but hospitable, a
lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
Titus 1:8
Dear Heavenly
Father, I praise You and thank You for my forgiveness through Christ. Please help navigate through all the conflict
in my life. No matter how hard I try to
be fair and just and accommodating, some people are never satisfied, thankful,
or appreciative. Help me to stay true to
You. Help me not be discouraged. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.
We are in the body
portion of the letter which focuses on doctrine and encouragement. In verse 8, Paul continues to outline
requirements for elders. To bring
deeper understanding to today's text, let's examine some key words and their
companion or similar verses.
"Hospitable"
in the Greek is philoxenos which means
loving strangers, generous to guests, fond of guests. This word is only used three times in the New
Testament. "Lover of what is
good" in the Greek is philagathos which
means loving that which is good, personal affection for what is intrinsically
good. It is made from the word philos, friend, and agathos, inherently good.
This word only appears in Titus.
"Sober-minded"
in the Greek is sophron which means
sound mind, temperate, chaste, modest, safe because moderated, a man who
doesn't command himself but rather is commanded by God, curbing one's desires
and impulses. This word is used four
times in the New Testament only when describing elders and older men in the
church. "Just" in the Greek is
dikaios which means correct, righteous,
by implication innocent, just in the eyes of God, the elect, approved by God,
innocent, observing divine and human laws, faultless, guiltless, passing just
judgement on others.
"Holy" in
the Greek is hosios which means
righteous, pious, beloved by God, accords with divine truth and hence deserves
respect. "Self-controlled" in
the Greek is egkrates which means
strong, master of, mastered from within, temperance, controlling, curbing,
restraining. 1 Corinthians 9:25 states
"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable
crown." Temperate in this verse is
the same as self-control used in Titus.
An elder must be
fond and generous to guests, love strangers, have personal affection for what
is inherently and intrinsically good, curb one’s desires and impulses, observe
divine and human laws, accord with divine truth hence deserves respect, and be
master of temperance and restraint. An
elder must be one with God’s moral code which can only happen if indwelled by
the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
states “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.” John
16:7-8 states "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage
that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but
if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the
world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment." God's Helper, the
Holy Spirit, enables a believer to be this hospitable, a lover of what is good,
sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled man. An elder must be a believer in Jesus Christ.
And he must be
hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good,
sensible (upright), fair, devout, self-disciplined [above reproach—whether in
public or in private].
Amplified Bible
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