Who Can Pastor?

Who Can Pastor?

1 Timothy 3:1-7

1 Timothy Series

D. H. Waid

3 This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer,, he desires a noble work.” 2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. 4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Ti 3:1–7.

Introduction:

There are a number of discussions that have often divided the evangelical church. One of these particular doctrinal disputes rests on church polity and specifically who should shepherd the local church as a pastor, elder, or overseer. Historically, there were no church councils, elders, pastors, bishops, or overseers who were women until after the “modernist” movement. This era really refers to theological postmodernism, that seems to use the Bible as a loose template rather than divine instruction.

Certain denominations like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, United Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterian USA, Pentecostal denominations, and free churches have a variety of forms of polity, but these in particular open their pulpits and pastorates to women. Some have strayed even further opening the pastorate to those who deny the Bible inherency, deny Biblical creation in view of how God has created male and female, and those that deny even the atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ.

While we may disagree on some doctrinal things within the local church, there are certain parameters in which we cannot concede as a matter of opinion, because they are a matter of clearly revealed truth. What God has revealed plainly is not up for perspective, for comes from the Price of Peace.

So, the question for us, is how do we agree with Christ, agree with the Word, and still partner together for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God? The question is not only who should pastor, but the question is also how does the local church makes decisions.

My aim for us as we read and exposit this text this morning, is that we would glean from Scripture what the role of a pastor, elder, overseer is, and how they should lead under the direction of the Holy Spirit and in the Word. We must remember that Jesus is the head Shepherd, and all other pastors are just under-shepherds of His work.

When we examine this passage along with Titus, we see some clear examples of what the character and qualifications of a pastor, elder, or overseer should be.

The first mark of a pastor is that he will have a desire to be an overseer. Verse 1 in the CSB says overseer which in greek is episkopas where we derive the word for Episcopal. Some may also translate this as bishop or elder. The NAC commentary says, In such passages as Acts 20:17, 28 and Titus 1:5, 7 the terms “elders” and “overseers” appear together to suggest that the positions are partially, if not fully, interchangeable.’

The importance is not necessarily to have a title. That is not the purpose of the overseer, but looking at these passages, the indication of function is to: 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ac 20:28.

The word shepherd in this text is the same greek word in verb form for the English word, “pastor”, also used in Ephesians 4:11. So, therefore part of the first qualification listed in this passage is a desire to be an overseer which means they have a desire to watch out for, care for God’s flock, the Church. Some want to be podcasters not pastors. Some want to be on the platform, not in the pasture. Some want to speak, but not shepherd. Therefore, when we as a local church select, elect, appoint, or choose pastors and elders, it must be men who have a demonstrated desire to care for God’s people with God’s Word and God’s way.

John McArthur notes that pastors are “responsible to lead, preach and teach, help the spiritually weak, care for the church, and ordain other leaders.”

The second set of marks deal specifically with character. An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.

Above reproach does not mean that the pastor will be without sin or having ever sinned. Rather this means that their time tested character reflects Godly attributes. This term can also be translated “blameless” as the KJV states. This again does not mean that there is perfection, but in general, this means that their life is thought of well by outsiders. It would be hard to be a reputable leader in the church when life outside of the church was considered repugnant to everyone. You cannot effectively pastor if you are committing flagrant sin and or breaking the law.

The rest of verse two gives examples of what being above reproach means, but also gives large character marks of what a pastor should exude in their life. The husband of one wife expression is not talking about divorce or marital status for if elders were only married men, then perhaps half of the apostles would have been excluded. This is saying that is an elder is married, he is a one woman kind of man. The NLT translates well, “He must be faithful to his wife.” There is a greek word for divorce that Paul uses in other letters, but it is not here. The idea goes beyond status and moves to character. There are a lot of men who have been divorced who have solid character. Yet, there are men who remained married but are perverted in their hearts and character. Thus, a faithful husband speaks more to the character of the man rather than the status of the man.

Sensible or sober-minded refers to one who has control over their mind, their thoughts, and one who can be rational in decision making as well as relational in their approach. A literal examination of the greek might mean, “wireless”, but semantically this is an expression to teach that a man is to be clear minded in how they operate. When we look at men who are to help lead the church, they need to be men who are reasonable in their approach, logical, clear-minded not clouded with the whims of the world, and whose attention is on the things of God. This excludes men who follow the whims of emotion and feeling of every cultural turn or move. This excludes men who blame the Holy Spirit for sporadic decisions that are contrary to the collective wisdom of the saints and other elders. When men believe that they are led to do something contrary to Scripture, this would be applied to their limit for leadership and oversight.

Self-controlled refers to the ability to forgo instant gratification and to control one’s own desires for fame, vanity, greed, bliss, or other areas of ministry. If one cannot control their spending, they will not be a good elder. If one cannot control their temper, anger, or desire to be right, then they are not fit to be a good elder. Similarly, respectable means that a man’s life is orderly. Chaos leads to destruction. An elder or overseer who has no order to his life cannot lead the Church to be orderly as prescribed by Scripture.

Hospitable and able to teach seem to be connected to Paul’s list of character, but seem very specific. Hospitable is similar to our word for hospital, yet contextually, it may be that they are a people person, willing to host others in their home, and are willing to break bread with other believers. Able to teach is one of the criteria that is a defining characteristic not listed with deacons, but with elders. In other words, in its most basic sense, they need to be able to communicate the Word of God well. Being able to teach does not mean that they have an ability to talk in front of others, though that is beneficial. Rather, it means that elders need to be able to handle the Word accurately. If an elder, overseer, or pastor cannot communicate the Word accurately, he is not yet fit to serve in that capacity.

Perhaps this is why many denominations have requirements for ordination. In our own denomination, we have forgotten our history. Back in the 1700s and 1800s, Baptist churches had elders often called Prebyrties. These elders over their local church partnered together to also help affirm, question, and insure that the Scriptures were being taught by men who agreed with sound doctrine and faith. Though we have no pope, we have always historically had a plurality of leaders. Having a plurality of elders who know the Word, can communicate it accurately and intelligently, and who are willing to back that up in their life will leave the church much more healthy than if there is only one person in the Congregation who can handle the Word rightly.

Paul continues with verse 3, “3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. 4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)”. Some translations may read, “not a drunkard” which is still accurate. The reality is that alcohol is not prohibited, but Scripture gives a strong warning to those that lead to avoid excessive drinking.

The quality, "not a bully, but gentle” seems to need more emphasis for today. There are a plethora of leaders who surround themselves with highly functional teams. These individuals are willing to push aside others for their wants, their way, and their structure all in the name of leadership. Even once heroes of mine are now unfit for ministry because of the abuse of power displayed in their life that left their churches in shambles. Perhaps this is another reason why churches need a plurality of elders who held lead the Church, yet do not rule the Church. Some elders love a good fight and seem to be nitpicking over everything. The reality is that those that critique everyone and everything are unfit for overseer the unity of the Church.

The characteristic of “Not (being) a lover of money” is vital to the success of the church. There are certain camps that struggle with this. There are churches that have pastors who are multimillionaires, live in mansions, and live exotic lifestyles. For those that have invested in other businesses with the approval of their church, that is reasonable. The great Patristic father Ambrose would often remind people who claimed to be called to ministry, that it was a call to poverty. Now, the Lord may not call every paid elder to poverty, but he might if it be His will. The point is that elders should be compensated for their work, but the compensation and love of money cannot be the focal point of why they serve.

There are many places that will always pay more, do more, give more, and build more. Yet, God does not call us to pursue money. He calls us to pursue making disciples for His glory. Churches are typically healthier when the elders stay for longer amounts of time. Long tenure is not a curse, but a blessing. I am thankful to follow a pastor who has served faithfully for many years and who did not lean to the left or right, but who was centered on the Word.

Managing the household well speaks more to the natural leadership of the pastor than character. In general, we cannot control whether our children believe, but we can typically control how they behave while they live under our roofs. Elders or pastors who have adult children who go astray are not held accountable for the actions of their adult kids. This speaks more to how one leads the Church which is a reflection of the home. If things are not going well at home, typically it will show up in the life of the Church. Paul is reminding Timothy of the importance of the home in this example. When we examine elders and leaders, we need to understand what their home life is like. Does their spouse support them in ministry? Does the father discipline well? Do they have self-control in their finances? Having home in order will usually reflect in the pastorate. “The skillful pastor will give to the church the type of leadership that will encourage his people to follow him.”

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 112.

One example is my dear friend Jim Bob Griffin. Jim Bob is not doing well health wise, but he is faithful as ever. Their love and care for Jesus and their family exudes everywhere in their life. They, as a family, had endure many difficult things from the passing of a son in law, to dealing with wayward grandchildren, and to the heartache of someone sinning against their family. Yet, even though some in their family tree live lives that are not consistent with Biblical truth, they still remain steadfast in what is true and right in the Scripture. They have not turned to the left nor to the right. They love Jesus, they love people, and they have sought to live their lives the same in public as in private.

Now, we transition from character issues to competency issues.

Verse 6 says, “ He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.” While being a new convert is not a character issue, it can be a competency issue. This has nothing to do with age and everything to do with Spiritual maturity. The prohibition exists so that that a newbie in the faith does not get filled with pride for being lifted up so quickly. The connection and condemnation is similar to the devil. The devil was an angel who rebelled against God though he was given a position of prominence. When the pride set in, it led to destruction and being cast out. When a recent convert is elevated too quickly, they usually have not had the endurance training of the trials of life. In general, the converts considered for leadership need to have been walking with Christ for a few years with it being demonstrated in their life and in their teaching.

Finally, verse 7 reads, “7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.” Verse 7 can be included with character development, but it is also strategic for the church to have good relationships with those in their communities. If the community only knows the pastor as cantankerous and angry, then it will lead the community to not have a positive view of those in the faith.

There are certainly some who can lose their effective witness in the community by their actions. When there is a problem in the character of the pastor and elders, there will be a problem with the characterization of the Church. Paul Washer, a somewhat strong Baptist preacher who says some pretty tough things, was asked who was the biggest danger today to the Church. His answer was, “pastors”. Pastors can often do the most harm to the life of a church. When they sin, it ripples into the body. When they fail, it hurts the body. When they hurt, the body seems to hurt.

So, what must we do as a church?

Pray for your elders and pastors.

This past month in October was Pastor appreciation month. Some of you brought encouraging gift by, a few took me out to lunch, etc. Yet, one of the most beneficial things you can do for your pastors is to pray for us. I personally benefit from notes, cards, or sources of encouragement since that is one of my love languages.

Protect your elders and pastors and their families.

Don’t allow for a single pastor or elder model that allows the pastor to get on an island where they do all the work. Have systems of accountability that don’t put pastors in bad situations. Give your pastors time to study, pray, and prepare for teaching God’s Holy Word. Give your pastors and elders time to rest. Be concerned for their families.

Provide for your elders and pastors.

1 Timothy 5:17 says that a worker is worthy of his wages. This means that the church is to be generous as God is. Yet, this is not just provision of an income, but also faithfulness to serve in ministry. God has not called you to sit on your blessed assurance while everyone else works. God has not called your pastors to do all the work, but Pastors are called to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. We as a church need to prioritize some ministry. It cannot be just your staff or select few who do everything. We must all come together for the greater mission of God.