SETTING A PROPER FOUNDATION - I

Titus 1:5
Bob Bonner
November 16, 2008

One of the first projects I ever witnessed my father’s land development corporation build was a multistory bank building in Long Beach, California. As a lad of about eight or nine, I remember that it took months for them to determine whether or not they would be able to simply lay the foundation of the building right on top of the earth. Once they discovered that they were on bedrock, it seemed that in comparison to the speed with which the rest of the building went up, it took the longest time to establish the proper foundation for the rest of the building. When I quizzed my father about it, he explained to me the importance of setting a proper foundation before building the rest of a structure, especially a multi-floor building. He then explained the importance of carefully aligning each floor with that foundation. If one lower floor is off only an inch in any direction, the stories above will either be unstable or uninhabitable or both.

The principle of establishing a solid foundation for a sound building also applies for building a healthy, well-established church. In Ephesians 2:20, the Apostle Paul uses a building metaphor to explain how the church was established and how it is to be built up. He writes, “[The church] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” The “corner stone” was the key to the whole building. Its measurements and angles had to be exact, because all of the walls that were to follow took their lead from the angles of this stone. Hence, Jesus Christ would naturally be this stone, for He is perfect in every way. His teachings, acts, example, and most importantly, authority set the course for His church. In addition, following Christ’s lead, the foundation was established and finished by the first century apostles and prophets. Their finished work is the Word of God. Their examples and the revelation that God gave them is what make up the New Testament. Once they died, the foundation was established. The verb tense of “having been built” states that this foundation is a done deal in the past. It was finished. Once the foundation was established, the church has continued to be an ongoing building project, as verse 21 states. The stability of that growth process is founded upon quality leadership. Having godly, Biblical leadership, specifically elders, is absolutely imperative if one is going to have a sturdy, healthy local church, whose structure is similar to that of a family, the elders corresponding to guardians or parents, and the laity to siblings.  

The early church faced a daunting challenge in finding and preparing men to be qualified elders of the church, who would lead their local church families in the dual mission of reaching the lost for Christ and raising up mature Christians. Today, we face the same challenges they faced back then; nothing has changed. From the very birth of the church in Acts 2, as it appears to us, there have never been enough elders to get the work done, because either few are qualified or few are willing to do the work necessary to build into people’s lives.

Because the church family is alive and growing in number, the need for elders and the need to develop men to become elders is a never-ending, hard, demanding, and challenging job for the local church leadership. It was so in the first century, and it still persists today.  Furthermore, ongoing education of local church members by the leadership as to what the Bible says concerning how a church is to be led is also part of the church’s leadership responsibility. 

Our study of Titus and the development of the church on the island of Crete affords us a unique opportunity to discover what God’s Word has to say about the establishment of a healthy church right in the middle of a purely pagan, immoral, and unstable society, not too unlike what ours is becoming.

Crete was an important commercial weigh station for the southern Aegean Sea trade. As a result, it also became a center for the most current philosophical thought, religious views, perverted thoughts, and modern “isms” of the day. Hence Paul saw it as a critical and strategic location for the gospel to find a foothold. Crete was spiritually bankrupt from a Christian point of view, and the Christians there desperately needed to be discipled and taught the Word of God. When the Apostle Paul, Titus, and Timothy arrived in AD 65, they were the first known teachers of the Word of God to have ever visited the Christians on Crete. At the time, there was no evidence of an organized or formal church of any size on the island.

So when Paul and Timothy sailed away from Crete to Ephesus, Titus was left in charge of continuing the work of training the Christians in what it meant to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Shortly after leaving Crete, Paul wrote this letter to Titus giving him specific instructions on what Titus’ short term ministry goals should be. As we will see, Titus’ job was twofold: to set the church in order and to preserve it from doctrinal contamination. Setting the church in order came first, and that then would lead to proper doctrinal education.

In verse 5 Paul gives Titus two commands. He told them to “set in order what remains,” meaning bring the church, that is the collective group of believers, to a place where they can function in a godly manner. The beginning of that process would be “appointing elders.” And then in verses 6 through 9, Paul outlines what the qualifications for an elder must be on the island of Crete. From 1:10, presuming Titus will begin work on building up elders, Paul launches into the basics of what is necessary for there to be godly order in the church.

For the next several weeks, we will be looking closely at verses 5-9 and will study the concept of eldership and its qualifications as listed only here in Titus. The importance of the truths we will be looking at during these next several weeks cannot be overstated. The health and future of the church and its impact on the world for Christ in many ways rests upon whether or not we Christians remain committed to what God spells out in His Word concerning leadership and our response to it. 

Some Christians couldn’t care less about what the Bible has to say about church leadership. They simply want to go to church, hear a good sermon, pray, sing or listen to some inspiring music, and go on their way. That attitude possibly reveals one or two things about the individual. First, it could reveal an arrogant independent spirit that doesn’t really want or feel the need to be part of a family, a church family. This was very much the same independent spirit as had many on Crete at the time this letter was written. They were free spirited, lawless, and didn’t like authority or having others tell them what to do.  To put it mildly, they had control issues, much like we Americans have today. If we don’t like what is going on in the church, we begin to politic or campaign for our point of view or concern.  The Cretan’s independent spirit and control issues were so severe that later Paul warns Titus, in 3:9-10, to kick out such campaigning, divisive Christians. Look at what Paul tells us: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” The New American Standard Bible more accurately translates what “have nothing to do with him” really means. It says, “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”

I find it very interesting that this is the very same instruction I hear family counselors give parents when they have an independent, unruly teenager who causes unrest in the family. Warn the child, and then if no change takes place in the child’s actions, remove them from the family so that they don’t poison the rest of its members.  In the Old Testament, such a free-spirited, rebellious child was to be put to death! That’s capital punishment. All of this to say, that God takes seriously and stands against such arrogance and rebellion within the church family. One way or another, He will make sure that those whose actions or attitudes cause divisiveness in a church will be disciplined, either by the church leadership or by Himself. Obviously, there is a time to stand up or against leadership when they can be clearly shown to violate their Biblical mandate, but any other action that leads to divisiveness is to be dealt with harshly.

A second reason that some church attendees couldn’t care less about what God’s word has to say about church family life, and specifically how churches are to be led, is that these individuals lack understanding about what is absolutely necessary for them to grow up as healthy followers of Christ. For instance, the Bible teaches that the local church is to function as a family, and that every individual who calls a church their church home is to function properly in their role as part of that family. And as in a family, if parents are not godly leaders, and children are not taught how to honor their parents, the family falls apart. 

Likewise, if elders are not godly “parents,” and the congregation or “kids” don’t know how to honor their parents, the church falls apart. For children to grow up healthy and for a family to work together, it needs godly parents who can shepherd, guide, and build up the children. Likewise, if a church is going to grow up healthy it needs godly elders who are allowed and are able to shepherd, guide, and build up the fellow believers in the church family.

In the United States today, we find not only many unhealthy, fractured, dysfunctional families, but we also find many unhealthy church families. Just as there is no such thing as a perfect family, there is no such thing as a perfect local church. Yet, there are healthy families and healthy churches that are made up of good-willed, good-intentioned people who make many mistakes but have learned how to function and respond and love one another, keeping the main thing the main thing. For the church, that main thing is basically to glorify God and to make sure His gospel, the reaching of the lost and the building up of Christian disciples, is its number one priority. 

With that, let’s begin this important study on church leadership by reading Titus 1:5-9 and zeroing in on verse 5, in order to get a grasp on what eldership is all about. 

 ⁵For this reason I left you [Titus] in Crete, that you would set in order

what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

⁶namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having

children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. ⁷For the

overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not

quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of

sordid gain, ⁸but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout,

self-controlled, ⁹holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance

with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound

doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Paul’s first instruction to Titus is to “set in order what remains.” The verb Paul uses, “set in order,” comes from the verb root “orthos” from which we derive our English word, “orthodontist,” or a dental specialist who straightens and aligns crooked teeth. We also derive from it “orthopedic,” which describes a doctor who sets broken bones and straightens bent limbs.

“What remains” or “what was left unfinished” points to Paul’s unfinished work on Crete before he left for Ephesus. Paul’s mission to evangelize and establish the church in Crete had gotten underway before he left, but the work had only just begun. Titus’ assignment was to take up where Paul had left off and to complete projects that were left undone, such as appointing elders and confronting and correcting false teachers. 

The “appointing of elders in every city” reflects upon the immaturity or newness of the church in Crete. There is little or no indication as to how the procedure took place. The qualifications given by Paul were known by both Titus and other believers in Crete, but the Cretans themselves would have probably had a better ability to evaluate individual candidates than the newcomer, Titus, though he had the right of final approval in the end. This is similar to what occurred in Acts 5 when the Apostles, the first elders in the church at Jerusalem, gave instructions to the church family to recommend deacons and deaconesses who could share in the work of the ministry so that the elders could focus more intently on their priorities. Following those recommendations and the elders’ approval, those deacons and deaconesses went to work.

With the rest of our morning, our goal is to begin to get a grasp on what it means to be an elder. We want to understand what the Bible teaches concerning the relationship between an elder, an overseer, and a pastor. What many understand elders to be is a far cry from what God’s word actually teaches, which explains why certain churches struggle so much in fulfilling their calling to equip others to fulfill the purpose for which God saved them. 

In verse 5, we find our first Biblical word for leadership, “elder.” In the language of the New Testament, it is "presbuteros," from which the Presbyterians derive the name of their denomination. In both the Old and New Testaments, this term refers to older men and older women. In most instances, it is used not just to speak of older people, but it speaks of older people who have gained wisdom and godly character with age, and that they use their wisdom to make good decisions in life. 

The term “elder” is also used in the Old and the New Testaments to refer to one who is part of an august assembly of other elders whose social responsibility is to govern civilly and to make decisions on behalf of their town. One interesting note is that whenever this term elder is used to point out a town’s civil leadership or a church’s leadership, it specifically points to only men being placed in these positions of authority. I know that is not a politically correct statement to make these days. But modern political correctness is not what gives us direction in leading the church. It is the word of God that determines our course.

Even in the two New Testament chapters that lay out the specific qualifications for an elder, Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7, they both specifically instruct that males are to be elders. In addition, whereas there are specific qualifications that fit only men in both of these lists, there are no qualifications that uniquely fit women only.  Hence, an “elder” is an older man of character who has gained the spiritual wisdom necessary for making wise decisions.

The second term used to describe Biblical leadership is found in 1 Timothy 3:1. There, Paul uses the term “overseer,” or as some translations call it, “bishop.” Literally, the word in the original language is “episkopos”, a word from which we get the name of another church denomination, Episcopal.

This word “overseer” comes from a word that means to "diligently look over something." It carries with it the idea of ruling over or administrating or managing something. Take a forest ranger's job, for instance. His job is to oversee and take care of a certain section of the forest. Sometimes in the summer, you may find him up in a ranger station outpost in the middle of the forest looking over a valley to see if there are any signs of fire. At other times, he may be issuing instructions from his office to another forest ranger under his supervision. In either situation, this ranger is administrating or managing something. In the same way, a Biblical overseer is one who administrates or manages the local church family.

A third term used for leadership that is more often used in the setting of a church is that of the "pastor" or "shepherd". The Greek term “poimen” is the same for both, but only in one place do we find this noun form of "pastor" used in the New Testament as a reference to church leadership. It is used several times to talk about literal shepherds taking care of sheep, and it is used to refer to Jesus as our chief or senior shepherd or pastor. But only once is this word used for a church leader and that is in Ephesians 4:11.

We will look at this term a little more in depth, later, but for now, let's just simplify the definition of the shepherd as one who leads the sheep away from or out of danger and directs them to good food and water. That is the idea behind a shepherd or pastor. He leads and feeds the “flock” of God, meaning the church.

Now let's look at the scriptures to see how these terms are used and how each of them relate to one another. 

Look with me first at Acts 20:17, 28. In this section of scripture Luke is telling us about Paul's final goodbyes to the church leaders at Ephesus. In addition, Paul is giving these leaders some final instructions and warnings for the church. Luke writes in verse 17,  “And from Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.” These were the men that Paul appointed to be the leaders at the church at Ephesus. Now notice what Paul says to these same elders in verse 28 about how they are to function. He instructs them, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

What I want you to notice is that the term “elders” in verse 17 and the description of their function in verse 28 both mean “overseer” and “shepherd.” This term describing their function as overseers is the same term Paul uses in 1 Timothy 3:1 to describe their job as elders. As elders they are to both oversee and shepherd the flock.  Right here, the Apostle Paul links the leadership of the elders to the job of being both overseers and shepherds and pastors.

When you compare Titus 1:5-9 with 1 Timothy 3:1-7, you will see that the qualifications of church leadership in both lists are almost exactly the same. Yet in one passage, Titus, they are called elders and overseers, and in 1 Timothy they are called overseers only. What's the point? It is simply this: According to Acts 20, 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1, the passages concerning the leadership of the church, the terms "overseer" and "elder" are describing the very same position of leadership. They are one in the same office. Hence, an elder is the same thing as an overseer. In one passage, emphasis is made on the managing and administrating function of an elder, and in the other, the stress is on the spiritual age, track record, and spiritual wisdom necessary for making management decisions for the church family.

Now, let’s look at how elder and pastor/shepherd relate. If you remember Acts 20:17, 28, I showed you that the elder, who is also an overseer, has the responsibility to shepherd the flock. In other words, the term “pastor” or “shepherd” simply describes another aspect of the role that every elder is to have, that of a shepherd. This New Testament understanding of the role of an elder, and that an elder, overseer, and pastor/shepherd are all one in the same, is also supported by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:1-2. Peter writes:

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder

and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory

that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you,

exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily,

according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with

eagerness. 

Notice, that once again, as in Acts 20, Peter instructs elders to do the work of overseeing and pasturing.

So what conclusions can we draw from God’s Word concerning the role of an elder, a pastor and an overseer? There is only one conclusion possible and that is that the office of an elder, overseer, and pastor are all one and the same office. They are three different terms describing the same office, but they highlight the three different roles the body of elders take on as they lead the church family.

This is why we designate in our bulletin “elder/ pastor,” to help educate those who come here as to how we function as leaders. All elders are to be perceived as pastors and all pastors are to be seen as elders.

Here are a couple of Biblical questions I have for you: Am I the only qualified man in leadership here, to whom one can go to get help or counsel from the Word of God? Do I carry a Biblically unique role as one of the elders? We will learn about this next time.

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