I Timothy 3
During the Sunday morning message on June 9, 2002, http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/apologetics/Church_Officers/eldersermon.htm we asked the question: “What kind of elders do we need?” This is a timely question, especially since we will be electing elders, beginning on Sunday, June 30, 2002. Here is the answer that we derived from God’s word to the important question “What kind of elders do we need?” Perhaps you will want to pray through this list as you consider how to vote.
First, we need elders who want the work, not just the status of an elder. Paul teaches in 1 Timothy 3:1 that the work of the eldership (which is pastoral work) is a wonderful work to which to aspire, he says “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” Paul makes it abundantly clear here that an elder is fundamentally a pastor, a shepherd of souls! He calls him an overseer or bishop or shepherd. Paul is saying here that one who seeks the eldership, that is the pastoral office, desires to be engaged in what is emphatically a good thing. But note also that he that speaks of the eldership as a noble work or task, rather than a noble office. It is about service not status. So, you want to elect men who long to do the spiritual work of an elder, not just who aspire to the status. These will be men who love the Bible. They love Christ. They love the Gospel. They are men of prayer. They are enthusiastic about seeing people converted and helping Christians grow in grace, and they long to spiritually disciple the people of the congregation. They see the work of the elder as fundamentally the ministry of the Word and prayer, and they desire to devote themselves precisely to that.
Second, we need elders who are godly men. For character, godliness, holiness is God’s great qualification for an elder. In 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Paul says: “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.” Such an important work requires corresponding life and character, says Paul here. So, the qualifications of this office are not found in social standing or even extraordinary talents or intelligence, but rather in godly character. Paul lays out eleven character qualities (positive and negative) for an elder. He is: (1) above reproach – that is, he is free from scandalous sins and offensive habits that would lay him open to serious public criticism; (2) the husband of one wife – that is, a man marked by the strictest marital fidelity, his marriage is biblical, monogamous, and sexually pure, and he is not unbiblically divorced; (3) temperate – that is, sober-minded, possessed of a wakeful, alert, vigilant habit of mind, opposed to all sorts of excess; (4) prudent – that is, he has mastery over his natural reactions, he is self-controlled (see Titus 1:8); (5) respectable – that is, he lives a life that bears up under public scrutiny, (6) hospitable – hospitality is required of all Christians (Romans 12:13) but elders are to take the lead; (7) not addicted to much wine – that is, free from any enslavement to or fixation with alcohol, drugs, or other addictive stimulants; (8) not pugnacious – that is, he is not a violent man or given to quarreling; he is not quick tempered; this goes along with being temperate; (9) gentle – that is, he is meek and humble and thus able to elicit a response of trust, respect and affection from congregation members. (10) peaceable – that is, he is not quarrelsome in his pattern of speaking (so as to be able to gently instruct – see 2 Timothy 2:24f); and (11) free from the love of money – that is, he has a mastery over his material appetites, he is storing his treasure in heaven, he is not trying to serve two masters, he is not a money lover or pursuer of dishonest gain. You want to elect men who are godly and who are very evidently pursuing holiness in their own lives.
Third, we need elders who are able to teach, that is, who are able to convey God’s truth to disciples. The one gift qualification Paul lists, is that elders be able to teach He says in 1 Timothy 3:2 “An overseer, then, must be . . . able to teach.” Paul singles out but one responsibility: teaching. The elder must be able to teach. Titus 1:9 – “able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” He’s got to know Bible and doctrine well enough to explain and defend it. Isn’t it interesting, Paul does not require that they have first order leadership skills. He does not require that they come from a particular social or professional class. He does not require that they be men of prominence in the community. He requires that they be able to disciple. The only particular gift-abilities of an elder recorded by Paul are: (1) Able to teach (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Tit. 1:9) and (2) Keeps hold of the deep truths (Tit. 1:7). That is, he is orthodox in his theology in order to both teach and defend the truth. The elder is a man focused on (three things) teaching the Faith, living the faith and shepherding the flock. It makes sense that a class of men called to disciple the church and the nations, would need to be able to teach. This doesn’t mean that every elder must be great behind a podium, but every elder does need to be competent for and good at some form of teaching. You want to elect elders who not only want to teach, but who are able to teach the faith.
Fourth, we need elders with godly homes and families, and who are aiming for godly homes and families. Paul says of the elder in 1 Timothy 3:4-5 “He 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?).” Here Paul focuses upon what we might call family headship character qualities. He has already addressed marital fidelity, and now he adds that the elder is to be a “good manager of his own family” and that he “has obedient children.” This means that their overall behavior is a general gage of his maturity, attitude, values and parenting. As far as Paul is concerned, godliness in the church begins in the home. Discipleship in the church begins in the home. You want to elect elders whose home life and values accredit his fitness as a shepherd and reflect his commitment to Christian discipleship.
Fifth, we need elders who are spiritually mature and not recent converts (they are “old” in the faith, though not necessarily chronologically). Paul teaches us that elders must be mature in the faith, in view of the unique pressures and temptations they face, when he says “and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil,” in 1 Timothy 3:6. Now absolute time-frame is specified, but the principle is self-evident. A neophyte is uniquely susceptible to pride and should not be elected to this work. This requirement of Paul shows that doctrine and spiritual maturity must go hand in hand in the leadership of the church. You want to elect elders to whom you can confidently submit to their spiritual oversight, and that means mature men.
Sixth, and finally, we need elders whose moral reputation is good with local non-Christians (and in our day and time, we could add, with other churches’ members as well). Paul makes it clear that elders are to be men of integrity, even and especially in this eyes of the non-church community, when he says: “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:7). Paul expects elders to be respectable (see 2) not only to those within the church, but also in the estimation of those without it. The officers of the church have a witness. It is either positive or negative. Paul demands that elders not be a reproach to Christ. An elder is a Christian man possessed of evident godly character (basic Christian character reflective of conversion, sanctification, spiritual growth and maturity (e.g., the Beatitudes) and the other character qualities required here by Paul. You want to elect elders who will enhance and not embarrass the church’s witness to the watching world.