Leadership Matters – part 3
Titus 1:5-9 (6)
February 23, 2025
This morning we return to the book of Titus
And specifically Paul’s discussion regarding leadership in the church.
We have titled this section “Leadership Matters”
I don’t think there is anything remotely controversial about that.
EVEN THE WORLD has grown to understand the vital impact leadership can play in almost any arena.
• Currently on Amazon you can choose from 57,136 books that contain the word
“Leadership” in the title.
• A study nearly 10 years ago noted that new leadership books were being
written at a rate of around 4 per day.
Even the world understands the importance of good leadership.
• Corporations
• Athletic teams
• Non-Profits
• Politicians
• Religious institutions
• Family planners
The topic of leadership is the one thing they all seem to have in common.
BUT the common fascination may be where the commonality stops.
There may be a common desire for leadership,
But there is no common conclusion as to what a good leader is.
What is the most important leadership characteristic?
• Is it charisma?
• Is it experience?
• Is it character?
• Is it hard work?
• Is it influence?
• Is it example?
• Is it innovation?
• Is it education?
If you are going to select a leader what should you look for?
Well, thankfully with regard to the church,
God has taken the guess work out of it for us.
He has been extremely specific.
We are clearly told what to look for and what not to look for.
And that is what we are studying here in the first chapter of Titus.
To quickly recap what we’ve seen so far…
#1 THE PURPOSE
Titus 1:5a
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains…”
A quick reminder that:
• Crete was an island 160 miles long
• Crete was anywhere from 7-35 miles wide.
• One historian noted 100 cities there.
• There are a lot of churches on the island
Crete is also a corrupt island
(1:12) “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
And sadly the church was being influenced by the culture.
(1:10) “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,”
Titus was left on the island to “set in order what remains”
He was to be the spiritual chiropractor for the church,
The spiritual orthodontist.
Paul would tell Titus to address all sorts of areas in the church.
Old men, Old women, Young women, Young men, Slaves, Citizens
BUT THE FIRST people Titus was to set in order was their leadership.
#2 THE DIRECTIVE
Titus 1:5-9
“and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”
We noted that word “elders” and we started discussing it.
1) THE TITLE
“ELDERS” (pres-boo-ter-os)
• Means “older man”
• Came to be an office in the church
• Brings to mind the issue of SPIRITUAL MATURITY
“OVERSEER” (e-pis-ko-pay)
• Speaks of a manager
• Actually a word also translated “visitation”
• One who visits to oversee and evaluate and correct
• Brings to mind the issue of AUTHORITY
“SHEPHERD” or “PASTOR” (poy-mane)
• It is one who ministers to or cares for the flock
• Brings to mind MINISTRY
All 3 titles are used interchangeable and all 3 titles are important.
Speaking to the men Luke identified as the elders of the Ephesian church:
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
• Called elders
• Made overseers
• To shepherd
2) THE JOB
It stands to reason that if:
• Titus was going to set the church in order
• And then to appoint elders
That the job of the elders would be
To maintain the order that Titus introduced.
Titus was the orthodontist who put on the braces,
The elders would serve as the retainer to keep the church straight.
And we discussed THE AUTHORITY of these men to do that job.
Paul spoke to Timothy about the elders “who rule well”
The writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
God is the ultimate authority and all authority is then delegated by Him.
• Husbands over wives
• Parents over children
• Kings over citizens
• And elders over the church
We noticed that it is not to be an abusive leadership or a dominating one,
But it is authority none the less.
3) THE PLURALITY
Paul told Titus to “appoint elders in every city”
And we looked at the Scriptural references
For a plurality of elders in the church.
God’s design is for multiple men
To share the leadership burden in the congregation.
• This produces accountability
• This supplements against personal weaknesses
• This provides more availability an opportunity than one man can perform
It is God’s design that there be a plurality of leadership to fulfill this role.
Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;”
4) THE APPOINTMENT
Paul told Titus to “appoint elders in every city”
The authority the elders would receive in their congregation
Would be an authority handed down from God through Titus.
But at the same time we recognized that
Titus would have to lean upon the recommendation
And discernment of each church to identify such men.
Paul told the Ephesian elders
That it was the Holy Spirit who made them overseers.
So we are talking about men whom:
1. God would appoint
2. The Church would identify
3. Titus would ordain
AND THAT IS WHERE WE ENDED UP SUNDAY NIGHT
In our discussion about leadership.
As we jump back into the study this morning we simply note that
LEADERSHIP IS IMPORTANT.
• It is instituted by God
• It is defined by God
• It is used by God
• It will be judged by God
Church leadership is not something that men came up with,
It is something that God came up with.
He grants His authority to men for the purpose of leading His church.
And it was so important that it is the first command Paul gives to Titus.
BUT WE ALSO LEARN THAT
• God does more than just INITIATE the presence of leadership.
• God also gives specific instructions to help us IDENTIFY leaders.
And as we move on to verse 6
We begin to see those qualifications which God has given.
(READ TITUS 1:6-9)
Now we move into that segment of
Examining God’s qualifications for such men.
SO WE’VE SEEN:
The Title – The Job – The Plurality – The Appointment
5) THE GENDER
“namely, if any man…”
There may have been a time
When stopping to make this point wasn’t necessary,
But it certainly is today.
IN TODAY’S CULTURE
• That has seen a rise in feminism
• Along with an idiotic confusion of gender reality and role,
It is important that we stop here to remind that
The Bible is not confused on this issue.
For years, Southern Baptists
Were one of the few denominations that seemed to faithfully hold the line on this issue.
In 2000 the “Baptist Faith and Message” was revised to contain this statement:
Under article VI “The Church” this sentence was added:
“Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”
https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/#xviii
That addition caused a stir in Baptist life.
• We saw the BGCT reject the new version in favor of the 1963 version.
• We saw Truett seminary in Waco start training women pastors.
• We saw BGCT churches start ordaining women pastors.
• Out of this the SBCT emerged as an alternative to the BGCT for Texas churches that wanted a state affiliation that would adopt the new statement of faith.
• And Texas Baptists were divided.
IT IS A FIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO RAGE TODAY.
Just this past November, the Baptist General Convention of Texas voted again NOT TO AFFIRM the 2000 version of the BF&M.
In February of 2023 at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention
• 6 churches were removed from the Southern Baptist Convention for abandoning the conventions confession.
• The most notable was Saddleback Church founded by Rick Warren, author of “Purpose Driven Church” and “Purpose Driven Life”.
• Warren had ordained 3 women to the pastorate of his church.
But the battle still didn’t stop.
A committee was formed
• To examine what the meaning of the word “pastor” really was to determine if it was possible to go ahead in the future and allow women in the position.
This past June an amendment was brought before the convention
• To amend the SBC constitution to ban women from serving as pastors in the SBC.
• The amendment failed.
THIS BATTLE ISN’T GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON.
The issue of women pastors
Has already toppled many current mainstream denominations
And we are in the thick of the battle in the SBC.
We may not struggle with the issue here at FBC Spur,
But I promise you this is a real struggle and we need to address it.
SO, WHAT IS THE GENDER OF AN ELDER.
Well, Paul gives it to us here in Titus 1 simply by saying “if any man”
And one would think that would settle the issue.
But you and I know that for many it does not.
• You can read the TNIV (Today’s New International Version) which came out in 2001 and it will translate this verse “if anyone is above reproach…”
• They chose to say that the word “man” there was not a gender specific term, it simply refers to “mankind”.
But that is not what Paul meant.
He meant a physical genetic man.
I was looking at an article just this morning from “The Gospel Coalition” promoting a book “Women in Ministry” lauding the 4 views of the issue.
In just their endorsement of the book the article said:
“No evangelical spokesperson can be heard or taken seriously without engaging the traditional arguments supporting gender role hierarchy. At the same time, it is not enough to restate these arguments without engaging with equal seriousness the exegetical and hermeneutical work carried on in recent years, the results of which go a long way to support egalitarian role relationships in the church [supports women pastors]…Culver loses credibility with a patronizing tone and his refusal to engage seriously…He assumes too much and dismisses without critical reflection any idea that challenges his assumptions.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/women-in-ministry-four-views/
You hear it there in the article.
• Even the person seeking to give a balanced view to endorse the book has already made the statement that the man who upholds the view that women are not allowed to serve as pastors “assumes to much and dismisses without critical reflection”
• The writer dismisses the man who holds to the Biblical mandate, not because he is wrong, but because he has a “patronizing tone”.
Look, it was “Higher Criticism” that ultimately led to modernism and liberalism and then unbelief in many denominations.
• It was men who chose to let their thinking stand in judgment over God’s word
• As opposed to letting God’s word stand in judgment over their thinking.
THE BATTLE IS HERE.
And while it is a battle over the leadership model of the church,
More than that it is a battle over the authority of Scripture.
SO – TURN TO: 1 TIMOTHY 2
The chapter begins with admonition for the men of the church to be devoted to prayer.
• He speaks of how we must pray for rulers and all in authority
• He speaks of how we must pray for the salvation of the lost
(2:8) “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”
It is a clear admonition.
• If you are a man in this church not faithful in prayer you are failing this church.
• God has commissioned you to be an intercessor for this church, for this nation, for the lost, etc.
And then Paul moves to address the women of the church.
1. Her Sanctity
2. Her Submission
3. Her Station
4. Her Salvation
HER SANCTITY
(9-10) “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”
He is speaking of adornment
Or that which a woman uses to beautify herself.
The world tells women that her adornment is purely external.
• From her hair to her toenails women are relentlessly judged in our culture by their outward appearance.
And there is nothing wrong with a woman being physically attractive,
That is part of how God designed them,
And part of what we as husbands appreciate about them.
But the point is if that is all she has, she has failed as a woman.
What makes a woman truly attractive ought not to be her outward appearance.
• It should not be “braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments”
• She is to dress “modestly and discreetly”
Her goal is not to draw attention to her outward appearance.
Her goal is to draw attention to her attitude.
Such as:
(10) “good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”
THAT’S IT ISN’T IT?
Ladies, your goal should be “godliness”
If all people notice is your appearance but not your virtue
You are failing.
THE GOAL is to stand out as a godly woman.
THE GOAL is for your attitude to be what they see.
Peter said the same:
1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”
Or we could listen to Solomon:
Proverbs 11:22 “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.”
Let your attitude be what stands out.
Well, what sort of attitude am I supposed to show to the world?
HER SUBMISSION
(11-12) “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”
We’ll start with verse 11.
“A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.”
FIRST OF ALL,
• For Paul’s audience that was somewhat of a provocative statement,
• But not for the reason you are likely inclined to think.
• In Jewish culture in Paul’s day Jewish Rabbis wouldn’t even teach a woman.
• They were permitted to attend the synagogue but they were not permitted to
learn anything.
• Greek culture wasn’t much better in Paul’s day.
Paul sort of broke the mold here by instructing that women were to “receive instruction”.
• Women are children of God.
• Women are redeemed through Christ.
• They are just as important as any man ever was.
Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Women are just as much heirs of Christ as men
And have just as much right to hear the preaching of God’s word
And learn the gospel as any man.
That was actually revolutionary in his day.
BUT BACK TO THE POINT was HOW they were to “receive instruction”
And Paul says they were to receive it
“quietly…with entire submissiveness.”
That statement would take the feminist of our day
And just about set her hair on fire.
But it doesn’t bother us,
And it doesn’t bother the women in our congregation
• Because they have submitted their hearts to the Lord Jesus and long to be in obedience to God’s word.
BUT THAT IS THE COMMAND.
Or we read:
1 Corinthians 14:34-36 “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?”
That is a reference to God’s design of how she is to conduct herself.
She is to walk in quietness and submission.
The current stereotypical “strong outspoken woman”
IS A PERVERSION OF GOD’S DESIGN.
Women were not created by God to be loud, outspoken, bombastic, opinionated, boisterous, provocative, bold, or any or thing like that.
I realize that is the personality that is celebrated in our culture, but that is not God’s design any more than the effeminate man is not God’s design.
Now women ARE to be strong,
But biblically strong and with the right attitude.
The strength of the godly woman is in her faith, her submission,
Her endurance, her virtue, and things like that.
Think about what Peter says to women in difficult marriages.
1 Peter 3:1-2 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.”
Do you think a weak woman can obey that command?
The faith and endurance required of that woman
Is a strength that the woman of the world today knows nothing about.
But none-the-less you see God’s design is quietness and submission.
Not loud and boisterous.
Why is that important to see first?
Because it directly correlates then to verse 12, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”
There is really nothing confusing about that verse.
• If it is God’s design for women to be quiet in the church it’s going to be awfully hard for her to stand and preach.
• If it is God’s design for women to be submissive in the church it’s going to be awfully hard for her to exercise authority.
AND I KNOW,
There are all sorts of “Yes, buts…” that come with that verse.
• Wasn’t Deborah a Judge in the Old Testament?
• Didn’t Philip have 4 daughters that prophesied?
• Didn’t it say that Isaiah married a prophetess?
• Aren’t two books of the Bible named after women?
RICK WARREN, as he defended his church’s decision to ordain women noted:
• That the Great Commission is for men and women alike so if women can share the gospel they ought to be able to preach.
• He pointed out that Jesus told Mary to give word to His disciples that He had risen from the dead and thus made her the first ever gospel preacher.
• He pointed out that at Pentecost there were women in the upper room who received the Holy Spirit and spoke the mighty things of God.
And those are the type of counter-arguments
That people often use to try and dismantle this verse.
SO LISTEN.
The Bible does not say women are not allowed to proclaim the gospel.
• In fact, they are commanded to.
The Bible does not say women cannot teach.
• In fact, Titus 2 will say that older women are to teach the younger women
• Certainly women teach their children
The Bible does not say women can’t go out and proclaim the gospel.
• We know Priscilla and Aquilla both instructed Apollos.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
That in the church women cannot “teach or exercise authority over a man”
• They cannot serve as elders.
• They cannot serve as pastors.
• They cannot serve as overseers.
That is a position of authority in the church
And they are not allowed to be in that position.
THAT IS GOD’S DIRECTIVE.
Women are not permitted to hold the position of authority
They are mandated to hold the position of submission.
And that is only offensive if you think that the position of authority
Is more important than the position of submission.
BUT THIS IS WHAT GOD’S WORD SAYS:
FOR THE RECORD:
• Deborah was a Judge, not a pastor.
• Philip had four daughters who prophesied, they didn’t pastor and not a single message they ever preached is recorded.
• Isaiah married a prophetess, only called that because she bore a child with a prophetic name.
The New Testament knows nothing of
Women elders, overseers, or pastors, it is forbidden.
When we are talking about who is appointed to the authoritative office of elder in the church, that office is LIMITED ONLY TO MEN.
And to that it is fitting to see WHY.
HER STATION
(13-14) “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
First of all, we recognize God’s divine order.
Very simply put, but God’s design, and by His prerogative
He placed men first and women second.
“Adam was first created, and then Eve”
1 Corinthians 11:3 “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:8-9 “For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.”
You know the story.
• God created Adam and then said it was not good for man to be alone.
• God made a “helpmate suitable” for Adam.
• Adam called her woman.
• Woman was made for the man’s sake.
And I know that in our culture that just sounds awful.
But all that proves is
How far our culture has fallen from the divine standard.
When people are offended by such a statement
It does nothing but expose them as worldly
And condemn their thinking as depraved.
The God of the universe set the order.
The Creator of all things designed it like this.
God put man as the head of woman AT CREATION.
• This is NOT an Ephesian issue.
• This is NOT an early church issue.
• This IS a natural order of creation issue.
That DOES NOT MEAN men are more important than women.
We wouldn’t say that parents are more important than their children.
But we do recognize God’s divine order established at creation.
It would be totally inappropriate and backward
For women to assume authority in the church over the men.
INTERESTINGLY: The Bible even speaks of God’s judgment through bad leaders in this way:
Isaiah 3:12 “O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.”
Women rulers are a thing,
• But they are an expression of God’s judgment because you have someone in a position of authority who was not designed to be there.
THIS IS A GOD OF CREATION ISSUE:
• Men and women are different.
• They were designed differently.
• And the Creator who designed them knows what role they should be in.
You can make all the secular arguments you want…
You can give all the examples of women who led well…
But it won’t change the fact that this is how the Creator designed it.
NOW, LOOK, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH.
The fact that God’s created order is for men to lead and women to submit would be enough.
But we have more than just God’s created order.
We also have A CASE STUDY
Of when a woman ignored the order and tried it anyway.
And that is what Paul references next.
(14) “And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
We have an illustration of when women tried to usurp authority
And stand in a leadership role and make a decision.
• Eve tried to handle Satan
• The Bible says she was “deceived”.
• Adam was not deceived,
• Adam was disobedient and listened to his wife.
Eve assumed a position she was not designed to be in.
• She was not created to handle the enemy.
• She was not created to make those kinds of decisions.
• But she took that role upon herself and Satan deceived her.
WHAT IS PAUL’S POINT HERE?
Namely this, that women should now have
The humility and presence of mind to recognize that
It was in fact a woman who led the entire human race into sin.
Yes the fall was through Adam, but it was Eve who opened the door.
• This was the effect of women stepping outside of her role.
• This was the effect of women stepping out from under the authority she was placed under.
Just as every man recognizes in himself the weakness of Adam to succumb to temptation and thus is in need of Christ.
So also every woman must recognize that
The weakness of Eve also dwells within her
And she should not ascribe to a position she was not created for.
IT IS NOT JUST
• God’s natural order that forbids women from being in authority in the church,
• But also her track record of failure when she tried.
SO THE CALL HERE IS
• For women to have some humility,
• Realize what she was created to be,
• And not to try to move beyond that.
It is often referred to as “the glass ceiling”
And it is a sinful ambition to seek to break it.
And look, we could stop there, for the point has been made.
The office of elder is restricted to men.
But Paul doesn’t stop there and we won’t either.
For we do not want women to despair
Or feel as though they have no role and are of no importance
To the church or the kingdom.
SUCH IS NOT THE CASE.
Let’s look at one more point here.
HER SALVATION
(15) “But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”
That word “preserved” is actually SOZO
Which is the word commonly translated as “saved”.
The NASB translates it “preserved”
• Because Paul is NOT HERE SAYING that lost women will gain entrance into heaven if they just have babies.
HERE IS WHAT PAUL IS SAYING.
• Having just pointed out that it was a woman who led the race into sin.
• Now he points out how women can redeem their mistake.
A woman ruined the race through seeking authority that was not hers to seek.
She will not fix that mistake by continuing to seek authority.
• If women seek to fix the mistake…
• If women seek to redeem their reputation…
• If women seek to prove their worth to the kingdom…
She will not do it in the pulpit.
She will do it in the nursery.
She will raise up the next generation of leaders.
“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world”?
Do you remember Hannah praying for Samuel and keeping him until he was weaned before taking him to Eli the priest?
• What do you suppose she was doing during that time?
Do you remember what Paul told Timothy?
2 Timothy 1:5 “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”
And later
2 Timothy 3:14-15 “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Now where do you suppose Timothy learned all those sacred writings and obtained that wisdom that made him so appealing to Paul?
We are talking about influence and ladies you have it in gobs!
Teach your children.
Train your children.
Those boys you are teaching and training today
Will be the elders in the church tomorrow.
WHAT IF DON’T HAVE CHILDREN?
• What if got saved after I raised my children?
• I’m now an older woman, what can I do?
What will Paul tell Titus?
Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”
THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR YOU LADIES!
But regarding elders in the church, it is restricted only to men.
