September 2 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In September we read Paul's letter to Titus and his very last letter, called 2 Timothy. Paul's concern is that the true gospel be preserved and proclaimed by a faithful church.

Bible Reading:

TItus 1:5–9

Bible Text:

Appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.... Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless (TItus 1:5, 7).

Devotional:

By the Word that the apostles carried into the world, congregations were established. The gospel made believers out of unbelievers. These newborn believers formed communities in every town on the island of Crete. The Bible calls these early Christians God's people or "God's elect" (1:1).

Along with the Word, the apostles gave directions for appointing church officers. Thereby they showed God's care for the preservation of the Word ("they must hold firmly to the trustworthy message") and his desire to strengthen the congregation.

Paul told Titus to appoint elders (presbyters), which he also called overseers (episkopoi, or bishops). And today some churches are called Presbyterian and others Episcopalian because they use different systems of church government. Presbyterian churches are governed by presbyters or elders, and Episcopal churches by episkopoi or bishops (high-ranking clergymen). Yet Paul originally meant the same thing by the two words: the responsibility of an elder (presbyter) was to serve as an overseer (episkopos). Church leaders misread Paul's instructions. And this confusion is not even the worst thing we Christians have inflicted on the church of Christ.

The point is that God wants church officers who will ensure that the church preaches and practices the gospel message as we received it from the apostles.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.