Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul 's Instruction to Titus

Shortly after his departure from Crete, Paul wrote to Titus to restate his verbal instructions in official, written form. In no sense is the letter to Titus strictly private correspondence (Titus 3:15c). This letter, as well as his other letters, was a significant part of Paul’s missionary work and strategy. The letter was meant to authorize Titus, who was not an apostle, to act with apostolic authority: “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you” (Titus 2:15). The letter was also to provide continual, permanent di rectives for the churches long after Titus was gone. Paul fully expected the churches to obey his letter and his personal envoy, Titus.

SET CHURCHES IN ORDER AND APPOINT ELDERS

After his formal introduction stating his apostleship and its pur poses (Titus 121-4), Paul reminds Titus that there is unfinished busi ness to complete. The churches of Crete lack proper organizational structure and order, so Titus must “set right” what is deficient in these churches: For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you (Titus 125). The first order of business and chief priority for Titus was to ap point qualified elders for every church: “appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” For Paul, setting churches in order meant, among other things, establishing a council of qualified elders. Churches can exist without elders (see Acts 14:23), but qualified, functioning elders must be established for the protection and proper ordering of a church. The Greek word for “appoint” is kathistémi. This verb often is used to express the act of appointing a person to an official position, such as the appointment of a judge or governor (Acts 7:10). The same verb is used in Acts 6:3 in reference to the twelve apostles who appointed the Seven to care for the poor in the Jerusalem church. In that situation, the peOple selected seven men, and the apostles officially placed those men in charge of the administration of the church’s care for the poor. The verb can also express appointment in an unofficial sense. Either

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