Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’s Instruction to Titus

In striking contrast to faithful children are those who are wild or insubordinate: “not accused of dissipation or rebellion.” These are very strong words. “Dissipation” means “debauchery,” “profligacy,” or “wild, disorderly living” (cf. 1 Peter 423,4; Luke 15:13). “Rebellion” means to be “disobedient,” “unruly,” or “insubordinate.” Wild, insub ordinate children are a terrible reflection on the home, particularly on the father’s ability to guide and care for others. A man who aspires to eldership but has profligate children is not a viable candidate for church leadership. The unquestionable necessity for a prospective elder to be above reproach as a husband and father is reinforced in verse 7a: “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward.” Paul’s repetition of the idea that an elder must be “above reproach” shows the intensity of his feelings on this matter. The conjunction “for” in verse 7a shows the close, logical connection in thought with verse 6. Verse 7a illumi nates a profound reason for the necessity of the qualifications that ap pear in verse 6: an elder is God’s household manager. Since an elder must manage God’s household, it logically follows that he must be able to manage his own family. This is the same reasoning Paul uses in 1 Timothy 3252 “if a man does not know how to manage his own house hold, how will he take care of the church of God? In verse 7a, Paul switches to the title “overseer” (episkopos): “For the overseer must be above reproach.” Some scholars try to assert that the change in terminology indicates a change of subject. They claim that Paul is no longer talking about the elders but about the church overseer. They say that the church overseer is selected from among the elders, who comprise an informal body of senior members. The over seer is then the official leader of the church.5 Thus, they conclude, Titus was instructed to appoint from among the elders an “overseer” for each city. This interpretation, however, violates the natural reading of the pas sage. The text does not say that the overseer is chosen from the body of elders. Furthermore, if verse 7 begins a list of qualifications for someone other than the elders of verses 5 and 6—someone superior to the elders—it is a most confusing and awkward subject change. Such a change makes complete nonsense out of the transitional word “for” that connects verses 6 and 7. The clear message of verse 5 is that Paul left Titus in Crete to appoint “elders,” not to appoint elders and an overseer or an overseer from among the elders. It is best to affirm the

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