Titus 1:6 (pt 3)

Faithful Children
There are those who strongly disagree with the arguments presented above for a variety of reasons. The key exegetical issue is the meaning of pista. As mentioned earlier, scholars debate whether this word should be translated in this context as “believing” or “faithful/obedient.” This word’s range of usage throughout Paul’s writings proves that either meaning is a possibility. The word can clearly mean “faithful,” as it does several times in the pastoral epistles, including once with a noun in 2 Timothy 2:2. Barrick adds, “When pistos modifies a noun it is always “faithful” or ‘trustworthy/credible.’ When it is independent (an adjective employed as a substantive) it means ‘believing one’ or ‘believer.’” In this context pistos is clearly modifying a noun (teknon) and therefore is best translated “faithful children.”
According to the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, “pistis occurs 67x in the NT, though in only 16 of these instances with the meaning faithful in the sense of believing. The majority of occurrences thus follow the meaning predominant in non-Christian usage: faithful in the sense of dependable.”
Paul’s focus in Titus 1:6 seems to be on the conduct of the child not on his/her personal faith or belief in the gospel. Those children accused of dissipation and/or bad conduct would prove that they were either unfaithful or unbelieving (perhaps both). Because of this, one must look closely to the parallelism of 1 Timothy 3:4-5. There Paul says, an elder “must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” Knight shows that is likely that "teknon ekon pista," here in Titus 1:6 is virtually equivalent to te,kna e;conta evn u`potagh/ in 1 Timothy 3:4. He then concludes, “If this is so, then pista here (in Titus 1:6) means “faithful” in the sense of “submissive” or “obedient,” as a servant or steward is regarded as pistos when he carries out the requests of his master (Matthew 24:45f.; 25:21, 23; Luke 12:42f.; 1 Cor. 4:2; cf. Thayer, Lexicon; Cremer, Lexicon).” In these two texts Paul says that having faithful children is important because it reveal a man’s ability (or inability) to manage his home. A good look at a potential elder’s home life will help determine if he is able to provide faithful leadership at church as well as at home.
Theologically, can parents be accountable for their children’s belief or lack of belief in Christ? Strauch wisely points out that,
"Those who interpret this qualification to mean that an elder must have believing, Christian children place an impossible burden upon a father. Even the best Christian fathers cannot guarantee that their children will believe. Salvation is a supernatural act of God. God, not good parents (although they are certainly used of God), ultimately brings salvation (John 1:12, 13)."
Scripture nowhere teaches that a parent can determine the saving faith of their child. A father can only faithful instruct and teach his children in the ways of the Lord, but he can not decide his child’s eternal destiny. A father can (and should) model what genuine Christianity looks and acts like. Ultimately though a child’s acceptance (or belief) in the gospel is determined by the Holy Spirit’s work and the Father’s eternal choice (Eph 1).
In a lesser sense this is also true concerning a child’s life of obedience (faithfulness). Some children are determined to live a rebellious life regardless of there parents faithfulness. Without question the home is training ground for Christian leaders. But commentators like Thomas Lea go way too far when they conclude, “This additional requirement that the elder be capable of influencing his own children to become Christians demonstrates Paul’s conviction that effective spiritual leadership in the home suggests the probability of effective spiritual leadership in the church.” Both belief and faithfulness then ultimately are dependent on God’s sovereign grace! Titus 1:6 (when more accurately understood) teaches that those candidates who have wild and disobedient children are disqualified.


Concluding Remarks
It is possible that when Paul wrote, teknon ekon pista, he could have meant “children who believe.” The word pista was used by Paul in the Pastoral Epistles to mean both “believing” and “faithful.” The parallelism of 1 Timothy 3:4-5 seems to settle and help determine the best meaning of pistos in Titus 1:6 (“faithful”).
Biblical theology does not demand pistos be translated either way. God could require either qualification (“believing” children or “faithful” children) and still be fair and just. Good theological arguments can be made by both sides of the debate so to this author those arguments do not prove much.
Certainly there is an amount of accountability parents have in how they raise their children (Proverbs 22:6). In some sense, parents need to take ownership of there children’s behavior. Christian parents should try their best to live out and preach the gospel of Jesus to their kids on a daily basis. Ultimately though, a father can only lead his children to the water Source (John 4:10-28), but he can not make them drink from it.
I conclude echoing the words of George Knight, “This proposed understanding of the passage goes contrary to a consistent pattern in recent English translations (RSV, NEB, TEV: 'believers'; similarly NASB, NIV), but the considerations cited above seem compelling.”