Bible Study Titus 1
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Titus 1 · WEB

Qualifications for Elders

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Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began;
3but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;
4to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;
6if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
7For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;
8but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;
9holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
10For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.
12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons."
13This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
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Summary

Paul greets Titus as his true child in the faith and reminds him why he was left on the island of Crete: to set things in order and appoint qualified elders in every city. Paul outlines the character requirements for overseers — blameless, self-controlled, hospitable, and firmly grounded in sound doctrine. He then warns Titus about the many rebellious teachers on Crete who must be silenced because they deceive others for dishonest gain, contrasting purity of heart with the corruption of those who profess God but deny him by their works.

Themes

  • Qualifications and character of church leaders
  • Sound doctrine versus false teaching
  • The importance of church order and structure
  • Purity of heart and conscience
  • Profession of faith proven by works

Key verses

  • Titus 1:15 — “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”
  • Titus 1:16 — “They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.”
  • Titus 1:5 — “I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you.”
  • Titus 1:9 — “Holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.”

Context & background

Paul wrote this letter c. AD 62-65 to Titus, a Gentile coworker, who had been left on the island of Crete (modern Greece, in the Mediterranean Sea south of mainland Greece) to organize the young churches there. Crete had a reputation for moral laxity, deceit, and excess — Paul quotes the Cretan poet Epimenides to confirm this. Establishing qualified elders was essential to anchor these believers in sound doctrine and protect them from the many false teachers, particularly those from a Jewish-Christian background, who were leading whole households astray.

Cross-references

  • 1 Timothy 3:1-7 — Parallel list of qualifications for overseers
  • 2 Corinthians 8:23 — Titus described as Paul's partner and fellow worker
  • Acts 27:7-13 — Paul's earlier brief contact with Crete on his voyage to Rome
  • Mark 7:15 — Jesus' teaching on purity coming from within, not without
  • Matthew 7:16-20 — Recognizing false teachers by their fruit

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    Why did Paul leave Titus in Crete?

  2. Observe

    Which of the following is listed as a disqualification for an overseer?

  3. Interpret

    What does Paul mean when he says "to the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure" (v. 15)?

  4. Interpret

    Why does Paul require an elder to hold firmly to "the faithful word which is according to the teaching" (v. 9)?

  5. Apply

    Paul says the false teachers "profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him" (v. 16). What personal challenge does this raise?

  6. Apply

    The elder qualifications Paul lists include virtues such as being sober-minded, fair, self-controlled, and hospitable. How should a believer who is NOT an elder relate to these qualities?

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