Titus 1:5 Commentary: Appointing Elders, Completing the Work

Crete, modern Candia, was the largest island in the eastern Mediterranean, famous in antiquity for its hundred cities (hecatompolis). Clarke notes the island’s size and strategic location. Paul’s visit to Crete is not recorded in Acts, leading Clarke to conclude it occurred after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, since Luke’s history ends there. Acts 27:7, 12 describes Paul passing Crete as a prisoner, but the epistle assumes a pastoral visit during which churches were planted but not yet organized. Gill points to Acts 20:2 as a possible occasion when Paul came from Macedonia into Greece, though the exact date is uncertain.

The Cretan character posed challenges. Paul would quote a Cretan poet in verse 12: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.” The churches likely included Jews from the Pentecost crowd (Acts 2:11) and local converts, but the moral reputation of the culture meant that strong, blameless leadership was urgent. The phrase “in every city” (κατὰ πόλιν) suggests a systematic effort: Paul or Titus had preached in town after town, and each fledgling community needed shepherds.

The literary context is straightforward. After the elaborate salutation (vv.1, 4), Paul moves immediately to his delegate’s commission. The emphatic pronoun egō (“I myself”) in verse 5 underlines Paul’s personal authority: “as I myself directed you.” Titus is not acting on his own; he carries the apostle’s orders. This mirrors the pattern in 1 Timothy 1:3, where Timothy is left in Ephesus. The goal is not merely administrative, it is to guard sound doctrine against the false teachers described in verses 10, 16.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Titus 1:5. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions, and the differences among English translations (e.g., “set in order” vs. “further bring into order”) reflect the lexical meaning of epidiorthoō rather than variant readings.

From the earliest centuries, Christian readers recognized that Paul uses “elders” and “bishops” interchangeably in this passage. Irenaeus and other early writers appealed to Titus 1:5, 7 when discussing church order, though they often saw the two roles as distinct within a threefold ministry that later developed. During the Reformation, this verse became a cornerstone for those arguing that bishop and presbyter were originally the same office. John Calvin cited it to support parity among ministers, while the Roman Catholic Church maintained that the episcopate emerged as a distinct order from the apostolic foundation. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the verse continues to inform the practice of ordaining presbyters for each local community under a bishop’s oversight. The shared thread across all traditions is the conviction that apostolic authority delegates the appointment of leaders to faithful coworkers.

Three-point outline

1. The work remains unfinished. Paul had planted, but he could not stay. The church in Crete was like a building with the framework up and the roof missing. “Set in order the things that were lacking” (epidiorthoō) implies that the gospel creates communities that need structure.
2. Leadership answers the need. The specific lack was elders. Not programs or buildings, qualified men who could teach, shepherd, and confront error. The same urgency applies wherever the gospel takes root.
3. The task is shared, not solitary. Paul planted; Titus waters. No single person finishes the work. Delegation respects both the scope of the mission and the gifts of others.

Five-point outline

1. The purpose of leaving: Paul did not abandon Crete; he strategically positioned Titus to continue.
2. The nature of the task: “Set in order” (epidiorthoō), a NT hapax meaning to correct, complete, or straighten further.
3. The specific need: Appoint elders (presbuterous), not merely older men, but those qualified to oversee.
4. The pattern: “As I directed you”, apostolic precedent, not personal preference.
5. The context: Crete’s reputation for dishonesty and laziness made blameless leadership essential (v.6ff).

Illustration hooks

• A new house with the frame standing but no wiring, no plumbing, and no roof. The builder left to start another project and sent a foreman to complete the job. The foreman’s first task: hire reliable subcontractors.
• A ship captain who must sail to the next port leaves the first mate to inspect cargo and appoint watchmen for each shift. The mate works from the captain’s standing orders.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “If elders and bishops are the same in the Bible, why do many churches have different roles today?”
• “How do we know who should be an elder in our church? What process did Titus follow?”
• “What does it mean for a church to have ‘things that are wanting’? Is our church missing anything essential?”

Titus 1:5 opens a window into the early church’s growing pains. The gospel spread quickly, but organization took time. This verse reminds us that healthy churches need both spiritual life and orderly leadership. As you discuss, pay attention to what the text says about finishing what was started and who was chosen to lead.

Discussion questions

1. What does the phrase “set in order the things that were lacking” suggest about the state of the Cretan churches?
2. Why do you think Paul links “setting in order” with “appointing elders”? What does that connection tell us about his priorities?
3. The verb epidiorthoō means to “straighten further” and was used by ancient doctors for setting bones. How does that image shape your understanding of Titus’s job?
4. Barnes and other commentators point out that “ordain” in English implies a ritual that the Greek word does not. How does that change the way you read the instruction?
5. In verse 7, Paul calls these same leaders “bishops” (overseers). Why is it important, or not, that the two titles refer to the same office?
6. Paul used the emphatic “I myself” (ἐγώ) in the phrase “as I directed you.” What does this suggest about Titus’s authority and his accountability?
7. Think about your own church. Are there “things that are wanting” in its structure or leadership? How does this passage encourage you to pray or act?