1Tim 3:1-7
Getting the Most Out of Your Leaders (2)
Last week, we started looking at these verses which list of us the
qualifications of two offices, the bishop and the deacon. The
deacon’s office is unique in that it is the office of the servant
that represents the church to community and church. The bishop means
overseers. It is all of those who proclaim the Word of God so it
would include those who are pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and
preachers in our church.
We spoke of the first two qualifications last week.
I. Gender qualification - They must be men. Although ladies can and
do serve in the church, the office itself speaks of their wives.
II. Experience qualifications - These offices should be filled with
men who have some experience in life walking with Christ.
A. They need to have a history in which they have demonstrated
going through storms with Christ, being faithful in
adversity, displaying wisdom, and generally showing that
their love and devotion to Christ is genuine.
B. This is for the protection of the men, the church, the
testimony of the church.
III. Testimony qualifications
A. \\#2, 10\\ Blameless
1. Blame means to be reproached or apprehended.
a. Blame implies a wrong was done and found out.
b. Blameless would mean that he has a testimony of not
doing any great wrong.
2. It is indeed a peculiar world that we live in.
a. Everyone wants to give love and forgiveness, which are
good things to give.
b. But love and forgiveness do not replace the standards
of the Word of God.
(1) If a bishop stole, he may be a bishop no longer.
(2) If a bishop was immoral, he may be a bishop no
longer.
(3) Holding a bishop to Bible standards is not being
judgmental or unkind.
(4) If the man had any integrity, he would HIMSELF
to Bible standards.
(5) No church should ever HAVE to ask for a leader’s
resignation for such ground. The fact that they
do have to demonstrates that there is a problem
in the man.
B. \\#7\\ This is repeated and spelled out by the phrase
"…he must have a good report of them which are without";
that is, he must be well spoken of by those who are not
in the church.
a. This is testimony and it means the leader’s reputation
in the community should be considered.
b. Why? \\#7\\ Lest the devil use his testimony against him
and against Christ (reproach)!
C. \\#9\\ A pure conscience.
1. "To hold forth" means to carry this truth like a banner or
a flag. Don’t let it drop or droop! Be able to keep the
banner high.
2. "the mystery of the faith" is the gospel. It was a mystery
because grace and salvation were not understand until
Jesus came and revealed it to us.
3. But the character being spoken of here is related to his
care for the gospel.
4. The bishop is to maintain a pure conscience concerning
how…
a. We proclaim the faith.
Acts 26:26 Wherefore I take you to record this
day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you
all the counsel of God.
b. We defend the faith.
Jude 3:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort
you that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
5. A leader of God’s church should do both and know that he
has given his all to both causes!
IV. Family qualifications
A. All of the qualifications are important but while some must be
ACQUIRED while others can only be LOST.
1. For example, you can gain experience and learn how to
teach the Word, but you can lose your family or
testimony.
2. So we need to be a qualified leader in the church we need
to guard the good thing, gain the spiritual things, and
get rid of the evil things.
B. \\#2, 4\\ There are two family qualifications given.‘
1. You will notice all references to the bishop are male.
In both lists, a leader is required to be the husband of
one wife.
2. \\#2\\ The husband of one wife.
a. There has come to be a debate about this requirement.
(1) Some believe that it means a bishop must be
married.
(a) While I would recommend it of a pastor, I do
not think it is the requirement intended.
(b) Jesus was not married.
(c) Paul was not married and he encouraged
single people NOT to marry.
1Co 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and
widows, It is good for them if they abide even
as I.
(d) As far as we know, the young men who
traveled with Paul were not married.
(2) Some believe that it means "not married to more
than one woman at a time."
(a) Polygamy was a common practice in that day.
(b) Since God has allowed it in the Old
Testament, it probably was a problem in the
New Testament.
(c) I think this verse definitely speaks to this
cause and anyone who has two wives DOES
NOT qualify for a position of leadership.
(3) And some believe that it means "not divorced."
(a) One is a number and the text does not say
one-at-a-time as some would have you to
think.
(b) My position concerning the Scripture is and
always has been to err on the side of
being conservative.
i. If we can’t tell which one of the two
it means, assume it means both until
you know!
ii. Unless there something in the Bible
that I have not read, I will assume
the passage means no polgamists or
divorced men can be the overseers in
the church.
(c) As for myself, I think a divorced bishop
can still preach, but I do not believe they
need to be in an on-going position of
leadership in the church.
(d) If you are going to hold the position that
the verse means only one wife at a time,
you are going to have a problem sooner or
later for some have married and divorced
three or four times.
i. Is that not an indication of a problem?
ii. Should they be allowed to continue
pastoring?
iii. If not, why not? You can’t use this
verse for you have negated it.
iv. If this verse EVER means it is wrong to
have more than one wife at a time, it
means it is wrong to have more than
one wife.
b. While Christians are not meant to be judges or
reminders of the past, we do have to hold to the
standards God set in His Word.
(1) It is His church and He sets the standards.
(2) The fact that God wants the very highest
standards should not be grievous to us, but
rather comforting and encouraging. God wants
those to lead us who know from doing things
correctly and that can inspire us to do the
same.
(3) And like the other teachings Paul was giving
to Timothy, this becomes a test of our
OBEDIENCE to the Word of God.
3. \\#4\\ One that ruleth well his own house.
a. \\#4\\ Having his children in subjection.
b. \\#5\\ We are told that the reason why. If a man has
no control over his home, he does not have the
leadership qualities necessary to be a leader.
c. Men, if we marry correctly, the easiest leadership job
we will ever have is in the home!
4. \\#12\\ Both of these qualifications are repeated for the
deacon, in \\#11\\ but another is added.
a. He must have a wife who is not a gossip but sober and
faithful.
b. There is no doubt in my mind that qualification is for
the bishops too.
c. A wife should be an asset to the work of God and not
an hindrance.
C. These last two qualifications mean leaders are not leaders
alone. They are leaders with families.
1. Does it matter what kind of family a leader in the
church has? According to God, it does!
2. A leader in the church doesn’t live alone, think
alone, or serve alone. He does all of those things
in the company and under the influence of his family.
3. You and I can see a very visible lesson on this in
today’s world.
a. A few years ago, most everyone knew and agreed
that homosexuality was wrong.
b. Then, a lot of people found it out one of their loved
ones was involved in it and everything changed.
c. When your family is involved in a sinful
activity, there are a limited number of ways you
can deal with it.
(1) You can hate the sin and the family member
involved in it. That is the wrong course
of action.
(2) You can accept the sinner and accept the sin.
That is also the wrong course of action, but it
is what most families do.
(3) You can hate the sin but love the sinner.
(a) That is not only the correct course of
action, it is the more difficult
course of action.
(b) Why?
i. Because it puts you in direct
conflict with your loved one.
ii. Because it may cost you your
relationship with your loved one.
(4) Both of those are high prices to pay.
(5) And most people will not pay that price.
4. God knowing the price tells us not to put people into
places of leadership whose immediate family is out of
step with God.
V. Character qualifications - We must be a people that not only
believes the Word of God but also practices it.
A. \\#2\\ Vigilant - on guard, watching, alert
1. Vigilant to sense danger.
2. Vigilant to see opportunity.
3. Vigilant to the needs of others.
4. Vigilant to understand consequences.
B. \\#2\\ Sober - sound
C. \\#2\\ Of good behavior
1. \\#2\\ Hospitable
2. \\#3\\ Not given to wine
3. \\#3\\ Not a fighter or a brawler
4. \\#3\\ Not greedy or covetous
5. \\#3\\ A patient person
6. \\#8\\ Not double tongued (saying what people want to hear)
7. \\#9\\ Of a pure conscience
D. We can sum it all up by saying a Christian leader ought to
live as much like Christ lived as is humanly possible.
1. There are no perfect candidates.
2. However, there should not be any glaring deviations from
righteous behavior.
VI. Ability qualifications
A. This seem mainly to apply to the bishop as he is primary the
one who will handle God’s Word.
B. \\#2\\ Apt to teach - A bishop must be able to teach the
Word. It makes sense if this is the pool from which
pastors, missionaries, and evangelists are to come.
1. This is a gift given by the Holy Ghost.
a. A leader must have the God-given ability to discern
the Scriptures.
b. That really is not all that exception since every
Christian should have that gift to some extent.
c. However, bishops are the called ones to teach the
Bible so they need some extra anointing in this
area.
d. Remember that teaching is not just knowing the Bible
or having the ability to study it, it is also having
the ability to share that knowledge.
(1) There is little doubt in my mind that as some
people have been called to preach and teach the
Bible, some have not.
(2) Make sure you call men to the position of
preachers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries,
and associates those who have!
2. Even if called, some old fashioned studying is required.
a. Too many men claim to be called who have not invested
any time in studying the Bible.
b. While I am not saying a preacher needs a college
degree or a Bible school diploma, they need to have
some Bible knowledge which they can pass along and
the means to gather more.
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