ELDERS - 1
Elders and Deacons • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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ELDERS: SHEPHERDS OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Checklists and Requirements?
I TIMOTHY 3 and TITUS 1
INTRODUCTION
The Constitution of the United States specifies the qualifications for those holding office in the federal government.
House of Representatives, he or she must be at least twenty-five years of age and a citizen of the United States for at least seven years.
Senators must be at least thirty years of age and a citizen of the United States for at least nine years.
The president of the United States must be at least thirty-five years of age and a native born citizen.
The church has tried to do this with Elders and Deacons but the NT doesn’t do that
There are two places within the NT that give "qualifications" for elders.
The word "qualifications" is not found in the New Testament and might cause us some problems from understanding the meaning of 1 Timothy 3:1-7
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.
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.
First Timothy and Titus has been viewed as a church manual or handbook for the church to use in selecting leaders.
2 PROBLEMS WITH THE CHECKLIST METHOD
#1 THE CONTEXT
the context of these two books is not identical…they must first be placed within the original contexts of the letters
#2 LISTS ARE NOT IDENTICAL
If there was only one approved list of the qualifications of elders…why did Paul write two similar but different lists
THE CONTEXT OF 1 TIMOTHY
Paul spent 3 years in EPH (ACTS 20:31)…he left b/c of a riot and went to Macedonia
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Paul revisited the Elders in EPH and warned them of false prophets
7-10 years later he writes I TIMOTHY who was working in EPH
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
There were false teachers in the church and some were Elders
Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that,
“Conduct” was a key word…evidently PPL in the church did not know how to conduct themselves
Elders were already established and leading the church
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
Some Elders were doing a good job and needed to recognized and supported financially
Some Elders were involved in sin…be careful when bringing a charge against an ELD…get support…public rebuke…that should be a warning to all the other ELD
One sin was false teaching of a specific doctrine I TIMOTHY 4:3
They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
Paul was not concerned with the specific false doctrines but it bothered him that it was causing problems in the church
controversy (I TIM. 1:4
or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
anger, disputing (I TIM. 2:8
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
quarrels, envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction (I TIM. 6:4-5
they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
Paul was concerned for Timothy (I TIM. 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
In the middle of the letter he talks about Elders and Deacons and women deacons/servants
Everything was based on “conduct”…how was this person acting…is he/she a Godly example to the church and to the world
The last thing on Paul’s mind was this becoming a manual for Elders and Deacons for all time
THE CONTEXT OF TITUS
There were no Elders in the churches of Crete…very different from EPH
Paul left Titus there to appoint Elders (Titus 1:5
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.
ELD were needed to silence false teachers and help the church to live Godly lives
Conduct is once again strongly emphasized
I TIM. 2:2 older men…maybe ELD
for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
I TIM. 2:3-5 older women
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
I TIM. 2:6 younger men
who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
I TIM. 2:9-10 slaves
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
I TIM. 2:7-8 Titus was even encouraged to be a person of character
I TIM. 2:11-14 is the summation of Paul’s teaching
“Doing good” was constantly on Paul’s mind
I TIM. 2:14 eager to do good
I TIM. 3:1 ready to do good
I TIM. 3:8 devoted doing good
I TIM. 3:14 Paul closes his letter by encouraging the church to keep doing good
I TIM. 1:10-11 there were problems in homes b/c false teachers were motivated by dishonest gain
Paul gave Titus a 3 way attack on this problem:
#1 = appoint Elders (I TIM. 1:5-11)
#2 = rebuke the false teachers (I TIM. 1:13; 3:10-11)
#3 = teach people to live Godly lives (I TIM. 2:1ff)
ELD would help TIT deal with the false teachers and teaching the church
1:9 That is why the ELD must “hold firmly to sound doctrine”
In that context you can see why ELD needed to be blameless and have good families
TRADITIONAL USE OF THE LISTS
The church loves a good checklist…makes things easy and less sloppy
We combine the lists and we have 23 items that need to be checked off…find the man that fits all 23 traits
If we needed a specific checklist then why give 2 lists and why have differences?
THE TWO LISTS…SAME BUT DIFFERENT
Both lists are similar but not identical…character is the predominant thought of each list
I TIM looks for someone above reproach and TIT is looking for someone blameless…different but almost identical
ELD must be moral people…no accusations against him…examples to the flock
Can Titus appoint a recent convert…was discipline and holiness overlooked by Timothy?
We must look at these lists in their specific context and then we can ask questions about WH
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WESTERN HILLS?
We treat the church as a business or an organization which it was not either of those things in the 1st century
(ILL) Douglas Foster = “Paul was not giving a business plan for successful management. He was trying to create a community out of people who had been unrelated, but who were now related in a special and intimate way in a new kind of extended family. The elders were not a governing board or in charge of an administrative structure. They were respected senior members of a community, a family of believers.”
(ILL) Tim Willis…My own perception of what Paul prescribes, in light of the similarities to typical elderships, is that Paul is not concerned so much with giving us a divinely- ordained "structure" or "plan" as he is trying to create a community of believers. He wanted a community to emerge where one had not existed before, consisting of people previously unrelated, but now related (a family) in a very special way.
Common sense should tell us that a man should not be considered an elder if he is a drunkard, a liar, dishonest, immoral, quarrelsome, a "hot-head," is not respected as a husband or father, greedy, etc.
It should also be common sense that an elder should be hospitable, loving, caring, respectable, well thought of by outsiders, approachable, able to teach and counsel, etc
We have to be very careful that we do not become legalistic with these lists
Someone might meet all of these QUAL and still be unfit to be an ELD…a man can be appointed to shepherd, not because the people see a shepherd's heart within him, but because he is a pretty decent, moral guy who can teach a Sunday School class occasionally and some of his kids have been baptized…we have to look at the heart of the individual
If you were suffering, would you want this man to come and pray with you?
If you needed to be corrected, would you want this man to come and teach you?
If you needed counsel, would you call on this man to help you?
What we learn from the lists is important and should be used to select men as Elders who are moral, spiritual, loving, kind, gentle, respected, peaceable and Christ-like examples to all people,