Who can serve as elders? Yesterday, we looked Paul’s list to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3. Here, we consider the description in Titus 1. Most of it is repetitious, which illustrates that these qualifications were universal.
A LEADER IN THE HOME – 1:5-6:
Again, it is helpful to look at parallel translations to see how different scholars would translate these different terms.
“children who believe” – One qualification from 1 Timothy 3 is that “if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church” (3:5)? That fits in well with this qualification that a man’s children need to be Christians. If he cannot lead his own children to Christ, how can he lead someone else to Christ? This point, then, would also illustrate that an elder would be a an older man, someone with children at least in their teens.
OTHER CHARACTER TRAITS – 1:7-8:
The verb “must” (dei) is in verse 7. That shows that these are not suggestions. They are requirements.
“God’s steward:” Root word for “steward” is “house” so the steward is responsible for God’s house (1 Tim. 3:15). Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and the Chief Bishop (1 Peter 2:25). The flock is God’s flock (Acts 20:28). That means they are accountable to God for how they conduct the affairs of the church.
DEDICATED TO THE TRUTH OF CHRIST – 1:9:
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This is the verse that relates closely to the whole work elders have to do – keep the church faithful to the message of Christ and see that all that we do as a church helps us walk closely and stay faithful to Christ.
Observe the words “so that” which implies result or purpose. Here, we have in mind “purpose.” He will be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
It is clear that we cannot take God’s doctrine too seriously. Now, we have to be careful that we do not bind where God has not bound. But we also dare not allow freedom in areas where God has specified. Elders have the right to regulate what the church does but they cannot change what the Bible teaches.
Notice in this one verse that relative to the work of an elder, Paul uses the words: faithful word, teaching, and sound doctrine all as synonyms. What we are taught is extremely important. This word translated “holding fast” means to “cleave to.”
The elders are to know the word. They are to be men of conviction relative to the word. Why? So that they can “exhort” (parakaleo – “invite, comfort, exhort”) and “refute” (elencho – “to reprove, reproach, expose, convict”) those who “contradict” (antilegeo) that faithful word, teaching, sound doctrine. “This function of the elder necessarily requires that he be a ‘student of the Word,’ willing to learn and willing to communicate his learning” (Lea and Griffin, 286). Of course, as with all teaching, the goal is to restore not to destroy.
So, we have largely concluded our study on the need, role, and qualifications of elders. Pray for our process as we select men to shepherd our congregation and for those men who need to accept that responsibility.
Paul Holland
