Here is another question from the Live Question and Answer
Night on September 29:
What is meant by
believing children as far as being eligible to be an elder?
This question refers to a phrase in Titus 1:6. The whole verse reads this
way in the English Standard Version:
If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children
are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
To answer the question we need to understand what is meant by the Greek
word, πιστός, which is translated as “believers” in the
ESV cited above. That particular Greek would can be translated in the active
sense of believing, or as in three older English versions, the King
James, the Geneva Bible, and the Douay Rheims, and three newer English versions,
the New King James, the New English Translation, and the Holman Christian
Standard Bible, it can be translated in a passive sense of being faithful. To answer the question we need
to reach a conclusion about what is the correct way to translate that word –
are children to be believers or faithful?
First Timothy 3:4 seems to be a
parallel verse to Titus 1:6. First Timothy 3:4 reads:
He must
manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children
submissive.
The emphasis of 1 Timothy 3:4 is
on the elder’s ability to manage his household well, which is expressed by his
ability to keep his children under control. The children are mentioned in
relation to the father’s functioning, which makes sense in that list of
characteristics in 1 Timothy 3 are to help Timothy determine in a man is
qualified to be an elder. In the English versions that translate πιστός in an active sense in Titus 1:6,
the focus would seem to shift from the father onto the child. That does not
seem to fit the way the rest of characteristics are understood.
According to Greek scholars it is
“not easy” to determine the correct interpretation of πιστός in Titus 1:6. The reason for
that is the word πιστός has both an
active and a passive sense in the places it is used. Having said that, from analyzing
the usage of πιστός in the
writings of the Septuagint, Philo, Josephus, the apostolic fathers, and the New
Testament, a scholar named Norris C. Grubbs concluded that the vast majority of
usages of πιστός were passive. He wrote, “Approximately 92
percent of the usages of πιστός, a total of 241
occurrences, display the passive idea of ‘faithful,’ trustworthy,’ or
‘reliable.’”[1]
Paul’s usage
of πιστός in the Pastoral Epistles varies from that percentage of usage. Of the 33
times Paul used πιστός, 17 of those usages were in the Pastorals. Six of the 11 times Paul used πιστός in 1
Timothy, he used it in an active sense. In light of that, it should not be
surprising to learn that many commentators agree with an active translation.
Taking all of that data into
consideration, I believe, in contrast to the majority of the English
translations, it would be best to adopt a passive translation of πιστός in Titus 1:6 for the following
reasons. First, when Paul used πιστός a second time in the Titus 1 list in verse 9 and in a similar
list in 1 Timothy 3:11, it is normally translated in a passive sense. The usage
in Titus 1:9 is not as strong a reason for concluding that Titus 1:6 should be
understood passively, given that in verse 9, πιστός is modifying word (λόγος), rather than speaking in reference to a person.
But in 1 Timothy 3:11, Paul clearly used πιστός with respect to describing a person.
Another
reason in support of the passive reading would be the structure of Titus 1:6.
An active reading of πιστός would suggest that Paul is first addressing the eternal status of
the child, and then the next qualifier emphasizes the children’s behavior. If
that was correct, in the words of Homer Kent Jr., “It is possible for one’s
children to be professed Christians but still be a source of embarrassment to
their fathers because of unrighteous lives.”[2] Such an understanding would seem
to be in conflict with Paul’s understanding of what God’s grace does in a
person’s life according to Titus 2:11-14. Titus 2:12 suggests that not only does
God’s grace saved believers, but God’s grace also has the ongoing task of
teaching them to live righteously. The active translation in Titus 1:6 would
seem to make it a very real prospect for children to be distant from the
ongoing task of grace in their lives. That would not seem to fit the thrust of
Paul’s message in Titus as a whole. A passive understanding would fit the
overall context better, and would render Titus 1:6 as stating the behavior of
children in both positive and negative terms.
To try and answer the
question, the issue of Titus 1:6 is not so much about children being believers,
as it does a father, who is being considered as an elder, operating as a dad in a
way that his children are well behaved. I do not think that means that they are
perfect, but as we look at how a dad operates with his children does he teach
them to be responsible, empathetic, and respectful. Does he discipline and
correct them or does he just punish them or perhaps worse, ignore them? To be
an elder involves managing and leading God’s people. Paul, inspired by the Holy
Spirit, is telling us a way we can discern if a man is ready for that
responsibility is to look at how he is doing as a father and whether or not his
children are behave and function.
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