Titus 1:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

How can one teach others to bridle this passion if he has not taught himself? Authority places a man in many circumstances that make even a very gentle person burdensome and severe, giving many occasions for anger. Therefore, if he has not first taken care to tame this passion, he will be extremely burdensome to those under him. He will harm and ruin many things in the work of his governance.

"Not a drunkard, not a striker." Here he means an abusive person. A bishop should do everything by exhortation, not by reproach and insult. And tell me, what need is there to abuse? One must threaten with Gehenna, intensify the threats, and strike the conscience. But the person who is insulted becomes more brazen and despises the one who insults him. Nothing so arouses contempt as insult, which brings more dishonor upon the insulter himself and deprives him of due respect. The word of a bishop must be filled with great piety. When rebuking sins it must remind men of the future judgment and be pure of every insult. If someone hinders him in carrying out his duty, he must act with all authority.

"Not a striker," says the Apostle. A teacher is a physician of souls. A physician does not give blows, but corrects and heals the one who gives blows. Do you see what lofty virtue he requires? "Not greedy for gain," he says, that is, showing great contempt for money.

"Not quick-tempered." Anger necessarily follows self-love. Therefore the bishop must also refrain from it. For how will he teach others to bridle this passion if he has not taught himself?

"Not a drunkard." That is, not abusive. What need is there to abuse anyone? The disobedient should be brought to fear Gehenna, not insulted.

"Not a striker." He must strike neither with his hands nor with bitter and exasperating words. For he is a physician. A physician heals wounds rather than inflicting them himself.

"Not greedy for gain." That is, showing great contempt for wealth. In a bishop every acquisitiveness is shameful, even when the acquisition is just.

He should be "not self-pleasing." That is, he must not be a coercive and despotic ruler, one who considers only his own desires and inclinations. He must consider the needs and necessities of the laypeople and clergy subject to him (cf. 1 Pet 5:2).

He must not be insolent, rash, quick-tempered, given to wine, or a striker. These qualities of an unfaithful house-manager are portrayed in Christ's parable under the image of the servant who "says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk" (Lk 12:45). Thus contrariness, self-will, cruelty, and also attachment to merriment, pleasures, and sensuality are not fitting for a good shepherd and clergyman.

"Not greedy for shameful gain." It is a common trait of unfaithful house-managers and overseers to enrich themselves at the owner's expense. Spiritual stewards, that is, bishops and presbyters, become guilty in this respect when, through excessive concern for their earthly needs, they look upon their flock only as a source of income. They then strive by every means only to increase that income. Going further and further in this direction, they finally become greedy merchants, filthy hoarders, and heartless usurers and lenders.

This canon contains, in legal form, the commandment of the Holy Scripture of the New Testament that a clergyman must not strike anyone (Mt 5:39; 1 Tim 3:3). The one who has done this must be deposed from the sacred rank. This canon was repeated by the Council of Constantinople in the Church of the Holy Apostles in 861. In the interpretation of canon 9 of that Council, as much as is needed will be said about this vice into which a clergyman may fall.

"Do you see," says Saint John Chrysostom, "how the Apostle's soul is pure of all envy? Do you see how he always sought the profit of those taught, without distinguishing whether it would be achieved by himself or by another? Where there was danger and great difficulty, he corrected everything himself by his personal presence. But what brought greater honor or glory he entrusts to his disciple. This means the ordination of bishops and everything else that needed some correction, or, so to speak, fuller ordering. Such a head must be one who seeks not his own honor, but the common good."

Concerning one marriage he says: "The Apostle stops the mouths of heretics who condemned marriage, showing that it was so honorable that one may even ascend to the sacred throne while living in it. At the same time he reproves incontinent men by not allowing them to receive this authority after a second marriage. The Apostle wants the one who rules to give those under him no occasion for reproach. If he could not raise his own children, he deserves great condemnation for negligence. Therefore, if someone does not care for his own children, how can he care for others? And how can he teach others to bridle anger if he has not taught himself? Authority places a man in many circumstances that make even a very gentle person burdensome and severe, giving many occasions for anger. Therefore, if he has not first taken care to tame this passion, he will be extremely burdensome. He will harm and ruin many things in the affairs of his governance. A bishop must always act by exhortation, not by reproach and insult. A teacher is a physician of souls. A physician does not give blows, but corrects and heals the one who gives blows." "In a bishop every acquisitiveness is shameful" (blessed Theophylact).

"As God's steward," οικονομον, means an economos, an overseer. By this the Apostle either gives a special motive for irreproachability, or indicates a new side from which the bishop must especially be irreproachable.

"To be God's steward is a great title and dignity. Therefore it requires special attention and vigilant diligence" (Oecumenius).

Previously he said that the bishop must be irreproachable as a family man and citizen. Here he indicates that he must be so in the order of church life, as God's builder, overseer, and steward.

The Church, the society of believers, is God's house. The bishop is appointed to watch over this house and observe the proper order in it.

"God appoints him over His house. He occupies God's place. Therefore in all respects he must be an exact fulfiller of His will" (Blessed Theophylact).

In another place Saint Paul also calls the Apostles God's stewards and builders of His mysteries, adding: "It is required of stewards that one be found faithful" (cf. 1 Cor 4:1-2).

This is already a general law for all God's builders, and among them also for bishops, the Apostles' successors.

Blessed Jerome offers the thought that Saint Paul borrowed this lesson from Christ the Savior's parable about the wise and faithful steward, appointed over the household to give them their portion of grain in due season (cf. Lk 12:42 and following).

He writes, "What is required of stewards is this: 'that one be found faithful.' He is taught not to be such as eats and drinks with drunkards and beats the male and female servants.

Rather, while awaiting God's unknown coming, he is to distribute the portion of grain to his fellow servants at the proper time. The only difference between the steward and the others is that he, a fellow servant, has been set over his fellow servants.

Let the bishop and presbyter know, then, that a people is entrusted to them, not slaves."

Judging from this, the irreproachability in church stewardship that the Apostle requires from the bishop obliges him not to err in feeding the souls entrusted to him with divine truths.

It obliges him not to err in sanctifying and strengthening them by grace through the administration of the holy mysteries. Above all, it obliges him in guiding all along the unerring path of salvation.

After this general requirement, the Apostle also indicates particular features of irreproachability. These too call to mind the Savior's parable just mentioned.

"Not self-willed," μη αυθαδη, means not insolent, not one who, carried away by self-will, sets his own desire above everything and disregards the just desires and needs of those he governs.

The Slavonic translation paraphrases this word by two others: not bold and not presumptuous.

Saint Chrysostom says, "The one who has external civil authority, since he governs by the force of law and necessity, is rightly not always guided by the wishes of those subject to him.

But one who must rule over people who submit to him voluntarily and feel gratitude for his governance, if he acts in everything only according to his own will, as though he must give account to no one, will make his rule violent and despotic."

Saint Peter prescribes the same thing when he says, "Elders, shepherd the flock of God which is among you, overseeing not by compulsion, but willingly and according to God, not as lording it over the allotment," that is, the inheritance of God (see 1 Pet 5:1-3).

"Not irascible." Saint Chrysostom says, "How can one who has not taught himself to bridle this passion teach others to bridle it?

Authority places a man in many circumstances that make even a very meek person burdensome and severe, giving many occasions for anger.

Therefore, if he has not beforehand taken care to tame this passion, he will be extremely burdensome to those subject to him. He will harm and ruin much in the affairs of his governance."

Let us add the words of Blessed Jerome: "The irascible man is always irritated and, at a slight incautious word or some fault, is set in motion like a leaf by the wind.

Truly, nothing is more unseemly than a raging teacher. He ought to be meek, according to the following word of Scripture: 'The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, forbearing, correcting opponents with meekness' (cf. 2 Tim 2:24-25).

Instead, he comes forward with a threatening appearance, trembling lips, a wrinkled brow, and a face now pale, now red. He strikes with a frenzied shout.

He does not draw those who have erred toward the good, but by his ferocity casts them down into greater evil. Therefore Solomon also says, 'Anger destroys even the wise' (Prov 15:1).

Saint James teaches that the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God (cf. Jas 1:20)."

"Not a drunkard," μη παροινον, properly means not noisy as from wine, not quarrelsome and abusive, not captious, and not using insulting words.

Saint Chrysostom says, "Here he means an insulter. A bishop should do everything by exhortation, not by reproach and insult.

For what necessity is there, tell me, to insult? One must threaten with Gehenna and thus bring to fear and trembling. But the one insulted becomes more insolent and despises the one insulting him.

Nothing so provokes contempt as insult. It brings greater dishonor upon the one who insults, depriving him of due respect.

The bishop's word must be filled with great piety, must remind sinners of the judgment to come, and must be pure of every insult.

But if someone hinders him in fulfilling what is due, then he must act with full authority."

Oecumenius and Theophylact say the same, paraphrasing the word in this way: μη παροινον means μη υβριστην, not abusive.

But Blessed Theodoret understands "drunkard" here as one who becomes intoxicated. Likewise Blessed Jerome writes, "He also forbids the bishop to be a lover of wine.

In the Epistle to Timothy this is expressed as 'not given to much wine' (cf. 1 Tim 3:8). What a sight it is to see a bishop under the influence of drink.

Either under pleasant feelings he raises his laughter and laughs immoderately, lowering his dignity, or, remembering something sorrowful, he begins to make lamentations and weep.

However, it would take long to enumerate all the improprieties to which drunkenness leads. In the Old Testament also, priests were commanded not to drink wine when they approached to perform service to God (see Lev 10:9).

Likewise, Nazirites had to abstain from wine, strong drink, and everything made from clusters of grapes during all the days of their vow, because this deprives the mind of its proper soundness (see Num 6:3).

Let others say what they wish. I testify according to conscience that violation of abstinence in this matter does not pass without harm, whereas keeping it is always beneficial."

"Not a striker," neither bodily nor spiritually. He must not inflict blows and wounds with his hands, nor strike souls with bitter and embittering words (Blessed Theophylact).

"Not striking the consciences of weak brethren" (Oecumenius). "For the teacher is a physician of souls. A physician does not inflict blows, but corrects and heals the one who inflicts blows" (Saint Chrysostom).

Blessed Jerome likewise combines bodily and spiritual striking and says, "After forbidding love of wine, he also commands that he not be a striker.

This can be understood simply as the instruction not to give free rein to one's hands and not to rush like a madman upon another in order to strike him.

But it is better for us to call one 'not a striker' who is meek and patient, who knows when to say something and when to keep silent, so as not to strike the consciences of the weak with untimely speech.

The Apostle, drawing the image of a good presider of the Church, should not be thought to forbid only that he be a brawler. Even among ordinary people, even pagans, this is not approved.

Rather, as I have said, he forbids him to destroy by untimely abusiveness one who can be corrected and saved by meekness and quietness."

Blessed Theodoret points out a special side of the matter here. By "striker" he understands one who imposes punishments without reason.

"Not given to shameful gain." By this, not only is acquisition by unjust means forbidden to the bishop, but every search and desire for profit in general is considered shameful in the person of a bishop.

The Apostle says that he must be completely free from possessions (Oecumenius), and must "show complete contempt for wealth" (Saint Chrysostom).

In a bishop, every acquisitiveness, even righteous acquisitiveness, is shameful (Blessed Theophylact). It is not only shameful, but extremely harmful to the affairs of the episcopate.

Nothing so bends the straight course of affairs as expectation, desire, and search for profit.

Blessed Jerome writes, "The desire for shameful profit must also be foreign to the one who is to be a bishop. According to Solomon, better is a small portion with righteousness than many crops with unrighteousness (cf. Prov 15:29).

And, 'A good name is better than much wealth' (Prov 22:1). A bishop who wishes to imitate the Apostle should be content with food and clothing (see 1 Tim 6:8).

Those who serve the altar should live from the altar (see 1 Cor 9:13). He says they should live, not become rich.

For this reason copper is not appointed for us in the belt, and we should be content with one garment and not be anxious about tomorrow (see Mt 10; Mk 6).

The desire for shameful acquisition is precisely anxiety for more than the present."