Titus 1:5-9 text and CSB Study Notes

Titus 1:5-9 (CSB)

5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: 6 one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. 7 For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

1:5 On elders, see notes at 1Tim 3:1 and 3:2-7.

1 Timothy 3

3:1 The terms overseer, "elder," and "pastor" are all used in the NT to refer to the same office. "Overseer" emphasizes the task of watching over the congregation (Heb 13:17).

3:2-7 These verses do not give a job description for the pastor. They describe the character of a person who would serve in this office. The list is not intended to be exhaustive, but it envisions a person of mature Christian character.

3:2 The meaning of husband of one wife is widely debated. It probably does not refer to the issue of divorce. It could be a prohibition of polygamy, but most likely it refers to marital faithfulness in general. An able teacher is the one requirement in this list that is not necessarily required of all believers. It is also not required of deacons. Thus, it is a distinguishing mark of the pastor (Titus 1:9).

3:4-5 The management of one's own household is highlighted by the greater amount of discussion given to it. The home is the proving ground of Christian character. This complements the picture of the church as "God's household" (v. 15).

3:6 The point of this verse is not that new believers tend to be more proud, but that quickly elevating a new convert to a leadership position might result in sinful pride.

1:6 On husband of one wife, see note at 1Tim 3:2. Having faithful children assumes, but does not require, that such men will likely have children at home still under their authority. The word "faithful" can also be translated "believing." This raises an important question about whether pastors are required to have Christian children or children who are more generally "faithful" or obedient. This word and its related forms in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus most often refer to having saving faith and not merely to being "faithful." But context is the primary issue in understanding which nuance of the word is intended. The emphasis of the context here is on a man fulfilling his duties well. No father can guarantee the conversion of his own children. He can better insure that they act in a "faithful" way while they live under his supervision. Also, the parallel passage in 1 Timothy 3 speaks only to the children being well behaved, not to their conversion. Thus, Paul was requiring pastors to govern the behavior of their children, not allowing them to be characterized by wildness or rebellion.

Word Study: episkopos

episkopos

Greek Pronunciation	[eh PIHS kah pahs]
HCSB Translation	overseer
Uses in Titus	1
Uses in the NT	5
Focus passage	Titus 1:7

By the time of the NT, episkopos already enjoyed a long history of usage, referring to deities or community officials, rulers, or leaders. In the NT, however, the term takes on a clearly religious overtone, appearing as a title meaning an overseer (apparently synonymous with presbuteros [elder]; Ac 20:28; Titus 1:7). In the early church, the Holy Spirit commissioned each overseer through apostolic selection and appointment (Ac 14:23, 20:28; Titus 1:7). The overseer held a vital service role within the congregation (1Tim 3:1). This necessitated high moral standards and management skills (1Tim 3:2-7; Titus 1:7-9). Several overseers were responsible for shepherding and managing the affairs of their local congregation (Ac 20:28; Php 1:1; Titus 1:7). Jesus, to whom belongs the church, is the "shepherd and guardian" par excellence (1Pe 2:25).

1:9 It was common for ancient authors to emphasize one item in a list by placing it at the beginning or end and then giving it significantly longer treatment than the other items. This is what Paul does here. While he spent only a few words on the items in verses 6-9, his treatment of this last subject is both long and grammatically complex. By this means he emphasized the importance of an "overseer" (v. 7) being able to teach. The reason for this is clear from what follows (vv. 10-16).