TITUS 1 (SECOND READING)
TITUS 1 (SECOND READING)
CAC This epistle is on much the same line as 1 Timothy.
Ques In the sense of maintenance of order in the house of God?
CAC Yes, when we come to 2 Timothy we do not find just the same things, do we? There is no mention of elders or overseers in the second epistle. It is surely not that the service was to cease, but what is official is not spoken of. It is a question there of “a man of God”, of “a bondman of the Lord”, and of “faithful men”. But order is very important and all truth remains for our instruction, though one cannot point out official elders and overseers now. I feel that we ought to be more exercised that the grace of the office should remain with us.
Rem “By love serve one another”, Galatians 5: 13.
CAC Yes, that is what I mean. We have not much idea what a bishop is, but like everything else if we want to know what an overseer is, we must learn it in the One who is the great Shepherd of the sheep, the true Overseer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Still it is a great thing to take an interest in the saints, “If any one aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work”, 1 Timothy 3: 1. These epistles are on the lines of good works and the chief good work one could take up is the care of the saints. There is no good work so good as to minister to saints. To minister to the Lord was the best work of all. The Lord said of the woman who anointed Him, “She has wrought a good work toward me”, but the Lord is not here, so the only chance we have now is with the saints.
Ques If one is called to serve the saints must one be prepared to be misunderstood?
CAC Well, that might be found in the course of service. Paul could say, “Through evil report and good report: as deceivers, and true”. There must be a moral character. If one takes the place of caring for others, one must have cared for oneself first. “Give heed to thyself”, 1 Timothy 4: 16. What a word! That had to be true of an overseer; he must first take heed to himself and then to his house, and having discharged his obligations in these two spheres, he could then take care of the house of God.
Rem The appointment of the elders seemed apostolic. Titus was delegated by the apostle.
CAC Yes, it was apostolic and also the action of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Acts 20, “The Holy Spirit has set you as overseers”. It seems to me that side of the office remains. The official side does not remain, but what the Holy Spirit does remains. If the Holy Spirit has made a man an overseer, he will be a good overseer.
Ques Is it on the official side that Titus gets authority and wisdom?
CAC Authority and wisdom went together at first, the official side and the spiritual; then I apprehend they soon got separated. Paul warns the elders on that same occasion in Acts 20, “From among your own selves shall rise up men speaking perverted things”. That was the [p. 318] separation of official from spiritual, but at the beginning what Paul did in appointing elders and what the Holy Spirit did were the same. It shews that the official side might go on and the spiritual side be lost. That was what very soon happened. The profit for us would be in being exercised that the spiritual side should be maintained.
Ques Should certain men with qualifications be responsible for the care of the assembly?
CAC It is in the interest of all of us that it should be maintained. It should be a common exercise among the saints that this character of divine care should be maintained; it is seen in the elders, in the bishops or overseers — the same persons clearly. It is a matter of general exercise, and I am ready to take my share of responsibility, for it is a great weakness at the present day that there is not more care of this character.
Ques Does it really form the basis of christianity?
CAC Yes, I think practically it does. We ought all to care for one another, but there are those whom the Holy Spirit makes overseers. That word gives us a better idea than bishop. Overseer gives one the idea of a man who looks on and sees how the saints are getting on.
Rem They are to shepherd the church of God.
CAC How wonderful that this character of care is not to disappear from the earth! It is Christ in evidence among the saints. How precious! If I see a man ever so feebly caring for the saints, that is Christ; that is the Spirit of Christ, a continuation of the service of Christ among the saints.
Ques It has great reward. Would it tend to keep one humble?
CAC An old brother once said, ‘If you want joy, preach the gospel. If you can bear sorrow, care for the saints’. If a man takes up a real care for the saints, he is committing himself to a path of exercise and sorrow.
[p. 319] Rem It is not mere authority, but we want those who have moral power to carry the consciences of saints.
CAC That reminds me of a case. Someone spoke to a sister and admonished her faithfully; she told a friend, who said, ‘I think he ought to mind his own business’. The sister replied, ‘I felt he was minding his own business’. She felt the moral power; it carried her conscience. Such a thing would evidence if a man was with God. He is with God as to his personal state first and then as to his household. If a man is with God as to himself and his household, it will be felt by others. It is a remarkable thing that the overseer is spoken of as God’s steward; he is really acting on behalf of God. It is a grave responsibility; it is not a place of vain-glory as it has become in the hands of men.
Ques Are we told to be subject to such?
CAC It is a privilege to be subject to one who cares for your soul. It is a beautiful character that is depicted here; it speaks of the overseer as “clinging to the faithful word” — a beautiful expression — that is how he is “able... to encourage with sound teaching”. It is only what we have got hold of for ourselves that helps others. That is what “clinging to the faithful word” suggests to me.
Ques Would guides be the same thought — those “who have spoken to you the word of God”?
CAC Yes, the leaders, those who shew the saints how they ought to walk; they not only tell them how to walk but they are leaders. If any man is to be a leader he requires to have more spiritual energy than the rest; he must be ahead in his spiritual exercises and energy. If a brother has got to the front and fancies he is a leader, he may presume upon it, and perhaps he has not the spiritual energy to keep ahead. If a man presumes without the spiritual energy he will sooner or later come to grief. It is like the Israelites going up to the hill presumptuously (Numbers 14); they had not the support of God. Nothing but the powerful support [p. 320] of God will sustain a man in the forefront of God’s testimony.
Ques What do you understand by the faithful word?
CAC I think it is the word of christianity. It is the word that expresses the mind of God and the truth, the present grace. The true overseer clings to it; he has got hold of it for himself so he can encourage, and he can refute the gainsayers. He is clinging to the faithful word, he has grown on to it as the ivy grows on to the oak. That illustrates it. Scripture speaks of the engrafted word, but that gives the idea of the word becoming part of yourself.
Rem The enemy in human warfare seeks to pick off the leaders; he does not care so much for the rank and file.
CAC Yes, that is the exercise; we have need to pray much that this character of service should be raised up and maintained among the saints. Even the apostle felt his need of the prayers of the saints.
Rem There is a double service, to encourage and to convince the gainsayers.
CAC Yes, there must be a presentation of the truth so that such people as are spoken of in verses 10 and following are to be shown up.
Ques It was not promising material to work on, was it?
CAC How wonderful that the grace of God and the service of Christ should come out in contrast with such material! We sometimes complain of bad material, but hardly anything could be worse than a Cretan. There is a way to deal with everything; there are certain things in view here that have to be rebuked severely. They necessitate severe measures.
Rem Those contemplated in verses 10 and 11 are different. The first assume to teach.
CAC They are adversaries teaching things which ought not to be taught. The grace of God comes into a world marked by every kind of corruption and falsehood,
[p. 321] it comes in to make men sound and pure. These men were so corrupt in mind, going off on wrong lines altogether, yet we see the working of grace was to the end that they might be sound in the faith. Then in verse 15 the pure are spoken of. God’s grace comes in to such a scene of corruption and uncleanness and works so that men may be sound, and pure, and devoted to good works.
Ques Does grace give a beautiful setting to what is said here of the Cretans?
CAC It gives a wonderful thought of christianity that it produces such a change morally. The first miracle in Acts is a man made every whit whole; that gives us the idea that God is working in grace that man may be sound. Peter says, “His name has made this man strong whom ye behold and know; and the faith which is by him has given him this complete soundness in the presence of you all”, Acts 3: 16. You see the grace of God; it is not that you hear of it. Barnabas saw the grace of God; he did not see it in the Bible but in the converts. Here you see a people who are “always liars, evil wild beasts, lazy gluttons”, that is very plain speaking, that was their natural character, yet they are to be marked by soundness, purity, good works — that is the grace of God. This becomes a testimony for God; it shews a moral character of things suited to God which takes actual form in the saints. If it did not, the world would never know anything of the grace of God. What a contrast! On the one side, the defiled and unbelieving, those who profess to know God and in works deny Him; that is man according to nature, even if he takes up the profession of godliness. On the other side, the saints characteristically are pure and clean; a new principle is working in them. The great purifying principle is the fear of God.
Ques “They profess to know God, but in works deny him”. Do a man’s works shew where [p. 322] he is?
CAC There is a very sharp contrast here to what we were looking at a few weeks back in 2 Timothy 3. There it was the value of Scripture — “that the man of God may be complete, fully fitted to every good work”; here people are “found worthless as to every good work”.
Ques There was still authority then for putting away evil doers; it is different from our day, when we have to separate from them. How would that affect the overseer’s work or sphere of service? Take a place where the saints are divided in separate companies, would the overseer care for the souls of all christians?
CAC I should suppose the overseer’s desire would not be limited in any way but his practical access might be.
Ques Does the principle of putting away remain?
CAC The principles of the assembly remain, but we cannot take up the position of being the assembly today. The principle of service would be that it had all saints in view. A true overseer would be interested in every saint of God; he could not help it if the Holy Spirit had made him an overseer.
Ques The overseer’s work is likened to shepherding; is it more active for the weak and wandering than for those going right?
CAC That is where exercise and sorrow come in if one has to do with unruly sheep. It is beautiful that Peter says, “Ye were going astray as sheep”; it is in that connection that he speaks of an overseer. How it brings out the care of the Shepherd! He cares for straying sheep; He goes after that which was lost till He find it. The principle of care must be over the whole flock of God; therefore you could not have an overseer in a sect. People make elders in one little chapel. If we get sectarian we get practically straitened in our affections and service.
Ques Is there not a danger of our failing in our responsibility [p. 323] to the whole church of God, as if we had no responsibility to other christians?
CAC I think there is very great danger of that; the very principle of separation tends to that.
Rem One gets into difficulties practically.
CAC Well, one gets into exercise. It is a great thing to watch for the souls of the saints; we are shut off from a great many, but then the Lord can give us access to them. If one comes in contact with saints it is a great exercise to have a morsel of food for them even if it is only three or four words. I am afraid the saints generally, when they meet, do not minister food to one another.