Elders (Part 1 of 3)

The Apostle Paul was deeply dedicated to preaching the gospel and recognized the paramount importance of establishing effective church leadership. In his letter to Titus, Paul provides essential instructions regarding the function and responsibility of church elders. The goal of this leadership structure, instituted by Paul when he left Titus in Crete, was to ensure the churches were marked by tidiness, healthiness, and attractiveness.

Paul explicitly prioritizes leadership because if the leadership is flawed, everything else within the church will also be flawed.

1. Establishing Order: The Priority of Appointing Elders

Paul instructed Titus to “put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5).

Terminology and Function:

• Elder (Presbuteros): The Greek word used for ‘elder’ is presbuteros, which gives us the English word ‘presbyter’.
• Overseer (Episcopos): The word translated as ‘overseer’ in verse 7 is episcopos, from which the word ‘episcopal’ is derived.
• Shepherding (Poimen): Another related term addresses the function of eldership—shepherding (poimen), which involves ensuring that expressions of care are tied directly to leading the congregation by the crook of God’s word.

These terms (elder and overseer) refer to the same office. The ultimate expression of care from the eldership is being apt to teach the Bible, ensuring the people are fed the Word of God, grow in faith, and can stand against the attacks of the evil one.

Leadership in the local church must be a leadership guided by the Bible. A congregation should always be encouraged when teachers ask them to open their Bibles and verify what is being taught. The responsibility of the elder/overseer is caring for and teaching the church.

The Task:

Eldership is a “man-sized task” entrusted not to a single individual, but to a plurality of individuals. The New Testament guards against the proclivity of one person seeking to exercise an undue jurisdiction, emphasizing that there is safety in numbers.

While the task of an overseer is a noble one, the respect and honor attached to it are directly related to the work done, not the personality of the individual. Leaders should be respected for their work, not obeyed solely because of zealousness or coercive abilities. All believers are subject to the leadership of Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, but some are responsible for the leadership of others—that is eldership.

2. The Necessary Foundation: Family Leadership as a Testing Ground

The New Testament often argues from the structure of the nuclear family into the church family (and vice versa). When order breaks down in the family, this resistance often translates quickly into the local church.

Parental Responsibility:

God established the nuclear family and an order of leadership within the home. When this order is neglected, it results in chaos; when it is overstated, it may bring unhappy authoritarianism. The breakdown of parental rule and responsibility in the culture spills over, making it vital for people in the church to understand that they are doing what the Bible says.

A mother’s or father’s leadership is not the same as when children were infants, but the parental responsibility remains. As the writer of Hebrews instructs, people must obey their leadership because they keep watch over the congregation as those who must give an account to God (Hebrews 13:17).

The sources suggest that marriage and parenting are the true testing grounds for leadership.

3. The Qualifications of Elders (Above Reproach)

The foundational characteristic for an elder/overseer, as God’s steward, is that he must be above reproach (Titus 1:6, 7). This term is interchangeable with “unimpeachable” or “blameless”.

It is crucial to understand that being “above reproach” does not mean being faultless or flawless; if that were the case, only the Lord Jesus Christ would qualify as an elder.

Specific Characteristics and Requirements:

The qualifications are outlined as follows:

1. Above Reproach: Unimpeachable; blameless.
2. Husband of One Wife: This means being a one-woman man—a man who is unimpeachable in the area of marriage and sexuality. When Paul wrote this, polygamy was part of the social structure of the contemporary world, and he was prohibiting polygamists from serving as elders. Approaches that woodenly interpret this to exclude all single men or widowers who remarry likely miss Paul’s primary concern against sexual impropriety or a “double standard”.
3. Children are Believers: The children must be believers and “not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination”.
4. Character Requirements (Must Not Be): The overseer must not be arrogant, quick-tempered, a drunkard, violent, or greedy for gain.
5. Positive Attributes (Must Be): The overseer must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
6. Apt to Teach (Holding Firm to the Word): The elder “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught” so that he can instruct others in sound doctrine. This includes the ability to rebuke those who contradict the truth.