HOLDING FAST. Titus 1:9 The description of an elder in an assembly is that of someone whose spiritual life is exemplary because it is genuine to him. He is not merely someone who arranges events at the house of God, but he also instructs, exhorts, rebukes, corrects, guides, and encourages the flock of God over which the Holy Spirit has made him an overseer.
The faith an overseer has in the word of God and in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to whom the house of God belongs, must be genuine and effective. What he learns from God's word and experiences himself, he must be able to explain, teach, and apply to those who listen to the “sound doctrine” he shares with them. Correct teaching is firmly held by the overseer who instructs the Lord’s people because it strengthens their faith and protects them from false teachings and the influence of those who seek to please people or promote their own agendas. Healthy, spiritual, and fundamental doctrine was a core concern of the apostle Paul and remains a priority for godly overseers today.
Rebuking “gainsayers”-those who contradict sound doctrine—is the responsibility of spiritually mature individuals, proven men of faith, and those whose lives match what they teach. Convincing them involves correcting what is wrong and those who teach it in a way that leads to repentance and confessing sin by those who have taught incorrectly. Our Lord Jesus Christ rebuked those who erred, and the results were clearly the right ones.
Peter became a changed man after the Lord corrected him. David responded correctly after his grievous sin when he was rebuked and condemned. It led to a changed mind, heart, and soul, and restored him to the joy and fellowship of God’s salvation.
The person who meets these qualifications is one whom God can use to correct errors and sins that false teachers may introduce in an assembly. The effects of falseness can be exposed by godly men who lead the people of God with grace, humility, integrity, and truth, thereby exposing and correcting falsehood and its effects. We are unable to conduct ourselves properly without the divine power and authority that the Holy Spirit establishes. He goes before God’s people and uses men with a good sense of direction, and gives them the heart to guide the sheep of His pasture.