FRIDAY March 21, 2025
Requirements of a Church Elder
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money....
1 Timothy 3:2-3
Paul did not compromise the set standard required of a person taking the position of a bishop––an overseer. What does God require of him? They must have a good reputation––blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, and of good behavior. Many of these same qualities for elders are listed in Titus 1:6-7.
Men with these qualifications were sought out to help administer in the early church. When the widows started to complain because they were being neglected (Acts 6:1), Peter addressed the issue and said:
“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts: 6:3-4).
These character traits ensure that those chosen for the work of the ministry have a good reputation. The calling and the anointing of God must be upon their lives. They also had to be men who feared God––not man. It was important to be men of integrity; leaders who would not easily compromise their position in Jesus Christ.
That was the criteria then, and it is the criteria now. People in leadership must be spiritual––filled with the Holy Spirit. They cannot be carnal––living according to their fleshly desires. Leaders in the church need to have to make wise and spiritual decisions––decisions in line with the principles of Jesus Christ.
An even greater quality for a leader is to have a good reputation among their neighbors and those they work alongside. As a husband, do your wife and children see your good reputation in the home? The person you are at home, and the person you are at church, should match.
Does Christ get a good reputation because of the way we live? Is the excellence of Christ displayed in our lives? That should matter to us, not whether we ourselves are praised.
~John Piper~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
