Elders: Shepherds of the Flock

Introduction

As we prepare as a church family to enter into this season of nominating officers for our church, we are looking at 1 Timothy 3 to study more closely the qualities of both elders and deacons. 

One thing I have to come to terms with every week in my studies is that I cannot say everything about a particular text that I want to say.

There is always so much more that can be said about any verse or passage - but I find this especially true of these verses in Paul’s letter to Timothy. 

While the writing is straightforward and not confusing - there is simply so much wisdom that we could examine as we look at these qualities and descriptives.

So know this - there is still more that I want to say.

Part of what I will leave unsaid, I have placed in the letter from the session and a portion of our BCO - available in print in the narthex. (Or by PDF if you email or text me)

(1)If you plan to nominate anyone or if you think you may be nominated, I ask you to please read the letter portion.

(2)If you desire to understand more about our church government and why we do things the way we do - along with what power lies in the church’s government (and what doesn’t), then you can read the entire document.

Last week, we looked at the office of deacon and today we will examine the office of elder.

There is much overlap between these qualities as all men who serve as officers in Christ’s church must be Christ-like.

I heard some feedback about last week’s sermon that maybe no one would feel qualified after hearing it.

I apologize if that is how I came across - it was not my intention.

Rather, we recognize that no one is like Jesus in His perfection - but we ought all to strive to live like Christ as we walk in newness of life.

We’re not looking for perfect men for either office - but men who know their sinfulness, know how to repent, and trust wholeheartedly in their Savior and Lord, Jesus.

(1)They are to be men who do not simply know about Jesus, the Bible, doctrine, or theological intricacies. 

(2)Rather, they are men who personally know Jesus, who have been transformed by the Gospel, and who are being shaped as they grow in grace by the truth found in His Word.

Like deacons, elders must prove themselves blameless - the phrase Paul uses of them is “above reproach.”

Not perfect - but not blameworthy.

They don’t give reasons for being accused and found guilty.

If wrongly accused, their character exonerates them.

Elders are given to the church to shepherd the flock - to provide spiritual care for each and every person who professes the name of Christ and enters these doors.

Yet they also provide spiritual care to those who have yet to profess Christ.

That is why we see in the list, a qualification that they must be thought well of by people outside the church.

Elders are shepherds wherever they go - not just on Sundays.

The proof of their calling is not found in their election to office, but in the lives they are impacting.

Elders pour themselves into others - they make disciples.

Elders, if married, with their wives impact other families.

As I mentioned with deacons last week - they are obvious picks.

We are looking for men who already show the gifts in how they have been living up to now.

So today, let us look at what God sets forth for those who would shepherd the flock as under-shepherds to our Great and Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

II.Inward Qualities

Reading in verse 1, The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

Paul is writing to Timothy during his fourth missionary journey.

Timothy had traveled with Paul and was left in Ephesus to pastor the church there on Paul’s third journey.

He is writing as an apostle - but particularly as a pastor to a younger pastor.

He begins with a phrase that he uses a number of times in his epistles - “The saying is trustworthy…”

This is an introductory way of expressing the value and truth of what he is about to state.

It means that not only should Timothy seriously consider this idea, but each man whoever considers the office of elder in all of Christ’s Church.

The office is translated “overseer” from the Greek word episkopos. 

Throughout the NT, we see this word - also translated bishop - along with presbyteros, from which we get our form of government, and the word for pastor - all used interchangeably. 

They are synonyms for elder, pastor, overseer, shepherd, and bishop.

(1)In our form of government we distinguish between ruling elder and teaching elder only in terms of vocation.

(2)The office is the same - as is the authority.

(a)The pastor is not superior to ruling elders.

(b)It is simply his vocation to dedicate himself to the preaching of the Word and the care of souls.

(3)In fact, the authority of elders lies not in them individually, but in the session - that is corporately or jointly.

(a)The authority of this office, found in the plurality of the session, is ministerial and declarative.

(b)That is, elders shepherd and teach.

(c)They rule as servants, not as authoritarians - not lording it over their people as the Gentiles do, but laying down their lives for their people as Christ did.

The office of elder dates back to the OT in which we see Moses appoint elders to assist in shepherding or ruling over the people spiritually. (Exodus 18)

Paul says that a man who “aspires” to serve in this way “desires a noble task.”

He does not aspire to the position or the authority, but to the nobility of serving Christ by serving His people.

The word for “aspire” means to reach for or to strive.

(1)There is a desire within the one who serves - no man is to be compelled to serve.

(2)However, it is not this desire alone that qualifies him.

(3)The church must validate this inward call through the external call of nominating and electing him to the office.

(4)William Perkins asked, “How can you know for yourself whether God wants you to [serve] or not?” — “You must ask both your own conscience and the church.… Your conscience must judge of your willingness and the church of your ability.” 

Because of this noble desire, Paul goes on in verse 2, Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…

We might consider these first seven characteristics as inward - although all of the descriptives are both inward and give outward evidence.

But Paul transitions with the word “Therefore” to show that along with the inward call of the man who desires the noble task are these qualities that reflect his readiness to serve.

The first is “above reproach.”

In many ways, this descriptive serves as a category for all the characteristics.

Again, we would not that it is not perfection that is required - for no one meets that standard.

Rather, he is to be a man of a “blameless reputation.” (Stott)

It is then all the following characteristics that flesh out what it means to be above reproach.

The second is that he must be a “husband of one wife.” 

This does not mean an elder must be married, for even Paul remained single.

However, the elder is to be a one-woman-man.

(1)Like the deacon he is not flirtatious, nor does he have a wondering eye.

(2)He is sexually faithful.

For the one who is married, he is fully-committed to his wife, loving her as Christ loves the church.

(1)Elders don’t demean their wives - to their faces nor behind their backs.

(2)They sacrificially give themselves up to care for their wives.

(3)Their marriages are an example for all of us.

The third quality is that the elder is to be “sober-minded.”

He is steady and wise in his decision-making, instead of rash and volatile.

He knows himself - how he comes across to others.

That is, he examines himself according to God’s Word, and humbly submits to it and repents when he fails to measure up.

The fourth is that he is “self-controlled.”

He is a disciplined man, keeping in check his appetites and his affections.

He doesn’t break out in violence or quarreling, nor does he fall back into self-pity.

He strives to kill sin in his own heart, walking according to the Spirit and not his flesh.

The fifth is that he is “respectable.” 

Another word that could be used here is virtuous or even modest.

He isn’t flashy or pharisaical - seeking the praise of men.

He doesn’t tout his own accomplishments or his pedigree.

He takes to heart Proverbs 27:2: Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. 

The sixth characteristic is that he is “hospitable.” 

This literally translates “a friend of strangers.”

He knows how to meet the needs of others and is approachable. 

He is hospitable not only in his warmth toward others, but also in how he teaches and counsels.

(1)A capable elder doesn’t talk down to anyone.

(2)They aren’t puffed up in their knowledge.

(3)There aren’t any tasks of service that are beneath them.

They know how to make people feel “at home” whether that it is literally in their own home - or more importantly, in Christ’s church.

The seventh characteristic among the first list is that the elder is “able to teach.”

This is the one descriptive that speaks to a skill instead of a character-trait.

That the elder is able to teach doesn’t mean that he has the spiritual gift of teaching.

(1)Rather, this speaks to his understanding of Scripture and his ability to make it plain and apply it.

(2)For many elders, this does come in the form of formal teaching - SS, Bible studies, etc…

(3)For others, it is expressed in counsel and discipleship.

One of the most important aspects of this trait is that the elder is a man who is teachable.

(1)He is given to learning and to study.

(2)But more so, he is able to be corrected.

(3)If any man, including myself, who serves as an elder ever stops being teachable, he will fail in his ministry to teach others.

Each of these inward qualities manifest themselves outwardly so that we can all observe them in action and note those who are ready to serve the church in this way.

Think of men who are respectable in their words and behavior. 

Observe men who love their wives in a way that points us all to Christ’s love.

Note those who are kind and warm to others, know how to apply the Scriptures to their own lives as well as helping others apply the Scriptures in their lives, are humble and teachable, and live in manner worthy of Jesus who has saved them.

III.Outward Qualities

The next seven characteristics reflect more outwardly, although they all describe what happens first inwardly. In verse 3, we read the first 4, …not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (These could be called disqualifiers)

The first is “not a drunkard.”

Like the deacon who is not to be “addicted to much wine,” so the elder must keep in check any addictive behaviors.

He does not drink to excess - for that would render him unable to effectively shepherd others.

But we could broaden the application here to include other addictive tendencies.

(1)The one who serves as an elder is not to be enslaved to sin.

(2)As we noted in the previous list, he lives by the Spirit and is self-controlled.

The second is “not violent but gentle.”

Here Paul lists the disqualifier and then adds the character quality that is fitting of the elder.

He is not given to outbursts verbally or physically.

When challenged in any manner, he responds with gentleness.

(1)A qualified elder can take criticism. 

(2)He can hear a challenge without blowing up.

(3)He is well-aware of his own sinfulness so that he is not threatened - for he knows he has been saved by grace alone.

The one who would serve as an elder doesn’t “bow up” - inwardly or outwardly. 

Third, he is not to be “quarrelsome.”

He can hear an argument against his own view and converse without being argumentative. 

He knows how to ask good questions, but can also take good questions.

I would even argue that the qualified elder can receive some verbal blows from another without returning in like kind. 

He makes peace instead of inflaming the brawler who approaches him, through wisdom and gentleness.

Fourth, he is not a “lover of money.”

That is, he is not driven by monetary gain.

He is a good steward of that which has been entrusted to him.

He may even be industrious and gain wealth - but it is not wealth that has captured his heart.

(1)Too often in the church, wealth and earthly success have been characteristics that some have deemed to make a man worthy of serving as an elder.

(2)This should not be the case.

(3)Success in temporal matters is not what qualifies a man to serve Christ’s church.

Instead, because he loves Jesus and His Bride, he is generous and giving of himself.

These four disqualifying characteristics are ones to keep in mind as we consider who might serve our congregation - and we should take each of them seriously.

In verses 4-5, Paul speaks the elder’s family management, He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

We note that he manages his own household well - meaning love for his wife and his children.

We’ve already touched on the notion that he sacrificially loves his wife and treasures her.

He doesn’t treat her as an employee or as one beneath him - but as a partner in life.

How a man relates to his wife is a strong indicator as to how he will shepherd the flock.

His children are submissive, according to his leadership which he displays with all dignity.

He is not a tyrant toward his wife or children.

Rather, the dignity that Paul refers to here is reflected in his gentle and Christ-like leadership in the home.

He refuses to break a bruised reed or to snuff out a smoldering wick.

That his children are submissive does not mean that his children are perfect.

Rather, they respect their father and submit to him as such.

Elders’ children may wander and struggle, but the love and respect he earns in the dignity in which he fathers them is reflected in their behavior.

Such an elder knows better than performative parenting or demanding children who perform on Sundays.

Rather, in grace, he faithfully shepherds them through their own growth and struggles in life and faith.

Paul then asks the rhetorical question that shows the importance of this character quality - if a man does not manage his own household well, “how will he care for God’s church?”

The sixth outward quality, that is also a disqualifier, is that the elder must not be new to the faith. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

That he must not be recently saved may seem like an obvious qualifier, yet Paul tells Timothy and us one of the reasons why.

He may be puffed up with conceit.

That is, his unchecked zeal - something we rightly admire in new believers - can actually derail the person.

(1)The imagery here is that of a plant or tree.

(2)To be able to weather the storms of life and ministry, an elder needs time to develop strong roots.

(3)If not, his own pride - among other things - could cause him to topple over.

The damage caused by such an example is clear enough - both to him and to the church.

We don’t want to nominate someone who hasn’t walked with Christ for some time because it could harm them.

Yet it would also harm the church of Christ as well.

His condemnation - the same as that of the devil’s for his pride - would damage the man and the church.

Paul makes a similar point in the seventh of the last group of qualities in verse 7, Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

The elder is to be a man who is not only respected within the church but also by those outside of it.

That is, he is not one who acts one way on Sundays around all of us, and then behaves differently the other six days of the week.

The elder is sincere and respectable in all of his life.

His neighbors, co-workers and employees, and friends would all commend him to us.

None of them would be surprised to learn he is being considered for this office in the church.

And a reason given is that it would bring disgrace both upon him and the church.

Officers of Christ’s church - both elders and deacons - serve in a public manner.

They are to be known as qualified men inside and outside the church.

For if one is duplicitous, he could easily fall into a snare of the devil.

And make no mistake, the devil desires to bring such leaders into disgrace.

He recognizes the strategy in doing so - because He hates God and His Church.

So pray for your elders, including me, and those we would nominate - that each would be on guard against the devil’s schemes and also that we would be divinely protected.

IV.Conclusion

The service of elders is a noble task - a good work that benefits Christ’s church as they shepherd the flock in humble service.

May we prayerfully seek such men to serve in this way - those who are respectable in all that they do and say - both within this local body and in their lives outside the church.

May we consider the weight of their service and all the implications with seriousness - relying on the Holy Spirit to direct us in the nominating process.

Ultimately, we want to identify men who know and trust Jesus so that it is evident to all.

They know the Gospel - that they, first, are sinners who deserve the just wrath of God for their sins.

Second, that they know the cleansing power of Jesus’ atoning work through His death and resurrection for them. 

Third, that they understand their righteousness is not something they’ve achieved, but rests solely in Jesus alone - who has granted them His righteousness by grace through faith.

This is the Gospel that we cherish and believe - and we ought to desire men who exemplify such faith in this great salvation that is ours in Jesus.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came as a servant to lay down His life as a ransom for many.

Similarly, may we seek to nominate men who also lay down their lives for others in self-sacrificing love.

May we prayerfully consider men who hold fast to the truths of Scripture and demonstrate they know how to apply them in all of their lives.

May we sincerely reflect on all these qualities - exemplified perfectly in our Good Shepherd - that He might direct us and provide for us men who will serve us by wholeheartedly serving Him.