Choosing Wisely: Biblical Guide To Selecting Leaders

Choosing Leaders: Careful Selection Required

1. Looks can be decieving:You really don't know the person - "some mens judgment comes before and some after" simply meaning “evident before it is examined,” which of course is equivalent to “very evident,” St. Paul’s meaning, therefore, would be: Some men’s sins are notorious, requiring no careful inquisition in order to find them out , these are plastered all over them, going before them, easily evident to everyone, regardless of that persons excuses or explainations to justify themselves. If they don't correct their behaviors they will face God's judgment. But there are also some whose sins are not so evident, they do a great job of masquerading them or hiding them - "follow after them". It is not till after close inquiry that they are found out. They go up to the judgment-seat apparently innocent, but after a while their sins come pouring out (think of the Parable of Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25). This enforces the caution, “Lay hands hastily on no man.” Assessing a persons character (godliness) as it pertains to or reveals spiritual maturity is vital in the selction of who is in leadership positions within the body of Christ.

Ver. .—In like manner for likewise, A.V. there are good works that are evident for the good works of some are manifest beforehand, A.V.; such as for they that, A.V. There are good works, etc. It is much best to understand τινῶν, as the A.V. does, and render the good works of some, answering to τινῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι of ver. . Such as are otherwise—i.e. not manifest beforehand—cannot be hid. “They will be seen and recognized some time or other” (Ellicott). Alford seems to catch the true spirit of the passage when he says, “The tendency of this verse is to warn Timothy against hasty condemnation, as the former had done against hasty approval. Sometimes thou wilt find a man’s good character go before him, … but where this is not so, … be not rash to condemn; thou mayest on examination discover if there be any good deeds accompanying him: for they … cannot be hidden.”

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 Timothy (p. 102). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP: Overview from

1, 2 Timothy; Titus The process and content of teaching are both important in Christianity. But so is the person of the teacher or leader. Paul, about to die, now emphasized to his young successors the importance of selecting reliable local church leaders. and are the key New Testament passages which describe the qualifications for spiritual leaders. There are many other passages in the New Testament that help us understand Christian spirituality. looks at it from the perspective of love. looks within, and describes the fruit that the Spirit produces in the person who walks in step with the Lord. Other passages describe the quality relationships that mark the church as God’s family (as and ). But the pastoral passages are unique. They describe the spiritual person in terms of observable behavior!

You and I cannot look into the heart of another person and measure his peace and joy. But we can observe an individual’s way of life, and see by what he or she does the extent of that person’s progress toward Christian maturity.

Strikingly, it is spiritual maturity that is to be considered when we choose leaders. It is not how much a person knows, not how many degrees a person may hold, not a person’s status in society, or their personality. What Christians are to consider in choosing leaders is the extent to which a person’s life demonstrates the transforming touch of Jesus Christ.

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (p. 971). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

In our last study we noted Paul’s deep concern with effective communication of the faith to succeeding generations. Sound doctrine and the distinctive Christian way of life must be taught. The Pastoral Epistles even describe a system of teaching that is divinely designed to transmit both truth and life.

Dr. Merrill Tenney pointed out that the topics touched on in Titus alone constitute a fair digest of New Testament theology, and goes on to list the following:

• The personality of God (; )

• The qualities of His love and grace (; )

• His title as Saviour (; )

• The saviourhood of Christ (; )

• The Holy Spirit ()

• The implication of the Triune Being of God ()

• The essential deity of Christ ()

• The vicarious atonement of Christ ()

• The universality of salvation ()

• Salvation by grace, not works ()

• The incoming of the Holy Spirit ()

• Justification by faith ()

• Sanctification (purification) of His own people ()

• Separation from evil ()

• Inheritance of eternal life ()

• The return of Christ ()

These truths are to be affirmed and maintained. But if we read Titus again, we find that this brief book also gives a fair summary of Christian lifestyle! Here we read about:

• Godliness ()

• Faith (; )

• Qualities of leaders ()

• Ministry of leaders ()

• Temperance ()

• Love (, )

• Self-control (, )

• Endurance ()

• Dedication to doing good (; , , )

• Personal integrity (, )

• Seriousness ()

• Subjection to authority (; )

• Trustworthiness ()

• Rejection of sin ()

• Humility ()

• Considerateness ()

• Peaceableness ()

• Harmony ()

It is both doctrine and a way of life that Paul yearned to pass on to the next generation through the system of teaching and communication that the pastorals describe.

Yet the apostle was deeply aware that no system is foolproof; we must pay the closest attention to the human element. So over and over Paul focused attention on the “reliable men” () to whom the transmission of the faith is to be entrusted. Men who will be “qualified to teach others.”

2. You cannot take someone where you haven't been; you cannot give to someone what you don't possess -

Selection of Leaders: , In both 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul described the qualifications and responsibilities of church leaders.

They are to manage (take care of) the church ().

They are to be entrusted with God’s work ().

They are to both encourage sound doctrine and to refute those opposing it (v. ).

In essence, leaders are responsible for both the beliefs and the lifestyle of the local Christian community. Whether our leaders are called pastors or elders or deacons, they are responsible for the communication of the faith.

What sounds foreign to us about Paul’s guidelines for selecting these leaders is that he did not stress academic or intellectual equipment. True, leaders must “keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience” (), and “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught” (). But apart from this commitment to sound doctrine, and a grasp of truth that enables the leader to encourage, rebuke, and explain (), little is said about knowledge. What the apostle did stress was character, or quality of life. The person recognized as a leader and given responsibility for teaching in the church is to be above reproach, married to but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable and upright, hospitable, not an alcoholic, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome or quick-tempered, not a money lover, a good manager of his family, not a recent convert (who might be susceptible to conceit), well respected by non-Christians, not overbearing, a lover of good, holy and disciplined. Qualities such as these, rather than verbal skills or success in business, or the capacity to preach a good sermon, are to be given first consideration in selecting local church leaders.

A chart found in my Theology of Church Leadership (Zondervan) lists 28 such characteristics, and gives a brief explanation of each.

We should ask, “Why?” Why not give first consideration to a seminary transcript, or capacity to preach, or previous success, talent, or spiritual giftedness? Yet on such qualities Paul was silent when giving directions on the choice of leaders!

“Paul, what spiritual gifts should a leader have?” No answer.

“Paul, what kind of training should a leader have?” No answer.

“Paul, should we select a successful businessperson or a community leader?” Only silence.

“But Paul, isn’t it important for a leader to be able to preach an interesting sermon?” Again, except for his remark that a leader should be adept at teaching, there is no response. Instead, Paul points us away from such considerations and says over and over again to look first to the quality of the life.

But why?

It is because Christian leaders must live God’s truth.

If teaching in the church involved only knowing, then those whose knowledge was superior should be leaders. But for Christians, truth and life are both vital. Using biblical knowledge to form sound doctrine means knowing by experience; it leads invariably to the distinctive lifestyle Paul highlighted in these letters. The goal of teaching sound doctrine is to produce love () and godliness ().

Isn’t it obvious, then, that we should choose as leaders those who are approaching this goal, rather than those who may simply be starting on the way? Isn’t it clear that the conceptual, schooled knowledge of the Bible, while it may be a step toward truly understanding Christian truth, does not indicate achieving that goal? Anyone who is short of the goal, who relies on his or her intellectual knowledge alone, should never be considered for spiritual leadership.

This is the underlying reason that Paul repeated his list of qualifications for leaders in the church. A person recognized as a teacher in the community of faith must himself or herself have learned. And we recognize such a person by character, not transcript.

Qualifications for Leadership

Scripture

Qualification

Explanation

1. Above reproach

Not open to censure; having unimpeachable Integrity.

2. Husband of one wife

A one-wife kind of man, not a philanderer (doesn’t necessarily rule out widowers or divorced men).

3. Having believing children

Children are Christians, not incorrigible or unruly.

4. Not self-willed

Not arrogantly self-satisfied.

5. Not quick-tempered

Not prone to anger or irascible.

6. Not addicted to wine

Not fond of wine, or drunk.

7. Not pugnacious

Not contentious or quarrelsome.

8. Not a money-lover

Not greedy for money.

9. Hospitable

A stranger-lover, generous to guests.

10. Lover of good

Loving goodness.

11. Sensible

Self-controlled, sane, temperate.

12. Just

Righteous, upright, aligned with right.

13. Devout

Responsible in fulfilling moral obligations to God and man.

14. Self-controlled

Restrained, under control.

15. Holding fast the Word

Committed to God’s Word as authoritative.

16. Able to teach sound doctrine

Calling others to wholeness through teaching God’s Word.

17. Able to refute objections

Convincing Those who speak against the truth.

18. Temperate

Calm and collected in spirit; sober.

Additional from

19. Gentle

Fair, equitable, not insisting on his own rights.

20. Able to manage household

A good leader in his own family.

21. Not a new convert

Not a new Christian.

22. Well thought of

Good representative of Christ.

23. Willingly, not under compulsion

Not serving against his will.

24. According to God (in some Greek texts)

By God’s appointment.

Additional from

25. Not for shameful gain

Not money-motivated.

26. Not fording it over the flock

Not dominating in his area of ministry (a shepherd is to lead not drive the flock).

27. As an example

A pleasure to follow because of his Christian example.

28. As accountable to the Chief Shepherd

Motivated by the crown to be gained—authority to reign with Christ.

How Leaders Teach

So far we’ve seen that teaching, in the biblical sense, is not “teaching” as we know it in secular education. For the distinctive task of transmitting both true doctrine and a godly lifestyle, we are to choose leaders whose qualifications are a demonstrated Christian life—evidence that they themselves have learned. Those who are spiritually mature will be able to guide and teach the church. The immature, no matter how much they know, will not be able to maintain or build God’s family.

These final letters of Paul are full of insights into how leaders can build and maintain the church family.

How Paul taught Timothy. “Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,” Paul urged (). “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of” (). Timothy is not only to command and teach truth; he is to “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (). He is to give himself wholly to his ministry and to “watch your life and doctrine closely” (v. ), “so that everyone may see your progress” (v. ). The process of communication does involve instruction, but it also requires that the teacher be willing to live out his teaching. The person whose life is an illustration of the faith is essential in God’s plan for Christian teaching and leadership.

What is striking is to note that the Christian lifestyle which Paul urges, and qualifications for Christian leaders, show striking correlations.

Looking at the two side by side makes it clear. It takes a person like the one described on the right to teach the way of life described on the left!

Think how foolish it would be to expect a violent or competitive person to help others become peaceable and humble. How foolish it would be to ask a money-hungry or morally loose person to teach others godliness. How impossible to ask an intemperate or impulsive person to guide others into a life of self-control and integrity!

Ability to communicate may not depend on character. A individual may express information brilliantly. But only a person who lives the Christian life can lead others into the lifestyle that truth produces.

The Bible’s approach to teaching by word and example has several implications. The first is that the classroom or lecture hall, in which individuals gather infrequently for impersonal contact with an instructor, is inadequate for the kind of total communication the Bible portrays. Somehow the learner needs to see the teacher in real life if lifestyle is to be caught.

A second implication grows immediately from the first. It’s important that a personal relationship between the Christian leader and the learner be developed. How can we learn faith, patience, temperance, love, and self-control from a stranger? We need a Paul/Timothy closeness, which enables us to say too, “You … know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings” (). We can know these things only if leader and learner are close, sharing friends.

Each of these considerations implies a kind of fellowship and closeness that is uniquely a part of the body of Christ. As we come to know and love one another, we have opportunity to learn from each other and especially from leaders to whom God has entrusted the health of the church and the communication of the faith.

Christian Lifestyle and Leaders

Christian lifestyle

Christian leaders are

• godliness

• above reproach

• faith

• temperate

• temperance

• self-controlled

• love

• respectable and upright

• self-control

• hospitable

• endurance

• not alcoholics

• dedication to good

• not violent but gentle

• integrity

• not quarrelsome or quick-tempered

• seriousness

• not money-lovers

• subjection to authority

• well-respected by nonbelievers

• trustworthiness

• lovers of good

• humility

• considerateness

• peaceableness

Leaders Alone?

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (pp. 971–975). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

2. Shared responsiblity: Thorugh negliance you can become partially responsible for the sins of those you put into leadership -

Leadership Not A Solo Act:

Where we are more seriously challenged by the New Testament is in our typical local church structure which sets a lone pastor as the “man at the top.” We often see this structure as a pyramid with the pastor (or “senior pastor”) at the peak, and all others (associate pastors, board members, committee members and ordinary laymen) as under.

But Paul speaks explicitly of “the elders who direct the affairs of the church” (v. ; ). From these and other references it’s clear that the New Testament concept of local church leadership is that of a team, rather than of individual “superstar” leadership.

Why multiple leadership? There may be several reasons. (1) No individual can expect to have all the spiritual gifts needed to adequately oversee the life of a congregation. We need a blend of gifts. (2) Leaders need to be close to individuals in the congregation and to be aware of doctrinal and practical needs. No one individual can develop close enough relationships with all members of a typical congregation. (3) We are all human and fallible. Team leadership permits discipline, correction, and instruction of leaders by other leaders. (4) Leaders give leadership by example. While an individual may provide a good example of individual qualities, no individual can model a functioning body. A leadership team can be an example of the loving, caring community the whole church is to become.

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (p. 979). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.