The Qualifications for Elders in Christ’s Church
Jesus Christ is the Head of His body of members (Col 1:18). Christ’s church, His called-out ones (Gk. ekklesia), have one Leader, who is Christ (Mt 23:10). Therefore, all the saints must report to Him, ultimately, at His judgment seat (2 Cor 5:10).
As ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20), all Christians bear witness of Christ (Acts 1:8). In order to be a true and faithful witness, we must all grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus (2 Pet 3:18). It is the Spirit of Christ who is our divine Teacher (Jn 14:17). The subject of our lesson contents is Jesus Christ, revealed on the pages of Holy Scripture.
To help church members know the truth, as it is in Jesus (Eph 4:21), God appoints and calls men of God to serve Him in the office of elder (Acts 20:28). The Apostle Paul wrote to his fellow disciples, Timothy and Titus, in his pastoral epistles. Paul’s purpose was to instruct these younger men of God, and by extension, the many local churches, in proper doctrine, worship, and service. All things are to be done in orderly fashion.
To establish and maintain good order in these matters, Timothy and Titus were instructed to find men of God who were qualified in every place there was a local church. The Apostle Paul set down eleven qualifications within the text of 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. This list of character attributes has served as a guide for local churches for 2,000+ years.
Church elders are not leaders in the worldly sense. They do not lord over other people, as they endeavor to shepherd the flock of God in their care. They are overseers to help members find their place and to grow up in Christ, that is, to be conformed to His image (Rom 8:29). For a man to aspire to this office and work is a good thing (1 Tim 3:1).
The words presbyteros and episkopos are helpful terms for describing the person and the work to be done. In the old Jewish sense, a presbyter was an older man who had the respect of the community. He was of a certain character (i.e. above reproach, respectable, generous, prudent, hospitable, humble) and personality (i.e. temperate, kind, gentle, uncontentious). In the old Greek sense of episkopos, the same was true. For this reason, the two terms were interchangeable in the early church, as Paul used them in Acts 20 regarding the Ephesian elders.
Later, this changed when Ignatius developed the notion of episkopos to be the singular leader of a college of presbyters over a larger area. This led to big city presbyters exercising influence and having authority over other presbyters in other places because they had more people and political power. The epistles to Timothy and Titus do not support such a hierarchical order.
The local church is God’s design and the particular interest of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world. It is the Spirit who appoints the presbyters by growing them up into the moral and ethical exemplars they are to be for others in the assembly. We turn now to the qualities that help local churches recognize these men.
First, the elder is a man who is apt to teach (1 Tim 3:2). He knows the Bible because He has set his heart to study the Scriptures in the likeness of Ezra in the Old Testament (Ezra 7:10). He studies to show himself approved, as one who rightly handles the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Simply put, the elder is a man of God’s Word. He gives himself to know the Bible, believe the Bible, exegete the Bible, interpret the Bible, live the Bible, and teach the Bible.
Next, it is the Word of God, the Bible, that has sanctified this man to behave in a way that is godly (Jn 17:17). He is wholly devoted to Christ, which identifies him as holy. The allure of worldly thoughts, words, and behavior are diminished. This man is not sinless, but he is quicker to confess and repent of his sins. In fact, sin has a powerful effect in humbling the overseer precisely because others look to him to be an example to follow. It grieves him when he sins.
The snare of the devil is the diverse temptations that trap Christians in sin. Sin is selfish and sensate. It plays on the physical and emotional aspects of men and women. Its effects are all negative. Its wages are ultimately death of the body. Until then, sin ruins individuals, their relationships, and defaces one’s display of Christ’s righteousness. In other words, it hinders our Christian testimony of the beauty and glory of Christ.
The stewardship of the Gospel must begin in the home of the church elder. As a microcosm of a larger sphere, the family provides an opportunity for the elder-candidate to be recognized before he takes his office in Christ’s church. In doctrine and practice, the elder’s family has been guided well on the path of righteousness.
The biblical model for Christ’s church is resembled in family position and practice. As the head of the church family, Christ loves His body, His beloved bride (Eph 5:25). In the same way husbands are to love their wives and children. In the spirit of sacrifice, the husband denies himself in order to care for his family. The elder in Christ’s church does this for his family and church family.
The character attributes listed for Timothy and Titus are certainly on display and rightfully so, as the elder serves Christ’s beloved in a manner worthy of His calling. He must be on guard against temptations and vices that are a reproach to him and the church that belongs to Christ. The devil is on the prowl to devour and destroy.
Finally, alcohol, attitudes, and sensual allures must be maintained at the “best practice” standards to avoid the consequences experienced by Noah (alcohol), Moses (anger), and David (lust), which carried much suffering for them in their roles and functions as presbyteroi and episcopoi in Israel.
May God bless and protect the men of God in the midst of our local churches; and may they serve Christ in faithfulness and godliness in the days appointed for them to serve Christ and His bride, the Israel of God.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
January 27, 2024
1 Timothy 3:1–7
