Three thousand years ago King Solomon held forth in Proverbs 20:6 on the widespread human trait of self-promotion – "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?" The verse reminds me of a story about two old-timers who sat on a park bench listening as a candidate appealed for votes. "Who is that feller anyway?" asked one. His bench buddy replied, "I don’t rightly know. But he sure does recommend himself highly."
My topic in this little piece is not politics and definitely not about self-promotion. The topic is the church’s "elders." The apostle Paul described these men in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
First we note that Paul uses the term "bishop" in verse 1. But a comparison of the qualities listed in verses 2-7 with those of "elders" in Titus 1:6-9 makes clear the two terms are used interchangeably to refer to the same group of men. I say "men" because the apostle wrote, "A bishop then must be the husband of one wife" (1 Timothy 3:3a * Titus 1:6b). Other required qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3 are challenging indeed: "blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; rules his own house well, having his children in submission . . . take care of the church of God; not a novice . . . must have a good testimony among those who are outside . . ."
God does not just "recommend" or suggest these things. These are moral and spiritual requirements in elders and prospective elders. God expects there will be men of that kind of exemplary character in the church. He expects the church will recognize and support them in their sobering and weighty task. The awesome challenges and Scripture- bound responsibilities placed on elders include these: * taking heed to themselves as well as to all the flock * oversee and shepherd and feed the church of God * watch for savage wolves (false teachers) who might come in among you (if allowed) and not spare the flock as they speak perverse things & attempt to draw away disciples after themselves * watch out for and some day give an account for the souls under their care * serve as an elder not with a sense of compulsion but willingly, honestly, and eagerly * serve not as a lord over God’s people but being an example to the flock * hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught and be able to exhort and convict those who would contradict sound doctrine (Acts 20:17, 28-32; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Titus 1:9).
If this sounds like a description of some kind of spiritual Superman, I can assure you it is not. No elder is flawless, but they must be faithful. They may make occasional mistakes in judgement. They cannot possibly please everyone, but genuine elders have an unbending desire to please God. They have a proven track record of faithful, godly living in both private and public arenas of life – in the home, the church, and the community. They have demonstrated a deep love for God and His Son, their families, the truth of God’s Word, and the church that Word describes.
Let us insist that elders resemble the moral and spiritual character traced out for them in Scripture. Let us pray for more good men to serve as elders. Let us expect them to be faithful men. But let us not frustrate them or ourselves by demanding them to be flawless men. No one is. Think about it.
– Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN
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