Our church family is studying through Titus. We recently studied elders and their qualifications (Titus 1:5-9). We learned that the elders are not the superheroes of the body. They are not the super Christians who are a step above everyone else in the church.
When Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every town, he was not telling Titus to find the amazingly good Christians to make them the bosses of the church. Instead, he was telling Titus to find men who clearly showed that the grace of God had transformed their lives. These men were to serve as leaders. They were to show the church family how to live in a way consistent with the Good News of Jesus (Titus 1:9, 16; 2:1). They served as examples to the church of God. They were leaders who protected the church, taught the church, and lived as examples of Gospel-transformation (Titus 1:9, 2:7-8; 1 Peter 5:3).
This is true of church elders today. We are to serve as examples for the entire church family. This means that the qualifications for the church elders are really models for the entire church. This is what a life consistent with the Gospel looks like.
With this in mind, I am praying through the qualifications for church elders in Titus 1:5-9. I am praying this for my pastor friends and our church family’s leaders. I am also praying for our entire church family in this way. Today, I am praying that we would be above reproach.
Father,
I ask You to form us into people that are above reproach. By Your grace, please make us into people who live consistently with the words we say. We say we know God through faith in Jesus, so may we live as people who truly know God. May we live in a way that is consistent with Your healthy teaching. Continue to train us by Your grace as Your treasured people.
Amen (Titus 1:5, 7)
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