How can we ensure our church aligns with the mission in Titus 1:5? Setting the Scene: Titus 1:5 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” (Titus 1:5) Mission Clarified: Two Core Tasks • Put things in order where needed • Appoint qualified elders in every local congregation Task 1: Set in Order What Is Lacking • Identify gaps—teaching, discipleship, fellowship, discipline (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:19-20) • Address doctrinal drift immediately (Galatians 1:6-9) • Correct sinful patterns graciously yet firmly (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8) • Establish clear structures for worship, service, and care (1 Corinthians 14:40) Task 2: Appoint Elders in Every Town • Leadership is plural—“elders,” not a lone ranger (Acts 14:23) • Every congregation needs shepherds who live among the flock (1 Peter 5:1-3) • Delegation is biblical: Paul commissioned Titus; elders multiply leaders (2 Timothy 2:2) Qualities to Look For Titus 1:6-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7 set the standard: • Above reproach—no glaring moral failures • Faithful in marriage and family life • Self-controlled, hospitable, disciplined • Holding “to the faithful word as taught” so they can exhort and refute error These attributes safeguard both character and doctrine. Guarding Gospel Doctrine • Elders must “be able both to encourage others by sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9) • Sound teaching produces sound living (Titus 2:1-10) • False teachers are silenced by Scripture’s authority (Jude 3; Acts 20:28-31) Healthy Church Practices • Preach the whole counsel of God, verse by verse when possible • Break bread and pray together regularly (Acts 2:42) • Practice mutual accountability—members to elders, elders to one another (Hebrews 13:17) • Pursue evangelism and missions, not inward comfort (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) Practical Steps for Today 1. Audit current ministries: What’s missing biblically? 2. Teach the congregation the biblical role of elders. 3. Pray and fast while identifying qualified men (Acts 13:2-3). 4. Use 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 as a checklist, not a wish list. 5. Install elders publicly with laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14). 6. Continue training future leaders—succession matters (2 Timothy 2:2). 7. Review doctrine annually; keep confessional statements clear and accessible. Encouragement to Remain Faithful Stay centered on Christ, rely on His grace (Titus 2:11-14), and keep short accounts with sin. As each church embraces Paul’s directive to Titus, it becomes a stable lighthouse, reflecting the Savior’s glory to a watching world. |
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