Titus: Transformed by Grace (Part 2)

Setting Things in Order—Why Ecclesial Leadership Matters

Crete was a mess. That’s not a commentary on the island’s geography or cuisine—it’s a blunt reality about the spiritual condition of its ecclesias. Paul had left Titus there, not for a holiday, not to enjoy the scenery, but to do the hard work of cleaning up what was unfinished. That work began with one particular task:

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. (Titus 1:5 ESV).

There it is. “Put what remained into order.” Paul uses a word that speaks of straightening out what is crooked, bringing structure to what is still bent. And it’s no small job. There were ecclesias in many towns on the island, and they were without proper leadership. The work of the gospel had begun, but it hadn’t yet been grounded. What was unfinished wasn’t just doctrinal clarity or outreach but a lack of godly, accountable leadership.

Tidying Up What’s Left Unfinished

Sometimes we can be tempted to rush the start of a work, start new ecclesias, open new mission fields, launch new efforts, or even set up new youth group programs, leaving the follow-up work unfinished. Paul doesn’t have that luxury. The apostolic model is not one of flash-in-the-pan evangelism but of long-term investment. And that means helping ecclesias grow into maturity, not just in numbers but also in health, stability, and structure.

Titus’s job is to bring that structure. To put things in order. And he’s to do it not by taking over himself, but by appointing elders (plural) in every town. That word matters. Paul isn’t creating an ecclesial monarchy where one man holds the reins. He’s directing the establishment of shared leadership, a team of spiritually mature men who together will shepherd the flock.

We often consider leadership an optional extra, something that matters in theory but not in practice. It is common to establish new ecclesias without specific leadership. Paul disagrees. Without godly elders, the ecclesia is unfinished. And without structure, even the most vibrant spiritual community is vulnerable. Crete had believers. Crete had ecclesias. But Paul says the work was incomplete because those ecclesias lacked shepherds.

If the work was incomplete, then it could be undone now. What one generation establishes, another can forget. If leadership isn’t refreshed, if oversight isn’t exercised, the spiritual vitality of an ecclesia can quietly fade.

The Need for Order

It’s worth pausing to ask why Paul cares so much about order. Isn’t the gospel about freedom? Isn’t structure potentially stifling? Isn’t “order” sometimes used as a code word for controlling or quenching the Spirit?

Yes, those abuses exist. But Paul’s vision of order is not about control; it’s about care. It’s not about hierarchy, it’s about health. When Paul speaks of “putting things in order,” he’s thinking like a gardener pruning a vine, not a bureaucrat building a flowchart. The order he has in mind is organic, pastoral, and aimed at fruitfulness.

That’s why appointing elders is the first step. Elders are not administrators. They’re not just decision-makers or committee members. They are shepherds of God’s people. Their spiritual task is to guard, guide, feed, and protect. If that work is left undone, the ecclesia is unfinished. Vulnerable. Prone to drift or division.

When there is no clear leadership in a community, responsibility becomes diffuse. No one knows who cares for whom, and no one feels responsible for intervening when someone wanders. Sometimes, that can look like humility, but in truth, it’s abdication. God’s people need shepherds who will take up the burden of care, notice when someone is missing, weep with the grieving, and stand firm against spiritual danger.

In that sense, every generation of believers faces the same task that Titus faced. We are always one generation away from disorder, from unfinished business. We must constantly return to this question: Have we gathered people or put things in order? Are our ecclesias shaped by the gospel, tradition, and convenience?

Order also allows for peace. When roles are clear, leadership is trusted, and godliness is evident, the ecclesia can rest and grow. It’s when those things are missing that conflict rises. When people step into the vacuum, tensions escalate. The peace of the community gets frayed. Paul’s instructions to Titus aren’t about rigidity. They’re about helping the ecclesia become a place where faith can flourish.

Leadership Without Popularity Contests

One of the tensions in this process is how elders are recognized and appointed. In our community, we often use a ballot—a vote by the ecclesia members. But Paul’s instructions here remind us that this isn’t about popularity. The elders Titus is to appoint are not simply the most liked or longest serving. They are brethren who meet very specific spiritual qualifications (which we’ll examine in the next article).

That distinction matters because if our method of recognizing leaders turns into a popularity contest, or if it rewards those with the loudest voices or the most influence or the closest friends, we miss the point entirely. Paul didn’t send Titus to find the flashiest speaker or the most active organizer. He was sent to recognize and appoint men of proven character.

A ballot can be a wise and fair way to involve the whole ecclesia. But we must remember that the purpose of the process is not to anoint favorites, but to discern who is genuinely fit to shepherd the flock. That selection requires spiritual discernment, careful reflection, and a shared commitment to godliness over charisma.

Sometimes, we need to recognize that those most qualified to lead are not the ones putting themselves forward. They’re not campaigning. They’re not promoting themselves. In fact, they’re usually serving quietly, faithfully, humbly, already doing the work of a shepherd, even without the title. Titus’s job was to see what God was already doing with these men and formally appoint them to the role.

What’s at Stake

There’s a warning embedded in all this. When ecclesias are left without functional leadership, when no one takes responsibility for teaching, pastoring, guarding the truth, and caring for the weak, someone else always steps into the gap. Very often, it’s not someone qualified. It’s the loudest voice, the most confident speaker, the most controlling individual, the person with the strongest opinions and the least accountability.

That’s what was happening in Crete. We’ll see in the next passage that there were “many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception.” (Titus 1:10 NIV). They weren’t just outsiders. They were part of the ecclesias. In the absence of real leadership, they were gaining influence.

The lesson is simple and sobering. If we don’t appoint godly elders, we will end up with ungodly influencers. If we don’t create a healthy structure, unhealthy dynamics will take over. That’s why Paul doesn’t tell Titus to wait. He doesn’t say, “Let things settle for a few years.” He says, “Put what remains into order. Appoint elders,” because time alone doesn’t solve ecclesial problems. Leadership does.

If we avoid appointing elders because it might cause tension or discomfort, we are, in effect, allowing disorder to fester. The task is too important to delay. Appointing elders is not a risk-free activity, but the risk of inaction is far greater.

Conclusion: Taking the Work Seriously

Titus had been entrusted with an urgent task. We are, too. The work of the ecclesia is unfinished wherever godly leadership is lacking. We may have regular meetings, engaging teaching, and strong attendance, but we remain vulnerable if we lack shepherds who care, lead, teach, and model the gospel.

This exercise isn’t just about who plays what roles in the ecclesia. It’s about appointing those with spiritual maturity to protect the flock and ensure that every ecclesia is grounded in truth, shaped by grace, and led by those whose lives match the gospel they proclaim.

Let’s not treat leadership as a formality. Let’s treat it as the vital calling it is. Let’s work, like Titus, to put things in order, not for our control or comfort, but for the flourishing of the body of Christ and the care of every member.

The good news is that God provides. He raises leaders. When we do the hard, prayerful work of discernment and appointment, we aren’t inventing leadership, we’re recognizing what God has already begun. We are responding to God’s work that has changed hearts and created men who model godliness. The overflow of their hearts evidences the work of God with the fruit of the Spirit we discern. We do our part by encouraging and supporting their appointment and work. Conversely, when the fruit of the Spirit is not evident, we should recognize hearts that the gospel has not changed.

In the next article, we’ll examine Paul’s specific qualities for elders. What does godly leadership look like in real life? What kind of men are qualified to guide the ecclesia? And what happens when their private lives don’t match their public roles?

Let’s keep asking: Are we building ecclesias that reflect Christ? Or are we leaving things unfinished?

Andrew Weller,
Cumberland Ecclesia, NSW