An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, . . . not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (Titus 1:6–7)
Expanded Passage: 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9
I once chaperoned a trip to Washington, DC. That visit underscored how the Founding Fathers and those who commemorated them had appealed to the ancient Roman Republic as a precedent for their novus ordo seclorum (“new order of the ages”) and e pluribus unum (“out of many, one”). The Capitol’s art and architecture, along with concepts like “senate” and “republic,” hark back to early Rome.
Similarly, Paul drew church leadership guidelines from ancient Israel. The Greek translation of the Old Testament popular in his day parallels Titus 1:5 when it says to appoint town judges (Deut. 16:18). It uses the term “elders” for Israelite leaders (for instance, in Deut. 31:9, 28). Like church leaders, Israel’s kings weren’t to acquire warhorses, wine, women, or wealth (Deut. 17:16–17; Prov. 31:1–8). Instead, they were to hold fast to God’s Word and avoid arrogance (Deut. 17:18–20). Paul’s warnings against leaders with rebellious children echo not only Deuteronomy 21:18–21 on prodigal sons, but also King David’s unruly household (2 Sam. 13–19; 1 Kings 1–2). Paul’s calls for church leaders to be blameless and holy, good teachers, and good managers of their families recall Moses’ portrait of Levitical priests (Lev. 21; Deut. 17:8–13). Despite these similarities, the old tribal restrictions, blood sacrifices, and death penalties are long gone. Christ brought a novus ordo seclorum and e pluribus unum.
Thank God for the church’s Old Testament foundation and New Testament fulfillment.
Jerome Van Kuiken is professor of Christian thought at Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OK) and author of The Creed We Need (Amazon) and The Judas We Never Knew (Seedbed).
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
