stephen R Harrison

The New Testament lists explicitly several key qualifications for eldership in the local church. The absence of these qualities in a man would disqualify or delay them from being considered or becoming an elder. Two Scriptures written by the Apostle Paul to pastors in the local church help us understand the primary qualifications or prerequisites for eldership. We will examine 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Most of the qualities Paul lists for Timothy and Titus, and those whom they would ordain as elders, overlap in these Scriptures. All of these qualities are rooted in a man’s character. 

• An Elder’s Calling

It is worth noting that just because one has all these qualities does not mean one should be an elder. The church should be full of men walking in these Christlike qualities. Calling must accompany character. The combination of these makes one competent to be considered and confirmed for eldership in the local church. Calling is crucial. God said, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15). Elders are a gift from God to the local church. He calls and qualifies them because they share His shepherd heart for the church, just as He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14). Only then can they lead with proper knowledge and understanding. If calling is absent, you may have good men in the wrong offices. Perhaps they were supposed to be deacons? Maybe they should lead a ministry within the church, but not serve as overseers of the entire church. Installing the wrong men into the office of an elder can have devastating consequences upon the local church. Men who lead after their own heart, understanding, and knowledge of what the church’s leadership and mission are to be about can harm the church. Ezekiel 34 warns us about shepherds who do not care for the flock and feed themselves. God will deal with them while He shepherds His flock. 

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  

“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” –1 Timothy 3:1-7

 ^“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” –Titus 1:5-9

The qualifications found in these two passages can be grouped into three categories:  desire, character, and teaching. 

• Desire

First Timothy 3:1 says a man should aspire and desire to be an elder. Aspire means “to reach out with one’s hand”. Desire means “to set one’s heart towards”. A potential elder should have internal and external markers that indicate they want to be (and should be) overseers of God’s church. The tense and mood of these words in Greek indicate that eldership is something not only that you once aspired to and desired, but also something you currently aspire to and desire. Just because a potential elder has a desire to be an elder doesn’t mean they are ready to become one. Just because a potential elder meets the qualifications in character does not mean they are ready either. Their life should be carefully examined by the entire group of elders for a period to ensure that these aspirations and desires align with their calling. Current elders should unanimously discern and agree that this man is to enter the elder training process because he meets the biblical qualifications for an elder. They should decide that he has the desire to grow and pursue a suspected calling, as they believe he is worth investing in as a potential elder. The elder candidate should have obvious outward fruit, such as shepherding people in various ways and a deep concern for the spiritual direction of the local church. These outward evidences must come from a pure inward desire to be an elder. It takes heart and hands, internal and external, aspiring and desiring. As Paul said, becoming an elder is a trustworthy and noble task.

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe how you are currently aspiring (inward) to be an elder?
2. Describe how you currently desire (outward) to be an elder?
3. In other words, describe the outward fruit and inward longing you have for eldership. 

• Character

In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul lists several character qualities every elder should have in increasing measure. Something to consider is that all these character traits should be present and growing in all Christian men. Every Christian man should be hospitable, sober, above reproach, etc. Just because you are not an elder or an elder candidate does not mean you are exempt from demonstrating Christlike character! The elder, although not perfect, should serve as an example for other Christians to follow in these characteristics. Let’s examine each one that Paul lists for Timothy and Titus.

“Since an overseer manages God’s household” (Titus 1:7), they should have impeccable character! A church that does not install elders with such character has unfinished work that needs to be completed (Titus 1:5). 

• Above Reproach

Although an elder is not sinless, they should strive to be without sin in all areas of life. They should lead exemplary lifestyles of faith, morality, and holiness. Their Christlike character should be such that no one would ever suspect or accuse them of immoral behavior. Paul says they should be “above reproach” in 1 Timothy 3 and “blameless” in Titus 1. He says they should be holy and respectable. People look up to these kinds of men in all areas of life. Both qualities help promote holiness and spiritual growth inside the church and protect it from outward, unjustified accusations. Elders who are above reproach are a great witness to the watching church congregation and city community. Above reproach and blameless elders can be trusted. They must love what is good (Titus 1:8) and hate what God hates. They must have a good reputation with outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7). This means that even those who are not Christians can attest to their sincere devotion to the Lord and their Christlike character.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what obvious ways do others see you as above reproach and blameless? 
2. Give examples of how you strive to be above reproach and blameless.
3. What hidden sins (however small or big) are present in your life that could potentially disqualify you from eldership?

• Self-Control

Paul tells Timothy and Titus that elders are to be self-controlled, temperate, sober-minded, and disciplined. While these qualities are to be present in the life of every believer, elders are to be examples, partnering with the Holy Spirit and obeying the Word in what it means to be self-controlled in all areas of life. After all, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). A self-controlled man is in charge of his emotions, mouth, sexuality, spiritual growth, health, marriage, family, business, actions, thoughts, finances, and other areas. There should not be any area of an elder’s life that is void of the fruit of self-control.

Discussion Questions:

1. What areas of your life are on the fringe of being out of control? 
2. Are you humbly submitted to the Word and Spirit in all areas of life listed above? Which ones give you the most problems?
3. Name two people who could say you are self-controlled in these areas of life.