Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;…”  “Filthy Lucre”: sordid gain; greedy of gain. The Lord has promised to meet our needs but not necessarily our wants. How much is enough? That’s something every person should ponder. If our spiritual leader’s focus is upon personal gain, his heart is definitely not upon eternity: “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matt 6:21)”.

 (Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,….”  In 1 Corinthians it speaks of the greatest of God’s gifts – love. Not human love, but God’s love, a sacrificial love, referring to the sacrifice of self. It is this love that allows the man of God to turn the other cheek, to take reproach, to bear being wronged: (1 Cor 13:5) “…. is not easily provoked,….(7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” 

(Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine,….”  The pastor is to be the example of a true Child of God. In Revelation it says we are kings and priests. Our bodies temple the Holy Spirit (God) (1 Cor 3:16-17). Our lives are to be offered in sacrifice (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15). Priests serving were not to drink in order to “….put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;” (Lev 10:10). Those who do not love the Lord enough will not heed such teaching as this for they and their desires come first.  

(Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry,….”  (Pro_14:17) “ He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:…”   Any person given to anger is not being controlled by the Spirit of God; instead they are letting the old nature reign. Therefore they are far from being what the Lord would have them to be. Such a man should never be set up as an example to a church. Such a man could not pastor, for he is still “self-willed”.

(Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled,…..”   Everyone is “selfwilled” to some degree, but this is speaking specifically of his being desirous, and seeking to be, led by the Spirit of God in every decision of his life. The ministry of Christ is not about “me”, but about “Him”, our Lord. May we each be blessed to be led by such godly men! And by we each desire to be such men and women.

(Tit 1:7) “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;….”  A pastor looks after what is God’s. The church is God’s, not his. The building is God’s, not his. The finances are God’s, not his. He must give an account some day to the Lord for each decision He makes: “For unto whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48).  

(Tit 1:6) “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” Should single men pastor churches? No. They are to be married with children. That is the plain Word of God. There are good sound reasons for whatever God gives in instruction, even if we do not have the heart to perceive it at this time. Ours is a life of submission and faith towards and in Almighty God Who bought us. He therefore has every right to govern over us.

(Tit 1:6) “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” Living in this society affects our thinking, even towards the Word of God. Today we do not see divorce as being so bad, so we tend to interpret this as “one wife at a time”. Read the totality of Scripture and you will find God “hates” divorce and that the sexual acts makes two people one. So, not one at a time – but one wife – period. Why? The pastor is to the example of following God’s Word.  

 (Tit 1:6) “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” “Blameless”: of good reputation. Each of us, including our pastor, make up the local New Testament Church. The Lord’s very reputation is tied to our conduct. People will judge our Lord by our actions and rightly so, since the Holy Spirit lives inside each of us. Sad when emotions control our tongues while in the world, making us without thought of our Lord’s reputation.