Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’s Instruction to Timothy

realize the worthwhile character of the elders’ task. They need to real ize its significance so they will support and encourage the elders in their work on behalf of the church. Since God declares the office of overseer to be an excellent work, it follows that an overseer must be a man of excellent Christian charac ter. A noble task naturally demands a noble person. To assure that only men of good character assume the role of overseer, Paul provides the local church with public, observable qualifications to protect both the office and the church: An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncon tentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who man ages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Tim. 322-7). The verbal construction “must be” indicates what is necessary, com pulsory, or fitting. So the overseer “must be” of a certain moral and spiritual character to qualify as an overseer. Paul emphasizes this point because it is probably where the church failed, as many churches do today. God wants us to know that a properly qualified elder is a non negotiable requirement for the government of God’s household. God provides objective, observable qualifications to test the subjec tive desire of all who seek the office of overseer. Desire alone is not enough; it must be matched by good character and spiritual capability. In his summary of Paul’s fourteen specific qualifications, George Knight writes: “The items focus on two areas: (1) personal self-disci pline and maturity, and (2) ability to relate well to others and to teach and care for them. These two are intertwined, although there seems to be a tendency to move from the personal to the interpersonal.”6

ABOVE REPROACH: Heading the list of qualifications stands the general, overarching, “all-embracing”7 qualification: “above reproach”

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