Titus 1:8 Explained

"But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;" — Titus 1:8 (KJV)

Part of a job description for church leaders in which almost nothing listed is a skill.

Read it in context: The Book of Titus. Also gathered under verses about self-control.

Titus 1:8 in context

What does Titus 1:8 mean?

Six qualities, none of them measurable by output. 'Lover of hospitality' is literally a lover of strangers. 'Sober' here means sound-minded rather than not drunk. 'Temperate' is self-mastery, the word an athlete's trainer would use. The striking thing is what is missing — no requirement of eloquence, education or success — and the omission is the argument.

What is the context of Titus 1:8?

Paul has left Titus on Crete to appoint elders town by town. The list runs from verse 6 to verse 9 and is mostly about character; only the last item mentions teaching. Crete had a bad reputation, which Paul quotes bluntly two verses later.

How do I pray Titus 1:8?

Read the six slowly and let one of them stick; it will usually be the one you would rather skip. Ask for that one specifically, over a period long enough to matter. These are habits rather than gifts, which means they are asked for and practised rather than received in an afternoon.

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