Survey of the Letters of Paul back to the top     back to main page for this verse Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; This section has 3 verses: 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; We will begin with the Barclay: THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH ...we read this part of the commentary last week which covers verse 6 and the first part of verse 7. Paul uses one very vivid word. The family of the elder must be such that they cannot be accused of profligacy [prof-li-guh-see] [shameless, reckless extravagance]. The Greek word is aso¯tia. It is the word used in Luke 15:13 for the riotous living of the prodigal son. The person who is aso¯tos is wasteful, extravagant and incapable of saving, and spends everything on personal pleasure. Such a person loses it all and in the end suffers personal ruin. One who is aso¯tos is the old English scatterling, the Scots ne’er-do-well, the modern waster. Aristotle, who always described a virtue as the midpoint between two extremes, declares that on the one hand there is stinginess, on the other there is aso¯tia, reckless and selfish extravagance, and the relevant virtue is generosity. The household of the elder must never be guilty of the bad example of reckless spending on personal pleasure. Quoted verse: Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. See my sermon on the subject: Rampageous [ram-pey-juh s] Further, the family of the elder must not be undisciplined. Nothing can make up for the lack of parental control. In his book on the Pastorals, Sir Robert Falconer quotes a saying about the household of the English statesman and martyr Sir Thomas More: ‘He controls his family with the same easy hand: no tragedies, no quarrels. If a dispute begins, it is promptly settled. His whole house breathes happiness, and no one enters it who is not the better for the visit.’ The true training ground for the eldership is at least as much in the home as it is in the church. ~Barclay commentary See my sermon on discipline: Zucht [zyxt] [https://www.howtopronounce.com/german/zucht/] Now for the Barclay commentary that covers the second part of verse 7 WHAT THE ELDERS MUST NOT BE He must not be obstinately self-willed; he must not be an angry man; he must not be given to drunken and outrageous conduct; he must not be a man ready to come to blows; he must not be a seeker of gain in disgraceful ways. HERE is a summary of the qualities from which the elders of the church must be free – and every one is described by a vivid word. (1) Elders must not be obstinately self-willed. The Greek is authade¯s, which literally means pleasing himself. The person who is authade¯s has been described as someone ‘who is so pleased with himself that nothing else pleases him and he is not interested in pleasing anybody’. R. C. Trench, the Archbishop of Dublin, said of such a man that ‘he obstinately maintains his own opinion, or asserts his own rights, while he is reckless of the rights, opinions and interests of others’. The Greek ethical writers had much to say about this fault of authadeia. Aristotle set on the one extreme the man who pleases everybody (areskos), and on the other extreme the man who pleases nobody (authade¯s), and between them the man who had in his life a proper dignity (semnos). He said of the authade¯s that he was the man who would not converse or associate with anyone. Eudemus said that the authade¯s was the man who ‘regulates his life with no respect to others, but who is contemptuous’. Euripides said of him that he was ‘harsh to his fellow citizens through want of culture’. Philodemus said that his character was made up in equal parts of conceit, arrogance and contemptuousness. His conceit made him think too highly of himself; his contemptuousness made him think too meanly of others; and his arrogance made him act on his estimate of himself and others. Clearly, the person who is authade¯s is an unpleasant character. People like that are intolerant, condemning everything that they cannot understand and thinking that there is no way of doing anything except their way. Such a quality, as W. Lock said in his commentary, ‘is fatal to the rule of free men’. No one who shows contemptuous and arrogant intolerance is fit to be an office-bearer of the Church. (2) Elders must not be quick-tempered. The Greek is orgilos. There are two Greek words for anger. There is thumos, which is the anger that quickly blazes up and just as quickly subsides, like a fire in straw. There is orge¯, the noun connected with orgilos, and it means ingrained anger. It is not the anger of the sudden blaze, but the wrath which is continually fed to keep it alive. A blaze of anger is an unhappy thing, but this long-lived, purposely maintained anger is still worse. Those who nourish their anger against another person are not fit to be office-bearers of the Church. (3) Elders must not be given to drunken and outrageous conduct. The word is paroinos, which literally means given to overindulgence in wine. But the word widened its meaning until it came to describe all conduct which is outrageous. The Jews, for instance, used it of the conduct of Jews who married Midianite women; the Christians used it of the conduct of those who crucified Christ. It describes the character of someone who, even in sober moments, acts with the outrageousness of a drunk. (4) Elders must not be ready to come to blows. The word is ple¯kte¯s, which literally means a striker. It would seem that in the early Church there were overzealous bishops who disciplined erring members of their flock with physical violence, for the Apostolic Canons lay it down: ‘We order that the bishop who strikes an erring believer should be deposed.’ The fifth-century heretic Pelagius says: ‘He cannot strike anyone who is the disciple of that Christ who, being struck, returned no answering blow.’ The Greeks themselves widened the meaning of this word to include not only violence in action but also violence in speech. The word came to mean one who browbeats others, and it may well be that it should be translated in this way here. Anyone who abandons love and resorts to violence of action or of speech is not fit to be an office-bearer of the Christian Church. (5) Elders must not be seekers of gain in disgraceful ways. The word is aischrokerde¯s, and it describes people who do not care how they make money as long as they make it. It so happens that this was a fault for which the Cretans were notorious. The Greek historian Polybius said: ‘They are so given to making gain in disgraceful and acquisitive ways that among the Cretans alone of all men no gain is counted disgraceful.’ Plutarch said that they stuck to money like bees to honey. The Cretans counted material gain far above honesty and honour. They did not care how much their money cost them; but every Christian knows that there are some things which cost too much. Anyone whose only aim in life is to amass material things, irrespective of how that is achieved, is not fit to be an office-bearer of the Christian Church. ~Barclay commentary Now to the other commentaries.  We will begin with the general and proceed to the specific. The ground of this qualification is shown from the nature of his office (Titus1:7): For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God. Those before termed presbyters, or elders, are in this verse styled bishops; and such they were, having no ordinary fixed and standing officers above them. Titus's business here, it is plain, was but occasional, and his stay short, as was before noted. Having ordained elders, and settled in their due form, he went and left all (for aught that appears in scripture) in the hands of those elders whom the apostle here calls bishops and stewards of God. We read not in the sacred writings of any successor he had in Crete; but to those elders or bishops was committed the full charge of feeding, ruling, and watching over their flock; they wanted not any powers necessary for carrying on religion and the ministry of it among them, and committing it down to succeeding ages. Now, being such bishops and overseers of the flock, who were to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his house, to provide for and dispense to them things needful, there is great reason that their character should be clear and good, that they should be blameless. How else could it be but that religion must suffer, their work be hindered, and souls prejudiced and endangered, whom they were set to save? These are the relative qualifications with the ground of them. The more absolute ones are expressed, First, Negatively, showing what an elder or bishop must not be: Not self-willed. The prohibition is of large extent, excluding self-opinion, or overweening conceit of parts and abilities, and abounding in one's own sense, - self-love, and self-seeking, making self the centre of all, - also self-confidence and trust, and self-pleasing, little regarding or setting by others, - being proud, stubborn, froward, inflexible, set on one's own will and way, or churlish as Nabal: such is the sense expositors have affixed to the term. A great honour it is to a minister not to be thus affected, to be ready to ask and to take advice, to be ready to defer as much as reasonably may be to the mind and will of others, becoming all things to all men, that they may gain some. Not soon angry, mē orgilon, not one of a hasty angry temper, soon and easily provoked and inflamed. How unfit are those to govern a church who cannot govern themselves, or their own turbulent and unruly passions! The minister must be meek and gentle, and patient towards all men. Not given to wine; thee is no greater reproach on a minister than to be a wine-bibber, one who loves it, and gives himself undue liberty this way who continues at the wine or strong drink till it inflames him. Seasonable and moderate use of this, as of the other good creatures of God, is not unlawful. Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities, said Paul to Timothy, 1 Timothy 5:23. But excess therein is shameful in all, especially in a minister. Wine takes away the heart, turns the man into a brute: here most proper is that exhortation of the apostle (Ephesians 5:18), Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Here is no exceeding, but in the former too easily there may: take heed therefore of going too near the brink. No striker, in any quarrelsome or contentious manner, not injuriously nor out of revenge, with cruelty or unnecessary roughness. Not given to filthy lucre; not greedy of it (as 1 Timothy 3:3), whereby is not meant refusing a just return for their labours, in order to their necessary support and comfort; but not making gain their first or chief end, not entering into the ministry nor managing it with base worldly views. Nothing is more unbecoming a minister, who is to direct his own and others' eyes to another world, than to be too intent upon this. It is called filthy lucre, from its defiling the soul that inordinately affects or greedily looks after it, as if it were any otherwise desirable than for the good and lawful uses of it. Thus of the negative part of the bishop's character. ~Matthew Henry Quoted verses: 1 Timothy 5:23 [see Lesson] Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 1 Timothy 3:3 [see Lesson] Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders and bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his household, there is great reason that they should be blameless. What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as servants of Christ, and able ministers of the letter and practice of the gospel. And here are described the spirit and practice becoming such as should be examples of good works. ~Matthew Henry Concise Here is an item from the Biblical Illustrator: As the steward of God - Ministerial stewardship I. First, the word implieth thus much, that God is a great Householder (Matthew 21:33); that his house is his church, where He as a great personage keepeth His residence, more stately and honourable than the court or standing house of any earthly king in the world, in that herein He pleaseth to manifest His presence by His Spirit working in the Word and ministry; and as it is with other great houses, so the Spirit of God speaketh of this as committed not to one but many stewards, who take the charge of it to order and govern it according to the mind of the Master and unto His greatest honour and advantage. Quoted verse: Matthew 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And these stewards are the ministers, so called 1. Because as the steward in a house is to dispense all necessaries unto the whole family according to the allowance and liking of his lord, even so the minister receiveth from God power to administer according to the necessities of the Church all the things of God, as Word, sacraments, prayer, admonition, etc. 2. As the steward receiveth the keys of the house to open and shut, to lock and unlock, to admit or exclude out of the house, for so is it said of Eliakim (Isaiah 22:22), even so every minister receiveth the keys of the kingdom of heaven to open and shut heaven, to bind and loose, to remit and retain sins, as Matthew 16:19. Quoted verses: Isaiah 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 3. As the steward sitteth not in his own as an owner or freeholder, but is to be countable and to give up his hills monthly or quarterly when the master shall call for them, so every minister is to be countable of his talents received, and of his expenses, and how he hath dispensed his Master’s goods (Hebrews 13:17). “They watch for their souls as they which must give account.” Quoted verse: Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. II. The second thing in this similitude to be considered is the force of the argument, which is this: that because every minister is called to a place so near the lord as to be his steward, therefore he must be unblameable. Where we have the ground of another instruction. Every man as he is nearer unto God in place must be so much the more careful of his carriage: that he may both resemble Him in his virtues, dignify his place, and walk more worthy of Him that hath drawn him so near Himself. Besides that, every master looketh to be graced by his servant; and much more will the Lord be glorified either of or in all those that come near Him (Leviticus 10:1-20). For as the master quickly turneth out of his doors such disgraceful persons as become reproachful to the family, even so the Lord, knowing that the infamous courses of the servant reacheth itself even to the master, turneth such out of His service which are the just subjects of reproach. ~Biblical Illustrator Here is another piece from the Biblical Illustrator: A faithful steward The other day I received a communication from a lawyer, who says that a very large owner has discovered that a very small piece of property belongs to him and not to the small proprietor in whose possession it has for a very long time remained. The matter seemed a trifling one. We had a conference, and there came the steward with the lawyers, and he was furnished with maps, and, putting on his spectacles, examined them with great care. Why? It was a small matter to him, but because he was a steward he was expected to be faithful. And when he found that this small piece of ground belonged to his lord he was determined to have it. So let me say—as stewards of the gospel of God—never give up one verse, one doctrine, one word of the truth of God. Let us be faithful to that committed to us, it is not ours to alter. We have but to declare that which we have received. ~Biblical Illustrator We have time for just one of the specific commentaries.  We will go to the John Gill which covers 4 of the 6 phrases there.  For a bishop must be blameless -This shows that a bishop and an elder is the same; and the Syriac version here renders it, "an elder"; the character or qualification necessary to him is the same as before, and in like manner to be understood; unless it should more particularly refer to his faithfulness in the discharge of his office: since it follows, As the steward of God - one appointed by God over his household and family, the church, to give to everyone their portion of meat in due season; one that dispenses the manifold grace, or various doctrines of the grace of God, and mysteries of Christ; and of such an one it is required, that he be faithful, both to his Lord and master, to the trust committed to him, and to the persons under his care. Not selfwilled - not doing things in the worship and house of God, in the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances, according to his own will, but according to the will of God, revealed in his word; otherwise what he does will come under the name of will worship: or obstinate, stubborn, and inflexible, conceited of his own sense and judgment, and resolute to have his own will and way in all things relating to the affairs of God's house. The word signifies one that is pleased with himself, has an over weening [to expect, hope, or intend] opinion of himself, is proud and haughty, and despises others: Not soon angry - but slow to wrath, which shows a man to be a man of understanding, and fit to teach others, which an angry man is not. ~John Gill The other two items, "no striker" and "not given to filthy lucre" were covered well in the general commentaries. So, a minister or elder should be blameless [which we covered well in verse 6]: ---As a steward of God: One who governs according to the mind of the Master ---Not selfwilled: not doing things according to his own will but according to the will of God. ---Not soon angry: not one of a hasty angry temper, soon and easily provoked and inflamed. ---Not given to wine: He controls the wine and strong drink rather than these ruling him.  He is not given to excess of these things. ---No striker: in any quarrelsome or contentious manner, not injuriously nor out of revenge, with cruelty or unnecessary roughness. ---Not given to filthy lucre: not greedy for money.  Does not allow money to defile his soul; his thinking, his mind.  He rules the money rather than the greed of money to rule him. These are the lessons of verse 7. back to the top     back to main page for this verse