1 Timothy 3:1-7 - Church Leaders Part 1: Elders
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
The Scriptures give a very clear two-tiered approach to Church Leadership. There are elders and deacons. We see this clearly laid out in Philippians 1:1:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
There is really only one English word for deacons that we see. This makes next week’s sermon much easier to understand when it comes to terminology.
However, the office of pastor/shepherd/elder/overseer/bishop has three different Greek terms attached to the same church leadership position. So to start off our discussion and to clear up any confusion, here are the words that describe the singular office:
1. Greek: episkopos (ee-peace-kah-pose) - Overseer or Bishop. (See Acts 20:28, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-2, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:1-2)
This word refers to the management side of the pastorate. It is a term that refers to leadership and was adapted from the Greek idea of leadership during the first century.
2. Greek: presbyteros (pres-bee-tare-ose) - Elder (See 1 Peter 5:1-5, James 5:14, Titus 1:5, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 5:17-19)
This word stems from the Jewish heritage of the church. It refers to maturity, honor, and wisdom. Jewish synagogues had elders.
3. Greek: poimēn (pew-main) - Pastor or Shepherd (See Acts 20:28 [reference to flock], 1 Peter 5:2, Ephesians 4:11)
This is the most common terminology that we have in the western church. We often call the leader or leaders of the church pastor(s). Interestingly, this is actually the least commonly used term for the office in the Scriptures. However, it does seem to encompass all of the aspects of church leaders. It also shows the need for church leaders to model their ministry after the Good Shepherd - namely Jesus Christ.
These terms are interchangeable as seen in (Acts 20:17,28; 1 Peter 5:1-5, Titus 1:5-9).
We see elder and overseer used interchangeably in Acts 20:
Acts 20:17 (ESV)
Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
Acts 20:28 (ESV)
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Then we see elder and shepherd used interchangeably in 1 Peter 5:1-5:
1 Peter 5:1–5 (ESV)
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
And we see elder and overseer again used interchangeably in a great parallel Scripture for our verses today in Titus 1:5-9:
Titus 1:5–9 (ESV)
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Unfortunately, the English language has taken these three Greek terms and turned them into five English terms: pastor, shepherd, elder, overseer, and bishop!
It is no wonder that many people struggle with understanding how the church should be run and led!
For the sake of our sermon today, I am going to choose the word elder to refer to the office at hand. I am choosing this because it is in our bylaws this way, and it also prevents the confusion of the lead teaching pastor and other ruling elders. We see a lead elder among a plurality of elders in the churches. Men such as Timothy and Titus seem to function in these roles as a lead elder - a leader among equals.
You will see elder listed as overseer in our Scripture for today. But remember that all of these terms refer to the same leadership role in the church.
Why am I giving such a detailed introduction today? Well, if you recall, a few weeks ago I announced an elder candidate! Adam Hill was announced and is being vetted as an elder at CrossPointe. Because of this, I want to equip you all with an understanding of what the position is, what the duties of an elder are, and what the qualifications are for an elder. The Scripture covered today focuses mainly on the character qualifications for an elder.
Join me as we read our Scripture for today:
Read Full Scripture:
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Prayer
As I stated above, our Scripture today is focused on the character qualities of a pastor. I pray that today’s message shows you just how seriously Christ cares about His church. He wants to see it led by men who are after His own heart.
I also pray that today’s message helps you realize that many of these character qualities are qualities that we should all emulate. Elders should be examples for the flock. They should be able to say like Paul did - be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
With that said, the first aspect of an elder that we see is:
I. The Call of the Elder (1)
I. The Call of the Elder (1)
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
We should respect the office of elder. It is a noble task. Caring for the flock of Christ is a burdensome and heavy task. The enemy of our souls prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Interestingly, this warning about Satan in 1 Peter 5 comes right after discussing the need for elders!
The standard for church leaders should be and is high.
This first verse gives us a practical question however. How does someone become an elder? What are some practical steps in choosing an elder and what are some practical steps for one aspiring to become an elder?
At a risk of oversimplification, we see the following steps:
1. A Call From God
This is seen most clearly in our verse today. The word for aspires refers to an external act. And the word used for desires here refers to a compulsion. If we put these two terms together we see that the Holy Spirit has placed inside of a man’s heart a compulsion to aspire to the office of elder. It is a consuming passion for Christ’s Church.
This call is specifically mentioned in Acts 20:28 where we see the Holy Spirit determines elders/overseers.
2. A Gifting From God
a) Able to Teach
We will discuss this in more detail in a few moments, but an elder must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2). This is the main differentiation between an elder and a deacon. Deacons still may be able to teach, but elders must have this ability.
b) A Pastor’s Heart
This gifting of shepherding the flock of God is mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. We also see in 1 Peter 5:2:
1 Peter 5:2 states:
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
Elders must have a pastor’s heart for their congregation. They must desire to see the flock grow and be fed, be protected, and follow hard after Christ as they share the Gospel with others.
3. Meet Biblical Character Qualifications
We will discuss these in more detail throughout the rest of our sermon. These are found in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 as well as Titus 1:5-9.
4. Have Their Calling Recognized and Confirmed by the Church and Church Leaders
Here is where we are to recognize those with the gifting of eldership. We then confirm this by vetting and training (1 Timothy 3:10). This is where we are with Adam Hill right now. I have been working with him through mentorship and training and have been encouraging you as the church body to vet him as we move forward.
I pray that this has been helpful for you to understand the importance of the call and position of an elder.
Now comes some of the high character standards given for elders…
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Peter 5:8, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 5:2, 1 Timothy 3:2-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:10
II. The Charge of the Elder (2-3)
II. The Charge of the Elder (2-3)
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
We are given quite a list of qualifications here!
Interestingly, Paul starts off the qualifications for an elder as being above reproach.
1) Above Reproach
There is a very similar word used in Titus 1:6 which is in a parallel passage for these qualifications of an elder. These two terms refer to being blameless. This does not mean that an elder never sins. We all sin. To say one never sins would be disqualifying not only to the position of elder but to the position of being a believer - 1 John 1:8-9:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
However, elders must be known to have observable and consistent godly behavior.
Next we come to one of the most theologically discussed qualifications:
2) Husband of One Wife
This qualification, along with 1 Timothy 2:12 as taught last sermon, shows the Biblical qualification that elders/pastors must be men. We will see the same statement in the qualifications for deacons next week as well.
This qualification refers to the moral purity of the elder. He is to literally be a ‘one woman man.’
There were many issues in the early church, and Paul wants to make it clear how important the purity of the church leaders is.
Paul obviously rules out polygamy, affairs, and adultery of any sort. The elder should maintain a marriage that is in line with Ephesians 5:22-33 where marriage is to be an example of Christ and His church.
The unanswered questions that arise are as follows:
A) Can an elder be single? Yes. Paul was an elder and was single. Jesus never married. This phrase used here is more about purity than whether someone is married. See 1 Corinthians 7.
B) Can a divorced man be a pastor? Here is where it is gets more muddy.
If the man was divorced before being saved then it should not be held against him. The old man has died and the new man now lives (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul was a murderer and blasphemer before coming to Christ and was chosen as an Apostle (1 Timothy 1:13)!
If the man was divorced because of the adultery of his wife or abandonment by an unbelieving wife then he would not be guilty and would be eligible to be a pastor. These are the two lawful reasons for divorce given in Scripture (Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15). This man would be Biblically free to remarry as well. It would be wise in these situations for the church and elders to do their due diligence to ensure an accurate history has been given.
If the man was divorced because of any reason other than the above, then he would be disqualified. He can still serve in the church if he has repented. However, he would not meet the criteria given here. This standard is less about the man’s sin and more about the holiness of Christ’s church. The man’s sin is forgiven if he repents. However, this man would not be above reproach in the eyes of outsiders and would be open to a charge that would defame Christ.
May we graciously and truthfully understand this difficult qualification.
Next we get a rapid-fire list of qualifications:
3) Sober-minded
This term refers to one who is clear-headed. He is one who is temperate and intentional. He is not flippant in conversation. This certainly encompasses not given to drunkenness which we will see as a later qualification.
4) Self-controlled
The elder is one who is well-disciplined. He gets his work done and keeps himself under control. He is one who is consistent and constant.
5) Respectable
An elder must be respectable. He must be worthy of this respect and be a man of dignity and honor. The church is commanded to show honor to those who labor as elders as seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
A qualification that may seem unique to this list is:
6) Hospitable
The Greek word used here is a compound word that literally means to love strangers. Elders must be an example for the flock by being focused on evangelizing outsiders. This requires being hospitable through reaching out to the lost.
Next we see that elders must be…
7) Able to Teach (this is the main differentiator between pastors and deacons)
The best understanding of this requirement is being skillful in teaching. This requires one to rightly handle the Scriptures as seen in 2 Timothy 2:15 as well as Titus 1:9.
Those who teach must understand the burden of teaching. James 3:1 asserts that teachers will be judged with a greater strictness. God takes His Word seriously and elders are charged to handle it rightly.
Part of this ability to teach involves protecting the flock from false teaching. Acts 20:27-30 outlines the importance of fighting against false teachers and false teachings. If elders do not have competence in the Scriptures then they will not be able to defend the flock against false teachers.
Preaching and teaching is the primary role of an elder. This is expressed in the Pastoral Epistles multiple times as shown in your handout under the importance of preaching (1 Timothy 4:6, 11, 13, 16; 1 Timothy 5:17, 2 Timothy 2:15, 24, Titus 2:1).
It should be noted that, although all elders must be able to teach, not all will be regularly preaching. This is an important distinction in understanding the plurality of elders in a church. They all will have differing gifts and serve the church in different ways. Consider 1 Timothy 5:17:
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
First we must notice the plurality of elders. Churches are not meant to be led by one man. There should be multiple elders. Each leader has his own strengths and weaknesses. Having a plurality of elders provides a more balanced and stable leadership for the church. It also prevents the church from being built around one man’s personality. Churches centered on a single man are set up for failure. The only man a church should be set up around is the God-made-flesh, man Jesus Christ.
But we also see here that not all elders must be regularly preaching. I would assert that they should be able to fill the pulpit when needed and be able to teach or preach if needed. However, they do not all have to regularly labor in preaching.
We also see the importance of honoring those who do preach the Word of God. This is not because those who are preachers have any greatness in and of themselves - but instead it is because the Word of God is great.
After giving this list of commands to do, Paul goes into a list of do nots:
not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
These are the negative attributes that should not define a pastor.
8) Not a Drunkard
An elder should not be a drinker. He is not to be one who is given over to wine and strong drink. He must not be given over to drunkenness. Although the Scriptures do not specifically forbid the drinking of alcohol, it does forbid drunkenness.
At CrossPointe, we require our elders and deacons to abstain completely from alcohol so that we may be above reproach. In our world, alcohol abuse leads to much heartache and turmoil.
Time fails me to go into a an epidemiological and medical discussion on the dangers of alcohol abuse in our culture. Maybe we can another time. However, it is clearly seen that there are far-reaching devastating effects of alcohol abuse today.
Because of the dangers involved and to keep from being a stumbling block for those who might struggle with alcohol misuse, we hold our leaders to a standard of complete abstinence.
9) Not Violent But Gentle
This literally refers to a man who is not a giver of blows. He should be peaceable and gentle and not given to anger and violence.
10) Not Quarrelsome
This goes along with the last qualification. An elder should be a peace-maker. He should not be one who bullies others over to make his will done. He should be courageous against false teaching but not be someone always looking for a fight.
He should be following the charge of 1 Timothy 2:8:
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
And finally, and elder is…
11) Not a Lover of Money
All you have to do is watch the so-called preachers on television and see the danger of this one. There are so many charlatans stealing the money of weak-willed persons. This defames Christ is so many ways.
Elders should not be greedy for unjust gain. They should be generous.
The Scriptures are clear that a pastor deserves his wages.
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
The church should care for their pastor.
However, a pastor who looks to fleece the flock for his own gain is a disgrace to the ministry.
Elders should be lovers of Christ first and foremost. The love of money is idolatry and should never be true of an elder.
In our next point we come to…
Scripture References: Titus 1:6, 1 Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Corinthians 7, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Timothy 1:13, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, 2 Timothy 2:15, Titus 1:9, James 3:1, Acts 20:27-30, [Importance of preaching and teaching of pastors/elders: 1 Timothy 4:6, 11, 13, 16; 1 Timothy 5:17, 2 Timothy 2:15, 24, Titus 2:1], 1 Timothy 5:17, 1 Timothy 3:3, 1 Timothy 2:8
III. The Care of the Elder (4-5)
III. The Care of the Elder (4-5)
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
Now we come to the training ground for the elder. An elder must manage his own household well if he is to lead the household of God.
If an elder cannot shepherd his own home, how can he shepherd Christ’s Church?
Said in an even different way - if an elder cannot get his own children to trust, follow, and learn from him how can he get the Church to?
An elder is to shepherd the flock of Christ. His abilities should be evident in how he shepherds his wife and children. He should be strong and courageous, but he should also be gentle and sacrificial. He should be a servant leader. He should not rule as a dictator or tyrant - given to angry outbursts and ruling through intimidation. Instead he should rule through emulation of his Savior.
Interestingly, this same qualification is mentioned for deacons as we will see next week in 1 Timothy 3:12.
Now I want to be clear that an elder’s children should not be held to an unreasonable or unrealistic standard. We have been blessed at CrossPointe with a church family that has loved on our children so well and been incredibly encouraging to them. I thank each of you for your love and compassion to my children.
However, I know of many pastors who feel like their children are under a microscope or in a fishbowl and held to an unrealistic standard. Elder’s children will sin just like we all do.
The main thrust in these two verses here is on a habitual rebellion toward their father. The focus is actually more on the elder-father than the children. Is dad disciplining his children? Is he engaging them and teaching them the Word of God. Is he compassionately and sacrificially leading his family?
Another important caveat is that those who are grown and out of an elder’s home are not under his authority any longer. Adult children who are wayward do not disqualify a pastor/elder. Although we are given this wonderful assertion in Proverbs:
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
… we must understand that this is a principle passage and not a promise passage. A personal relationship with Christ is just that - it is personal. Each of us must make the decision to follow Christ as He draws us to Himself. We must repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. No parent - not even a pastor/elder - can make this decision for his children.
And lastly, we come to…
Scripture References: 1 Timothy 3:12, Proverbs 22:6
IV. The Courage of the Elder (6-7)
IV. The Courage of the Elder (6-7)
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Paul warns the churches here not to select elders from among recent converts. The result of promoting a recent convert is conceit. To be conceited is to be prideful and to have an overly positive regard for oneself. Oh how there are many church leaders in today’s churches who love them some them. Conceit is being broadcast over the airways and through our television screens 24-7 as men and even women make much of themselves instead of much of Christ.
An elder should be the opposite of this. Elders are called to be humble, servant leaders. They are not to be about building their own kingdom. Instead they are to be about building the kingdom of God.
The conceited elder will be judged by God like Satan has been judged by God. He will be removed from his place and be punished for his unrighteousness. This is not a warning that they may lose their salvation. This is a warning that recent converts may, in fact, be false converts. A true convert is confirmed by his perseverance. Only those who have been tested and proven true should be given the position of elder in the churches.
Paul practiced what he preached regarding this. He did not appoint elders during his first missionary journey. It wasn’t until his second missionary journey, where he revisited the churches he had planted, that he began appointing elders as seen in Acts 14:23.
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
We see here that elders were to be appointed in every church (Acts 14:23). Note the plurality of the term. Not just one elder but elders. Yet, these elders were to be mature believers.
Moving to our last verse:
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Paul started this section with the qualification of being above reproach. He ends it with a similar qualification - being well thought of by outsiders. The elder should have a reputation of holiness within and even beyond the church. The world may hate the elder because of his beliefs. He must stand courageously despite this. Yet, although the world may disagree with the teachings of the Bible, they should see the leader as one who practices what he preaches. He should be known as one with integrity and Biblical values.
This does not mean that he is Mr. Popularity. The world should not agree with everything the elder teaches and preaches. If that is the case then he is most certainly not preaching the Bible!
But he should be a man above reproach. If he is not, he will fall into disgrace. He will fall into moral failings - namely traps set up by the devil. The temptations for leaders to fall into these traps are everywhere. He can become discouraged because ministry isn’t going the way he thought it would. He can begin to compromise his doctrine because the culture is so different and the pressure to evolve is so strong. The most common trap that has ruined the ministry of many elders is the trap of sexual immorality. An elder must be on guard against the trap of immorality. Many a man has fallen into this snare set up by Satan.
Scripture References: Acts 14:23
Conclusion
As we come to a close, it is important to understand what an elder needs to be and do. We have seen the qualifications. In light of these, I have come up with a job description of an elder. This is by no means exhaustive but is a good overview. I hope this is helpful in understanding the role of a pastor/elder:
The Job Description of the Elder:
They must be willing to stand firm on the Word of God as they preach and teach.
Elders must be courageous as they lead the church and be willing to defend the faith against false teachers.
They must maintain integrity as they lead the church.
They must be discerning and able to provide Biblical counsel and shepherding to the flock.
They must be able to handle persecution and slander.
They must be able to oversee and manage the affairs of the church.
They must be able to recognize and confirm the gifts in others.
They must be willing and able to participate in church discipline.
They must be willing to make much of Christ and little of themselves.
I pray that this sermon has helped you understand the important church leadership position of elder today. I am blessed to be the lead pastor - or lead elder - of this wonderful church. Understanding the high calling and qualifications of this position, I humbly ask that you be in frequent prayer for me and for those who will join me in the future. There is no greater joy than in serving our King.