Sometimes men think differently than women or children. I know this is hard to comprehend by some in our overly hostile-against-the-patriarchy culture, but men think and act in ways that are truly beneficial to the church.

A man, that is a good man, a godly man, will focus on the protection or guardianship of his home. The idea of a husband comes from the agrarian practice of stewarding the land. Husbands, who are men, really, they are men, are called by God to husband their wives and homes. A husband stewards those under his care. This is why the Apostle Paul appointed elders [overseers/bishops] in the churches of the first century. He followed the model of Jesus elders [overseers/bishops] in the churches of the first century. He followed the model of Jesus who appointed apostles to steward the gospel and the church.

Paul’s epistle to Titus is another of Paul’s pastoral epistles. He echoes the same need to Titus for elders in the local churches of Crete that he did to Timothy with the churches in Ephesus. In both circumstances Paul desired elders be appointed to safeguard the integrity of the gospel from heretical and false teachers. Yet for Titus, and the churches of Crete, Paul more strongly emphasized the duty of the elder as God’s steward over the church.

Let’s dig into Paul’s instructions in Titus 1:1-9 for the care of God’s church on the ancient island of Crete.