For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: (Titus 1:5 KJV)
Commentary
Paul wrote, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what was lacking” (Titus 1:5). This was the work of evangelists, such as Titus—to continue where the apostles had begun, to water where they had planted (1 Corinthians 3:6), and to establish what the apostle had not completed during his short stay there.
We see the apostle’s diligence in spreading the gospel. Wherever he set things in motion, he quickly moved on to another field, eager to reach both Greeks and non-Greeks (Romans 1:14-15). Yet he did not neglect the places he left; instead, he appointed others to continue cultivating the work. His humility is also evident, for he accepted help from those not of equal gifts or rank, so that the gospel might be advanced and souls built up. This example calls all ministers to zeal, faithfulness, and care for the flock, whether present or absent.
Though Titus was not an apostle, he had authority above ordinary pastors or bishops. While local pastors were fixed to particular churches, Titus had the broader role of ordaining elders where they were lacking and establishing order before moving on to other places as needed. Evangelists, like apostles, exercised an itinerant ministry (1 Corinthians 16:10), helping to lay foundations in various regions. Titus was in Crete only for a time, later joining Paul at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), and afterward serving at Corinth, Rome, and Dalmatia (2 Timothy 4:10). Scripture gives no evidence of his being fixed as a bishop in one place.
The authority Paul and Titus exercised was not political but spiritual. Their work was never to infringe upon civil government, but to advance the kingdom of Christ. As Jesus said, “Who made me a judge or an arbiter over you?” (Luke 12:14). The order Titus was to establish concerned divine ordinances given by Christ, not civil matters. Yet raising and strengthening churches is never easy. Even where Paul had labored, there were still things lacking. Believers need constant shaping, correcting, and encouragement, for even the best are prone to decline without pastoral care. Titus’s task, then, was to supply what was missing and put things in order.
In particular, Titus was to appoint elders in every city—men who were mature in faith, wise, and consistent in conduct. These were the pastors set over congregations, especially in towns and cities, though villages too could have elders where believers were gathered. Such elders, or presbyters, had the ordinary charge of feeding and governing the flock. The term presbyter is sometimes used broadly for anyone in church office (1 Peter 5:1), but here it refers to settled pastors who labored in word and doctrine. They were not priests in the Old Testament sense, for under the gospel there is only one high priest—Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:1), who offered Himself once for all. Ministers of the gospel are shepherds and overseers appointed by the Holy Spirit to feed the church of God.
A church without a settled ministry is incomplete. Where there is a community of believers, pastors must be established and continue in their work for the building up of the body of Christ until all reach maturity in Him (Ephesians 4:12-13). Their ministry is essential for faith to grow and be sustained, for where there is no teaching, ignorance and corruption spread, and godliness declines. For this reason, Jesus commanded us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send workers into His harvest (Matthew 9:38).
Titus, then, was left in Crete to ordain elders and set things in order, but he was to do this not by personal choice but by apostolic direction: “Ordain elders in every city, as I appointed you” (Titus 1:5). Just as Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle according to the pattern shown on the mountain (Hebrews 8:5), so also the church must be ordered according to Christ’s will, not human invention. Ministers may wisely apply the general rules of Scripture, but they may not alter the substance of the faith, worship, or discipline of the church.
Paul now begins to describe the qualifications of elders (Titus 1:6-9), reminding Titus that he must appoint only such men as met these standards.