5 The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you. 6 Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. 7 This is because supervisors should be without fault as God’s managers: they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. 8 Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled. 9 They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it. 10 In fact, there are many who are rebellious people, loudmouths, and deceivers, especially some of those who are Jewish believers. 11 They must be silenced because they upset entire households. They teach what they shouldn’t to make money dishonestly. 12 Someone who is one of their own prophets said, “People from Crete are always liars, wild animals, and lazy gluttons.” 13 This statement is true. Because of this, correct them firmly, so that they can be healthy in their faith. 14 They shouldn’t pay attention to Jewish myths and commands from people who reject the truth. 15 Everything is clean to those who are clean, but nothing is clean to those who are corrupt and without faith. Instead, their mind and conscience are corrupted.16 They claim to know God, but they deny God by the things that they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified to do anything good. (Titus 1:5-16. CEB)
Everything is clean to those who are clean, but nothing is clean to those who are corrupt and without faith.
So who decides who has faith or who is corrupt?
Because truly who can live up to the guidelines for elders?
Be without fault? I mean only Jesus was without fault, and that really depends on who you ask.
Faithful to their spouse. Ok, for this one we might find a few…
Have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. In some ways a father can control their children, but we are each our own creation of God and no one person can truly control another and to judge a person based on their family is not what God would do, so why should we?
They shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. At all or what? I mean aren’t we all stubborn in something, and irritable at times? Seems a little like we want these people to be perfect, and as far as I know there was only 1 perfect person and he was also God.
High expectations?
And we wonder why church leaders fail…
aSacredRebel 