20230312 Titus 1:5-16 Healthy Leadership for a Healthy Faith

The books When a Narcissist Comes to Church, The Pandora Problem, and The Bully Pulpit, and the podcast “The rise and fall of Mars Hill” highlight narcissism among church leaders. Narcissism thrives in church cultures that prioritize a production on Sundays, numerical growth, public speaking eloquence, and charismatic personality, over Christ-centered worship, Christlike character, and emotionally healthy spirituality. When a church is so closely tied to the name of its pastor, he becomes untouchable. He is protected by an ambiguous structure void of a system for accountability. In these structures, one of the most prized values is loyalty, either to the organization or to the leader. Anyone who dares to question the system is accused of wrongdoing and banished as the wrongdoer. The popularity of the podcast and these books shows that the diagnosis resonates because so many have been victims of toxic church structures and leadership. 

Before we go around pointing the finger, we need to remember that there are narcissistic tendencies in all of us. We all want praise. We do not like it when our flaws are noticed. When we have power, some of us tend to abuse it at the expense of the people we are called to serve. 

In his letter to Titus, Paul instructs him on how to develop healthy churches. In Titus 1:1-4, Paul understood his own ministry as serving the spiritual health of Christians. His apostleship was for the sake of our healthy trust in Christ, our healthy knowledge which accords with godliness, and the life-changing hope of eternal life. In Titus 1:5-16, Paul discusses healthy leadership. He talks about the need (Tit 1:5, 10-16), the qualities (Tit 1:6-9), and the result (Tit 1:13) of healthy church leadership.

Titus 1:5, 10-16 presents the need for Healthy Leadership (Tit 1:5; 10-16). 

The Bible presents the need for healthy leadership, throughout. In the book of Judges, the author repeats the same phrase four times: “the people did what was right in their own eyes, because they did not have a king.” (Jud 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The repetition makes it emphatic that if they had the right king, he would lead the people in righteousness. This expectation is ultimately fulfilled in Christ who not only showed the way of righteousness, he was the way. He did more than show a way to imitate, he accomplished righteousness for his people. He did what we could never achieve and as we trust in Him, his righteousness has been given to us. 

This fulfillment in Christ does not neglect the fact that God uses people but even then, this is fascinating. God enacts his rule through people, as they hold fast, practice, and teach, His Word. This is true all the way from Israel’s kings to elders in the church. For kings, Deut 17:14-20 requires that they make a copy of the law and read it every day so that as they rule, God is ruling through them. Godly leadership is never done our way, but God’s way, so that he is the true ruler. You could argue that the whole Bible until Jesus is a story of failure in human leadership, and yet, Moses and Paul give us a glimpse of what leadership that relies on God looks like. In Exod 32:32, Moses offered to die on behalf of the people. In Rom 9:3, Paul wishes that he himself could be separated from Christ if it meant that the people of Israel could be found in Christ. Godly leadership is Christ-like, it self-sacrifices for the good of others. This kind of leadership is valid at work, school, church, and even in our families. It points to Christ.

Paul stresses the importance of healthy leadership in Tit 1:5 when he writes that Titus’ mission in Crete is to correct things and to appoint elders in every city. Tit 1:10-16 stress the need for elders further and their role to promote truth which accords with godliness. About the church in Crete, Paul writes in Tit 1:10, that there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They were spreading false teaching which according to Tit 1:11 was disrupting whole households and was for dishonest gain. To speak of the character of these false teachers, he quotes a prophet from Crete who says, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” Tit 1:16 adds that they deny God by their actions, “They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” Paul writes that they must be silenced (Tit 1:11) and be rebuked sharply (Tit 1:13). This language is strong. Paul is passionate about a healthy church, where Christians flourish in a healthy community marked by godliness that rests on healthy and true teaching.

We have three hints to uncover the false teaching. Tit 1:10 refers to the “circumcision group.” Tit 1:14 speaks of Jewish myths and the commandments of men. Tit 1:15 speaks of spiritual cleanness. False teachers were promoting extra-biblical Jewish traditions. They were promoting a moral code to obtain spiritual purity. In 1 Tim 4:3, a parallel passage, the problem was forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain foods. This is an anti-Christian message. The proper teaching is that purity does not come from what you do or eat, but from Jesus. Tit 1:15 contrasts those who are pure with those who do not believe. What matters for purity is Jesus. We need to be clothed with Christ. Rather than forbidding things in an unhealthy legalistic manner, we must point people to Jesus. The solution to sin is not a lifestyle. It is in vain to encourage people to do more and be more. They need Jesus. To the clean, who have Jesus, nothing is unclean because they are in Christ and clothed with Christ’s righteousness. To the unclean, who are the unbelieving according to Tit 1:15, even their best needs are still filthy rags before God (Isa 64:6).

Application: While we do not go around telling people to keep extra-biblical Jewish practices, we can do likewise with our own cultural biases. We can evaluate how pure someone is not based on Christ, but by what they listen to, what they wear, how they vote, what they drink, whether they listen to a particular theologian. There is wisdom in seeking to please God in all of life, but purity is found in Christ alone, so we point to a person rather than a code.

Tit 1:6-9 present the qualifications of an elder. 

The list begins strongly in Tit 1:6 with “blamelessness.” This is not sinlessness, but the practical qualification of being without blame. They are not going to be open to attack or criticism in terms of their Christian life in a way that would hinder the reputation of the church. The way to this kind of blamelessness is to be quick to confess our sin so that others do not have to do it for us. 

The second trait is a “one-woman-man.” This does not mean elders have to be married. Paul himself was single. It means not married to more than one woman, not committing adultery, and not having the reputation of a flirt while being married. Jesus teaches that anyone who looks at another lustfully has committed adultery in their heart, which makes most of us over a certain age guilty. Elders are like all. They are sinners saved by grace who are in need to pursue righteousness. 

Third, elders have faithful or believing children. This does not mean the childless are not qualified. Nor does this refer to adult children who have denied the faith. It speaks of the kind of person who is or would be intentional about raising their children in the way of the Lord. The parent’s responsibility is to point their child to Jesus. Ultimately no parent can take credit or full responsibility for a child’s faith or lack of. 

Tit 1:7 continues with a negative list. Elders cannot be stubborn, quick-tempered, a drunkard, a bully/quarreler/violent (NIV), or greedy for money. The positive list continues in Tit 1:8 hospitable (lit. lovers of strangers), a lover of good, self-controlled or mindful, righteous, devout, disciplined (meaning impulses are under control). Tit 1:6-8 are three verses that deal with a person’s character. Tit 1:9 focuses on the ability to teach. Elders must like the kings of Israel hold fast to the teaching of the faithful word. This will allow them to exhort and comfort with healthy teaching and refute those who contradict the healthy teaching.

Application: This applies to all of us. 

First, God loves us. We need healthy leadership. God cares for us by working through leaders filled with the Holy Spirit to care for us and guide us to enjoy eternal life today. God gives us elders to be godly examples, to help us, support us, train us, and equip us. Elders need fellow elders to do those things for them, so every Christian benefits from God’s gift of elders. 

Second, this text is important for electing elders. Anyone meeting these qualifications is eligible. 1 Tim 3 adds two qualifications that are noteworthy. An elder cannot be a recent convert and must have a good reputation among outsiders. 

Third, this text describes a godly Christian character that is not exclusive to elders. As we are in Christ and the Spirit is working in us, every one of us will become more like this. I point people to this list when they are looking for a spouse! Leadership means influence. Whether you are a sibling, co-worker, manager, teacher, or parent, you have influence, so everyone is a leader. Value this list. Value influence through your gospel-shaped character and words. 

Fourth, I feel a little hypocritical teaching this material on biblical eldership as one who has been an elder. In small ways and sometimes in big ways I fall short. The most important trait for any Christian role of influence is not perfection but holding fast to Jesus. Tit 1:9 says the elder “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught.” The most important characteristic has little to do with us, and everything to do with Jesus. A Christian leader must remember his identity in Christ and that we are clothed in him. He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15). All that we do, we do because we are connected to him. The one who trusts Jesus will trust his words and encourage others by pointing people to Jesus and then expose and refute gently and wisely those who contradict healthy teaching. The best kind of Christian leader is one who is transparent, who gets out of Jesus’ way. A Christian leader is never the real leader. In 1 Pet 5:4, as Peter writes about elders, he says that Jesus is the chief shepherd. Any elder at best is an under shepherd serving the true shepherd. We must serve as he served. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give himself as a ransom for many.

Tit 1:13 presents the result of healthy leadership, healthy faith.

Paul highlights the problem of false teachers disrupting families. Paul’s solution is to appoint qualified elders. In Tit 1:13, Paul states the goal, that the church might be healthy in the faith. Authority is a word that is hard, because of the pervasive abuse of authority. What if those who ruled over us always sought our best interest? Children need good parents to guide them through the hardships of life and to equip them to thrive in our complex society. At work, we need supervisors who have more information than us, who will give us the benefit of the doubt, encourage us, and teach us new skills. In the church, we want to develop healthy leaders. Some will be elders, but we want all to be leaders in some way, as we influence with character and words. All have unique experiences that will help us apply the Scriptures more meaningfully. We want to influence one another and encourage each other to hold on to Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This leads to a spiritually healthy community.

Conclusion: 

In Tit 1:5-16, Christ’s word and leadership is the foundation for healthy leadership. We may feel inadequate, but it is not about us. For his own glory, Christians are God’s instruments of healing, encouragement, equipping, and discipleship. No matter where we are in our journey, in Christ we will keep growing as we cling to Jesus by feeding on his word, holding fast to it. Through this ongoing act of faith, God works in mighty ways, using our influence and leadership, he cultivates a healthy community!