On Elders, Part Three: Details of the Pre-requisites
“He who desires the responsibilities of an Elder, desires a noble work.”….so said the Apostle Paul.
”A noble work requires a noble man.”…so said Elder Jason, teaching the Scriptures. Sunday morning the passages to be taught were I Timothy 3:1-7 & 14-15, Titus 1:5-9 and I Peter 5:1-3. These lessons are a further expansion of Acts 20, where Paul is visiting with the Ephesian Elders.
This is now the third sermon on elders of the Lord’s church. “Some of you might be thinking that you are ready for something different. But you need to understand that this is the time of teaching from the Bible, and we need to focus on what the Scriptures are teaching, not on our own likes/dislikes.” (My paraphrase of Jason’s introduction.) How wonderful it is to have a man in the pulpit to dares to preach the Word as the Word preaches itself!
The big question set before us Sunday morning was this:
WHAT WILL BETHEL HILL BAPTIST CHURCH DO WITH ALL THE SCRIPTURES DEALING WITH ELDERS???
This is a heavy question. What will we do? The Scriptures always call for a response. Many, many times in the Book of Acts the people cry “What must I do…..?” in response to preaching by Peter, Stephen, Paul, and others. The question has not changed….what will followers of Jesus do with His instructions?! God help us to obey!!! God help us to surrender!! God help us to follow Him whole-heartedly!!
Looking at these 3 passages, Jason brought to our attention a sober observation: “The Bible talks more about the QUALIFICATIONS of elders than anything else about elders.” These qualifications are public, universal, inter-generational, trans-cultural pre-requisites. These pre-requisites are not dictated by pastors, set by denominations, or established by community norms.
The elders in the Lord’s church who are spiritual & ministerial overseers, under-shepherds of the Chief Shepherd, teachers of the Word, and servants of the Body & the Lord (see On Elders, Part Two). And the pre-requisites for men chosen to this work are set by the Scriptures. Why? Because of the seriousness of their work, and because of the testimony of the local body in the midst of unbelievers. This list of pre-requisites was written so that the household of God, the Family of God, would know how to conduct themselves.
Is the Word of God true? YES! Is our God the living & true God? YES! Is Bethel Hill Church the Family (Household) of God? YES!
We must get a hold of this fact: As the Household of the Living God, the people on the Hill are the pillar & buttress of Truth. We are the Foundation of Truth for a lost & dying world, both here in Person County and around the World! Therefore teaching the Word must produce a lifestyle change.
Most of this list of pre-qualifications for the work of elders is a list that applies to every Christ-follower in our Family! Because each of us…man, woman, child…is the embodiment, the model, the holder & presenter of Truth to those around us!
Putting this whole concept in perspective, Jason laid it before us this way:
“When you are describing Bethel Hill to others, and you are inviting them to join us….how do you present our church? Do you say ‘It’s friendly. It has good programs. It has wonderful things for the children. It’s in a great location.?’ How often do you include the fact that Truth is taught here in your description of our church? How much do you emphasize that we live according to the Truth of Scripture, and what Scripture teaches is central to our workings as a church?”
Serious thought! The same could be asked of us personally. When I (or you) think if our identity, how much emphasis is put upon our response to Truth? We describe our work, our home, our family, our activities….but what about our character of obedience to the Truth God reveals to us through His Scripture? How readily do we relate the changes He is bringing about in our lives through our humility before those Scriptures?
”The responsibility to lead God’s people is more than one person can bear!” Jason reminded us. We must be encouraging each other & teaching each other as joint-heirs of the grace of God. But we also must look to Scripture, which emphasizes repeatedly that the work of over-seer is given to elderS …no, that is not a typo…the S is capitalized to show emphasis. Multiple men are given the responsibility of the Lord’s Body on the Hill….not just Jason & Joel as our “pastors”.
(Incidentally, as Jason reminded us again in referencing these passages, “pastor”, “elder”, “bishop”, “over-seer” are all used interchangeably in the Bible. A pastor is an elder, who is a bishop & an overseer. My daughter is called Jess, Jessica & Jessie….but she is one person. My comfort zone is to call her Jessie; my son’s comfort zone is to call her Jessica; my grandson’s comfort zone is to call her Mommy. So it is with us regarding our Family…..our comfort zone says “Pastor” for Jason & Joel, or “Elder” for the other men…but the Truth is that they are all the same role. Each ‘title’ speaks of a different nuance of function, but all titles apply to each elder. They are each a spiritual & ministerial over-seer; they are each Bible teachers; they are each shepherds under the Chief Shepherd.)
God has blessed Bethel Hill with spiritual health. We are a healthy church. But like the churches in Crete (where Titus was establishing elders), BHBC needs to put some things in order. Our future depends upon putting some things in order by bringing us into closer alignment with the clear teaching of Scripture. So let us be wholly committed, WHOLLY committed, to obedience to the Lord of the church on the Hill. A general attitude of obedience, sweet fellowship, common interests, lack of discord is not enough to impact the world for the Savior. These things are not enough to allow His salvation to flow freely through us to those who are floundering spiritually. Now is the time for obedience in the smallest detail! Let us not wait until the spiritual arteries of the Hill become clogged with distraction, with tradition, with comfort before we get serious about obedience in even small details.
Before discussing each qualification in detail, Jason pointed us to the passage in I Timothy 3:16. “There is a mystery about godliness. This mystery cannot be captured. Somehow God uses a godly person, regardless of their gifts, organizational ability, education.” He uses godliness in people to do His work amongst His people. “Make sure the elders you vote for will serve you as God want them to serve you.”
It is good to “digest” these thoughts of godliness, detailed-obedience, terminology, identity, and authority.
With regards to the pre-quisites of the men who do the work of oversight of the Lord’s church on the Hill, as already mentioned, these are public requirements. Nothing is under the table. Nothing is man-handled, politicized, culturalized, or adapted for convenience. It is what it is. The Apostles who received teaching directly from the Lord Jesus have laid it out for all generations, in all cultures, in all circumstances. And they have laid it out many times…in several books. And their teaching is not to be ignored or belittled without great danger to the flock here, in this place, in this culture, in this time slot of history.
Jason divided all the lists of the pre-qualifications for elders into 4 broad categories: Moral Character, Spiritual Character, God-Given Talents, and Spiritual Work. Then he defined the pre-requisites in each category. Let’s look at them…
1. Pre-requisites/Qualifications dealing with the Moral Character of the man who desires to be an elder…..
above reproach… “This means he is free of any offense or disgraceful issue that allows others to discredit his conduct.” Yes, we allow grace for the short-comings of others, but with regard to those men that we entrust the spiritual oversight of the church, we should not see a blemish or a reputation that causes those outside the Body to say ‘really??!!’ when they hear this man is an elder in our church.
husband of one wife… “In understanding Scripture, there is no requirement to be married, but if he is divorced, he should not be re-married.” In Ethiopia, as Muslims come to Christ, having already married several women, the church there does not require the man to leave his wives, abandoning them & jeopardizing the children. No, these families are welcomed into the church fellowship, but the men are excluded from serving as elders. Here in America, polygamy is outlawed by our government…but serial marriages are common. Because of the clear, simple teaching of Scripture, and a heart of obedience in our congregation, divorced & remarried men are excluded from the work of eldership.
temperate… Simply put, this means self-controlled. A man who cannot control his own emotions, who is inclined to rash behavior, does not meet the pre-requisites for the work of elder. Proverbs 16:32 says “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. And he who rules his (own) spirit than he who takes a city.” We’ve seen this lately in the life of politicians and sports figures. All political & sports achievement is cancelled by the man who cannot control himself. And so it is in the Lord’s church. One elder who lacks self-control will neutralize much spiritual work. So the Lord of the Church says: “Don’t give this responsibility to a man who cannot govern himself.”
prudent… This means a man who possesses discretion, a sound mind in handling people & their problems. “One thing I’ve learned in my years here…every one of you is different!” Jason said. He’s right, of course! We’re all different. Some of us are private, some public. Some of us are open about things in our lives, some are closed. There are many differences, and those men placed in the position of responsibility for the spiritual life of the believers here must have a sensitivity to the difference in personalities. Prudence means having that gift of noticing & dealing appropriately with the differences existing in our Family.
respectable… Orderliness-in-lifestyle might be the idea here. An elder shouldn’t be sloppy in his living manner. His daily lifestyle should be one that deserves respect, reflecting Christ as Lord.
non-alcoholic… That’s pretty self-explanatory. Not controlled by liquor. Often those surrounding a person have a better sense than the person himself on this matter. So we need to be honest on the matter, and also submit to other’s evaluation of our weakness. (In today’s world, I’ve wondered if drug use is not a parallel to alcoholism.)
pugnacious… Now there’s a word! (Is this the scientific name of that cute little dog called a “Pug”? I doubt it..) Pugnacious means “bad tempered”, “argumentative”, “always fighting about something.” Often, those in the community, the neighbors of the Family, know better than we who is pugnacious. We put on a “happy face” and “mind our Ps & Qs” when we are with the church family. We need to be involved with each other on our home turfs, in everyday situations, so that we can see clearly the true character of our brothers & sisters. A man who is generally disagreeable, short-tempered, self-centered, looking for something to disagree on (whether on the ball field, in the home, or in the church)….. does not meet the pre-requisites for being a spiritual over-seeing of the Lord’s people.
good reputation…. Beyond the church family, what is the reputation of this man in the community, in his work place, in his family?
2. Pre-requisites/Qualifications dealing with the Spiritual Character of the man who desires to be an elder…..
eager to serve… “If it doesn’t light your fire, say ‘no’ when asked to serve.” Amen! The work of an elder is hard work. God doesn’t want a man who is half-hearted, groaning, disinterested. It is better to have a few joyful servants on the Elder Board than to have a large number (even if stipulated by the church by-laws) of ho-hum men who can’t wait to get home to watch their favorite TV program!
not a “lord”…You know the kind of person that thinks they are above everyone else…snotty, uppity, egotistical, bossy, dictatorial, tyrannical. Well, these people are not cut out for being elders in the Lord’s church.
not self-willed… stubborn, obstinate, self-centered.
gentle, kind, gracious… “An elder is able to yield to what others find appropriate in their lives.” That’s a good statement by Jason….able to yield to what others find appropriate in their lives.
not loving money… An elder isn’t moved, motivated, jump-started by monetary considerations. He runs on a higher motivation.
manages his home… Before becoming an elder, a man must show that he is a CHRISTIAN husband and a CHRISTIAN father. How Christ-like is he in his relationship with his wife & children? Is there the aroma or pleasant fragrance of Jesus about him as he talks, as he guides, as he teaches his family? The Puritans used to say “Think of your family as a little church.” The man who cannot guide & manage his small ‘flock’ at home cannot be expected to manage the large ‘flock’ on the Hill.
not a new convert… Living the life of Christ requires endurance. Those men who qualify as elders of a congregation must be men who are proven followers of Christ. They demonstrate consistency in the issues of life, they are repeatedly surrendering to the will of God shown through the Word of God. Young believers might have a lot of energy & enthusiasm, but they need to be tested & proven strong in the Lord before they are placed in the position of over-seer of the Lord’s people.
lovers of good things… Simply put, the man who wants to be an elder is not someone who delights in the latest gossip, who looks for bad news about others, who gets some sort of thrill in the latest crime or tragedy. No, the man we want as elder must be someone who searches for, and enjoys, things that are wholesome & pure. In our age of information, the man who qualifies for the elder position is one who controls the information to which he is exposed, so that it nurtures his spiritual life…he shuns pornography, shady movies, violence, etc. , so that his spiritual life is enhanced.
3. Pre-requisites/Qualifications dealing with God-given abilities of the man who desires to be an elder…..
able to teach… One of the responsibilities given by God to the elders in His church is spiritual over-sight. This involves knowing biblical Truth, teaching the Body, and helping each person to obey that Truth. This job description is the big difference between Deacons & Elders; deacons are not required to teach, but elders are required to teach.
So, does this requirement mean that an elder must be seminary-trained? Absolutely not! He must be able to feed the Scriptures to the flock; he must be able to communicate. But he does not need to be eloquent in speech, nor does he need to be formally authorized to teach by a graduation document from a Seminary. Holding fast to the Word by knowledge & obedience is not optional, but stylistic differences in teaching are absolutely OK and appropriate. Each elder can & should teach differently in style from his fellow-elders, but the Truth does not change from one elder to another.
desire the work… The man that God has appointed an elder in His church will have a heart-throb, an eagerness to do the work of elder-ing. He is not ho-hum about it; he is not lackadaisical or negligent. For this man, the work of an elder (& it is work!) is a joy; it bring satisfaction & fulfillment. When the going gets tough in the work of over-sight, we need men who are strong, eager & internally motivated to do the work. In fact, Jason related how one experienced pastor put it: “If you can do anything else, do it.” Only become an Elder/Pastor if it is so much in your heart, you just HAVE to do it!
4. Pre-requisites/Qualifications dealing with the Spirit’s work in the life of the man who desires to be an elder…..
In the matter of choosing elders at Bethel Hill, the issue is not are we doing it wrong or badly now….the issue is ‘Can we do it better? Can we do it closer to the instructions of Scripture?’ In other words, we want to ‘keep closer’ to the details of Scripture, and do honest evaluations of the men we recommend to the Elder Board. We are looking for men who are clearly evidencing the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives….a work that produces the qualities of elder-ship.
Have you noticed something about this list of pre-qualifications for the elders? Most of them are applicable to ALL Christ-followers!
And so….we are back to one of the early thoughts in Jason’s teaching…living ‘worthy’ of the Gospel.
Most of this list of pre-qualifications for the work of elders is a list that applies to every Christ-follower in our Family! Because each of us…man, woman, child…is the embodiment, the model, the holder & presenter of Truth to those around us!
The prayer of the spiritual over-seers of our Family on the Hill is that God will continue to do His work in our midst, that He will continue to hone obedience into our Family lifestyle, and He will make us to be good representatives of His Gospel to a lost & spiritually-dying population around us!