ELDERS INTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS
BEFORE YOU READ:
AFTER YOU READ:
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As we have been exploring what the bible has to say about what it means to be an elder we've covered a lot of ground. We've talked about the philosophical difference between a board elder and a biblical elder. We've explored how the bible uses the image of a shepherd to describe what an elder does. Then we saw that becoming an elder is something that God calls people to do and the Holy Spirit empowers them to do so that they can step into the place and purpose he has for them.
If someone has been nominated or expresses the desire to be an elder and they've sensed that God has called them to serve in that way, how do we assess whether they should actually be considered? What criteria do we use to decide who is ready to be an elder and who is not? There are so many problems present in churches today because the people who are serving as elders were not carefully examined to see if they were fit to be in that role.
Thankfully, God gave us guidance and criteria to use to help us make those decisions. There are three major sections of scripture where we are told what an elder's life should look like. 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5
TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELDERS
When you look at the things that are listed they fall into two major categories: INTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS.
Internal qualifications are a description of the person themself, their heart, actions and abilities. These qualifications can be divided into two categories: (1) CHARACTER and (2) COMPETENCY
External qualifications are a description of how they interact with others. External qualifications then divide into two categories: (1) RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY and (2) RELATIONSHIPS with THE CHURCH and THE COMMUNITY
INTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS BY CHARACTER
This first section is addressing who someone is starting in their hearts and minds and how that is manifested through their speech and actions. We're talking about CHARACTER.
ABOVE REPROACH (CHARACTER):
1 Timothy 3:2 / Titus 1:7
This means someone who is "not deserving or worthy of rebuke or criticism." If someone were to talk about them badly or accuse them of something immoral, you would have a hard time believing it because it's so inconsistent with what you know of them. Slander doesn't stick! It doesn't mean that they're perfect, it means that they consistently seem to be living the way God instructs us to. They are blameless, meaning it's really hard to accuse them of wrong.
A LOVER OF GOOD (CHARACTER)
Titus 1:8
A person who is a lover of good is someone who's heart has been changed by God to love what God loves and hate what God hates. They examine everything from the perspective of what God says is true, lovely, and praiseworthy. They are careful to avoid letting what is corrupt or evil to enter and influence their hearts through their eyes, ears, and body.
UPRIGHT (CHARACTER)
Titus 1:8
The word upright is also translated as Righteous. When you look at the bible as a whole, the word righteous is not just about personal goodness, it is the kind of person who is willing to do what is needed to do right by others as well. For example, Tim Keller in his devotional on Proverbs says "The righteous in the book of Proverbs are by definition those who are willing to disadvantage themselves for the community while the wicked are those who put their own economic, social, and personal needs ahead of the needs of the community." This is someone who has a heart to see the hurting and broken cared for.
IS NOT A RECENT CONVERT (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:6
It is tempting when we see someone who is excited about their faith, experiencing transformation, and is engaged in ministry to elevate them beyond their maturity level. Especially when there are often very few people that appear to be mature enough or willing to take on the role of elder. However, we are warned that if we appoint someone who is not mature in their faith, it can be destructive both to the person and to the church. They can fall to the subtle sin of pride. Being elevated to a position of authority, being seen as godly and put forward as an example can cause a newer believer to begin to trust in their own abilities and seek attention instead of trusting in Jesus and helping focus others on Jesus.
An elder needs to have been through the storms of life and come out with their faith stronger. It's important to have a realistic picture of themselves and their need for grace because they understand their own failures and the failures of other Christians. They must understand the stages of spiritual formation from dead, to baby, then child, then young adult, and finally spiritual parent. They need to be able to navigate the tension between grace and truth and realize that the bible often doesn't give easy black and white answers. That requires wisdom that can only be gleaned over time.
SELF-CONTROLLED & DISCIPLINED (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:2 / Titus 1:8
Many of the next characteristics that are listed can fall under the concept of self-control and discipline. The definition of self-control is "wisely keeping control over one's passions and desires." This person is not a person of extremes and is well-balanced in their attitudes and actions. And if self-control is about restraining powerful urges, thoughts, and emotions, then discipline is about directing those powerful forces in the right direction. Think of Self-control like the Hoover Dam that keeps the flood of water from flooding everything, and Discipline is like the tunnels that direct water to a certain destination and produce electricity. For example, anger is destructive when it's not controlled and it spills over into abusive language in a family, but anger is productive and good when it motivates us to fight human trafficking. Self control moderates powerful urges and Discipline directs powerful urges.
NOT A DRUNKARD, SOBER-MINDED (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:2-3
Although this is seems pretty clear, there is a principal behind it that needs to be applied not just to alcohol but to any substance that impairs our judgement and lessons our inhibitions. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul tells us that you can either be controlled by a substance or controlled by the Spirit. He also tells the Corinthian church that he will not be "mastered" by anything as he speaks about food and drink. The idea is that there are substances that can make us lose control and we are not to be slaves to any substance.
NOT QUARRELSOME (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:3
Anger and arrogance, when they are not controlled or disciplined, manifest themselves in losing control of our tongue, or using it like a weapon. Someone who has given their lives to the Holy Spirit will not going around picking fights or looking for one. They don't love arguments. It is also possible to be quarrelsome quietly by gossiping or second guessing current elders to others and causing division. A self-controlled and disciplined person uses their words and their tongue to heal, encourage, admonish, and support others.
NOT VIOLENT BUT GENTLE (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:3
Anger when it is not controlled or disciplined can also overflow into physical violence. Instead of using words like the quarrelsome person, they use their physical power to intimidate or inflict injury on others. Paul carefully contrasts this with someone who is gentle. Being gentle doesn't mean being a pushover, it means using the power and strength you have to care for those without power and strength.
NOT A LOVER OF MONEY/NOT GREEDY FOR GAIN (CHARACTER)
1 Timothy 3:3, Titus 1:7
It's easy to spot someone who is controlled by a substance like alcohol, or someone who is controlled by their anger and arrogance and lashed out at others. It is harder to spot someone who is controlled by greed. The reason for this is that loving money can look like frugality or it can look like frivolity. One never wants to part with money and the other never has any money to part with because they've spent it. Love of money can mean a lack of trust in God so they mask it with language of budgets. Love of money can also mean not being content with what God has provided. A godly elder is someone who is able to use money wisely and sees it as a gift to be stewarded. It should be spent to advance the mission of Jesus, yet it is provided by him and should not be wasted or hoarded.
INTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS BY COMPETENCY
The next set of qualifications are not about who someone is, but what they are able to do. Out of all the qualifications that are listed, the majority are about character. However, the few abilities that are listed are all related and of utmost importance because they are related to knowing God's word, understanding it, teaching it, and defending it. A Church without leaders who do these things will eventually die. Let's look at the first ability of...
HOLDS FIRMLY TO THE TRUSTWORTHY WORD AS TAUGHT (COMPETENCY)
Titus 1:9
The phrase hold firm means to devote oneself entirely and cling to it for help against something. Jesus said that his words and his teaching were like solid ground and that those who built their lives on it would be able to withstand the storms of this life. He said that it was like a seed that took root and sprouted and multiplied fruit. A biblical elder must have both been taught and have invested in their own knowledge of the word of God. They have built their lives on that word and have dug deep down and rooted themselves in it. They have experienced the storms of this life, the resistance of those who disagree or hate the bible and still clung to it in the face of those things. This means they know both WHAT they believe, and WHY they believe. They have a solid understanding of theology and doctrine. They know and believe the core themes of the bible. They understand the gospel and what salvation means. For a shepherd to guard the flock, they must be able to guard themselves first. This does not mean they won't have doubts, but it means they know where to look when they do.
ABLE TO TEACH (COMPETENCY)
1 Timothy 3:2
There is a difference between preaching and teaching. Not every elder is expected to preach to large groups like we typically have on Sunday gatherings. However, that is something that was expected of some of the elders in each church in the early church and should be something that churches begin to value and train for. On the other hand, every elder was expected to be able to teach. This means meeting with smaller groups and individuals to explain to them both how to understand the bible as well as apply it to their lives. This is the feeding of the sheep that a shepherd is required to do. No single pastor or elder will be able to feed the whole flock which is why it takes a group of them to accomplish it. The gospel means good news and news must be spread by teaching. Jesus was a teacher. Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples and teach them. Where the teaching of the word is, disciples are made and the church exists.
ABLE TO GIVE INSTRUCTION IN SOUND DOCTRINE (COMPETENCY)
1 Timothy 1:9
The word "sound" means correct or healthy. The idea is that if someone believes something that is not true about God, Jesus, the Spirit, Humanity, Salvation, the Church, etc. then they'll have spiritually sick and unhealthy lives. There are certain core doctrines of the church that are what unite us. An elder needs to be aware of what those are and why they are so important to our lives. Additionally, they need to be able to listen to the stories and struggles of others and be able to correctly apply scripture to what they are experiencing so they can guide them towards spiritual health and living according to God's design.
ABLE TO REBUKE THOSE WHO CONTRADICT SOUND DOCTRINE (COMPETENCY)
Titus 1:9
Satan is clever. The very first approach he took to tempt humanity was to cast doubt or to twist God's words. Satan even quoted scripture when he was tempting Jesus. The biggest arguments Jesus had were over people who misinterpreted scripture. Most often the worst attacks don't come from outside the church, they come from within the church in the form of fighting or false doctrine. An elder needs to be able to spot half truths, distortions, and complete lies being disguised as biblical teaching. Unfortunately, the majority of Christians are biblically illiterate and are easy victims of false teaching. These teachings can come in all forms whether a class in the church, or a "Christian" book in a bookstore, or a preacher on YouTube. They must not be afraid of conflict, especially when it comes to false teaching. A helpful tool in this is a knowledge of church history. The church has already identified false teachings over the last 2,000 years and most false teaching today is often the same errors like: dividing the divine/human nature of Jesus, scripture can't be trusted, the body is bad, etc.
This brings us to a close on the internal qualifications listed in the bible. In our next post we will cover the external qualifications.
Which of these qualities are you most needing to grow in? Which definition were you most surprised by?
