Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Paul ’5 Instruction to Titus

0 “self—willed” 0 “quick-tempered” ° “addicted to wine” - “pugnacious” 0 “fond of sordid gain”

We would not want a person who is controlled by any one of these vices to manage our family or our possessions, and neither does God.

SELF-WELED: To be self-willed or arrogant is the opposite of being “gentle” [forbearing], which is one of the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 323. A self—willed man wants his own way. He is stubborn, arrogant, and inconsiderate of others’ opinions, feelings, or desires. A self-willed man is headstrong, independent, self—assertive, and ungra cious, particularly toward those who have a different opinion. A self willed man is not a team player, and the ability to work as a team is essential to eldership. We must remember that the local congregation belongs to God, not to the overseer. The overseer is God’s servant, not a master or owner, thus he has no right to be self—willed when caring for God’s precious people. A self-willed man will scatter God’s sheep because he is un— yielding, overbearing, and blind to the feelings and opinions of others (2 Peter 2:10). QUICK—TEMPERED: One of God’s attributes is that He is slow to anger, so His stewards must also be slow to anger. Man’s anger is a hindrance to the work of God, “for the anger of a man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1220). Since an elder must deal with people and their problems, a “hothead” will quickly find much ma terial to fuel his anger. Proverbs warns against the perils of an angry man: “An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression” (Prov. 29:22). With his ugly, angry words, a quick tempered man will destroy the peace and unity of God’s family. The fierce looks and harsh words of the quick-tempered man will tear people apart emotionally, leaving people sick and destroyed in spirit. So a man who desires to be a church shepherd must be patient and self controlled. Of course, everyone experiences anger, and leaders who must deal with contentious situations often may experience a great deal of anger.

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