Scripture: Titus 1, 3
We believe that the one essential qualification for the office of a minister is the anointing of the Holy Spirit; and that this anointing is poured out without respect of persons upon men and women, upon old and young, upon learned and unlearned. The gift is, we believe, a purely spiritual one, as much beyond our control as the rain from heaven; yet as unfailing, as abundant, as necessary to fertility. —Caroline Stephen
Questions: While some of the characteristics for church leaders listed in Titus stand the test of time, others are not always followed today, such as the requirement that a church leader’s children are Christian. In what ways do you find lists like this helpful? Do you sometimes struggle with trying to earn God’s favor? Do you find it difficult to extend the same grace to others that you receive from God?
The strict teachings of the Christian church in which I was raised emerged as a reaction to the freedom culture of the 1960s, so Paul’s instructions to Titus seem oddly familiar to me. Paul writes to Titus in response to the cultural and religious practices and beliefs of the Christ-followers in Crete. Titus, a gentile, was well versed in these cultural differences. In a new, dynamic, and countercultural movement, this kind of teaching is helpful.
When I read Titus today, I remember the teachings of that church, which provided an external framework (social and moral rules) for making decisions about right and wrong. The interplay of guilt and shame underpinned behavior enforcement and provided internal motivation. Almost forty years later, I react to remnants of the early, internalized beliefs about myself and others—that for example, women are to be “self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands” (2:5). I still feel angry when reading who can and cannot be in leadership. It takes an effort to remain open to what the text can still teach, while resisting the urge to surrender to the harsh impact of the text. It is a labor of emotion. I am stirred by memories as a young woman, trying to live according to a literal interpretation of this book.
What gives me hope is that Paul’s experiences informed what he taught his leaders, like Titus. Paul moved into an understanding of religion as a means of freedom and grace, and he writes from a place of experiential knowing—“conscience,” which he accused the false teachers of having corrupted (1:15–16). Before encountering Christ, he held beliefs similar to those who were enforcing Jewish practices on gentile converts: “For we were once foolish, disobedient, led astray . . . hating one another” (3:3). Now, he is justified by grace through Christ and transformed by God’s goodness and loving-kindness (3:6–7). He instructs Titus, based on this experience, to find leaders who “preach with sound doctrine and know how to refute it” (1:9). The shift in mindset by Jewish Christians to incorporate gentile Christians was momentous, and Paul’s impassioned approach matched the task at hand.
When seen in this light, I can more easily read his words about women, slaves, and acceptable leaders as his attempt to speak truth to that time and place. When I take time for my internal whirlwind to settle, his words, “so that the word of God may not be discredited” (1:16) offer hope that by living as people of faith now, we will be a credit to God. This approach provides a doorway through which we can become open to core wisdom when returning to this familiar text.
–Darla Tillman-Samuelson in “Friendly Perspective” from 1, 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; 1, 2, 3 John: The Jesus Movement