This is the first in what will be a series of articles on the elder qualifications of 1 Timothy 3.
There is a joke that makes its way around the PCA suggesting that certain nerdy elders do their morning devotions in the Book of Church Order. Funny as this is at times, reading the preface to our blue binder is, in fact, a devotional exercise. It opens with a lengthy description of Jesus as King and Head of the Church, and at one point declares, “It belongs to His Majesty from His throne of glory to rule and teach the Church through His Word and Spirit by the ministry of men; thus mediately exercising His own authority and enforcing His own laws, unto the edification and establishment of His Kingdom.”1
In a world so fraught with wickedness and unbelief, the notion that Jesus has chosen to rule “by the ministry of men” can be alarming. And the existence of sin in our members produces appropriate pause in every man who aspires to office in the Church. How can sinful men lead the Church of the true and living God?
The simplest answer is that God has called particular men to rule in the Church on His behalf. It is Christ’s mediate exercise of His very own authority. Paul addresses this in Ephesians 4:11-12: “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
In another epistle Paul lays out plainly the qualifications for the men God calls. He begins writing, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach…” (1 Timothy 3:1-2). The flow of thought is clear: the office of overseer is a good work, therefore those who desire it must be above reproach.
A Good Work
The labor of every elder is a good work. It is a wonderful thing. It is an excellent office. It is not just a title. It is not just a seat on the board of directors. Patrick Fairbairn writes: “It is not merely a post of honor, or a position of influence; not that primarily at least, or in its more direct aspect, but a work of active service, and one that from its very nature brings one into living fellowship with the pure and good.”2
What better work is there than to labor in the ministry of Word and Prayer,3 or to preach the Word in season and out of season,4 or to shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight and being examples to the people?5 Of course men will aspire to this office!
Above Reproach
But Paul gives a caveat. A man with wrong desire may imagine he can gain something for himself by serving as an elder. A prideful man may aspire to office with confidence in his own industry or virtue. An arrogant man may think he can bring something to the Church that it’s never had before. Here’s the caveat: Because the office of overseer is a noble task, the man who aspires to it must meet certain qualifications.
A man is not to be ordained as an elder simply because he used to be a deacon when he was younger. A man is not to be ordained an elder in order to get him more involved in the church. A man is not made an elder because he is popular. The eldership is not about politics. It is not about status.
The eldership is about character. It is about godliness. It is for good men. Paul makes this very clear with the first characteristic of verse 2: an overseer must be above reproach.
Men, the general quality that must characterize you if you aspire to the office of elder is blamelessness. You must have qualified and unquestionable character. Your conduct must match your profession. When you sin you should be quick to seek God’s forgiveness and that of those against whom you have sinned. You must identify, battle, and kill sin wherever it exists in your life.
We will come to see that most of the qualifications on Paul’s list explain who elders are rather than what they do. This is because, as David Dickson puts it, “the usefulness of an elder will depend, in the long run, more on his character than on his gifts and knowledge.”6
1 Interestingly, that first part of the BCO preface was written by the Westminster Divines as the preface to their form of church government. No wonder it is so moving.
2 Patrick Fairbairn, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (The Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 136.
3 Acts 6:4
4 2 Timothy 4:1-2
5 1 Peter 5:1-3
6 David Dickson, The Elder and His Word (P&R Publishing, 2004), 34.
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