Have you ever faced a seemingly impossible situation? Some years ago, I was given the job of coaching about twenty junior high boys on a basketball team. All of them were eager to play and expected to have playing time in each game. The parents wanted their child to play each game as well. With only five players allowed to play at one time, it was almost impossible to give each of them playing time not to mention direct one-on-one attention during practices.
I wonder if Titus felt like he had been left on Crete with an impossible situation. He was assigned to work with the new believers and to shore things up that weren’t quite right. And to make things even more difficult, he was to find godly men to fill leadership roles from a country known for its lack of character. Sound hopeless? Let’s take a look at what Paul told Titus to do.
- What does it say?
In this paragraph, Paul tells Titus why he had left him in Crete. There were some things that were lacking including the need to appoint elders in every city. The initial requirements for being an elder included being a man, being blameless, having only one wife, having children who are not wild or rebellious. Paul then lists five negatives that should not be part of an overseer’s life. He is not self-willed, not quick to get angry, not a drunkard, not violent, and not greedy. He then lists seven positive characteristics. He is to be hospitable, a lover of good things, sober minded, just, holy, self-controlled, faithful to the Bible and able to use it to correct error. - What does it mean?
There was some unfinished business in Crete (Titus 1:5).
According to one author, the island of Crete had between 20 and 40 cities at this time.1 We don’t know when Paul visited the island, but it is apparent that he left before things were setup. He had preached the gospel and some had believed. But his limited time there meant that the new believers needed someone to teach them and help them to think and act like believers. This is why Paul left Titus there. But what were his main concerns?
Crete had problems.
Paul recognized that the situation in Crete was not good. In general, the population was made up of people with bad character. For instance, “under Tiberius (ruled AD 14–37), Crete was used for exiles from Rome (Tacitus, Ann. 4.21).”2 This reminds me of Great Britain sending convicts to Australia. Perhaps this explains why some of the Cretans were described as rebellious, deceitful, greedy, liars, lazy, easily distracted, and warped. On top of that, the believers needed to learn to live in a way that matched their profession. As you can see, Titus faced quite a task to straighten things out.
Crete needed leaders.
Paul also recognized that things would not get better unless there were leaders in each town to model and teach good character. The truth is that one man couldn’t do everything. Paul couldn’t do it all. Titus couldn’t either. He would need to appoint godly men who would be good leaders for both the church and the others in each community.
When I was growing up, our church had pastors and elders. When an elder was ordained, the other pastors and elders would put their hands on his head and pray for him, commending him to God for the ministry in that church. But after being ordained to the ministry, what did he become? In our paragraph, Paul uses the words elder and bishop to describe these godly leaders. “Elders (presbuterous) are synonymous with overseers or bishops (v. 7). The former connotes their dignity, and the latter their function.”3
The duty of Titus was to make sure that each city had elders who would lead the people. But he wasn’t to just put anybody into these positions. Their lives had to match up to a list of godly character requirements. This was part of the unfinished business in Crete.
There was a need for godly leaders in Crete (Titus 1:6-9).
The basic requirements (Titus 1:6).
(1) He must be blameless.
The idea is that the elder should be “unblameable, irreproachable.”4 In other words, he should not have a reputation that would keep him from being looked up to as an example both in the church and in the community. McGee explains the importance of this. “When someone can point a finger at an office of the church and accurately accuse him of dishonesty, then the cause of Christ is hurt. It does not matter how naturally gifted a man may be, if someone can say that his speech does not reflect a dedication to Christ, then the cause of Christ is hurt, and that man should not be an officer of the church.”5
(2) He must be the husband of one wife.
The words used by Paul “can be rendered ‘a one woman man.’ … The inference being that the bishop must have nothing to do with any other woman.”6 What this phrase means exactly has been debated. According to Kent, there are five views: The pastor is (1) married only to the Church (Roman Catholic view), (2) not polygamous7, (3) not a remarried widower8, (4) not single9, or (5) not divorced10. However, it seems better to view this in a sixth sense. “The overseer must be a one-woman man. He must be devoted to her and give her all the love and consideration that a wife deserves.”11 It seems to me that God isn’t requiring a perfect past but a present dedication to one woman.
(3) He must be a man.
While many churches in America have chosen to have female pastors, this was not God’s intention. If you look at the last phrase, you will notice that an elder was not a one-spouse spouse. He was to be a one-woman man. Thus, only men are qualified to be elders. While some have pointed to Deborah the judge (Judges 4) and Philip’s daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9) as examples of women used by God, this does not change the fact that an elder must be a man.
(4) He must have faithful children.
Paul points out that the elder’s children also need to be faithful. They are not to be guilty of (not just accused of) debauchery or rebellious. This is especially true of those whose children are still in the home. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:5, “If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” The idea is that an elder is first to make sure his own family is in order before trying to lead the rest of the congregation.
But what about when a pastor’s children are grown and living on their own? This is something I am still thinking about. “The focus seems to be on children in the home and on their outward actions.”12 When a child is out of the home, it is difficult to blame the parents for how they act. You might say that it is a reflection of their training while at home. But ultimately, adult children are responsible for their own actions. Their actions after they leave home are not necessarily a good reflection of how they were taught at home.
These four characteristics are not all that are required of an elder. But they are the initial requirements before going any further. Once these have been established as true, the rest of them should be applied. Next Paul provides five negatives and seven positives.
The five negatives (Titus 1:7).
As Paul begins this second list of requirements, he does two things. First, he switches from talking about elders to bishops. As mentioned earlier, an elder is a title of honor while the term bishop refers to the duty of overseeing. Second, he goes back to the idea of being blameless. As God’s steward over a congregation, it is important that each overseer has a godly reputation. In the following list, we will see five negative characteristics that must not be present.
(1) He must not be self-willed. – The idea here is that he should not be “willful, obstinate; arrogant, stubborn.”13 There is no place for an arrogant or self-focused person in the leadership of the church. Those who are constantly tooting their own horn or are more concerned with their own ideas should not be put into this position. I think of how Moses responded to his position of leadership. It wasn’t all about him. He was meek and wanted to lead the people toward the Lord and not to himself.
(2) He must not be quick tempered. – You have probably met someone who gets angry quickly. He is known for acting on impulse and being angry. It is very difficult to work with someone like that. It is also difficult to work under someone who is so quick to becoming angry. Because of God’s mercy, an elder should not be quick to anger. Consider what Ephesians 4:32 says. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
(3) He must not be a drunkard. – The elder must not be someone who is controlled by alcohol. While this is particularly important for leaders in the church, it is something that all Christians are called to avoid. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” When someone gets drunk, they often say and do things that are not appropriate for a Christian. Being drunk also replaces the Holy Spirit’s leading. A pastor and any Christian should stay away from being controlled by alcohol.
(4) He must not be violent. – When someone is quick tempered and drunk, this often leads to being a violent person. You have heard of someone who often beats his wife, or who was always in the middle of an argument. They are “apt to strike.”14 While there are times when fighting may be necessary to protect others, however, an overseer should not be someone known for violence.
(5) He must not be greedy. – Covetousness is something that can take control of your life. For some, the desire for money controls them. And they are willing to do whatever it takes to get the money. Sadly, we have heard of leaders who were willing to be dishonest in their pursuit of more money. This ought not to be. An overseer should not be someone who is “pursuing dishonest gain.”15
The seven positives
(1) He must be hospitable. – This means that the overseer should be kind to others and willing to help them when necessary.
(2) He must love good things. – This means that he loves what is good and virtuous instead of things that are not.
(3) He must be sober minded. – When someone is sober minded, you think of someone who is not under the influence of alcohol. They are able to think clearly and are wise with their thoughts, words, and actions.
(4) He must be upright. – An upright person is someone who wants to do what is right. He is fair in his dealings with other people and wants to please the Lord.
(5) He must be holy. – Holy is not the same as “holy rollers,” “goody two shoes,” or “holier than thou.” It is a desire of someone who wants to be pure from sin and dedicated to God. This is different than what the world is like.
(6) He must be self-controlled. – Self-control could also be called disciplined. Someone who has mastered himself16 doesn’t allow his desires to pull him away into sin. He controls himself.
(7) He must be faithful to the Bible. – Clinging firmly to the Bible is a positive characteristic of an overseer. As he adheres to what the Bible teaches, he will understand God’s mind about matters and will be able to teach and confront those who are against God’s truth.
As you can see, there is a high standard for those wanting to become a pastor or elder in a church. These lofty standards are meant to protect the reputation of the church and the reputation of God and His message. - How does it apply?
Recognize the need for godly leadership.
As you listen to this message, it might seem like listening to the qualifications for an NFL quarterback. The women in the audience don’t see the relevance of these qualifications to them. The men who are not serving as pastors understand but don’t see the relevance to their lives. We might just as well have stayed home and let the pastor read his job description to himself. However, that wouldn’t be the best response to God’s instructions here.
We need to recognize God’s wisdom in requiring these qualifications for pastors. It shows us that God desires what is best for us. It shows us that He has a high standard for leaders. It also shows us what it would be like without these standards. Can you imagine being led by someone who did not meet up to these standards—drunk, violent, ignorant, ungodly, uncaring, etc.
Recognize your own need to have godly character.
You might hear this application and disagree a bit. You could say that you are not a candidate for pastor and that you don’t need to live to such high standards. But is that really the best response? Shouldn’t the listing of these characteristics drive us all to our knees to ask God to make each of us a godly person who can be used by Him?
The Holy Spirit has been working in your life ever since you became a Christian. He has been working to develop your character. Are you allowing Him to develop patience, gentleness, and self-control in your life? And if not, why not? Don’t you have a desire to be pleasing to the Lord in every aspect of your life? God didn’t save you from your sins just to give you a fire-insurance policy from Hell. He wants to make you more like Jesus every day. So, if you are lacking in some of these character qualities, ask God to help you to change. Then with God’s help, make the necessary changes in your life.
Pray for future leaders.
For over three decades, I have been involved with a group of pastors and churches. Many of the pastors have become older, retired, or even died. Who will take their place in the future? We should be praying that God will raise up workers not only for the mission field but also for our local churches. Perhaps someone in this congregation has felt the Lord stirring his heart about becoming a pastor or a missionary? As you seek God’s will about this, pray that God will make you a godly person who can be used at the right time.
Conclusion
Paul saw that the need was great on the island of Crete. The people were not known for their godly character. So, he left Titus in charge of appointing elders in each church in each town on the island. Despite the character of most of the people, Paul trusted that God would provide Christians with good character to lead the believers in that locality.
As you look at your own life, you may feel inadequate and unusable by God. But consider these encouraging words from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” God can do it. Will you let Him?
Bibliography
Kent Jr., Homer A., The Pastoral Epistles, Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, orig. 1958.
Litfin, A. Duane, “Titus” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Vol. V, 1 Corinthians through Revelation, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983.
“What are the biblical qualifications of a pastor?” as viewed at https://printer.gotquestions.net/GeneratePF?articleId=58360 on 4/26/2025.
“What Was Crete Like in Paul’s Day? (Titus)” as viewed at https://biblicalfoundations.org/crete-like-pauls-day/ on 4/26/2025.
Footnotes
- “What was Crete Like…” ↩︎
- “What was Crete Like…” ↩︎
- Kent 212. ↩︎
- https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/anenkletos ↩︎
- McGee 486. ↩︎
- Kent 122. ↩︎
- “More help is found in the phrase of 1 Timothy 5:9 regarding widows as ‘a wife of one husband.’ This is the same Greek expression except for the switch of terms. Whatever one means, the other must mean. If 3:2 means polygamy, then 5:9 must mean polyandry.” Kent 123. ↩︎
- “To cast suspicion upon the holiness of a second marriage is to impugn what Scripture nowhere denies, and reflects the spirit of asceticism which arose early in the church and has plagued her for twenty centuries. … The same thing could be said of the first marriage.” Kent 124. ↩︎
- “To take this as a demand that the overseer be married logically obligates the interpreter to understand that verse 4 demands that the overseer have children. Yet most expositors hesitate to go that far. Finally, we have the example of Paul himself who was an elder … and yet was unmarried.” Kent 124. ↩︎
- “There must be no record of divorce or other marital infidelity in the candidate, even before his conversion. … Extremely embarrassing complications might occur in the church if the minister’s divorced wife, mistresses, illegitimate children, or children of other marriages should light. Since such a condition would at least lay him open to reproach, it would violate the general qualification of blamelessness.” Kent 125. ↩︎
- Kent 126. ↩︎
- “What are the biblical qualifications of a pastor?” ↩︎
- https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/authades ↩︎
- https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/plektes ↩︎
- https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/aischrokerdes ↩︎
- https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/enkrates ↩︎