1:5 put what remained into order. As the rest of the verse makes clear, what was left unfinished was the organization of the newly formed churches.

elders. A group of individuals charged with the general care of a local church (Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17). As v. 7 makes clear, Paul used the term interchangeably with “overseer.” Paul discusses the qualifications for overseers in similar terms, yet with some differences, in 1 Tim. 3:2–7. Paul intends neither list to be complete, but simply to indicate the personal qualities of those who would serve as church leaders.