As Goes Preaching, So Goes the Church (Titus 1:5–9)
Paul left Titus in Crete to put the churches into order by appointing ministers of the Word in every town. Why does the character of these men matter so much? Because as goes preaching, so goes the church — the minister must be above reproach, cling to the trustworthy Word, and serve it like healthy food to nourish his people.
Introduction
We return this morning to the down-to-earth letter of Paul (v. 1) to Titus (v. 4). I said the big theme is that Titus would organize Christians into congregations through sound preaching that produces sounds living. In his opening greeting he pulled back the curtain for us to see the truth about preaching. God’s plan before the world began was to promise eternal life to those whom he elected (v. 1). This plan is for the ultimate goal of his sharing eternal life with his elect (v. 2). The way that plan from eternity past of life with God in eternity future gets brought to us in time is through the manifestation of his eternal logos or Word being made flesh (v. 3; cf. John 1:14). He then accomplishes God’s plan of giving faith in Christ, knowledge of the truth, and the hope of eternal life to God’s elect through (en) the kērugma or preaching of the gospel (v. 3).
Preaching is how God reveals himself and his eternal life to the world. Does God still speak today? Does he still perform miracles? Does he still act? Yes! We experience him through preaching.
Theme
This morning we come to verses 5–9 and Paul’s instructions to Titus about the kind of ministers of that Word he was to appoint on the island of Crete. Last month I gave a message at the ordination of Kris Wassam and I’m going to borrow that theme: as goes preaching, so goes the church.
The Pattern (v. 5)
Note Paul’s pattern of ministry in verse 5. There’s God’s plan first of all, of whom Paul is a servant (v.1). God’s plan is executed by Jesus Christ, of whom Paul is an apostle (v. 1). The pattern is God, Jesus, then Paul. Next in line, so to speak, is Titus.
Kids, way back when I was in middle school, we had a class called “woodshop.” Basically, we learned how to use things like a bandsaw. You would take a large piece of wood and trace out what you wanted to cut out using a pattern. Then you would cut around your pattern and have something. Paul gave Titus a pattern and he then acted as an apostolic representative following that pattern.
Like Timothy, whom Paul called to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5), Titus is one of the New Testament evangelists mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 or even as some have called him, a missionary bishop. The pattern moves from God, to Jesus, to Paul, to Titus, whom Paul left…in Crete for the purpose of put[ting] what remained into order by appoint[ing] (kathistēmi) elders (v. 5). There were already Christians on Crete, but they needed to be organized into congregations with leaders. Titus was to appoint presbuterous or “elders” in every town. This feels like one presbyter in each town where a congregation had been formed because in verse 7 he speaks of the singular episkopos or “overseer” in each town. Thus, there would be one minister in each place where there was a congregation, while there would be a plurality of them on the island. In other words, Paul charged Titus with appointing ministers of the Word, who in this context were like missionary or organizing pastors.
God’s plan is accomplished by his Word-made-flesh (Jesus), executed by Paul, who gave a pattern for Titus. The purpose was because as goes preaching, so goes the church.
The Principles (vv. 6–9a)
Paul then gave Titus various principles for these ministers in verses 6–9a.
One over-arching principle (vv. 6, 7)
Above reproach or “blameless” (anenklētos) is mentioned twice in verses 6 and 7 as an over-arching principle that sets the tone of the kind of person a prospective minister must be. Gerald Bray said this:
“There must be no cause for complaint in the way an episkopos lives or in what he teaches. If he falls down in some way the whole church will be affected, not only because, as a public representative of the congregation, he will bring the rest into disrepute if he misbehaves, but also because he will be unable to exercise the ministry to which he is called. If a congregation is deprived of the right teaching and disciple, it will fall apart.” (Gerald Bray, The Pastoral Epistles, The International Theological Commentary, 478)
This means pray for me! Pray for all our former intern now serving. Pray for our interns. Pray for all ministers of the Word everywhere. As we see too often, when a minister falls, it destroys faith and our witness in the world.
His family (v. 6)
His family is mentioned next in verse 6.
First, we read the husband of one wife. Does this mean every minister must be married? No; but if he is, he is to have a singular wife. This is also one of the reasons why we believe ministers of the Word are to be men. It’s right there in the text: anēr miás gunaikós, husband of one wife. As a rabbi or teacher, Jesus had to be male. He chose twelve males as his closest disciples and later apostles. Men like Titus were to act on behalf of an apostle in appointing men. The pattern of the synagogue was the pattern of the church. Many women served in many ways; just not as apostles and presbyters/bishops of the Word.
Second, we read if the minister is married with children, they are to be believers or “faithful,” meaning, loyal to parents. Even more, his children are not [to be] open to the charge of debaucheryor insubordination. They are to be godly and honoring of their father. Think of Eli the priest and his drunkard and disloyal sons, Hophni and Phineas. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 3, if a minister cannot keep his own house in order, how can he order the house of God?
Five “negative” principles (v. 7)
Paul then lists five principles negatively stated in verse 7.
He must not be arrogant or “full of self.” God forgive me for my “cage phase” back in the day. God saved me by his grace, may I be a humble example to you of a servant not a self-centered man!
He must not be quick-tempered. As verse 9 and following are going to go on and say, there will be a lot of opposition to the Word so the minister must be patient.
He must not be…a drunkard. This is an Old Testament principle of foolishness in the Proverbs. God has given wine to gladden the heart of man, but over-indulgence is a sin.
He must not be…violent. How can we exemplify the life and love of Jesus if we’re violent?
He must not be…greedy for gain. Unlike Judas, who held Jesus’ moneybag but helped himself before others, the minister is to be free from greed. As Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”
Six “positive” principles (v. 8)
Six principles positively stated in verse 8.
He must be hospitable. One of my favorite Greek words is Φιλόξενος.It’s a compound word meaning a lover of strangers. Hospitality is welcoming those you do not know into your home as an act of love, and ultimately as a picture of God’s love. As Hebrews 13 tells us, like Abraham and Sarah, when he entertain strangers, we may even be hosting angels!
He must be a lover of good. God is good. He made all things good in the beginning. All things are fallen now, so it’s for the minister to exemplify which things are to be loved and which things shunned.
He must be self-controlled or “wise.” Again, in contrast to anger he is to be self-controlled.
He must be upright or “righteous,” meaning, a man of integrity and righteous living.
He must be holy or, a man who shuns godlessness and loves godliness.
He must be disciplined. To be a minister, he has to work diligently for the sake of his flock.
Paul insists on these principles of the kinds of men we are to look for in our ministers because as goes preaching, so goes the church. As one old prayer says, “fill them with the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life.” (“For those to be ordained,” in BCP 1928)
The Program of the Word (v. 9b)
Above all, at the end of verse 9, our big principle stands out: as goes preaching, so goes the church. Note the program of the Word.
First, a minister must cling to the Word in a world of words, misinformation, and deep fakes. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught. Hold firm or have a “firm grasp” (NRSV) can be taken as cling. (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 73) Jesus said you cannot serve two masters because you will be devoted or cling to one and hate the other (Matt. 6:24). He must cling to the trustworthy or “faithful” (CSB) word as taught, or better, “in accordance with the teaching” (NRSV). “The teaching” means apostolic teaching. In their latest book, The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story, father and son Old and New Testament scholars, Richard and Christopher Hays, do not base their appeal for full-LGBTQ inclusion, but on the fact that “God repeatedly changes his mind in ways that expand the sphere of his love.” (p. 2) Because of this, we have “Spirit-led freedom to set aside biblical laws and teachings [we] deem unjust, irrelevant, or inconsistent with the broader divine will.” (pp. 212–13)
Second, a minister is to serve the Word like healthy food to nourish his people: give instruction or encourage (CSB, NIV; parakalein) in sound doctrine. The word sound (hugiainō) in its literal sense speaks of “good health” or “healthy.” Paul uses it in a figurative sense to describe the kind of doctrine that is to be taught. It is to be healthy or sound doctrine that nourishes, strengthens, and gives life to its hearers.
Speak, O Lord, as we come to you,
to receive the food of your holy Word.
Like a Michelin star chef, a minister is to serve up a healthy portion of healthy food every time he opens the Word. His people’s spiritual lives depend on it. There’s so much junk food on TikTok, YouTube, IG, Twitter, plus all the usual places of books and radio. Beloved, cling to the Word with me and eat healthy food! Amen?
Third, a minister is to guard the Word so that he may be able… to rebuke those who contradict it. It was John Calvin who said on this passage:
The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both; for he who is deeply skilled in it will be able both to govern those who are teachable, and to refute the enemies of the truth…hence let us learn, first, what is the true knowledge of a bishop, and, next, to what purpose it ought to be applied. That bishop is truly wise, who holds the right faith; and he makes a proper use of his knowledge, when he applies it to the edification of the people. (Commentary on Titus 1:9)
The ministry of the Word is both serving healthy food as well as warning those who want cotton candy. What happens if you eat cotton candy? Your teeth rot. What if we only drank milk? Our teeth would fall out. We need the meat. But we also need to warn people who don’t want the meat that they’re endangering the health of their souls. As one of Martin Luther wrote in a hymn:
They teach a false and idle word,
Which their own wits have founded.
Their hearts are not with one accord,
On God’s win doctrine grounded.
Conclusion
As goes preaching, so goes the church. My calling is to be Minister Verbi Divini: a minister of the Word of the God. Remind me of that! My calling is to prepare for you every Sunday morning and evening health meals. I have to gather the ingredients, consider what I’m going to serve up, how I’m going to divide into various courses, and all with a mind to your nourishment and spiritual health.
Speak, O Lord, ‘til your church is built
And the earth his filled with your glory.