Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’s Instruction to Timothy

Timothy about how to best avoid further problems with church lead ers. His counsel, “Do not lay hands upon any one too hastily,” shows that prevention is still the best cure. The laying on of hands is a biblical expression for appointment to office or a specific task (Num. 27:18-23; Acts 626). So in verse 22, Paul charges Timothy not to appoint elders (or anyone) too “hastily” or “quickly.” Because of the crying need for church leaders, there is always pressure to make hasty appointments, but such appointments create more serious, long-lasting problems. Time and testing are still the best principles to follow when appointing church leaders. Paul’s warning not to “lay hands upon anyone too hastily” indicates that elders were appointed by the laying on of hands. Although the New Testament provides no specific example of the laying on of hands at the time of an elder’s appointment, it was probably the common procedure used by Paul and the first Christians (Acts 626; 1323; 1 Tim. 4214). The warning not to appoint prospective elders too quickly can be applied in two ways: to the initial appointment of an elder to office or to the restoration of a disciplined elder to office. In numerous cases of leadership failure (but certainly not all), the real problem is that unfit, unproven men were appointed too quickly to positions of spiritual lead ership. So Paul advises Timothy that one way to prevent unworthy men from becoming spiritual leaders is to avoid rash, hasty appoint ments. The same principle applies, particularly in this context, to a disci plined elder who seeks restoration to his position after being removed from office because of sin. It is not uncommon for an ambitious leader to press the church for restoration to office. A problem with such dy namic men is that they are often so consumed by personal ambition and “the ministry” that they don’t have a clue as to the damage they do to the Lord’s people or to the Lord’s name. They don’t understand that even when it is possible, healing and restoration take a considerable period of time. I . Carl Laney, author of A Guide to Church Discipline, remarks: Restoration takes time. If the service station attendant gives me directions which result in my getting lost, it will be a long time before I trust his directions again. If a husband commits adultery, it will require a long period of faithfulness to restore his wife’s

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