Commentary - Titus 1:5-9

Bird's-eye view

In this foundational passage, the Apostle Paul gives his apostolic delegate, Titus, a crucial and formidable task: to bring order to the fledgling churches on the island of Crete. This was no small thing; the Cretans had a well-deserved reputation for being a disorderly and roguish people. Paul's strategy for establishing gospel order was not to impose a complex bureaucratic structure from the outside, but rather to cultivate godliness from the inside out, starting with the leadership. The health of the entire church hangs on the character of its elders. Consequently, Paul lays out a detailed list of qualifications for these men. It is striking that this list is overwhelmingly concerned with a man's character and his proven track record of godly governance in his own home. The principle is plain: a man who cannot manage his own household has no business attempting to manage the household of God. This is not about academic credentials or corporate leadership skills; it is about demonstrated godliness, beginning at home.

The qualifications fall into several categories: a man's public reputation (beyond reproach), his domestic life (a one-woman man with faithful children), his personal character (not arrogant, quick-tempered, or greedy), his positive virtues (hospitable, loving good, self-controlled), and his doctrinal fidelity (holding fast to the faithful word). This is a holistic vision of leadership. The church is to be led by men whose lives are an embodiment of the doctrine they teach. Their ability to exhort in sound doctrine and reprove error flows directly from a life that has been shaped by that same doctrine. This passage remains the blueprint for establishing and maintaining healthy church leadership in any and every generation.

Outline

Context In Titus

Paul's letter to Titus is one of the Pastoral Epistles, along with 1 and 2 Timothy. These letters are intensely practical, dealing with the structure, governance, and health of the local church. Paul had ministered with Titus on Crete, but had to leave, commissioning Titus to finish the work of establishing the churches there. The Cretan culture was notoriously corrupt, a fact Paul underscores by quoting one of their own prophets who called them "always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons" (Titus 1:12). It is into this chaotic and pagan environment that the gospel has come, and Paul's instructions to Titus are designed to show how the grace of God brings order out of chaos. The qualifications for elders in chapter 1 are the first and most crucial step in this process. Sound leadership is the prerequisite for sound doctrine and sound living, which are the main themes of the rest of the letter. The character of the elders (1:5-9) is the foundation upon which the character of the entire church, older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and servants (2:1-10), is to be built.

Key Issues

The Household as Proving Ground

Modern American evangelicals have a tendency to treat the church like a business and its leaders like CEOs. We look for men with vision, dynamic speaking ability, and administrative prowess. But the New Testament, and this passage in particular, points us in a completely different direction. The primary sphere for evaluating a man's fitness for leadership in the church is not the boardroom or the seminary, but his own living room.

Paul's logic, stated explicitly in the parallel passage in 1 Timothy, is devastatingly simple: "if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God's church?" (1 Tim. 3:5). The family is the church in miniature. It is where a man's true character, his patience, his wisdom, his love, and his governing abilities are tested daily, under pressure, with no cameras rolling. A man who cannot lead his wife and children in the fear of the Lord is not qualified to lead the broader family of God. This is not to say that a perfect family is the standard, for no such thing exists. But it does mean that the general trajectory and atmosphere of the home must be one of godly order, love, and discipline. The qualifications listed here are not a checklist of abstract virtues; they are observable realities that are either present or absent in a man's domestic life.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

Paul begins with the mission statement. Titus was not on Crete by accident; he was Paul's apostolic legate, left there with a specific task. The phrase set in order what remains is a medical term that could be used for setting a broken bone. The Cretan churches were established, but they were disjointed and incomplete. The first and most crucial step in setting them right was the appointment of qualified leadership. Notice the plurality: elders, plural, in every city. The New Testament pattern is not a lone ranger pastor, but a council of godly men shepherding the flock together. This task was not Titus's invention; it was a direct charge from the Apostle Paul.

6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious.

Here the qualifications begin, and they start right where they should: in the man's home and public life. Beyond reproach is the overarching requirement, meaning there should be no legitimate charge that can be brought against him that would stick and bring shame upon the church. He must be a "one-woman man." This is not simply about avoiding polygamy. It speaks to a man's fundamental marital fidelity. He is devoted to his one wife in heart, mind, and body. It is a character qualification, not just a status. Then comes the most controversial and neglected qualification: having faithful children. The word for faithful, pistos, most often means "believing." The children of a potential elder must themselves be in the faith. This is then further defined negatively: they are not under formal accusation (kategoria, a legal term) of dissipation or rebellion. This doesn't mean they are sinlessly perfect, but it does mean they are not living a scandalous, uncontrolled life that would bring the gospel into disrepute. A man's ability to disciple his own children is the test case for his ability to disciple the church.

7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of dishonest gain,

Paul now explains why these qualifications are necessary, and in doing so, he uses the term overseer (episkopos) interchangeably with elder (presbuteros), showing they refer to the same office. An elder is an overseer, a manager, of God's household. He is God's steward, and a steward must be trustworthy. Paul then lists five disqualifying vices. He must not be self-willed or arrogant, a man who always has to have his own way. He must not be quick-tempered, prone to angry outbursts. He must not be addicted to wine; he is not a drunkard or controlled by drink. He must not be pugnacious, a striker, a man who is physically or verbally abusive. And he must not be fond of dishonest gain, a man who loves money and is willing to cut corners to get it. These are all sins of uncontrolled appetite and pride, the very opposite of the character required of a shepherd.

8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled,

From the negative vices, Paul turns to the positive virtues that must characterize an elder. He must be hospitable, literally a "lover of strangers." His home and heart are open. He is a lover of what is good, meaning his moral compass is aligned with God's. He is sensible or sober-minded, not given to flights of fancy but grounded in reality. He is righteous in his dealings with other people, and holy in his personal devotion to God. And finally, summing up much of the previous list, he is self-controlled. His appetites, passions, and words are under the dominion of the Holy Spirit. This is a picture of a mature, stable, godly man.

9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.

The final qualification bridges character and competency. An elder must be doctrinally grounded. He holds fast to the apostolic teaching, the "faithful word," as though his life depended on it. His grip on the gospel is firm and unyielding. And this doctrinal stability is not for his own benefit alone; it is essential for the twofold task of ministry. First, he must be able to exhort in sound doctrine. "Sound" means healthy. He uses the healthy teaching of Scripture to build up and encourage the saints. Second, he must be able to reprove those who contradict. He must be able to identify, confront, and refute false teaching. This requires more than just a sentimental love for Jesus; it requires a robust and articulate grasp of biblical truth. A man who cannot or will not do both of these things is not qualified to be a shepherd of God's flock.

Application

This passage ought to function as a bracing tonic for the modern church. It calls us back to God's priorities for leadership. We are so often impressed by the wrong things: slick presentations, academic degrees, large budgets, and charismatic personalities. God is impressed by humble, proven, godly character that has been forged in the crucible of family life.

For churches seeking elders, this passage is your divine checklist. Do not compromise on these qualifications. It is better to have no elders than to have unqualified ones. Look for the men who are quietly and faithfully leading their families, loving their wives, discipling their children, opening their homes, and mastering their own sinful impulses. Look for the men who love the Bible more than they love the praise of men.

For men who might aspire to the office of elder, this is your curriculum. The path to the eldership begins at your own front door. Love your wife as Christ loved the church. Bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Get a handle on your temper, your appetites, and your tongue. Devote yourself to the study of sound doctrine. If you are faithful in these "little" things of the home, God may in His time entrust you with the greater things of His house. But there are no shortcuts. Godly leadership is the fruit of a godly life, and a godly life is the fruit of God's grace, received by faith and worked out with fear and trembling, day by day.