A brother recently sent a text message and asked, “What are the qualifications for an elder?”
What are the qualifications for an elder in the church?
Let’s spend some time thinking about the answer because you asked for it.
The term “elder” has been used through many centuries and by many cultures. An elder exercised leadership by virtue of their position in the family, their age and experience, their personality, their skills and abilities, their stature, or their influence. An elder achieved such leadership by appointment, ordination or by the acquiescence of others. In most settings, the leadership also involved making judicial decisions for the family, tribe or nation.
The New Testament seems to use several terms to describe the leader in the church, though each label speaks to the person he is and the work he does. Each of these words seem to be equivalent in describing the same person. The elder speaks of the dignity and integrity of the person. The overseer provides a picture of the function and duty of the position. Finally the shepherd or pastor focuses on the shepherding and feeding of the flock.
As a side note, the use of pastor today as shifted to describe the function of the paid professional that preaches and leads in the church. In the New Testament, the pastor and the evangelist did not always describe the same person, though there may have been times when one person filled both roles.
The New Testament provides the picture of a truth for believers and congregations today: All of the churches had elders. Briefly skimming through the book of Acts, we find that there were elders in all the churches that Paul founded on the first missionary journey (Acts 14:23). There were elders at the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2). There were elders at the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17). There were elders in all of the churches in the cities of Crete (Titus 1:5), throughout the Dispersion of the Roman Empire (James 1:1; 5:14), and elders in all of the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1; 5:1).
Just as a matter of historical context, don’t picture a congregation on every street corner in a city, representing different denominations. There were no church buildings until over three hundred years later. Paul admonished early groups of believers that we don’t go around saying “I am of Peter” or “I am of Paul.”
Paul writes to two of his “students” about selecting elders, Titus and Timothy. He describes the character of the individual, as well as mentioning areas of life where you can observe leadership in action – the marriage and family, business and the community. Let’s look at the two passages of Scripture in the New International Version of the Bible. We can observe them together for an overall understanding. Then we will go back through and look at each individual characteristic.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Titus 1:6-9
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Some churches and theologians see the two lists as a check-list for the position of elder. If someone is weaker in one of the areas, or if they lack in an area, they are disqualified for the position. That approach feels rather legalistic and ungracious. Instead see the list as places to look for examples of leadership. No one will be perfect, but certain characteristics and skills will come to the front.
Think of it like this. If a soccer team needs a goalie, you know there are certain skills and mindsets that make-up a quality goal keeper. The candidate may have several strengths, and some areas that are a little weaker and need help and work. You select the best person available to help the team.
| 1 Timothy | TItus | Explanation | ||
| 1 Tim 3:1 | aspires to be an overseer | The role of an elder is one that is desired. This is not a position that should be filled through pressure or coercion which would result in half-hearted service. | ||
| 1 Tim 3:2 | above reproach | Titus 1:6, 7 | above reproach | Not a perfect, but life lived in a way that others have no reason to think badly of the church or the Lord. |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | faithful to his wife | Titus 1:6 | faithful to his wife | Remember that marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. The image to be portrayed is faithfulness. |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | temperate | Titus 1:8 | disciplined | All three of these speak to the same issue – disciple and control. We see it in drunkenness, but it is visible in so many other places. Does this person have self-control and discipline in their life or are they running without direction? |
| 1 Tim 3:3 | not given to drunkenness | Titus 1:7 | not given to drunkenness | |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | self-controlled | Titus 1:8 | self-controlled | |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | respectable | We often say that respect is earned. Do people think highly of this individual? What do others see that brings that feeling? | ||
| 1 Tim 3:2 | hospitable | Titus 1:8 | hospitable | With no church buildings, early Christians met in homes. Allow others to come to the house to talk about the faith and to worship. |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | able to teach | Titus 1:9 | can encourage others and refute those who oppose the message | The ability to teach and explain is a gift. Do not narrow your thoughts to in front of a Bible Study class, but think about the ability to encourage and instruct others with words and behavior. This believer must know the Scripture inside and out. |
| 1 Tim 3:3 | not violent | Titus 1:7 | not violent | It is interesting that both lists use the same wording. Violence – abusing power – must have been common then, as it is today. |
| 1 Tim 3:3 | gentle | This quality always reminds me of the leadership of Moses. Gentle does not mean weak, but goes along with not being violent. This person has emotions under control. | ||
| 1 Tim 3:3 | not quarrelsome | Titus 1:7 | not overbearing, not quick-tempered | Does the person fly off the handle? Are they always argumentative? Must they always have their way? |
| 1 Tim 3:3 | not a lover of money | Titus 1:7 | not pursuing dishonest gain | Loving money more than other things causes so many problems. You can see that attitude in someone’s life. |
| 1 Tim 3:4-5 | manages own family well | Titus 1:6-7 | man whose children believe | One of the first places to look for leadership qualities is in the home. How can he help manage God’s household if he cannot manage his own? His family respects him. He has made an impact upon the lives of his children so they have an opportunity to believe. We cannot dictate the decisions and faith of our children, but we can provide a nurturing environment where faith can grow. |
| 1 Tim 3:6 | not a recent convert | The idea of “not recent” is certainly subjective. This is a mature believer who is not likely to become proud or arrogant because of the position. | ||
| 1 Tim 3:7 | good reputation with outsiders | People outside the church respect him for his integrity and behavior. | ||
| Titus 1 :8 | lover of good | This is a person who leans toward seeing that goodness is done – for others, for organizations. | ||
| Titus 1:8 | upright | This word speaks to justice and people being treated fairly. | ||
| Titus 1:8 | holy | For the Lord said, Be holy because I am holy. Understand how God works in your life to change and influence your behavior. |
There are so many things that could be said about any or all of the items in these lists, we could continue discussing for days. I wanted to speak about two other issues.
For centuries the church has struggled with the meaning of the phrase “the husband of one wife.” Does this mean that a divorced and remarried person cannot be an elder? What about a one whose wife died? Does this mean that a woman should not be an elder? So much in this list has addressed the perception of others based upon behaviors and reputations. This is to be a faithful person – if there is a divorce, the eldership should be far enough removed that the people understand the circumstances. There is no doubt as to the current ability to be faithful.
Is gender a cultural thing or is this a biblical command for the elder to be male? The issue rests somewhere on the edge of a command and the understanding of the individual congregation. There are many Scriptures that speak to the role of men and women, both inside and outside the church. This question may need to be addressed in another presentation.
Finally, there is a precedent for selecting leaders which needs to be mentioned. Look for an elder who is already doing the job of an elder without the title. Are there people who are leading small groups of people, who have the heart of a shepherd? Is there someone who is active in sharing their faith? Are there those who consistently serve others through teaching and encouraging?
The church needs to recognize those who are already serving by publicly acknowledging their service, by ordaining them to give them authority and blessing.
Hope this helps.