Titus 01.05-09 | Quality Leaders (the negative)

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Titus 01.05-09 “5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains & appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance w/the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine & to refute those who contradict.”

Paul tells Titus 04 categories of a Quality Leader…01. The Personal (Titus 01.06-07a); 02. The Negative (Titus 01.07b); 03. The Positive (Titus 01.08) & 04. A Reliable Man of the Word (Titus 01.09).

When Paul left Crete, he left Titus behind to continue on in ministering to the people of Crete.

Titus 01.05 “5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains & appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

Because of these false teachers, we see that Paul wanted Titus to set up leaders for each church in every city, who were…

Titus 01.09 “9 holding fast the faithful word (G3056. logov logos log'-os) which is in accordance w/the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine & to refute those who contradict.”

02. The Negative (Titus 01.07b)

Titus 01.07b “7 …not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,”

Paul now mentions 05 characteristics that a leader in the church is not to be guilty of.

“7 self-willed” G829. auyadhv authades ow-thad'-ace; from 846 & the base of 2237; self-pleasing, i.e. arrogant:-- self-willed.

Thayer-self-pleasing, self-willed, arrogant

2Peter 02.10 “10 & especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires & despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties,”

“7 not quick-tempered” G3711. orgilov orgilos org-ee'-los; from 3709; irascible:-- soon angry.

         G3709. orgh orge or-gay'; from 3713; properly, desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy,) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment:-- anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

                  G3713. oregomai oregomai or-eg'-om-ahee; middle voice of apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary [compare 3735]; to stretch oneself, i.e. reach out after (long for):-- covet after, desire.

Thayer-prone to anger, irascible (irritable)

Proverbs 14.17 “17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.”

Proverbs 15.18 “18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.”

Proverbs 16.32 “32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.”

Ecclesiastes 07.09 “9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.”

James 01.19-20 “19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak & slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

“7 not addicted to wine” G3943. paroinov paroinos par'-oy-nos; from 3844 & 3631; staying near wine, i.e. tippling (a toper):-- given to wine.

         G3844. para para par-ah'; a primary preposition; properly, near; i.e. (w/genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (w/dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (w/accusative case) to the proximity w/(local [especially beyond or opposed to] or causal [on account of]:-- above, against, among, at, before, by, contrary to, X friend, from, + give [such things as they], + that [she] had, X his, in, more than, nigh unto, (out) of, past, save, side...by, in the sight of, than, [there-]fore, with. In compounds it retains the same variety of application.

         G3631. oinov oinos oy'-nos; a primary word (or perhaps of Hebrew origin [03196]); "wine" (literally or figuratively):-- wine.

Thayer-given to wine, drunken

This literally means one who stays near the wine. It speaks of a person who sits long w/the cup & drinks to excess.

Alcohol is a depressant. It blunts & blurs our ability to make wise choices.

Ephesians 05.18 “18 And do not get drunk w/wine, for that is dissipation (wastefulness), but be (continually-org Greek) filled (cram a net full, fill up) w/the Spirit,”

We have a hard enough time trying to remember the Word of God when we are sober, why do we want to partake in something that will cause us to do things that will not only embarrass us, but also serve as a bad example of what a follower of Christ is to be like?

Proverbs 23.29-35 “29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds w/o cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. 34 And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.””

Throughout the Bible we see that intoxicating drinks are denied to 07 types of people:

01. Priests Leviticus 10.09; Ezekiel 44.21

Leviticus 10.09 “9 “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons w/you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die--it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations--”

“9 “wine” H3196. Nyy yayin yah'-yin; from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication:-- banqueting, wine, wine[-bibber]. Greek 3631.

02. Nazarites Numbers 06.03

03. Prophets Isaiah 28.01, 07

04. Kings & princes Proverbs 31.04-05

05. Elders/Bishops 1Timothy 03.02-03; Titus 01.07

06. Deacons 1Timothy 03.08

07. Causing a person to stumble Romans 14.21

Interesting note, Peter tells us that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2Peter 02.05) & after the flood he began farming & planted a vineyard & then got drunk (Genesis 09.20-27).

“7 not pugnacious” G4131. plhkthv plektes plake'-tace; from 4141; a smiter, i.e. pugnacious (quarrelsome):-- striker.

         G4141. plhssw plesso place'-so; apparently another form of 4111 (through the idea of flattening out); to pound, i.e. (figuratively) to inflict w/(calamity):-- smite. Compare 5180.

Thayer-bruiser, ready w/a blow, a pugnacious, contentious, quarrelsome person

Also means a striker. Means that you’re not going around looking for a fight.

Proverbs 20.01 “1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.”

People in ministry are target for people who want to try to do whatever they can to get them to fight, or to attack them.

2Timothy 02.24-25 “24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 w/gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,”

The desire will be to strike back, but you need to act like Christ who did not strike back.

1Peter 02.23 “23 & while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

“7 not fond of sordid gain” G146. aiscrokerdhv aischrokerdes ahee-skhrok-er-dace'; from 150 & kerdov kerdos (gain); sordid:-- given to (greedy of) filthy lucre.

        

Thayer-eager for a base gain

1Timothy 03.03 “3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”

A Pastor should not be a man who puts the pursuit of wealth above everything else. He does not use ministry for personal gain.

Malachi blasted the judges in Jerusalem because they took bribes, & the priests taught for a price & the prophets foretold for cash.

Peter tells us not to be greedy for money…

1Peter 05.02 “2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; & not for sordid gain, but w/eagerness;”

In many instances, the salary of the Pastor is very low. But there are places where pastors get a very nice salary & the people around them are hardly making anything.