… holy …
Summary: The Greek word translated here as “holy” has a deeper meaning. It points us to the nature of a person and their desire to please God.
The last two criteria that Paul offers describing the requirements for a church leader who oversees other church leaders are “holy” and “disciplined.” The word “holy” traditionally means set apart for special use. However, in this instance, the underlying Greek is a little bit different.
The Greek word “hosios” is not used often in the Bible. Typically our word “holy” is translated from a word that refers to a holiness defined by human standards. It is also translated from two other words. One applies to formal consecration and the other to the righteous behavior of a person. The word used in this case refers to the nature of a person. Paul speaks to the very nature of the person selected for this role. They should be one who was considered godly even before hearing the Gospel.
As I think about this idea, it seems to me that there must be people who are naturally inclined to be godly in their thinking and behavior. This is not to say that they are completely righteous. (I don’t want to get crossways with Paul! — Romans 3:23) However, throughout history, there have been people with whom God has had a special relationship because they were set apart from birth. Some names that come to mind are Enoch, Abraham, Job, Jonah, and David. There are many others, but these names are some of the more famous.
This concept fits well with what Paul has been describing so far. He is asking Titus to find rare people. They are like a needle in a haystack. They are one in a million. They are blameless, hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, and upright. And, they are holy by nature.
Such people are hard to find. Only with God’s guidance and help would Titus be able to track such people down. And when they have been given their task, Titus, and Paul can rest assured that they will do the job asked of them.
Application: Strive to cultivate the kind of personality that models the qualities Paul has given us.
Food for Thought: What is the difference between having a holy nature and acting holy?
Ultimately only God has a truly righteous and holy nature. It would seem that although the apostle Paul truly desired to please God before he became a believer his covetedousness and being willing to use violence to persecute Christians would eliminate him from being qualified as an elder or bishop himself before he was saved. So, while not to question your interpretation, I wonder if perhaps the Lord is not a bit more concerned with those who truly seek to emulate and be transformed by the Holy Spirit after they have come into a relationship with the Savior.
I would prefer to err on the side of mercy and forgiveness when it comes to evaluating particular individuals pasts. Instead, can’t we choose to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His grace and mercy for transforming unusable pottery or clay into that which is fit for honorable service in God’s kingdom.
I would prefer to let the Lord with the confirmation of other godly men and perhaps godly women confirm His choices as to who is qualified to serve in what capacities in His kingdom and the local church.
I do not want to diminish the demands of scripture but is your view a widely held one amongst conservative evangelical scholarship?
Thanks so much for writing threeminutebible.com I hope you know you are valued and respected. I hope you are not offended by respectful questions regarding your interpretation.
Be Blessed. I continue to pray for you.
Jeff,
I have reposted your comments below and written in my answers to your questions. I hope they help.
Jeff Englund
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Ultimately only God has a truly righteous and holy nature.
Yes.
It would seem that although the apostle Paul truly desired to please God before he became a believer his covetedousness and being willing to use violence to persecute Christians would eliminate him from being qualified as an elder or bishop himself before he was saved. So, while not to question your interpretation, I wonder if perhaps the Lord is not a bit more concerned with those who truly seek to emulate and be transformed by the Holy Spirit after they have come into a relationship with the Savior.
Interesting point. I am not an expert in Greek so I am not claiming special knowledge here. That said, I do not see a conflict with the man Saul being seen as holy in the sense of this word, “hosios.” Obviously, God had to get his attention before he was chosen to be an apostle, but I think of it in terms of dedication to God, rather than having a correct understanding of God. So in that sense, Saul (Paul) would be qualified once his understanding of God had been corrected.
I would prefer to err on the side of mercy and forgiveness when it comes to evaluating particular individuals pasts.
Agreed!
Instead, can’t we choose to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His grace and mercy for transforming unusable pottery or clay into that which is fit for honorable service in God’s kingdom.
Agreed.
I would prefer to let the Lord with the confirmation of other godly men and perhaps godly women confirm His choices as to who is qualified to serve in what capacities in His kingdom and the local church.
I also agree with this because this is actually what happens. In a practical sense, we need people who are very open to God’s leadership through the Word and the Holy Spirit to be making these choices.
I do not want to diminish the demands of scripture but is your view a widely held one amongst conservative evangelical scholarship?
This I do not know. My writing is not intended to reflect any existing traditions. My purpose is to provide a fresh perspective on Biblical texts free from pre-existing bias. I am not promoting doctrine, but rather a viewpoint that I hope prompts you and other readers to look at Scripture with a fresh perspective.
Thanks so much for writing threeminutebible.com I hope you know you are valued and respected. I hope you are not offended by respectful questions regarding your interpretation.
I am not offended — instead I am pleased. Pleased that you took the time to read the post and think about it.
Be Blessed. I continue to pray for you.
Thank you Jeff!
Interesting. I just did a brief word study of this word myself. As you say, it is a unique Greek word. The other two biblical references are of Jesus as the holy one – both in Acts, both a quote of Psalm 16 regarding the messiah, which means both were likely from the Septuagint (but I did not chase that down).
I appreciate the study on this as I have never looked at this before. I will have to let this ruminate for a while before I formulate an opinion.
It is an interesting word to use and I can see why you come to the conclusion that this refers to someone with an inherently holy demeanor.
Of course, Jesus had the Holy Spirit in a unique way before the Holy Spirit was permanently in dwelling people – which came as a result of Jesus’ work. But as you point out, there were some people in the OT who had a special anointing from God.
Of course, with the Holy Spirit, all in Christ now have a special anointing from God.
I guess one thing I get from this is: when choosing leaders choose those who gravitate toward things of the Spirit as opposed to the flesh. Although they are sinners, seek those who are generally inclined toward godliness.
Thank you. I will have to give more thought to this.
Brother Rich,
Thank you for your comments! I appreciate your willingness to look at this concept and I will be interested in hearing your thoughts on it. I think that Paul was trying to point Titus to some characteristic about people that is hard to quantify. It is interesting to think about!
Blessings!
What is the difference between having a holy nature and acting holy?
When it comes to the actual deeds and attributes of our Immutable God, only He and all He does is Holy and righteous.
Believers receive the holy nature of Christ through the Holy Spirit of God, their holy acts are a physical manifestation of an inner truth. Men without this holy nature, may act holy for personal gain and their acts will be judged by God.
Ron,
Thank you! If I understand your comment correctly, there is a real possibility that we might not be able to sense or detect this quality in a person that Paul is point us to. If that is the case, you are right. God will be the final judge.
I have been taught that the word holy means “set apart”,..so for me,..acting holy,..I would be setting myself apart from others thinking more highly of myself than I should,..a holy nature,..to me would mean that my nature has been set apart from others,..like when I accepted Jesus as my Savior,..in nature I was set apart from those that didn’t or don’t believe,..
Like the Holy Bible has been set apart for those that will read, receive and believe,..I am one of a kind,..God has created only one of me,..not that that makes me holy,..it’s only because of Jesus that I am called to be holy,..set apart from the world to be more like Jesus,..it’s not an easy street to walk, but as Ron mentioned Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit to help us walk these streets,..
Amen, John!
I think you are on to something with the comment about acting holy possibly leading to pride. That is what I see in the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.
Jeff and others, thanks so much for your responses, I have really enjoyed reading your responses and meditating upon God’s holiness and what it means in this context. It is amazing with perspective added to commentary that a resolution seems possible, and misunderstandings evaporate.
Outstanding Work and commentary and communication. THANKS!
Jeff,
I like it when misunderstandings evaporate!! 🙂