. Paul says elsewhere in First Timothy, "Use a
little wine for the stomachs sake." Paul is here speaking of
the excessive use of strong drink. In Eph. 5:18 Paul suggests
that we drink with the Spirit rather than wine.
- He should not be violent, or as the KJ says, "no striker". This
includes any act of violence against your fellow Christian. A
"slap in the face" can come many ways. Most of us have been
guilty of doing this at one time or another, sometimes not even
knowing that we have done it. Most of us have also been on the
receiving in of this. The only weapon against this is
"communication and love". This is probably the greatest
failure in the church. Most, if not all, of our problems
can be traced to the failure to communicate with and love
one another. This is being a "striker".
- He should not be greedy for gain, or as the KJ says, should not
be given to filthy lucre. This does not mean that ministers
should not be given a just salary in return for their labors.
It means that the love of money should not consume them and
become their chief aim in life. Some ministers have used
the salary as the main issue in a call to a church. This
should not be.
- He should be hospitable, or a lover of hospitality, as the KJ
says. Matthew Henry calls this "receiving and entertaining
strangers". There appears to be no credit in the receiving
and entertaining of friends and relatives. The story of the
Good Samaritan is a good example of this. He not only showed
hospitality toward a stranger but he also showed it toward an
social enemy. We must welcome the poor as well as the rich.
- He must be a lover of goodness, always seeking out that which is
good. Preferring it not only in words but also in deeds. Not only
in church matters but in all areas of life.
- He should be the master of himself. Sober, the KJ calls it.
We can hardly be masters of ourselves if we are drunk, and we
can become drunk other ways besides strong drink. Sometimes
the desire for power can cause us to loose control of ourselves,
even conceit and pride will do it. We need to have leaders who
are humble and who do not let their own desires make them do
things contrary to good Christian behavior, men who are masters
of their own emotions.
- He should be upright or just as the KJ calls it. This means that
he should be just in his dealings in and out of church and with
all people. Even the Devil deserves his just dues.
- He should be "holy", "devout" in the New Am. Std. and "pure" in the
Williams's translation. The word devout probably describes better
what Paul was saying. It is someone who reveres and worships God.
Someone who prays constantly, who seeks and gets God's attention
for others, someone who remains close to God.
- He should have self-control, temperate in the KJ. The Greek word
signifies strength and denotes one who has power over his own
appetites and affections. This is most needed today in church
leadership. This kind of personal strength is appreciated and
applauded by every one.
- He must hold firm to the sure Word of God. There is nothing hard
to understand about this. Paul is simply saying that church
leaders should not twist the Word to suit their needs. Verses
of scripture must not be taken out of context. Scripture must
not be "watered down" for the sake of peace in the congregation.
The Word of God is true and is the same yesterday, today and will
be the same tomorrow and is binding to all generations.
- He must have knowledge of the Word. This is so that he can give
instruction in sound doctrine, dispute those who contradict it.
Arguing is not suggested here. Paul is suggesting that those in
places of leadership should know the Word of God and be able to
persuade and draw others to it. To do this, he must be know-
ledgeable of sound doctrine, be able to teach it, be firmly
anchored in what we believe for there is nothing worse than a
salesman who does not know what he is selling. Know what you
believe and be faithful and true to it. Matthew Henry calls
this the "great work of the ministry, to teach those who are
willing to learn and to convince those who are not.
Silence False Teachers
["Click here for Titus 1:10-16"]
I do not know of any place in the writings of Paul where he comes down on people as
he does here on these false teachers. Apparently these were the foulest of
people. Normally Paul would instruct the Pastor to work with these people that
somehow they might be led to repentance, but here he tells Titus to "silence",
"reject" or "avoid" these people. I would believe that Paul was telling Titus to
first try to silence these people and if that did not work, to reject or expel them
from the church to avoid being around them. However, we know that if these false
teachers were actually Christians, then no one could remove them from the "church"
the body of believers, but they could remove them from the church roll and avoid
them for the sake of the preservation of the "truth".
Notice of what these false teachers were guilty:
- "Insubordination", the K.J. calls them, "unruly". The New Am.
Std. calls them "rebellious". Beck calls them "those who could
not be controlled", and the Living Bible describes them as "those
who refused to obey". This pretty much describes people who have
no respect for authority.
- "Empty talkers and deceivers". Matthew Henry describes them this
way, "These people deceived themselves, thinking they were wise
but in reality, were foolish. They were great talkers, but made
many mistakes in their doctrine." "They continued in these mistakes
actually growing fond of them." "They became very active and
sought to draw others into their false beliefs."
Notice Paul does not name anyone in particular, but he does name a group in the
church called the "Circumcision Party". They were Jewish converts who sought to
mix Judaism with Christianity which resulted in the corruption of both. Notice
their false teaching was upsetting whole families in the church. Church
congregations are made up of families. This had not always proven to be good.
Notice what this "Circumcision Party" was teaching. Paul calls it "Jewish myths",
or "Jewish fables" according to the K.J., "Jewish folk tales" according to the
Living Bible. The sum and substance of their false teaching was the importance
that they put upon "works". This false teaching was carried over into the early
church into Roman Catholicism which is a religion based on the observance of
ceremonies and sacraments with the importance put upon works.
Three religions influenced Roman Catholicism. Judaism, Christianity and the
worship of Diana of the Ephesians which was the State Religion of Rome at the time
of the conversion to Christianity and many of the rituals were incorporated into
Christianity, i.e. the name of Diana was changed to Mary and she was worshipped as
Diana was. Surly Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, saw what these false teachers
with their insistence upon works, would ultimately do to the church.
Paul mentions another group of false teachers who were Cretins, natives of the Isle
of Crete, who were members of Titus' church. These people were not Jews but were
probably Greeks. One of their members a man by the name of Epimenides, a Greek
Priest and a fellow Cretan, calls them Liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons.
Paul concurs with this man's opinion and says, "All this is true."
The term "Cretins" became synonymous all over the Middle East for centuries with
lying. Liars were said to be "playing the Cretin". Matthew Henry says of these
people, "They had a savage nature, indulged their bellies, laziness and
sensuality, they were inclined to eat more than work and lived by dishonest
employment."
Paul says in verse 15, "They are corrupt and unbelieving, they considered nothing
as pure". "Their very minds and consciences are corrupt and they profess to know
God but deny him by their deeds." "They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for
any good." Therefore Paul says in verse 13, "Rebuke them sharply."
To Timothy, Paul wrote instructions that were tempered with love, but not here.
This was an entirely different case. These were different people. The Ephesians
where Timothy was, were a polite and rulely people, these Cretans were arrogant
and hard to manage. It was a good time that Titus was there and not Timothy. It
was said of these people that their sins were many and gross and committed without
shame or modesty, therefore, Titus is told to deal strongly with these people,
perhaps the only language they could understand.
Notice why Titus was to do this. (Verse 13) "That they might be made sound in the
faith." This sounds like they were Christians, isn't it strange, I had already
assumed that they were non-believers. We sometimes are quick to judge people when
we observe or hear of them doing things like the Cretans were, but even these
sinful, selfish and gluttonous people Paul believed could be brought around to a
sound faith. The lesson for us is to not give up on anyone to quickly or be so
ready to throw stones.
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