Titus 1:7 (KJV)

Passage

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

Nearby Context

Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bishop", "must", "blameless", "steward", "selfwilled", "soon", "angry", and "given". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bishop" and "must", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "If any be blameless the husband of..." into verse 8's "But a lover of hospitality a lover...", so "bishop" and "must" belong inside that flow. In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bishop" and "must" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.