The Rev. Joshua Frazee, associate pastor St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mayville, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Titus 1.
St. Paul begins his letter to Pastor Titus by outlining the crucial need for church leaders to be “above reproach” and teach sound doctrine. Although expected of all Christians, as representatives of Christ, there is a higher burden on pastors in this regard. Paul then strongly warns against false teachers and stresses the importance of confronting them. This chapter underscores the vital role of leaders in upholding the truth of the gospel and maintaining the church’s integrity.
The “Pastoral Epistles” of 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, written by the Apostle Paul and divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, are a treasure trove of invaluable insights into the early Christian church and God’s expectation for its leaders. These letters, brimming with wisdom, are not relics of the past but remain authoritative today. They offer a roadmap for navigating the challenges of leadership and teaching, making them not only essential for understanding the role of pastors but also for all Christians seeking to live a life that honors God’s will.
Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.
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Titus 1
Greeting
1 Paul, a servant[a] of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began[b] 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word[c] through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Qualifications for Elders
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[f] as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.[h] 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans,[i] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”[j] 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Footnotes
- Titus 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- Titus 1:2 Greek before times eternal
- Titus 1:3 Or manifested his word
- Titus 1:6 Or a man of one woman
- Titus 1:6 Or are faithful
- Titus 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos
- Titus 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13
- Titus 1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision
- Titus 1:12 Greek One of them
- Titus 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org
