The Necessity of Elders
“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, NASB)
After his rich greeting to Titus, Paul jumps right into his reason for writing. There are churches in Crete and that is a good thing. But they still need to be put in order. They need to be structured and organized. According to Paul, the necessary component for establishing and keeping that order is the appointment of elders in every city.
It is important to gain some perspective here. Unlike today, there were not several different churches in every city. For example, the Cretan city of Lasea did not have a Baptist church on Main Street, a Presbyterian church on Broadway, and a Methodist church on Oak. They were the church in Lasea. They were, however, what we consider the local church. They would have been a distinct gathering from the church in Phoenix (another Cretan city) in the same way that the Baptist church on Main Street is a distinct gathering from the Methodist church on Oak.
With this perspective in view, what Paul is saying is clear. This is not a call for a board to rule over a group of churches from the outside. Paul is instructing that every local church ought to have its own appointed elders. And I believe the text teaches a plurality of elders in each local body. Otherwise, Paul’s wording is awkward at best. He does not say there is to be appointed an elder in every city, but elders in every city. Therefore, it is necessary for church order that a plurality of elders be appointed to rule and lead each local body.
Is it any wonder that there is so much disorder in many modern churches? Some are led by celebrity pastors and cultish personalities. Others are led by the church members with the loudest mouths and biggest pocketbooks. Too many are led by a church gestapo of sorts. Sometimes it is made up of the deacons. Sometimes a committee. Often, it’s a combination of both. Either way, when you find the backdoor meetings, you’ve found the church gestapo. Scripture’s way is always the best way, and Scripture’s way is a plurality of elders.
The Character of Elders
In verses 6-9a Paul gives a healthy list of qualifications for elders. It is not enough to just find bodies to fill the spots on the elder board. Some churches have long-standing by-laws that require a certain number of people to serve on their committees and boards. In an effort to comply with the by-laws, they will make all manner of compromises to attain those numbers. This is ludicrous. Better to throw out the by-laws (gasp!) than to compromise on the standards of God’s Word. Only men of a certain character should serve as elders.
I am not going to do a deep dive into each of these for the sake of brevity, but I will list them and say just a few words. The elder must be:
A man. Paul says it must be any man who is above reproach. Some would argue that Paul is not being gender specific, but he is instead using the general term for humanity (i.e. Man shall not live on bread alone clearly refers to mankind, not just males). But Paul makes that interpretation impossible by directly specifying that the man is “the husband of one wife.” One may seek a loophole in the term “man”, but “husband” is undeniably gender specific.
Above reproach. This does not mean the elder must be perfect. No one could ever meet that standard. But the elder must live without scandal. His righteousness must be such that there are no “skeletons” to be discovered in his closet. This is also spoken in the present tense. A man “with a past” is not disqualified from serving. Paul had a past. The emphasis is on the current reputation of the man.
Husband of one wife. I interpret this to mean a man who is faithful to his wife. Polygamy was rampant at the time. Even if a man only had one wife, that didn’t keep him from having other women on the side or from visiting the various pagan temples where adulterous acts could be performed. These things were socially acceptable. In fact, if a man did not engage in these things he would have been seen as odd. Once again, this is present tense. I don’t believe a divorce in a man’s past automatically disqualifies him from serving. We ought to consider his case and make a determination.
Having children who believe. I do not take this to mean that his children must have made a profession of faith. If that were true, the elder who has a newborn would need to resign from his post until his child is older and makes the profession. This is a call to evaluate the evidence of the man’s discipling of his children. Is it evident that he trains them in the faith at home? Are they children who exemplify a godly man’s instruction?
Children not accused of dissipation or rebellion. Once again, this does not mean perfection. Otherwise, the elder must step down the first time his toddler has a tantrum. Are the children evidence of order and discipline in the home?
Not self-willed. He must not be obsessed with himself or interested in self-gratification. The narcissist can never be an elder.
Not quick-tempered. He must be patient and slow to anger.
Not addicted to wine. Though he is not prohibited from drinking alcohol, he must not abuse it. He must be disciplined in his use.
Not pugnacious. He must not be abusive or given to bully tactics. The elder must never be the type to say or think, “Cross me and see what happens.”
Not fond of sordid gain. He must not be greedy or given to the love of money. Some have used this to justify paying poverty-level wages to pastors. This is a gross negligence of the meaning of the text. The elder must not be a swindler. He must be content, but that does not mean he and his family have to live in poverty.
Hospitable. Overall, he must be welcoming. He must be willing to serve and welcome people.
Loving what is good. He must possess a desire for pure, good, and godly things. It is implied, therefore, that he also possesses a disgust for wickedness, evil, and impurity.
Sensible. He must be disciplined.
Just. He must live in an upright and righteous manner.
Devout. He must be holy, committed to living set-apart for the glory of God.
Self-controlled. He must have control of himself and not be easily led around by his emotions and senses.
Holding fast to the Word. He must be committed to God’s Word and he must not waiver from it.
Think about the last time your church was searching for a pastor. Did they use this standard? I have seen my fair share of churches on the hunt for a new pastor. Sadly, I have seen few use the Scripture as their guide. Some go so far as to specify what age and size of family they want him to have. Paul didn’t seem concerned with the kinds of things we concern ourselves with when searching for elders/pastors. Imagine if we stopped doing those church surveys and stopped trying to figure out what we want in a pastor or what our context needs in a pastor. What if we just use the Scripture? I know, it’s a revolutionary idea.
All of these are qualities that all Christians should seek to attain. But the elder must be a man who exemplifies them.
The Purpose of Elders
There is much debate about the role of an elder/pastor (These terms, along with overseer, are interchangeable). What must he do? We make it complicated. Paul makes it simple. Why must the elder have all of these qualities? So he can properly fulfill his purpose. What is his purpose? To “exhort in sound doctrine” and “refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). His purpose is to teach, preach, and train in proper doctrine according to the Word of God, and to guard against false doctrine by refuting those who propose it. The elder/pastor is not an event planner, party organizer, strategy and program developer, inspirational speaker, politician, crowd-gatherer, etc. He has been entrusted with a double-edged sword. With one side, he proclaims truth to the saints. With the other side, he wards off the wolves. When he is doing neither, he ought to be spending time honing his skills and training in the use of his weapon.
I pray our churches return to a plurality of godly elders. And may the Lord raise up men to fulfill that calling.