1. Qualifications for elders 3:1-7

The Ephesian church already had elders long before Paul wrote this letter (Acts 20:17-35).

"If our identification of the false teachers as elders is correct, then Paul's reason for this set of instructions is that Timothy must see to it that elders are living according to their appointment, that is, by these standards. At the same time, of course, the whole church will be listening in and will thus be given the grounds for discipline of erring elders as well as for their replacement (cf. 5:22, 24-25)."¹⁰⁵

3:1 Paul cited another well-known saying (cf. 1:15) to introduce and give support to what he was about to teach.

"Overseer"(Gr. episkopes) is a term that emphasizes this leader's management responsibilities and is evidently synonymous with "elder"(presbuteros; 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1) and "pastor"or "shepherd"(poimen; Eph. 4:11). Paul used the term "elder"more frequently, so I have chosen to use it in commenting on this pericope. At the time Paul wrote the Pastorals the office of elder was common in the churches since he had appointed elders in churches that he had founded (Acts 14:23). The history of the elder office in the church goes back to the elder office in ancient Israel. The Jews continued this organization in their synagogues, which they began during the Babylonian Captivity.¹⁰⁶

". . . while the synagogal eldership did influence church eldership, the influence was of a general nature."¹⁰⁷

Paul did not say that each congregation of Christians required at least one elder to be a church. Moreover there appears to have been more than one elder in some churches (e.g., Acts 20:17; Phil. 1:1) but not necessarily in all. Elder was an official position of leadership in the church that carried with it pastoral responsibility (1 Pet. 5:1-2). "Elder"describes the maturity of those who normally hold this position. "Overseer"describes the major responsibility inherent in the position. "Pastor"describes the gift and work necessary to fulfill this position.

A person can aspire to hold an office out of good or bad motives. The "trustworthy statement"Paul cited assumed good motives: the desire to do a worthy work, not personal aggrandizement. Church congregations should be careful to investigate the motivation of men who aspire to become elders. Such an aspiration can lead a young man to study, labor, and sacrifice to prepare himself for leadership in a church.

"The saying in fact focuses less on the personthan on the position. Thus Paul is not commending people who have a great desire to become leaders; rather, he is saying that the position of overseer is such a significant matter, a noble task, that it should indeed be the kind of task to which a person might aspire. Thus, despite the activities of some, he does not for that reason negate the position itself."¹⁰⁸

3:2-7 Paul listed 15 characteristics here that should mark the life of a man who aspired to serve as an elder.

1. "Above reproach"(Gr. anepilempton, v. 2; Titus 1:6), irreproachable, means that he should possess no obvious flaw in his character or conduct. There should be no cause for justifiable criticism now or in his past (cf. v. 10) that anyone could use to discredit him and bring reproach on the name of Christ and the church. The Greek word means "not to be laid hold of."

2. There have been many interpretations of the phrase "husband of one wife"(Gr. mias gunaikos andra, v. 2). There are four major views as to what Paul had in mind. First, the elder must be married. Second, he must be married only once. Third, he must be monogamous. Fourth, he must be a moral husband. All the other qualifications are character traits. This may be a clue how we should interpret this one too.

We need to answer three related questions before we can arrive at a proper interpretation of this qualification. First, was Paul looking at the potential elder in his present condition, since his conversion, or over his lifetime? What do the other qualifications suggest in this regard? It seems that the man's present condition is in view.¹⁰⁹Second, what conditions if any result in the dissolution of the marriage relationship besides death? Consider Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-12; Mark 10:2, 12; Luke 16:18; and 1 Corinthians 7:8-16, 25-28. Third, under what conditions if any does God permit Christians to remarry? Consider Matthew 5:31-32; 19:2-12; and 1 Corinthians 7:15, 25-28.

View 1: He must be married.

This view sees as disqualified all unmarried men.¹¹⁰

PRO

CON

If a man is going to oversee a local church he must have successful experience overseeing a family household (v. 5).

The emphasis on "one"in the Greek text suggests a contrast between one or more wives rather than one or no wives.

Paul could simply have said the elder needed to be married if that is what he meant.

To be consistent verse 4 would require that the elder have children (plural) too.¹¹¹

View 2: He must be married only once.

This view sees as disqualified men who remarry for any reason such as widowers and divorcees.¹¹²

PRO

CON

Paul urged the unmarried and widows to remain unmarried in 1 Cor. 7:8.

Paul urged the younger widows to remarry (5:14).

The early church looked down on remarriage for any reason.¹¹³

Remarrying did not disqualify widows from receiving regular support from the church (5:9).

If a man does not remarry, he provides a better example for the church of what it means to be Spirit-controlled and totally dependent on God's grace.

There is nothing essentially sinful about remarrying when the marriage bond has been broken (1 Cor. 7:9; cf. Rom. 7:2-3).

The phrase "wife of one man"(5:9), which is identical to "husband of one wife"except for the switch in sexes, in its context seems to mean married only once.

Since this appears to be the only moral qualification for the elder office it is unlikely that Paul viewed remarriage as the worst possible moral offense that would disqualify a man.

A variation of this view that some interpreters prefer is that divorce and remarriage disqualify a man, but the death of a wife and remarriage do not.¹¹⁴

PRO

CON

There is nothing morally culpable about being a widower, but there is about being a divorcee.

Not every case of divorce renders a man morally culpable.

View 3: He must be monogamous.

This view sees as disqualified any man who is married to more than one woman at a time. This would include bigamists, polygamists, and perhaps remarried divorcees depending on the circumstances of their divorce.¹¹⁵

PRO

CON

The emphasis on "one"wife in the Greek text contrasts with more than one wife.

To be consistent we would have to conclude that polyandry was also common (5:9), but it was not.¹¹⁶

Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultures practiced polygamy at this time.¹¹⁷

If this is all Paul meant, he hardly needed to mention it since polygamy was inappropriate for all Christians, not just elders (cf. 1 Cor. 7:2).

View 4: He must be a moral husband.

This view sees as disqualified any man who is or has been morally unfaithful to his wife (or wives if he is remarried). Some interpreters view any divorce as infidelity, others only divorce in which the husband has been unfaithful.

PRO

CON

This is an idiomatic use of the phrase "husband of one wife."It means a "one-woman man."

Paul could have said "faithful to his wife"if that is all he meant.

Paul seems to use "wife of one man"in the same way in 5:9 to describe a faithful wife.

Since God commanded all Christians to be morally pure Paul must have meant more than this here.

Since this is the only moral qualification for an elder we should probably interpret it broadly as forbidding immorality.

One variation of this view is that the man must be a faithful husband now even though he may have been unfaithful in the past (either before and or after his conversion).¹¹⁸

PRO

CON

This interpretation is consistent with the other qualifications for elders all of which deal with the man's present condition.

All the other qualifications for elders view the man's total record of behavior, not just his present condition.

God forgives all sin and so should the church.

A presently faithful husband may have established a record of previous unfaithfulness that would make him a bad example as an elder.

The consequences of sin usually follow even though God does forgive the guilt of all sin. For this reason, immorality in marriage disqualifies a man.

A second variation of this view is that the man must have proved himself faithful in the past (either all his life or since his conversion) as well as in the present.¹¹⁹

PRO

CON

Paul must have had the man's record of behavior in view since the other qualifications require that we take the past into consideration.

The church should forgive all sin since God does.

If Paul had meant that God wipes away the consequences of sin as well as its guilt, he did not need to give any qualifications. Almost any Christian presently walking in fellowship with God could qualify.

Note that the qualification "the husband of one wife"precludes the possibility of women holding this office. Paul could have said "the partner or mate of one spouse."The fact that all the qualification words in verses 2 through 7 are masculine in gender supports this conclusion.

3. "Temperate"(Gr. nethalion, v. 2) means sober, vigilant, clear-headed, and well-balanced (cf. 3:11; Titus 2:3).

4. "Prudent"(Gr. sothron, v. 2; cf. Titus 2:5) means self-controlled (NIV), and the same Greek word reads "sensible"in Titus 1:8.

"Such a man, such a bishop, will not speak rashly, will be a person of sound judgment, will be master of himself, and of his situation."¹²⁰

5. "Respectable"(Gr. kosmios, v. 2) means orderly, of good behavior, dignified and decent in his conduct. Some translators rendered the same Greek word "modest"in 2:9.

6. "Hospitable"(Gr. philoxenos, v. 2) means one who opens his home to others. This was an especially essential quality in the early church. There were few public accommodations for traveling ministers and much need to take in needy Christians temporarily (cf. Acts 16:15, 40). Hospitality is also very important today (cf. Rom. 12:13; Titus 1:8). The Greek word means "loving the stranger."An elder should be a person who reaches out to strangers, the unsaved as well as believers, and makes them feel at home in his house.

7. "Able to teach"(Gr. didaktikos, v. 2) means apt, qualified, and competent to explain and defend the truth of God. Some elders evidently gave more time to this ministry than others did (5:17), but all had to be competent in the Scriptures (cf. Titus 1:9). The style of communication undoubtedly varied according to individual gifts (mass communication, small group teaching, personal instruction, etc.). Nevertheless all would have been expected to teach only after prayerful meditation on the Word and practical application of the Word to their own lives.

8. "Not addicted to wine"or "not given to drunkenness"(NIV; Gr. me paroinon, v. 3) means not a brawler, playboy, slave of drink, or drunkard (cf. Titus 1:7; 1 Cor. 11:21). Paul evidently used "wine"to represent any enslaving beverage. We are probably correct in extending its meaning to include any enslaving substance (drugs, etc.).

The larger issue of the Christian's drinking of wine and other intoxicating beverages has been the subject of extensive teaching. Most scholars have concluded that moderation rather than abstinence is what God commanded (cf. 5:23). However some base a case for abstinence on the fact that in Bible times the alcoholic content of wine was much less than it is in modern times. Modern alcoholic beverages fall into the category of strong drink that the Scriptures forbid.¹²¹

9. Not "pugnacious"or "violent"(NIV; Gr. me plekten, v. 3; Titus 1:7; lit. a giver of blows) describes a striker. This is a person who resorts to physical or verbal violence to vent his anger and or to settle disputes.

10. "Gentle"(Gr. epieikes, v. 3) means patient, forbearing (Titus 3:2; 2 Cor. 10:2).

11. "Uncontentious"(Gr. amachos, v. 3; Titus 1:7) describes a person who is not quarrelsome (NIV). He is not a fighter or a brawler (cf. James 3:7).

12. The meaning of "free from the love of money"(Gr. aphilarguros, v. 3) should be obvious (cf. Titus 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:2). Note that it is the love of money, not the possession of it, that is the disqualifying factor. Poor people as well as the rich may love money. Moreover not all rich people love it. The opposite attitude is contentment (cf. Phil. 4:11).

"This means the candidate's attitude toward material wealth ought to be one of healthy detachment, but certainly not irresponsibility."¹²²

"One who finds that he can make big money in part-time secular work is apt to be diverted from an effective ministry."¹²³

13. "Manages his own household well"(Gr. tou idiou oikou kalos proistamenon, v. 4; Titus 1:6) means that he has control of his family. Family members submit to his leadership out of respect for him (cf. Prov. 24:3-4; 27:23; Eph. 6:4). The elder's responsibilities in the church are quite parental, so he should have proved his ability in the home before he receives larger responsibility in the church. The home is the proving ground for church leadership (v. 5). Again, Paul assumed children in the home but did not require them, I believe.¹²⁴

14. "Not a new [recent, NIV] convert"(Gr. neophutos, v. 6) also requires a judgment call. How new? There should be evidence that he can function as an elder (teaching, leading, defending the faith, etc.) without becoming conceited. Conceit is what put Satan where he is, so the church should guard new converts from it by keeping them back from premature appointment as elders. The elders Paul appointed soon after he planted churches probably had backgrounds in Judaism and the Old Testament.

"The new believer is more likely to see such a position of leadership as an opportunity for personal advancement and to fail to understand the gravity of the task."¹²⁵

15. "A good reputation outside the church"(Gr. marturian kalen echein apo ton exothen, v. 7) with unbelievers is essential so that he will not bring reproach on the name of Christ and the church.

"Does he pay his bills? Does he have a good reputation among unsaved people with whom he does business? (See Col. 4:5 and 1 Thes. 4:12.)"¹²⁶

As we study the qualifications of an elder it becomes clear that two things were important to Paul. The man could not be guilty of doing something wrong, and other people had to perceive his conduct as proper for a Christian.

The elder was an "overseer."This implies he was over any other local church officials as well as other Christians in the church. There is no evidence in the New Testament that God intended overseers to govern groups of churches. A hierarchy did exist as long as the apostles were alive, but the New Testament reveals no provisions for the maintenance of such a hierarchy. However the absence of prohibitions concerning a hierarchy can also be an argument for it. I would conclude, therefore, that God neither condemned nor commanded organizations of local churches. It is a matter of choice whether churches want to band together in denominations or fellowships and submit themselves to overseeing officials.

Why should elders meet these qualifications? Why should churches not just appoint their best men as elders? The effective operation of each church depends on its leadership. The New Testament does not legislate the details of church operations. Therefore it is important that the men making these decisions be spiritual men who set a good example and have the respect and confidence of the other church members.¹²⁷