What does the Bible say about elders??

Qualifications of Elders

    When Jesus first established His church, the apostles were the entire leadership staff. They did everything - tending to the spiritual oversight of the church in Jerusalem, engaging in the benevolent program, doing the preaching and teaching, taking care of the nursery - everything. God did not intend for the church to be guided permanently by the apostles.

    In writing to Timothy (1 Tim. 3), Paul give Christ’s church the qualifications He wants in a man to serve as an elder. Let’s take a new look at these requirements.

THE NEED FOR DESIRE - 3:1:

    The word “aspire” (orego) means “to eagerly desire to accomplish some goal or purpose.” The connotation is that of reaching out your hand to grasp. But, of course, we’re not talking about the kind of aspiring to leadership that you would find in the corporate world (Matt. 20:25-28).

    The office of elder is a leadership position but he is a servant leader. Somebody has to make the decisions in realms that God has left to the discretion of the individual congregation.

    In order for a man to be an elder, to put it simply, he needs to be a leader. He needs to lead through his behavior; he needs to lead his family; and, through his example, he needs to lead his community…

A LEADER IN HIS MORAL BEHAVIOR - 3:2-3:

    First, let us point out the word “must” (dei), shows that these are not optional or recommendations. You must be able to say, “Yes, this man meets these qualifications.”

    To understand these different qualifications, it is helpful to just look at how they are translated in various translations.

A LEADER IN THE HOME - 3:4-5:

    Not only must he be married, but an elder also must have children and (Titus 1:6) Christian children.

    The reason he needs to be a family man in order to be an elder is given in verse 5. How can he manage a congregation of believers from diverse backgrounds if he cannot manage his own children who have similar backgrounds? Thus, the home is the laboratory for leadership in the church.

A LEADER OF EXPERIENCE - 3:6:

    The church in Ephesus had been in existence for about a dozen years by the time Paul writes Timothy. These may be replacing some of those elders.

    An elder should not be a “new convert.” The position of an elder can give one a sense of superiority and dominance over the congregation and if a man is not mature and experienced in his Christianity, he may fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY - 3:7:

    Finally, a man who is to be a leader in the church ought to also have the respect of men in the community. He is to have a good reputation with those outside the church.

    Over the past twenty years, I have been blessed to serve under seven elderships and the vast majority of those men were just what Paul describes in 1 Timothy 3. Such men should be encouraged, supported, emulated, prayed for, and blessed in their work by our own loving submission to their leadership.

--Paul Holland