Titus 1:6-9a If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he had been taught…
‘Blameless, the husband of one wife …’ Sixteen qualifications for bishops (elders): [1] Blameless [Greek, anengkletos] blameless (1:6-7; 1Cor. 1:8; 1Tim. 3:10); unreproveable (Col. 1:22). [2] Husband of one wife; i.e., not a polygamist. One could be a bishop without a wife, as Paul (2Cor. 9:5). [3] Having faithful children (1:6; cp. ruling one’s own house, 1Tim. 3:4-5, 12). [4] Not self-willed (1:7) [Greek, authades] stubborn; headstrong; unfeeling; self-willed (2Pet. 2:10). [5] Not soon angry (1:7) [Greek, orgilos] prone to anger; hot-headed; passionate. [6] Not given to wine (1:7). [Greek, paroinos] a winebibber (1Tim. 3:3). [7] No striker (1:7). [Greek, plektes] not quarrelsome; one not ready to strike back at those who displease him; no persecutor of those who differ with him (1Tim. 3:3). [8] Not given to filthy lucre (1:7) [Greek, aischrokerdes] not desirous of base gain; not using wrong methods to raise money to increase his own income (1:7; 1Tim. 3:3, 8). [9] A lover of hospitality (1:8) [Greek, philoxenos] lover of strangers (1:8; 1Tim. 3:2; 1Pet. 4:9; cp. Rom. 12:13). [10] A lover of good men (1:8) [Greek, philagathos] lover of goodness.
To be continued…
Living the Word 