1 Timothy 3:1-7

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.  Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  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?  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.  Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

One of Timothy’s jobs while he was in Ephesus was to establish leadership in the church that would serve the body faithfully.  Paul provides the qualifications for the elders that would be entrusted with the responsibility of serving and exercising authority within the church.  Biblical leadership is vital to the health of the church so these qualifications are important requirements.

DESIRE IN THE HEART: On several occasions I have heard pastors say something like: “I never wanted to be as pastor but…”  This kind of statement has always confused me because it seems like desire is the first qualification or prerequisite for being a pastor, elder, or minister.  I can understand that as a child, youth, or even young adult the person didn’t have that desire, but at some point, in time that changed due to circumstances, conviction from a clearer understanding of Scripture, the work of the Holy Spirit, initial experience doing ministry, or any number of other ways that God may work to build desire in our hearts.  Desire alone is not enough, but it certainly is important. 

DEVOTION IN THE FAMILY: Ministry is all about leading people spiritually and serving them in a variety of ways.  The first place a man is responsible to do this is within his home.  In order to qualify for spiritual leadership, a married man must be a faithful and loving husband.  This does not mean a single man, like Paul, could not qualify for ministry.  The requirement is that the man be singularly devoted to his wife as the only woman with whom he maintains emotional and physical intimacy.  Polygamy, divorce and remarriage, adultery, fornication, and other types of emotional involvement outside of marriage would disqualify a person from positions of leadership in the church.  If the marriage is blessed with children, there are requirements that the minister is fathering the children well.  This does not mean that the kids must meet the same qualifications as the father.  It means that they are disciplined, obedient, and well cared for.  A minister who has a rebellious child in their home must be proactive in calling that child back to a place of submission.  This extra focus in the home may require relinquishing duties in the church for a period of time.  Once children leave the home, there are different levels of responsibility that may not necessarily disqualify the leader.  The husband and father that is faithful to shepherd well in the home is a prerequisite to shepherding the larger flock in the church.  Ministers should never be so focused and involved with the church that they neglect their responsibilities at home.

DISCIPLINE WITH THE CHARACTER: There are many character qualities in this list that must be present in the life of a minister or spiritual leaders in the church.  Being above reproach involves the way we relate with people, financial discipline, patterns of speech, use of alcohol or other substances, and self-control in general.  Humility, kindness, love for others, honesty, and generosity are qualities that must be present in the life of a minister.  Men who are angry, violent, proud, selfish, dishonest, lazy, under bondage to drink or drugs, or simply out of control in general are not qualified for ministry.  This is not to say that minister must be perfect in all these areas, or we would never have any ministers.  The requirement is that their lives are not marked by these negative qualities and are marked by the positive ones.

DEDICATED TO THE WORD: There are two fundamental aspects to ministry that must be true of those who are given places of leadership.  First, is to be hospitable.  Homes are to be places of ministry where we serve the community in which we live.  Naturally, there must be balance and there must be time given to the spiritual formation of the family as a priority.  However, the home of a minister should not become a refuge that others are never permitted to enter.  Evangelism and discipleship are basic aspects of ministry that should take place within the home of a minister.  Second, an ability to teach the Word of God.  A minister is called to be a person of the Word.  They must study and understand Scripture and have the ability to explain and apply the Word of God to others.  There are people who have a hard time interpreting written texts and there are people who have a hard time putting their thoughts into words.  These people can serve the church in many practical ways but are not qualified to serve as the spiritual leaders of the church.  Ministers and elders must be able to study and teach the Word of God effectively.

DISTINGUISHED IN THE COMMUNITY: A person may have the desire to be in ministry and consider themselves qualified in their character and think that they are gifted a teacher.  However, the church body must agree with this evaluation.  People do not always see themselves clearly and it is easy for us to have blind spots in our own lives.  The church should always be searching for qualified people and seeking to build these qualities in people.  New believers need time to be able to mature in their walk with the Lord and establish a reputation in the community both inside and outside the church.

APPLICATION: Pray for the Lord to raise up godly men who have a desire to serve as ministers.  Serve faithfully in the context of our homes to study, practice and teach the Word of God.  Identify an area of our character that needs to be developed.  Open our homes to be places of minister to those in our community.  Study the Word and teach what we learn to others.  Maintain a godly testimony both inside and outside the church.