For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
The apostle Paul wrote this letter to a man named Titus, a young leader Paul had left on the island of Crete to help organize new Christian communities there. Crete apparently had a rough reputation — Paul even quotes a Cretan saying that Cretans were 'liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' In that context, Paul is giving Titus a practical list of qualifications for 'overseers' — the people who would lead local church communities. What's striking is that the list is almost entirely about character, not competence. And it's framed in the negative: five things a leader must not be. The underlying logic is that whoever leads God's people is a steward — they're managing something entrusted to them, not something they own.
Father, you've entrusted things to me that aren't mine — people, responsibilities, small pockets of influence I often take for granted. Forgive me for the moments I've held that carelessly. Shape my character, especially when no one is watching and I'm tired and no one would notice anyway. Make me someone worth trusting. Amen.
Notice what Paul left off this list. No mention of gifted preaching or strategic vision. Nothing about charisma, organizational skill, or the ability to grow an audience. Instead: not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not violent, not greedy. A list about what you don't do when you have power. That tells you something important — the early church had apparently seen enough leaders who bullied with a Bible verse ready, who drank too much and kept control through fear, who quietly skimmed what wasn't theirs. Paul isn't writing hypothetically. He's writing a corrective. This verse has something to say to anyone who leads anything — a household, a team, a classroom, a friend group of three. The phrase 'entrusted with God's work' is worth carrying with you. Entrusted means it's not yours. You're holding something that belongs to someone else. Does that change how you carry authority? Does it change how you speak when you're exhausted at 9 PM and someone asks something of you again? The bar here isn't greatness. It's trustworthiness — and that turns out to be harder.
Why do you think Paul defined a good leader by five things to avoid rather than five strengths to develop? What does that approach assume about the nature of leadership?
Which of the five qualities — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain — do you think is most commonly overlooked or excused when evaluating leaders in churches, organizations, or politics today?
Is it possible for someone genuinely gifted to lead well over the long term if they lack these character qualities? What are the real costs when they try?
Think of someone in your life — past or present — who embodied this kind of trustworthy character in leadership. How did their character shape the people around them?
In whatever sphere you have influence — at home, at work, in friendships — which of these five areas do you most need to honestly examine in yourself right now?
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Acts 20:28
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Titus 2:3
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another , as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:10
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1 Peter 5:2
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:18
Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Leviticus 10:9
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2 Timothy 2:24
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Timothy 3:1
For the overseer, as God's steward, must be blameless, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain [but financially ethical].
AMP
For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
ESV
For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
NASB
Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
NIV
For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
NKJV
A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
NLT
It's important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God's house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry.
MSG