[Linux4christians] B7 - Monday - Titus 1:5-16

[dcolburn at bibleseven.com]

    Monday


      Titus 1:5-16


Titus' Task on Crete

1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining 
matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful 
children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.

1:7 For the overseer must be blameless as one entrusted with God's work, 
not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not 
greedy for gain.

1:8 Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, 
upright, devout, and self-controlled.

1:9 He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, 
so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and 
correct those who speak against it.

1:10 For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, 
especially those with Jewish connections,

1:11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by 
teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.

1:12 A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, 
"Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

1:13 Such testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply that 
they may be healthy in the faith

1:14 and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who 
reject the truth.

1:15 All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and 
unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are 
corrupted.

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since 
they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.



      Prayer


Lord, You instructed Paul to appointed "elders" as spiritual leaders, 
and Paul delegated that to Timothy and Titus and others -- with careful 
instructions as to how to discern those who were appropriate for that 
role. When entrusted with leadership may I apply Paul's evaluation 
wisely, adding nothing, and deleting nothing.



      Summary & Commentary


PaulremindedTitus"ThereasonIleftyouinCretewastosetinordertheremainingmattersandtoappointeldersineverytown",hethenreviewsthequalificationsforanelder:


"Aneldermustbeblameless"[Notreadilychargedwithagenuineoffense,moreblamelessthanmost.]


"...thehusbandofonewife"[AsnotedinTimothythisisaboutnon-polygamous,nothingelseis 
required by the text.]


"...withfaithfulchildrenwhocannotbechargedwithdissipationorrebellion"[dissipation-unruly,drunken]


"...notarrogant"


"...notpronetoanger"


"...notadrunkard"


"...notviolent"


"...notgreedyforgain"


"...mustbehospitable"


"...devotedtowhatisgood"


"...devotedtowhatis...sensible"


"...devotedtowhatis...upright"


"...devotedtowhatis...devout"


"...devotedtowhatis...self-controlled"


"...holdfirmlytowhathasbeentaught"


"...giveexhortation"


"...correctthosewhospeakagainstit"


PaulremindedTitusthat"therearemanyrebelliouspeople...rebukethemsharply"


Headded"Allispuretothosewhoarepure.Buttothosewhoarecorruptandunbelieving,nothingispure"


Paulconcluded"TheprofesstoknowGodbutwiththeirdeedstheydenyhim,sincetheyaredetestable,disobedient,andunfitforanygooddeed."



      Interaction


        Consider

ThenegativeattributesPaulsharedwithTitusaboutanelder"...notarrogant","...notpronetoanger","...notadrunkard","...notviolent","...notgreedyforgain" 
are also to be avoided by you,andthe"elders"inyourfellowship,how are you 
doing withthese?


        Discuss

What are somewaysthatyoumightdoabetterjoblivinguptoPaul'slistofattributes:

"Aneldermustbeblameless"[Notreadilychargedwithagenuineoffense,moreblamelessthanmost.]

"...thehusbandofonewife"[AsnotedinTimothythisisaboutnon-polygamous,nothingelse 
is required by the text.]

"...withfaithfulchildrenwhocannotbechargedwithdissipationorrebellion"[dissipation-unruly,drunken]

"...mustbehospitable"

"...devotedtowhatisgood"

"...devotedtowhatis...sensible"

"...devotedtowhatis...upright"

"...devotedtowhatis...devout"

"...devotedtowhatis...self-controlled"

"...holdfirmlytowhathasbeentaught"

"...giveexhortation"

"...correctthosewhospeakagainstit"


        Reflect

Paul'swarnedthat"therearemanyrebelliouspeople...rebukethemsharply","Allispuretothosewhoarepure.Buttothosewhoarecorruptandunbelieving,nothingispure","TheyprofesstoknowGodbutwiththeirdeedstheydenyhim,sincetheyaredetestable,disobedient,andunfitforanygooddeed."Haveyouobservedany 
of these things inanyleaderswithinafellowship?Whatwastheresult?


        Share

When have you observed 
apracticalexampleofan"elder"whoeitherdidordidnotliveuptoPaul'slistofattributes?Compareandcontrasttheirwitnessandtheirfruit.



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you one of Paul's lists of attributes 
for an "elder" which He wants you to meet more-completely in your life. 
(The attributes are about righteousness and most of them are goals for 
every believer.)


        Action:

Today Iwill intentionally pursue maturity in the identified attribute, 
even if I am not an elder, until I am more rightly living according to it.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Tuesday's text will be:


      Titus 2:1-8



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
Have an Ultrafidian.com Day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible Resources: bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Personal Site: bibleseven.com
I don't google I SEARCH! ddg.gg
1Cor. 15:22 "For just as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ all will be made alive."
Savannah-Statesboro needs a Bible College/Seminary!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.thelinuxlink.net/pipermail/linux4christians/attachments/20120401/956a5589/attachment-0001.html>