Thy Strong Word — Titus 1: Above Reproach

The Rev. Joshua Frazee, associate pastor St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mayville, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Titus 1.

St. Paul begins his letter to Pastor Titus by outlining the crucial need for church leaders to be “above reproach” and teach sound doctrine. Although expected of all Christians, as representatives of Christ, there is a higher burden on pastors in this regard. Paul then strongly warns against false teachers and stresses the importance of confronting them. This chapter underscores the vital role of leaders in upholding the truth of the gospel and maintaining the church’s integrity.

The “Pastoral Epistles” of 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, written by the Apostle Paul and divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, are a treasure trove of invaluable insights into the early Christian church and God’s expectation for its leaders. These letters, brimming with wisdom, are not relics of the past but remain authoritative today. They offer a roadmap for navigating the challenges of leadership and teaching, making them not only essential for understanding the role of pastors but also for all Christians seeking to live a life that honors God’s will.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Titus 1

Greeting

1 Paul, a servant^[a] of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, ²in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began^[b] ³and at the proper time manifested in his word^[c] through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

⁴To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

⁵This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ⁶if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,^[d] and his children are believers^[e] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. ⁷For an overseer,^[f] as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound^[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

¹⁰For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.^[h] ¹¹They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ¹²One of the Cretans,^[i] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”^[j] ¹³This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ¹⁶They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Footnotes

Titus 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
Titus 1:2 Greek before times eternal
Titus 1:3 Or manifested his word
Titus 1:6 Or a man of one woman
Titus 1:6 Or are faithful
Titus 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos
Titus 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13
Titus 1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision
Titus 1:12 Greek One of them
Titus 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.