Paul gives
instructions to Timothy, a pastor, regarding the qualifications of ministers
that should be in his church.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 (ESV)
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am
writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought
to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a
pillar and buttress of the truth.
Paul has laid a
foundation of good teaching, unity in community, and prayer in the first two
chapters of this pastoral letter. Here, he continues his systematic and
practical instruction for church life by describing the qualifications of
elders and deacons in the church.
Elders and deacons
are at the core of community life. In the church, they become the servants of
all. They are prime stakeholders, responsible for community organizing,
teaching and training in scripture, administration, service, and equipping
others to do the work of the ministry.
Elders and deacons
can rightly be called "church leadership", but leadership in the
church is different than leadership in the world. In Luke, Jesus said to the
apostles, later the leaders of the church, that they were to be servants, just
as he was.
Luke 22:27 (ESV)
For who is the greater, one who reclines at
table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am
among you as the one who serves.
Peter, the main
spokesman among the apostles, said this of elders in the church:
1 Peter 5:1-3 (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: 2
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; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to
the flock.
This passage also
shows us that those called apostles (like Peter) functioned as elders in the early
church (he calls himself a fellow elder).
In Acts, Paul speaks
to the elders in a similar way:
Acts 20:28,32-35 (ESV)
28 Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with
his own blood. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those
who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no
one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You
yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who
were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this
way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
As with all roles in
the church, elders and deacons are gifts of God, and are empowered by God to
fulfill their role. They serve the church in faith. They need not campaign or
manipulate to be elected or selected. In a healthy church, those that have a desire
and fulfill the character qualifications may be permitted to serve.
1 Timothy 3:1 (ESV)
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires
to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Paul begins by
describing the qualifications of an elder. In the ESV, they are called
"overseers" in this chapter. The titles "overseer",
"elder", and "pastor" are often used interchangeably
throughout the New Testament. The role's description stays constant. Sometimes
the apostles also act in the role of elder, so we have a clue as to the role
there as well.
Three notable things
are the same in the description of both elders and deacons.
Desiring Church Leadership (1
Tim 3)
1. It is good to want to be in church
leadership.
- The desire to be
in church leadership is itself an indication of calling. (This includes women
who desire to be in leadership. 1 Timothy 3:1 calls the desire
"noble".)
- It is not wrong,
vain, or ambitious to want to be in church leadership
- Those who want to
be in church leadership should not be despised or discouraged, regardless of
perceived ability to do so.
- Those who do not
want to be in church leadership should not be coerced, regardless of their
perceived gifting or ability to do so.
2. Character is promoted
- Integrity and
character are described as qualifications above gifting, experience, vision,
ambition, or any other qualification usually expected for leadership as the
world understands it.
- To quickly burden
someone with the role of elder or deacon before they have the character to
handle it is to set them up for failure.
- Ministry without
character, no matter how eager or gifted the minister, will be damaging to the
minister and the church.
3. There is no size limit to the leadership
teams
- Pastoring in a
church is not the role of only one person. Elders and deacons work together to
build up and equip the community.
- Teams work in
mutuality to serve the church humbly.
Therefore, any
person in a church with the desire and character for church eldership or
deaconship can be given a role on a team of leaders, regardless of the size of
the team, or percentage of the church already in leadership.
Elders
Elders are primarily
responsible for the scriptural teaching and preaching in the community and
spiritual development of the community and its members.
Qualifications for Elders (vv 1-7)
1- They are above reproach (v2), and have a
good reputation (v7).
2- Their family is their first priority.
- They are faithful
to their family (a one spouse person - v2).
- They manage their
household well (vv4-5).
Therefore, in the
case of people with families, a healthy relationship with their spouse and
children is essential. Furthermore, all church members, ministers especially,
should be encouraged to make their family their priority. The first
responsibility for ministers is to minister to their families, and then the
church. If the minister's family is not healthy, the church will not be
healthy.
3- They have healthy relationships
-not violent, but
gentle (v3)
-not quarrelsome
(v3)
Both of these
qualifications can be seen in a person's relationships.
4- They have good self-discipline (v2)
-sober-minded (v2)
-self-controlled
(v2)
-respectable (v2)
-not a drunkard (v3)
5- They are generous
-hospitable (v2)
-not a lover of
money (v3)
Church elders are
givers.
6- They are able to teach (v2)
This is the first
qualification that is not an issue of personal character. It is the only gift
listed. It is absent from the list of qualifications for a deacon.
7- They are not a new convert (v6)
-Leadership as it
exists in the church is markedly different from leadership as it exists in the
world. Leadership in the world comes with acclaim and prestige and power. In
the church a leader equips and serves, others. They are not a person of power as the
world knows it. To wait a time before entering an eldership or teaching role, a
new person has an opportunity to simply receive grace and freedom in community
before taking on the burden of leadership. When they have learned to receive,
they will better be able to give.
Deacons
The Greek word for
deacon means server, as in a server in a restaurant. For this reason, Acts 6 is often given as the first example of deacons in the church. In the
early church, controversies arose over the distribution of food amongst the
widows in the church. The community had grown rapidly, and the apostles did not
have the time to properly judge or administrate the practical issue. They responded
by suggesting the role of deacon.
Acts 6:2-4 (ESV)
2 And the twelve summoned the full number of
the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the
word of God to serve tables. 3
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute,
full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we
will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
The congregation
chose from among themselves people who were able to fulfill the role of
administration and practical ministry within the community. In churches today
the role of deacon may include tasks like creating a church budget, scheduling and organizing
of community events, administration, dissemination of information through
announcements or otherwise, banking, research, facility maintenance, making and serving food, collecting
donations, or any other form of practical service in the church that requires making
decisions on the community's behalf.
Put simply, elders
serve the church primarily by saying things. Deacons serve the church primarily
by doing things.
Qualifications for Deacons
1- They hold their faith with a clear
conscience (v9)
-they are dignified
(v8)
-not double tongued
(v8)
These are all part
of having integrity. What they say matches what they do, and what they do
remains the same and has conviction.
2- Their family is their first priority.
- Their spouse also
has integrity (v11)
- They manage their
household well (v12)
Therefore, in the
case of people with families, a healthy relationship with their spouse and
children is essential. Furthermore, all church members, ministers especially,
should be encouraged to make their family their priority. The first
responsibility for ministers is to minister to their families, and then the
church. If the minister's family is not healthy, the church will not be
healthy.
4- They have good self-discipline (v8)
-they don't drink
too much (v8)
5- They are not greedy for money (v8)
-Deacons are givers.
-This is also an
issue of integrity, since the verse describes "dishonest gain".
6- They are tested (v10)
-This is similar to
the elder's qualification that they not be a recent convert. Issues of character
are seen over time, so time should be taken to know if someone fits the
qualifications.
Conclusion
It takes work to
have a healthy community. Every person in community is uniquely gifted to serve
and to lead in the way Holy Spirit has filled them to do so. Any and all who
show a desire to serve as elders and deacons should be allowed the opportunity
if the meet the qualifications of good character and time. Those that don't
will have the opportunity in community to grow in their character until they do have the character
to fulfill these roles.
Not everyone wants
to be an elder or deacon in a church. Whether someone does or does not, healthy
community will seek to find where each person does fit according to their gifts
and needs.
It is all in and
through and for Jesus that we live in true Christian community. This is our
unity in the diversity of gifts.
Read 1 Timothy 3
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