1 Timothy 3:1-7 - Living like Jesus: above reproach

Introduction

I would like you, right now, to think back on your Christian experience in the church. In the churches you have been in, who was the best elder and why?

I’m sure that you have known and met many elders. But what makes an elder a good elder? There is, of course, the right performance of the duties of the office, but isn’t there something deeper to a good elder?

What we are going to see today is that the requirements for an elder are really the characteristics of Jesus. Not only must elders have these characteristics, but all Christians should willingly seek to conform to the image of Christ regardless of whether or not we will ever be an elder.

Today, we are going to look at 1 Timothy 3:1-7 under 3 headings: the prerequisites for being an elder, the detailed requirements of an elder, and a charge for all of us to conform to these characteristics.

Background

But first, let’s get a little context for this first letter of Paul to Timothy.

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, a young pastor, and co-laborer for the Gospel in about 62 or 63 AD from Macedonia near the end of his life. Timothy was facing the heavy burden of responsibility at the church at Ephesus that had been invaded by false teachers. The point of this letter was to encourage Timothy to confront false doctrine, remove it from the church, order and safeguard public worship, and develop mature leadership.

Really, you can think of this letter as a manual to Timothy to effectively guide him in his responsibility of being an example to others, exercising his spiritual gifts, and fighting the good fight of faith. Paul was telling Timothy to refute error and teach the truth.

In the immediate context of the requirements for elders, from 2:8-15, Paul explains to Timothy that by God’s creational order, spiritual authority in the church is to be exercised by men. This naturally flows then to the requirements of those whom God would call to exercise spiritual authority in the church…elders or overseers.

Exposition

Let’s look now at our first point that is found in verse 1, the prerequisites for being an elder. Quite simply, we could summarize this by saying that an elder is to be a male, to have a desire and a right view of the office.

To some, it might be clear and go without saying that an elder must be a male. But to others, it is not so clear. So, what does the Bible say? The clearest place in the bible where the requirements for an elder are set down is in this passage and Titus 1:5-9.

This isn't to say that women are inferior to men in any way or don't possess the Spirit, wisdom, and gifts to lead, but simply that God designed men to lead in the church by the very design of creation, as Paul laid out in 2:8-15, the immediately preceding context.

In fact, in Galatians 3:25-29 Paul explains that before God in regard to salvation and faith there is no distinction between male and female. In other words, all people, whether men or women, are united to Christ by faith and are equally valuable in God's eyes, children of God. Yet, just like Jesus, who, in his being, is no less God, submits himself to the leadership of the Father, so women are, within the church, to submit to spiritual leadership through men.

In this particular passage, this requirement for being a male is found in the first verse with the gender of "anyone" being masculine, the second verse of the requirement of "a man of one woman," not "a spouse of one," and the gender of various verbs throughout the passage. These all show, along with 1 Timothy 2, the previous chapter, that spiritual authority is found in the elders and the eldership is for males.

Verse 1 also tells us that it is not a problem for a man to desire the office of overseer, or perhaps to aspire or seek the office. The original language uses a word that implies reaching out one's hand toward something. And so, it isn't a problem for a man to desire or seek to become an elder, in fact, it seems to be one of the prerequisites. A man must want to be this office. If he doesn't, he shouldn't be there.

There is nothing pious about not desiring the office and then taking it because you are asked. The man who would be an elder must think that the office is a noble work.

An elder must also have a right view of the office. He must understand that the office of elder or overseer, sometimes called bishop, shepherd, or elder, is a noble office. But why is it noble? If you look at 1 Peter 2:25 we can see that Jesus is referred to as the Shepherd and Overseer (similar word) of our souls. Jesus is the one who oversees or cares for our souls. This is why it is a noble work. An elder is literally shepherding the souls of God's people. In fact, in 1 Peter 5, implies that elders are to shepherd the flock, exercising oversight under the chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. In other words, elders are shepherds who are to oversee or care for God's people just like Jesus does.

And so, an elder must view himself as a man who has been called by Jesus to shepherd Jesus' people the way that Jesus would shepherd him. If he views it any other way, he is not viewing the office properly.

Our second point is found in verses 2-7, where we see the detailed requirements of an elder. You could summarize this simply as being above reproach.

What does verse 2 mean when it says that an overseer or elder must be quite literally, irreproachable? It means that he must not be in a position where he is open to attack from others. In other words, he is not worthy of rebuke or criticism.

At a high level, the elder should not be able to be charged with any failures in his marriage, personal character and demeanor, family life, spiritual maturity, or by his community. These are the five areas Paul outlines.

The first part of verse 2 shows us the first area that an elder should be above reproach in…his marriage.

Quite literally the text says, the overseer/elder must be "a man of one woman." This is what it means to be above reproach in marriage…to be an elder, a man must have singular faithfulness. Why? Because marriage represents the proclamation of what Christ is to his bride, the church. An elder is a representative of Christ the overseer of our souls. Elders are shepherds who must live as faithful representatives of Christ. If a man is not a faithful witness in the one relationship in his life that is to represent the church's union with Christ, then he has no business representing Christ to God's people. The faithfulness of a man to his wife ultimately speaks to the faithfulness and singularity of Christ to his bride the church.

It seems that the most obvious conclusion is that an elder must be faithful to his one wife. This faithfulness, of course, includes not having a second wife or mistress, but it also would include the avoidance of any form of sexual immorality or abandonment. This would include: physical adultery, inappropriate emotional attachment of any form to another women, pornography, physical abuse, intentional and/or perpetual undermining the image of God in his spouse, harshness, general neglect, and a cold/dead heart toward a spouse. In other words, the elder must be a faithful witness to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ toward the church.

Verses 2b-3 show us the second area that an elder should be above reproach in…his personal character and demeanor. We see this through nine different ideas that we don’t have time to dig too deeply in.

The first thing we see about his character is that he is sober-minded or temperate. This more than likely means that he is restrained in his conduct. He is level-headed.

The second thing we see is that he is to be self-controlled. It more than likely means that he avoids extremes and takes careful consideration as he acts responsibly.

The third thing we see is that he is to be respectable. He has an outer balance that reflects the person that he is on the inside. He lives a life of consistent holiness. People see the holiness of his life and they give honor or respect to him for it.

The fourth thing we see is that he is hospitable. In other words, an elder is a lover of strangers. He is willing to use his own home to minister to the needy. In general, he welcomes strangers and treats them with love and respect.

The fifth thing we see is that he is able to teach. He can skillfully explain the basics of the faith. He can prepare others to join the church, counsel them biblically and relationally toward Christ. He can answer people's questions about the faith in a way that they will understand.

The sixth thing is that he is not to be a drunkard. He does not and will not get drunk if he does drink. Especially not when he is actively ministering in the church.

The seventh thing is that he is not to be violent but gentle. The idea is that he is not aggressive, rather, he is able to get along with others for the sake of ministry, unity, and harmony. He is not a not a bully, but is kind, tolerant, and yielding. He is wise and gentle as he leads others.

The eighth thing is that he is not quarrelsome. He is not censorious, argumentative, inflexible, or narrow-minded. He doesn't enjoy getting into a fight or arguments. He doesn't like to battle, but only battles when is necessary for the good and safety of the church.

Finally, the ninth thing is that he is not a lover of money. In other words, he is free from the pull of materialism. He is able and willing to live off of whatever God gives him and be content with it. In other words, he has a healthy detachment from material wealth but not irresponsibly. He is the model of generosity and simplicity of lifestyle because he knows that all that he has is the Lord's.

Most of these requirements would actually apply to any believer. What this means is that the elder is simply a model believer, or a model follower of Christ.

It only makes sense that someone who is to lead God’s people should be a model of Christian character. If a man does not have some of these character traits or is not free from these other character traits, then he is disqualified from office. The point is not to set an impossibly high bar, but quite simply to ensure that the shepherds are shepherding themselves well so they can shepherd others. In other words, your overseers should be model followers of Jesus so that they can say to you, "Follow me as I follow Jesus."

Verses 4-5 show us the third area that an elder must be above reproach in….his family life. But we not only see how, but why it matters.

Overall, the elder is to direct, lead, rule, or manage his own house or household well, or correctly. He is to lead his house in the appropriate or right way, excellently. How does he do this?

In two ways: First, by leading his children in such a way so that they are in submission to him. In other words, his children are under control. Second, he does it in such a way that it is done with all dignity. In other words, his children behave in a manner of behavior such that they are above what is ordinary in the culture. In other words, the way he leads his family, and the way they act and behave is worthy of special respect from those around him.

But why does this matter? If he doesn't know how to direct his own house, how can he care for God's family? Because the family is the church in the home. It is the proving ground of a man's ministry and evidence of the spiritual condition of his domestic life. Bad husbands and fathers make for bad pastors and elders.

I believe that that the bottom line of this requirement is that a chaotic household is a household that either is not walking with the Lord or is in need of time and energy spent by the father lovingly and gently leading his family into following and obeying Christ. A chaotic household may be a sign that the pastor/elder might need to spend more of his time at home, ordering it, instead of in the church making sure it is ordered.

Verse 6 shows us the fourth area that an elder must be above reproach in…spiritual maturity.

An elder is not to be a new convert, or newly planted in the Christian community. In other words, an elder is not to be a neophyte in the faith. The office of elder is a very dangerous thing. The man who is ordained or installed as an elder is putting himself under more strict judgment.

A new convert can easily become "puffed up" or full of pride. When this happens, there is a danger that he will fall in a similar way to the devil. In fact, it was for his pride that the devil was/is condemned. A new convert could easily fall under the same judgment that the devil had because he could become filled with pride instead of living like Jesus did in humility. 

I would also argue that spiritual maturity also includes emotional maturity. If a man does not know who he is in Christ and is not deeply rooted in his identity in Christ, he may use the eldership to try and find this identity and thus do great damage in the church. An elder must be emotionally and spiritually mature.

Verse 7 shows us the fifth and last area that an elder must be above reproach in…his relationship with the outside world, the external community.

Even the unconverted must see him as, in the least, a genuine, earnest, and honorable "religious man." The community ultimately judges the church by its officers. If the officers do not represent Christ clearly and in a way that the world can see Jesus in them, they will want nothing to do with the church.

If an elder does not behave himself like a Christian, one following Christ, in his business dealings with the world, then he will fall into disgrace and land in the trap of the devil. It will more than likely destroy him, his family, and possibly the church. The reality is that no one, within reason, should be able to give a reason why an elder is disqualified from the office.

Show me Jesus

This is a rather long list, isn’t it? It seems daunting, but it is actually a list that every Christian should seek to emulate. Why? Because this list is a picture of Jesus. It is a picture of our Savior, whom we desire to emulate and whose image we are being conformed to. Let's think about this for a few moments.

Jesus is our faithful husband. His affections are for his bride. He actively and faithfully loves us and leads us in the way we should go, always caring for us and never abandoning us for another.

Jesus is sober-minded. Throughout his life, he refused to do anything but the will of his Father in heaven. He did not stray from the course he was to take, or try to numb the pain he was experiencing, but rather lived out God's will no matter the cost to him.

Jesus was self-controlled. He went for 40 days in the wilderness, and when tempted to make bread from rocks, to push God's hand at protecting him, or to rule the world without his death and resurrection, he refused it. He bore temptation and walked in absolute self-control.

Jesus walked in a way that was honorable. He did nothing to bring shame upon his Father or himself. All that he did, whether he ate or drank, was to the glory of his Father.

Jesus was and is hospitable. He always welcomed strangers. He went to strangers homes, healed them, and invites the lame, blind, and beggars to come and be joined with him so that they can be forever with him.

Jesus is the great teacher. He not only taught what was true and right but he taught it as one having authority, for what he taught he knew, for he is Wisdom itself and is both the Wisdom and Power of God.

Jesus was not a drunkard, but chose to associate with them like many other religious people wouldn't. He went to them to try to deliver them from their addictions and the pain that they were trying to numb away.

Jesus is meek and lowly of heart: gentle and kind. He shows mercy to those whom the Father gives him, even telling a man on the cross next to him that he would be with him in paradise that very day. A smoldering wick he will not extinguish, nor break a bruised reed.

Jesus was not a man who quarreled. He opposed the Pharisees because they were blind guides, but didn't pick fights with them. He opposed them when it was beneficial for the sake of another’s soul.

Jesus is not a lover of money. Though he was King and ruler of all, he left heaven, took upon flesh, and lived a life that was not rich or wealthy but emptied himself, making himself a servant for our sake. He became poor so we could become rich.

Jesus manages his own household well. He does it through his word and Spirit. He cares for the church by giving himself up for it, even bearing its sin and judgment, to the point of death on a cross. He leads us by his Spirit into more holiness as he conforms us to his image.

Jesus is the Ancient of Days. He does not need to be taught and does not ever have to worry about becoming puffed up. For even though he was God, he did not count equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied himself of his glory and became a servant for our sake so that we might come to know his love and kindness.

Jesus is also well thought of by outsiders. Even though they may not believe in him, the world sees him as a good man who taught a way of life that was filled with love and compassion. Though the world may hate him, they cannot say anything disgraceful about him that is true.

Application

So, what is the application? We should not just think about these things and say, "Well, I guess I'm glad I'm not an elder and don't have to do these things." Instead, we should see that these things are characteristics of Jesus, and we should willingly seek to be conformed to his image. In a sense, we should all fit the bill for the qualifications of elders, even though we may not all be called to be elders.

So, if you are a child, remember these things and seek to be conformed to Jesus at a young age. Don't make mistakes like these and find yourself later in life not looking like Jesus because you didn't seek to conform to his image.

Men, you should strive to look like Jesus in these ways. Even if you are not called or don’t want to be an elder, you should strive to follow Jesus so that you are conformed to his image in these ways.

Women, even though you are not able to become an elder, you should seek to have these characteristics in you. These are not specifically male characteristics but are characteristics of disciples of Christ. Jesus has called you to service and ministry in the church. Though it is not spiritual authority, he has called you to teach and counsel other women in the church and use your spiritual gifts to share the gospel of Jesus and teach those whom God has put in your path. If you would like to be a spiritual leader of women and feel called to be, come and see me or the other elders. Because in 2024 we would like to provide a training program for women to be able to be a part of spiritually shepherding the women of our church.

Elders, myself included, look to yourselves and see if you are walking in conformance of these. If you are not, repent of them, and seek to conform your life to these things. Also, talk to your other elders and get help and prayer so that you can live and walk above reproach.