Considering the character witness of the churches in Crete
(Titus 1:12-13), Paul prefaces the list of qualifications for the appointment of elders
(Titus 1:5) with the words "if ANY be blameless" (Titus 1:6)
The FIRST criterion for leadership must be that one be
"blameless" in reference to the world, i.e. one who is "without rebuke" (Philippians 2:15),
so as to be a creditable witness "holding forth the Word of Life" (Philippians 2:16)
The FIRST practical test of leadership is that of a well
ruled household (Titus 1:6 cf.I Timothy 3:4-5)
The marriage relationship is termed a "GREAT mystery"
for it is Divinely designed to picture the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:30-32 cf.Genesis 2:21-24),
i.e. a representation of Christ in His relation to the "Church, which is His Body" (Ephesians 1:22-23)
The husband is to love his wife SACRIFICIALLY as Christ
loved the Church and "gave Himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25 cf.Ephesians 5:1-2)
"Faithful children not accused of riot or unruly"
(Titus 1:6) will indeed be all the more precious in the "last days"
(II Timothy 3:1) of grace when children will be "disobedient to parents"
(II Timothy 3:2)
A father is to encourage obedience in his children by
NOT "provoking them to wrath", BUT by "bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"
(Ephesians 6:4 cf.Colossians 3:21;I Thessalonians 2:10-12)
The FIRST characterization of the "last days"
(II Timothy 3:1) of grace concerning those "having a form
of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (II Timothy 3:5) is that they "shall be lovers of their own selves" (II Timothy 3:2)
A person with a self-focused mind is described as one
who is NOT walking in "lowliness of mind" (Philippians 2:3) and, consequently, characterizes one who is NOT showing forth the
"mind of Christ" by being foremost concerned with the needs of others (Philippians 2:4-5)
In the description of the believer's spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-13)
- the ONLY offensive weapon is
that of intercessory prayer for one another's spiritual well-being (Ephesians 6:17-18)
Anger is an emotion akin to wrath, which often stems from
bitterness (Ephesians 4:31)
It is possible to be justly angry and to "sin NOT"
if it is quickly disposed of (Ephesians 4:26) - otherwise, it's an invitation to fellowship with the Adversary (Ephesians 4:27)
A "soft tongue breaketh the bone" (Proverbs 25:15)
and a "soft answer turneth away wrath, BUT grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1) and, thus, the exhortation to use speech which "may minister
grace to the hearers" and is that "which is good to the use of edifying" (Ephesians 4:29)
One who leads must NOT be "given to wine" (Titus 1:7)
"Strong drink" is NOT for those who rule (Proverbs 31:4)
as it leads to the "forgetting" of truth and, thus, results in "perverted" judgment (Proverbs 31:5)
However, a leader is one who should be "filled with
the Spirit" wherein there is NO "excess" as is the case with wine (Ephesians 5:18)
One who leads must NOT be "given to filty lucre"
(Titus 1:7)
Paul did NOT use his position as an apostle for a "cloak
of covetousness" by preaching what pleased man, BUT he preached what pleased God Who entrusted him with the
gospel (I Thessalonians 2:4-6)
One who leads must be "a lover of hospitality"
(Titus 1:8), i.e, "NOT given to filthy lucre (gain)" (Titus 1:7)
- one who appreciates the Lord's words, "it is more blessed to give, than to receive" (Acts 20:35)
Hospitality is particularly in reference to the "distributing
to the necessity of saints" (Romans 12:13)
One who leads must be "a lover of good men",
i.e. literally, "a lover of the good (thing)" (Titus 1:8)
One must "abhor that which is evil" and "cleave
to that which is good" (Romans 12:9)
Rather than be "overcome with evil", one should
"overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21)
The Lord would have His people to be "wise unto that
which is good, and simple concerning evil" (Romans 16:19)
One who is "alert" is one who is "wise"
as concerning the time (Ephesians 5:15-16) and, therefore, is "NOT unwise, BUT understanding what the will
of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17)
One who is "alert" abstains from "foolish
talking" or "jesting", but rather is engaged in "the giving of thanks" (Ephesians 5:4)
"for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18)
One who leads must be "just (right)" (Titus 1:8)
in one's dealings with others (Colossians 4:1)
One who leads must be "temperate" (Titus 1:8),
i.e one who exercises "self control" by having one's eye on "the prize" (I Corinthians 9:24-27)
Under grace "all things are lawful ... BUT all things
are NOT expedient (profitable)" (I Corinthians 6:12)
Paul exhorts Titus as to "holding fast the FAITHFUL
Word as he has been taught" (Titus 1:9)
Paul's parting words to the elders of the church at Ephesus
specified the Word to which they were to commit themselves, i.e. "the Word of His GRACE" (Acts 20:32)
Paul exhorted Timothy to "be strong in the GRACE
that is in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 2:1) and to pass on "to FAITHFUL men, who shall be able to TEACH others
also" what he had heard from Paul "among
many witnesses" (II Timothy 2:2), i.e. the TEACHING God had committed to Paul concerning the "dispensation
of the GRACE of God" (Ephesians 3:2)
This GRACE particularly concerned the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1)
who are NOW "FELLOW (EQUAL) heirs (with the Jews), and of the SAME body" (Ephesians 3:6), which is called "the MYSTERY of (the) Christ" (Ephesians 3:3-4)
and "which in other ages was NOT MADE KNOWN unto the sons of men" (Ephesians 3:5 cf.Colossians 1:26)
Truly the GRACE of God indeed to the Gentiles who "in
TIMES PAST" (Ephesians 2:11) "were WITHOUT Christ, being ALIENS from the commonwealth of Israel,
and STRANGERS from the covenants of
promise" (Ephesians 2:12 cf.Romans 9:4-5),
"BUT NOW in Christ Jesus ... are MADE NIGH by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13) "that He might reconcile BOTH (Jew and Gentile) unto God in ONE
body by the cross" (Ephesians 2:16) by having "broken down the MIDDLE WALL of PARTITION between us
(Jew and Gentile)" (Ephesians 2:14), i.e. "the LAW of COMMANDMENTS contained in ORDINANCES" (Ephesians 2:15 cf.Colossians 2:14)
Paul exhorts Titus as to "be able by SOUND DOCTRINE
to exhort and convince (convict) the gainsayers (contradicters)" (Titus 1:9)
The "GAINSAYERS" (Titus 1:9) are identified as "specially they of the CIRCUMCISION" (Titus 1:10)
These "VAIN TALKERS" (Titus 1:10)
are those who have "turned aside unto VAIN JANGLING, desiring to be teachers of the LAW" (I Timothy 1:6-7)
They understand "NEITHER WHAT they say, NOR WHEREOF
they affirm" (I Timothy 1:7), because they do NOT use the LAW "LAWFULLY" (I Timothy 1:8)
They know NOT "that the LAW is NOT made for a righteous
man, BUT for the LAWLESS and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners" (I Timothy 1:9)
When God gave the LAW, he declared it to be "a WITNESS
AGAINST THEE" (Deuteronomy 31:26) - the Hebrew word ("aron") translated as "ark"
is also rendered as "coffin" (Genesis 50:26)
Thus, the LAW is "CONTRARY TO SOUND DOCTRINE, according
to the GLORIOUS GOSPEL of the blessed (happy) God" commited to Paul's trust (I Timothy 1:10-11), i.e. "the GOSPEL of the GRACE of God" (Acts 20:24)
The LAW engenders "the spirit of BONDAGE to fear"
(Romans 8:15) which is characteristic of a "SERVANT" (Galatians 4:1-3),
whereas GRACE imparts "the spirit of ADOPTION" (Romans 8:15) which is characteristic of a "SON", i.e. a "FULL GROWN
heir" (Galatians 4:4-7)