overseers

Shepherds Wanted

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5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. – Titus 1:5-9 ESV

One of the first things Titus was to concentrate on was the appointment of elders for the local churches in Crete. As Paul’s letter will shortly disclose, there was a problem with disorder and doctrinal disruption among the believers on the island. Paul will describe these individuals as “rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others” (Titus 1:10 NLT).  He will accuse them of “turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching” (Titus 1:11 NLT). And to make matters worse, they were doing so for financial gain. That’s why Paul reminds Titus that he has been left in Crete to “complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you” (Titus 1:5 NLT).

Paul gave Titus a two-part commission. His first priority was to put in order or to complete what was lacking or left undone. There were some issues within the church there that needed to be taken care of, and Paul spends a good portion of his letter explaining exactly what the issues were. But the second part of Titus’ commission was the appointment of elders. Paul knew that Titus was going to need help. A big reason for the lack of order was the void of qualified leaders. If any organization finds itself lacking reputable and responsible leadership, someone will rise up to fill the void. There will always be those who step into the leadership vacuum and attempt to use their power and influence to take charge. And evidently, that was exactly what was happening on Crete.

So, Paul told Titus to take care of the problem by appointing men to help him lead the local body of believers. The responsibilities were too great for one man to handle on his own. But Paul insisted that Titus was not to settle for second best. Those whom Titus appointed to lead the church were going to have to meet certain qualifications in order to even be considered.

But it’s important to note that Paul’s description of the qualifications has everything to do with character and has little to say about biblical knowledge, academic aptitude, business savvy, or even leadership skills. Instead, Paul mentions qualities and characteristics that would have been visible to all those who knew these men. Titus was to look for the outward evidence of an inward transformation that had taken place in the lives of these men due to their relationship with Christ and their knowledge of the Word of God.

Each of them was to have “a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught,” so that he might “be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” (Titus 1:9 NLT). In other words, they had to have a knowledge of the truth of the gospel and the realities regarding God and His redemptive plan for man. That was the only way they would be able to refute falsehood and defend the good news from attack. Worldly leadership qualities would not be enough because they would be engaged in spiritual warfare.

Paul appears to be contrasting the character of these future church leaders and those who were doing harm to the church. Those leading who would lead the body of Christ had to be men who were above reproach or blameless. This doesn’t suggest that they were somehow perfect or sinless. The Greek word Paul used is anegklētos and it conveys the idea that these men were to have no glaring character flaws. They were not to be guilty of living their lives in a way that would cause people to point their fingers in accusation, resulting in harm to the reputation of the church.

They were to be loving husbands with reputations for faithfulness. They were to be fathers who had proven themselves to be capable leaders at home, having children who had come to faith in Christ, and who modeled lives of moral integrity and obedience. This would seem to suggest that Paul was recommending that Titus look for older men with children who had been in Christ long enough to have demonstrated their godly character.

Paul went on to say that an elder candidate “must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money” (Titus 1:7 NLT). Instead, he was to “enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life” (Titus 1:8 NLT).

It’s interesting to note that Paul had to be so specific in his list of qualifying character traits, and h went out of his way to list disqualifying characteristics as well. Arrogance, anger, greed, violence, and alcohol abuse would all be huge detriments to godly leadership. They were outward signs of someone who was under the control of the flesh and not the Spirit. In fact, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul provides an even more detailed list of those characteristics that mark someone who is living according to their sinful nature.

…sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these… – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

A man who is controlled by his own flesh is going to make a lousy leader. He will be disruptive and, potentially, destructive. And it’s obvious that the church on Crete already had enough negative influences impacting it. Titus was going to need godly men whose lives reflected their reliance upon the Spirit’s control.

Titus was going to need help in dealing with the disorder and negative moral influences within the churches on Crete. He couldn’t handle it on his own. So, Paul emphasized the need for him to find the right kind of men to lovingly lead the flock of God, providing much-needed discipline, and modeling the character of Christ to all those around them.

One of the main qualifications these men were to have was a love for the gospel. Paul tells Titus that each of them “must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught” (Titus 1:9 NLT). They were to remain committed to the gospel message by which they had come to faith in Christ.

One of the problems going on in Crete was the influence of those teaching what Paul refers to as a false gospel. There were those who were preaching something other than salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. They were adding to the gospel. Paul will remind Titus that people were “listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth” (Titus 1:14 NLT). So, the men Titus chose to help him lead the church were going to have to be men who were committed to the truth of the gospel message. They were not to accept or even tolerate alternative versions of the truth. As shepherds of God’s flock, they were to refute all false gospels and destructive heresies.

These men were not to function as a board of directors. They were not to see themselves as figureheads or some kind of ad hoc advisory board for Titus. No, they were called to be overseers, shepherds, and pastors of the flock of Jesus Christ. They were to be godly in character and bold in their witness.

It’s easy to see that Paul had a strong view of eldership. He knew these men were indispensable to the spiritual well-being of the church. This is why he told the elders in Ephesus: “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders” (Acts 20:28 NLT).

We live in the midst of an ungodly world and there is an ongoing need for godly men who will step forward and provide leadership and protection for the flock of God. The church needs men of character who are led by the Spirit of God and committed to the Word of God. Disorder and disruption are all around us. That’s why qualified men are in great need, even today.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Right Stuff

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1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 3:1-13 ESV

Timothy was going to need assistance. Attempting to shepherd even a relatively small congregation of new believers was not going to be easy, especially in an environment like Ephesus. So, Paul encouraged Timothy to find qualified men to assist him in his oversight of the church. It would be impossible for one man to minister to all the needs within the body of Christ and, with the Judaizers promoting their legalistic adherence to the Mosaic Law, Timothy was going to need allies in the fight of faith.

That’s why Paul recommended that Timothy develop a recruitment strategy for possible “overseers.” The Greek word Paul uses is episkopē and he seems to use it almost synonymously with another Greek word, presbuteros, which typically gets translated “elder.”

Both words convey the idea of someone with authority for and responsibility over the spiritual well-being of the flock of God. Paul tells Timothy that it is a good thing if a man aspires to his position. He states, “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position” (1 Timothy 3:1 NLT).

The Greek word he uses is oregō, which means “to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something.” But, like most Greek words, oregō had another and somewhat darker meaning as well: “to give one’s self up to the love of money.” In fact, Paul uses this secondary meaning in chapter 6 when talking about an inordinate and unhealthy attraction to money.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

Paul declared that it was proper and appropriate for a man to aspire to be a leader in the church, but not for what he can get out of it. And the apostle Peter echoed that sentiment.

I urge the elders among you: Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly. – 1 Peter 5:1-2 NLT

Leadership within the local body of Christ was never meant to be a means for getting rich or acquiring power. That’s why Peter and Paul compared the role of an overseer to that of a shepherd. It was to be a selfless and sacrificial role modeled after the life of Jesus. And it seems that Paul’s emphasis was less on the role or job description than on the qualities of the kind of man who would be recognized to fill it.

Paul does not go into great detail on the job description of an elder. Instead. he points out the required character qualities to be considered for the position. And I would argue that these qualities should be the aspiration of every God-fearing, Christ-following man in the church today.

We all aspire to something. We each have goals and ambitions to which we dedicate our time, talents, and energies. For some of us, having a successful career is our greatest ambition and it ends up impacting our entire lives, as we spend every waking moment attempting to bring it about. A few men have legitimate and realistic aspirations for making a name for themselves in the competitive world of sports. Then there are those who simply aspire to be good employees, fathers, husbands, friends, and members of the community. But Paul would encourage us to have a different aspiration; to aspire to something of a slightly higher nature. But it is a job with few perks, a lot of responsibilities, high expectations, no income, a certain degree of anonymity, and some pretty lofty hiring guidelines.

In the book of Acts, we have recorded a meeting between Paul and the elders from the church in Ephesus. He provided these men with a rather stern warning.

So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock–his church, purchased with his own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. – Acts 20:28 NLT

Elders had a high calling and a lofty responsibility to guard both themselves and the people of God. Therefore, they had to be godly men of strong character and impeccable morals. They didn’t have to be perfect, but they did have to strive to be blameless and above reproach in every area of their lives.

It’s interesting that the characteristics that Paul lists cover just about every area of a man’s life. An elder had to be a man free from compartmentalization in his life. He could not afford to have any areas of his life that he tried to keep hidden from the flock. His home life was just as important as his church life. Every one of the things that Paul lists would have been easy to assess and ascertain by anyone in the church. The qualities Paul lays out are visible and external, open for anyone and everyone to see and evaluate. But they reflect an inner character that flows out into every area of life. The kind of men who were to be considered for leadership were those whose hearts were continually being transformed by God. They were men who were living under the control of and in the power provided by the Holy Spirit.

But shouldn’t the qualities and characteristics Paul outlines be the aspiration of every man? Why wouldn’t every man of God aspire to live the kind of life Paul describes, whether he ever gets appointed as an elder or not? The church needs men who are above reproach, faithful to their wives, self-controlled, wise, with good reputations, hospitable, moderate in all things, gentle in spirit, spiritual leaders in their homes, and respected in their communities. The local church should be filled to the brim with men who are viable candidates for eldership. Remember, Paul told Timothy that if a man aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position. To aspire is “to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something.” What we should desire as men is not the role or responsibility, but the character of an elder. The position is honorable because the men who occupy it are honorable. Their character is Christ-like and holy. They are not perfect, but they are men who are willingly and regularly being perfected by God. The church needs more men like that today.

But Paul doesn’t stop with overseers; he also describes the role of a deacon (diakonos). This was a different role within the local body of Christ that was more service-oriented. These men were intended to serve alongside the elders/overseers so that the spiritual and physical needs of the congregation were effectively met. While Paul does not provide a detailed description of the day-to-day functions of a deacon, he does make it clear that the requirements to be considered for the position were virtually the same as that of an overseer.

The roles may have been different but the character requirements were almost identical. While it might be tempting to view the role of deacon as less significant than that of an elder, Paul insists that Timothy not take it lightly.

Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. – 1 Timothy 3:10 NLT

The criterion for consideration was no less stringent or demanding. These men also had to be spiritually and morally qualified to serve. There was no dumbing down of the standards or lowering of the bar of expectations. Their character was to be above reproach and their marriages were to reflect the effectiveness of their servant leadership. If they couldn’t manage their own homes well, how could they be expected to minister to the body of Christ?

Paul wanted Timothy to surround himself with godly men who would help him lead and love the people of God. Paul knew there would be a time when Timothy had to leave Ephesus and go to the next city where he would minister to yet another congregation. So, Timothy needed to prepare for that moment by finding the right men to shepherd the flock of God in his absence. The church needed leaders. The body of Christ needed overseers and deacons who serve as “examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3 NLT). The future of the church was dependent upon godly men whom God would raise up and place in the role of undershepherds to His flock.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul described the unique nature of God’s divine strategy for the health and well-being of the church. God had devised an assortment of roles within the local body of Christ designed to promote spiritual maturity and effective ministry.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. – Ephesians 4:11-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

1 Timothy 3:1-13

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A Worthy Aspiration.

1 Timothy 3:1-13

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.” – 1 Timothy 3:1 NLT

All men aspire to something. They each have goals and ambitions for which they dedicate their time, talents, and energies. For some men, having a successful career is their greatest ambition and it impacts their entire lives, as they spend every waking moment attempting to make it happen. A few men have legitimate and realistic aspirations for making a name for themselves in the competitive world of sports. Then there are those who simply aspire to be good employees, fathers, husbands, friends and members of the community. But Paul would give us a different aspiration. He would encourage us to aspire to something of a slightly higher nature. It is a job with few perks, a lot of responsibilities, high expectations, no income, a certain degree of anonymity, and some pretty lofty hiring guidelines.

The job Paul would have us consider is that of an elder in the local church. He states, ‘If someone aspires to be an elder,he desires an honorable position.” The word he uses that is translated “aspires” is the Greek word, oregō which means “to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something.” But it had another meaning as well: “to give one’s self up to the love of money.” In fact, Paul uses this secondary meaning in chapter 6 when talking about the love of money. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT). It’s interesting that one of the qualifications or characteristics that Paul gives for an elder is that he must not love money, because money will become his aspiration.

Instead, Paul tells Timothy that it is a good thing to aspire to be an elder. But it would seem that Paul’s emphasis is less on the idea of a position or job, than on the qualities of the kind of man who would be recognized to fill it. Paul does not go into great detail on the job description of an elder. Instead. he points out the character requirements necessary to be considered as an elder. And I would argue that these qualities should be the aspiration of every God-fearing, Christ-following man in the church today. The Greek word Paul uses is episkopē and it means “overseer.” Paul seems to use it almost synonymously with another Greek word, presbuteros, which typically gets translated “elder.” Both words convey the idea of someone who has authority for and responsibility over the spiritual well-being of the flock of God. In the book of Acts, we have recorded a meeting between Paul and the elders from the church in Ephesus where he warned them, “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock–his church, purchased with his own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders” (Acts 20:28 NLT). Elders had a high calling and a lofty responsibility to guard both themselves and the people of God. Therefore, they had to be godly men of strong character and impeccable morals. They didn’t have to be perfect, but they did have to strive to be blameless and above reproach in every area of their lives. It is interesting that the characteristics that Paul lists cover just about every area of a man’s life. An elder had to be a man with no compartmentalization in his life – no hidden or secret areas. His home life was just as important as his church life. Every one of the things that Paul lists would have been easy to assess and ascertain – by just about anyone in the church. The qualities Paul lays out are visible or external, open for anyone and everyone to see and evaluate. But they reflect an inner character that flows out into every area of life. The kind of men who were to be considered as elders were men whose hearts had been are were continuing to be transformed by God. They were men who were living under the control of and in the power provided by the Holy Spirit.

But shouldn’t the qualities and characteristics Paul outlines be the aspiration of every man? Why wouldn’t every man of God aspire to live the kind of life Paul describes, whether he ever gets appointed as an elder or not? The church needs men who are above reproach, faithful to their wives, self-controlled, wise, with good reputations, hospitable, moderate in all things, gentle in spirit, the spiritual leaders in their homes, and respected in their communities. The local church should be filled to the brim with men who are viable candidates for eldership. Remember, Paul told Timothy that if a man aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position. To aspire is “to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something.” What we should desire as men is not the role or responsibility, but the character of an elder. The position is honorable because the men who occupy it are honorable. Their character is Christ-like and holy. They are not perfect, but they are men who are willingly and regularly being perfected by God. The church needs more men like that today.

Father, some of us aspire for a position more than we do the character required to qualify for that position. We want to be recognized as something and fail to realize that our character is what qualifies us for that for which we aspire. You desire all men to aspire to live their lives in such as way that they naturally qualify to be elders in the local church. Raise us a generation of men whose lives qualify them to shepherd Your flock. We need shepherds today. We need men who, like David, are men after Your own heart, who love Your sheep just as much as You do. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org