The work of elders (also referred to as pastors, bishops and shepherds) is an amazing work. It has to do with the care of the local church of our Lord. What a noble work. I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 tells us of the things we should look for in the qualifications of good men to serve in this mighty work.
Qualifications is an area that causes many debates and controversies among "church folks". One thing for sure there are no supermen. Some are so strict in their interpretations of these qualifications that in the end, no one is qualified. Often this is rooted in one or more men or families in a congregation who wish to run things and thus do not want elders. Therefore, they will always scream, "no one is qualified". Churches must be aware of this power play.
I have observed this in looking at the big picture. Outside of being married and having children all the qualifications are concepts that can be found in other New Testament verses that have to do with ALL CHRISTIANS. All Christians are to be the way it is described in the qualifications of elders. At least, to some level. The main thrust of the qualifications has to do with experience and to some level of wisdom.
The average person in the first century was dead by their mid 50's. I believe most men who would have been found to be elders in the churches in the first century most likely would have been men in their 30's or 40's and possible in the early 50's. We today seem to think that they must be "very old". Although, that is changing in many congregations.
Another item of issue has to do with being the "husband of one wife". A great man has a great wife and she dies and now the poor elder must resign and the church is damaged as a result He is still a man who is the husband of one wife. He never was an adulterer or a man with "many wives". Why do we demand he resign? Another issue has to be with children. Some argue the elder must have two ore more children. This is argued because the man will have greater wisdom in dealing with different kinds of people. If that is true would it not be better to have five children or ten children. What proves too much often proves the ridiculous. A man with one or more children certainly meets the test even if you are taking the passage to be a "concrete passage" in the absolute sense. In addition there are arguments as to whether the children must be all Christians and all faithful. When you take the text of I Timothy and Titus together it seems he is talking of the man/father being the kind of man that has control of his family and had a family of honor and respect and not whether they were Christians or not. Certainly, it is great if they are but that is not a law.
"Apt to teach" is an interesting qualification. This has to be relative. Some are great scholars as elders and others are rather average or below average. Men vary in their abilities as to teaching. One may be adequate and yet not a scholar.
What about a man who has been married and divorced? Well, all would agree if the man had been divorced because his wife was an adulterous then there is no issue. Although, many congregations still refuse to allow such a man to ever be a deacon or elder. Such is making a law that God did not make. Men who are elders are just men and sin like all others. Whatever marriage issues they had in the past were forgiven by the blood of Jesus and through His grace. If we cannot accept that then we have more problems then can be fully stated here. I am a detailed student of history and I cannot believe that the men could be found in these Gentile churches who did not have messy lives and divorces and such. Many marriages were broken up over one becoming a Christian and the spouse remaining a pagan. Christianity was new in the first century and you are not going to have men that meet 21st Century--United States--Puritan ideology. It was a pagan world in the first century. Christians came out of this pagan background. Their past was their past. What was important was their present lives before God and the church.
Another factor is this: there is much that is left up to human judgment and to the local congregation to figure out. The NT is strict enough to save souls but liberal enough to pass through all centuries of time and into all nations of the earth, and WORK for the good of all. However, elders should be men selected by the approval of the congregation and they are accountable to God and the local congregation for their work. Some congregations are allowing elders to serve for three years and then go through a period of evaluation and confirmation as well as adding new men in the eldership. The same is done regarding the deacons. I like this approach for it provides accountability and takes away the "power driven model" often characteristic of elderships these days.
As I have mentioned before, elders should serve as shepherds and be more consultative and build consensus in their work and not be driven by a "corporate board" and "power-driven" approach.
Paul to Timothy and Titus tells us that men who are to be elders are to be men that: 1. Desire the work. 2. He is to be a man above reproach. There is no public sin and shame that is dishonoring him. 3. He has one wife and not two, three, or more. 4. He is temperate or shows a disciplined life. 6. He is given to self-control. 7. He is respectable. 8. His is friendly and filled with hospitality. 8. He is able to teach and explain the gospel. 9. He is a man that alcohol has no hold over. 10. He is gentle in his life and communication. 11. He is not a man who has an excessive love for money and material things. 12. He manages his own household/family well. That is, his house and those that live in such. 13. He must not be a new convert but someone with some experience and maturity. 14. He should be a man with a good public reputation. 15. The elder's wife should be a lady worthy of respect, not gossips, but given to a discipline and self-control life. The wife should be trustworthy.
One must take care in applying these qualifications to men who shall be elders. We have to use subjective reasoning and human wisdom. Good men will have enemies due to the reality of evil in the world. We do not want men who have lived in ivory towers but, men who lived life and experienced the grace of our Lord. These qualifications if looked at on a scale of one to ten would well measure a man's character. However, no man could be found with a perfect ten. We are all works in progress. Each church must decide if the men they will appoint as elders measure to a level that they feel they can have confidence in and serve under. Churches must avoid overly harsh judgments (Matt. 7:1ff). If churches do a review of their elders every three years they can correct issues.
I will discuss more on the work of the eldership and other issues in future articles.. The church today is desperate for great men to be leaders.
*Allen Ashlock, 2014
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