Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’s Instruction to Timothy

will say that it is one of the most important, pleasant, and memorable aspects of the shepherd’s ministry. In His mysterious ways, God works through the guest-host rela tionship to encourage and instruct His people. So we must never un derestimate the power of hospitality in ministering to people’s needs. Those who love hospitality love people and are concerned about them. If the local church’s elders are inhospitable, the local church will also be inhospitable and indifferent toward the needs of others. ABLE TO TEACH: Like Israel, the Christian community is built on Holy Scripture. So those who oversee the community must be able to guide and protect it by instruction from Scripture. According to Acts 20, the elders must shepherd the flock of God. A major part of shep herding the flock involves feeding it the Word of God. Therefore, el ders must be “able to teach” in order to do their job. The ability to teach entails three basic elements: a knowledge of Scripture, the readiness to teach, and the ability to communicate. This doesn’t mean that an elder must be an eloquent orator, a dynamic lec turer, or a highly gifted teacher (of which there are very few). But an elder must know the Bible and be able to instruct others from it. In his parallel list of elder qualifications in Titus, Paul expands on the meaning of “able to teach.” He writes, “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he [the elder] may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who con tradict” (Titus 129). An elder, then, must be able to open his Bible and exhort and encourage others from it. He must also be able to discern false doctrine and refute it with Scripture. God’s Word brings growth to the church and protects it from falsehood. Therefore, shepherd el ders must be able to teach God’s Word. NOT ADDICTED TO WINE: An elder must be above reproach in his use of alcohol. Paul uses strong language here that means not preoc cupied or overindulgent with wine. Drunkenness is sin, and persis tently drunken people require church discipline (see 1 Cor. 521 1; 629,10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5218; 1 Peter 423). So a person in a position of trust and authority over other people can’t have a drinking problem. The Bible contains many warnings against the potential dangers of wine and strong drink (Isa. 5211,22; Prov. 2021; 23:30-35; Hos. 4:11). It specifically warns leaders about the dangers of alcohol:

195