The Architecture of a Godly House: Qualifications of Elders Text: Titus 1:5-9
Introduction: Setting the Bones of the Church
We live in a sloppy age. It is an age that despises definitions, blurs every important line, and resents all authority that does not arise from the impulses of the autonomous self. This sentiment has, like a foul mist, seeped into the church. We are told that church government is a secondary or tertiary issue, something for fussy academics to debate while the real work of ministry gets done. We are told that qualifications for leadership are more like suggestions, flexible guidelines that can be bent or ignored for the sake of pragmatism, or outreach, or not appearing judgmental.
But when the Apostle Paul writes to his apostolic delegate, Titus, who has been left on the notoriously corrupt island of Crete, he does not begin with a program for seeker-sensitive services or a marketing plan to reach the dissolute Cretans. He begins with the skeletal structure of the church. He tells Titus to set in order what remains, and the very first item on that agenda is the appointment of qualified elders. The phrase "set in order" is a medical term. It means to set a broken bone. The churches in Crete were alive, but they were disjointed. They were growing, but without structure. And a church without godly, qualified elders is a church with a compound fracture. It is not a matter of preference; it is a matter of life and health.
What Paul lays out here is not a list of suggestions for an ideal world. It is a set of non-negotiable requirements for the men who would be stewards of the household of God. These are not character qualities that we hope an elder might develop after he is in office. They are the demonstrated track record that qualifies him for the office in the first place. The world believes leadership is about charisma, or skill, or a corner office. The Bible teaches that leadership in the church is about character, tested and proven, beginning in the most important institution God ever made: the family.
We are in desperate need of this apostolic wisdom today. We have churches led by managers instead of shepherds, by CEOs instead of fathers, by motivational speakers instead of men who can handle the word of truth. And the result is weakness, compromise, and a church that looks more like the Cretans than like Christ. If we want healthy churches, we must insist on healthy leadership. And this passage is God's inspired blueprint for what that leadership must look like.
The Text
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, namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious. 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, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 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.
(Titus 1:5-9 LSB)
The Apostolic Mandate (v. 5)
We begin with the reason Titus was stationed in Crete.
"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," (Titus 1:5)
Paul's work in Crete was unfinished. He had planted the seed of the gospel, and churches had sprung up. But a collection of believers is not yet a rightly ordered church. A church needs structure, and that structure is a plurality of elders in every city. Notice the pattern: elders, plural, in every city, singular. This establishes the New Testament model of church government. It is not a lone ranger pastor, nor is it a regional bishop overseeing multiple cities. It is a local body of qualified men shepherding a local flock. This is God's ordained structure for accountability, wisdom, and protection.
Titus's job is not to invent a new form of government but to implement the one Paul had already directed him in. This is not a matter for congregational vote or demographic study. It is an apostolic command. The health of the church is directly tied to its governmental structure. To neglect this is to neglect the clear instruction of Scripture, and to leave the church vulnerable and disordered, like a body with unset bones.
The Proving Ground of the Home (v. 6)
Paul immediately moves from the mandate to the qualifications, and the first place he looks is a man's own household.
"namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious." (Titus 1:6 LSB)
The overarching qualification, the heading for all that follows, is that a man must be "beyond reproach." This does not mean sinless perfection. It means that there is no legitimate charge that can be laid against him that would stick. His life is an open book, and there are no hidden chapters that, if revealed, would bring shame upon the cause of Christ. His reputation is solid.
From there, Paul gives two specific arenas where this blamelessness must be demonstrated. First, his marriage. He must be the "husband of one wife." This means he is a "one-woman man." It straightforwardly prohibits polygamy, but its meaning is much richer than that. It describes a man whose affections, devotion, and fidelity are entirely directed toward the wife of his youth. It disqualifies a man whose eyes wander, a man who has a reputation as a flirt, a man who has left a string of broken relationships in his past, or a man who is not faithfully and lovingly leading his one wife. His marital life must be exemplary.
Second, his children. He must have "faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious." This is perhaps the most neglected qualification in our day. The debate often centers on whether "faithful" means "believing." But the context clarifies the meaning. The opposite of these faithful children are those who are accused of "dissipation" (a riotous, debauched lifestyle) or are "rebellious" (unruly, insubordinate). Paul is establishing the home as the proving ground for church leadership. If a man cannot manage his own household, if he cannot bring his own children into submission, how in the world can he be entrusted with the household of God? (1 Tim. 3:5). This is not about guaranteeing the eternal salvation of his children, which only God can do. It is about his ability to govern. A man whose children are in open, flagrant rebellion against his authority has demonstrated a failure in the first and most basic sphere of government entrusted to him. To then promote him to a wider sphere of authority in the church is utter foolishness. We are not to ordain men whose family life would bring reproach upon the church.
The Negative Character Qualifications (v. 7)
Paul continues the list, now focusing on the man's internal character and public behavior, listing five things an elder must not be.
"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," (Titus 1:7 LSB)
He repeats that an overseer (episkopos, another word for elder) must be beyond reproach, grounding this necessity in the fact that he is "God's steward." A steward manages the property of another. The church does not belong to the elders; it belongs to God. The elders are managers, and they will give an account to the owner. This high calling requires a high character.
So, what must he not be? First, "not self-willed." This is the man who is arrogant, stubborn, and must always have his own way. He is not teachable. He runs over people. Such a man is a tyrant in the making and has no place in the shepherd's office. Second, "not quick-tempered." He cannot be a man with a short fuse, given to outbursts of anger. He must be patient and slow to wrath, because shepherding sheep is often a frustrating business. Third, "not addicted to wine." This does not prohibit the use of alcohol, but it does prohibit its abuse. A man who is mastered by any substance is not fit to lead God's people. Fourth, "not pugnacious." This means not a striker, not a brawler. He is not a man who resorts to physical intimidation or violence to solve his problems. He is not quarrelsome. Fifth, "not fond of dishonest gain." He must not be a lover of money. His motives for ministry must be pure, untainted by greed. A man who can be bought is not a man who can be trusted with the treasures of the gospel.
The Positive Character Qualifications (v. 8)
From the vices to be avoided, Paul turns to the virtues to be cultivated.
"but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled," (Titus 1:8 LSB)
An elder must be "hospitable," literally a "lover of strangers." His home and his heart must be open. He must be "loving what is good," not just avoiding evil, but having a genuine affection for goodness, truth, and beauty. He must be "sensible," which means sober-minded, prudent, and wise in judgment. He is not given to fads or foolishness. He must be "righteous," which means he is just and fair in his dealings with other people. He must be "holy," which speaks of his personal devotion to God, set apart from the world. And finally, he must be "self-controlled." This is the great summary virtue. He is a man who has his appetites, his passions, and his tongue under the dominion of the Holy Spirit. He is a disciplined man.
The Doctrinal Qualification (v. 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." (Titus 1:9 LSB)
After this extensive list of character qualifications, Paul arrives at the one skill-based requirement. It is not about being a dynamic speaker or a charismatic leader. It is about his relationship to the Word of God. He must be "holding fast the faithful word." He is not a man of clever opinions or innovative ideas. He is a man who is tethered to the apostolic teaching, the deposit of faith once for all delivered to the saints. He clings to it like a drowning man to a raft.
And why must he hold it so fast? For two reasons, which constitute the core of the pastoral task. First, "to exhort in sound doctrine." The word "sound" means healthy. He is to feed the flock with healthy teaching that nourishes them and causes them to grow in godliness. Second, he must be able "to reprove those who contradict." He must be a doctrinal watchman. He must be able to identify, confront, and refute false teaching. A man who is not able or willing to do both of these things is not qualified to be an elder. A pastor who only exhorts but never reproves is like a shepherd who feeds the sheep but does nothing about the wolves. And a man who only reproves but never exhorts is a joyless clanging cymbal. The elder must be able to do both, and he must do so from a position of unwavering commitment to the faithful Word of God.
Conclusion: The Weight of the Office
This is God's standard. It is high, and it should be. The health, purity, and effectiveness of the church depend on it. These are not qualifications for a corporate board; they are qualifications for men who will stand before God and give an account for the souls of their flock.
For those of us who are elders, this list should drive us to our knees in humility and dependence on God's grace. For those who aspire to the office, this is your training manual. This is the character you must pursue, by the power of the Spirit. And for every member of the church, this is the standard you must require of your leaders. Do not settle for less. Do not settle for charming men with disorderly homes. Do not settle for gifted communicators who are quick-tempered or greedy. Pray for your elders, that they would grow in these graces. And when you look for new elders, look for men whose lives have been shaped by these glorious, demanding, and life-giving qualifications.