For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. (Titus 1:5)

Evangelists Ordaining Elders

The island of Crete had between 90 to 100 cities of varying size when Paul left Titus to preach the gospel and set in order those things that were lacking. As an evangelist, Titus found himself in a work needing a great deal of patience, wisdom, and faith. Paul warned the evangelist the people of Crete were of suspicious character as one of the poets lamented, even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.” In this kind of world, Titus was to establish the Lord’s church.

One of the foundational designs of the New Testament church was the divine organization of the local congregation. When Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in the cities of Asia Minor, they appointed elders in every city. Paul wrote to the evangelist Timothy, outlining the qualities of those who desired to serve as bishops in the Lord’s church. The work of shepherding the flock of God was a very serious undertaking, as Paul warned the Ephesian elders to keep watch among themselves for false teaching. The Holy Spirit had made them overseers of the church bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Paul left Titus in Crete to carry out one of the important functions of the evangelist: appoint elders. The church needs the spiritual guidance of those men who are called pastors, elders, bishops, overseers, and shepherds. These men are to watch out for the souls of those members entrusted to their care with the divine warning of accountability before God. The work of the evangelist is to teach, instruct, admonish, and establish the congregation of God’s people to be led by those men who take on the mantel of shepherding the flock of God among them. Growing as a church requires following the pattern. When churches exist for many years without the spiritual leadership of shepherds, they fail to follow the pattern of the New Testament.

Titus had much work to do. The churches in Crete faced many challenges as they grew in spirit and number. As an evangelist, Titus would spend time with men who had the qualities outlined by Paul. These men were required to exhibit the qualities given by the Holy Spirit. Paul had written to another evangelist, Timothy, with similar instructions. The work of an evangelist is to help establish and ordain elders. It is not the work of the elders to act for the church in selecting other elders. The scriptures do not suggest elders have such power, and God does not authorize elders to usurp or lord over the flock. H. Leo Boles writes, “The power of elders in the church is small. They cannot make a single rule or enact a principle to impose on the church that is not found in New Testament teaching. They have no power save that which is granted them by the New Testament. They cannot add a single command; neither can they give any promise of blessing. They cannot lord it over God’s people . . . When churches begin to delegate their own inherent powers and rights to elders, the days of their degradation has set in; that moment they depart from the New Testament pattern” (“How Elders Are Appointed.” The Gospel Advocate, Feb. 2, 1941).

The work of shepherds is to oversee the church to make certain the word of God is obeyed. There is no better way to establish the authority of the church than following the divine plan. Paul and Barnabas (evangelists) ordained elders in every city. Paul wrote the instructions regarding the qualities of bishops to Timothy and Titus (evangelists). The elders oversee the process of the work of establishing elders, allowing the evangelists to do their work in ordaining elders. There is wisdom in this pattern so that elders do not exercise lording over the flock of men desired or rejected in the process of creating leadership. Elders who abuse their power reject the word of God. The Lord established the authority of the evangelist as part of his work to ordain elders.