The Faith-Character Qualities of an Elder
Paul's Qualification as a Leader (1-4)
Paul's opening verses really catch the purpose of the whole book. After he identified himself as the writer, he then defined his ministry. He served those who had faith, and he served to help them know Christ as the truth even more. From faith and knowledge of the truth comes godliness or faith-character (1). He then mentioned his ministry to God's people as centered in his preaching of the word, which, to him, meant his revealing of Christ through Old Testament scriptures (2-3). He closed his greeting by letting us know to whom he was writing, Titus.
Paul's Qualification for Future Leaders (5-9)
False teachers were threatening the church, and Paul was calling on Titus to deal with them. Having roots in religious tradition, the false teaching was leading the people to be harsh and hateful in tone and conduct. It stifled the compassionate works of those with a Christ-like nature. Titus’ mission was to build a leadership team able to confront and put down any foul teaching strangling the new church (5).
Paul's primary concern for any leader was to be “above reproach” or criticism. Criticism should not stick to an elder's life, either because his behavior was gentle and loving in nature or because he had fully owned his faults through repentance. The qualifications list Paul gave Titus was to assist in vetting or examining the leader’s life to make certain the gospel had been given enough time to make the appropriate behavioral changes, causing the leader to remain above criticism (6-9).
Paul's Purpose for Qualified Leaders (10-16)
Paul needed leaders with character to take on false teachers infiltrating their house churches. These false teachers were without character; they were hot air balloons with nothing to say except to deceive followers into being circumcised as a part of their salvation rite (10). Paul wanted their teaching silenced, noting that their motive for teaching was not to help the faith of others but for personal gain (11). Paul affirmed that they were like the reputation of the island on which they were living and without character (12). He wanted leaders who could rebuke in a way that would return people to the faith (13) as they gave up their fables and religious commands (14).
Paul then reminded Titus that a pure person, a person fully devoted to Christ, was free to live a pure life. An inwardly corrupt person could not, in any way, live purely; his behavior would always be as corrupt as his heart. Those who refused the truth were ever enslaved to false ideas, their thinking and consciences ever defiled (15). They would profess to know God and lead others to believe they knew God, but in the end, their actions would deny God in that they would be unable to be generous and loving by deed. The person who rejected the truth was unfit and unable to perform any genuinely good work flowing from the motive of love (16).
Perceivable Proverbs (10:1-15:33)
Solomon continues to place his proverbs in bookends so the subject matter may be considered in the light of the introduction and conclusion.
In verse 1, an abominable or disgraceful false weight is compared, in verse 20, to an abominable or disgraceful, crooked heart. The subjects between these two bookends are weighed in the light of keeping one's heart honest before God.
In verse 2, pride is disgraceful and humility delights; in verse 3, crookedness is disgraceful and integrity delights; and in verse 4, trust in riches is disgraceful while righteousness delights. So goes the following verses as Solomon contrasts what is an abomination to God with what delights Him.
In verses 5 through 8, the fate of what is disgraceful is contrasted with the fate of what is delighted in.
In verses 9 and 12, we see the disgraceful practice of slandering one's neighbor and the delightful practice of care in what one says.
In verses 10 and 11, we find what delights the city and what disgraces it.
In verse 13, we discover the disgraceful practice of slander; in verse 14, we find the graceful practice of counselors; and in verse 15, we find the disgrace in co-signing a loan. All three verses express issues that bring disgrace into our lives: slander, decisions made without advice, and co-signing for a debt.
In verses 15 and 16, a delightful, gracious woman and a kind man are contrasted with the disgrace of violence and cruelty.
In verses 18, 19, and 20, the proverbs end with the disgrace of being deceptive with billing, pursuing evil ends, and being of crooked heart, contrasted with the delight of righteousness and the blameless way.
The next bookends we find in verse 21 contrast the evil, who will not go unpunished, and the righteous, who will be delivered, with verse 31 where the righteous will not only be delivered but also repaid, and the wicked sinner will be much more repaid.
The first verse in this section, verse 22, appears to stand alone as a humorous axiom about beauty when put on something ugly, so it appears completely out of place.
Next, verses 23 and 27 appear to parallel as they discuss the conclusion of desire and searching. Verses 24 through 26 center on a similar theme of generosity, hoarding, and basic selfishness. All of this is being considered in the light of consequence.
Verses 28 through 30 deal with the catastrophic repayment on the home of one who does not capture his soul and the soul of his family but instead troubles them with building a life on poor decisions and principles.
While all of this may seem complicated, the goal of the poetry is to contrast what happens between two different kinds of people and actions so one can be wise.