Friday slowdown

This lovely old hymn is a prayer for our homes today. Listen to the blend of these voices and think on the words; there is a great deal to be learned from B. B. McKinney's hymn.

A roadmap for elders - what about the kids!

 

OK, this post may cause some discussions, and that's actually a good thing! Let's get started on our verses:

namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. (Titus 1:6, NASB)

We've been studying the qualifications for elders (overseers, leaders) in the church, and this verse has certainly caused a lot of debate. Some people have used it to say that elders MUST have children, but I Corinthians tells us that it's possible for singles to be godly leaders and mentors, too. 

The Greek word that the NASB translates "believe," and the ESV, NIV translate as "believing," is also translated "faithful" in the New King James. And we are not sure if it applies to children who are still living under dad's roof, or if it applies to adult children, too? 

There is no shortage of opinions on the interpretation!   John MacArthur, who famously fought the closure of his church during the pandemic, writes that if one of a man's children (in the home or an adult) is not a believer, the man should not be an elder. There are not as many people who feel that way, though, as those who feel that it only applies to children in the home -- and that it means the children are faithful and not in open rebellion against their dad. 

The view that all of a man's children must be Christians is uncomfortable for some because it puts on the elder the responsibility for his kids' genuine conversion. That seems to negate the idea of free will, and an adult child's belief or non-belief is pretty much beyond anyone else's control, even the parent! 

There have been many godly men who set good examples for their kids, and tried conscientiously to make sure that the children knew the concepts of sin and redemption. In spite of this, the children have rebelled against God. There are other examples, but one is Eli in I Samuel. His sons were very wicked, in spite of their father's godly ways. (Now, the scripture also says he knew about his sons' behavior. Eli rebuked them, but then he looked the other way, but that's a story for another time.)  

Some will chirp Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Oh, yes, lots of people like to look at other families and make their own judgments, don't they? I even had that quoted to me some years ago . . . but I digress. They feel that if a child goes astray, it means that the mom and dad failed. 
But I think that is a over-generalization drawn from the verse!

The Proverbs are sayings about life. And generally, it's true, that if you train a child properly, she or he will grow up to follow the Lord. But there are, as we saw earlier, exceptions. And one never knows the end of the story, either - a child who has his or her "roaring twenties" might repent of those sins and become a spiritually mature person in their thirties, forties, or even later. As important as parents' examples and training are, salvation is a supernatural act of God in redeeming a soul. He absolutely uses godly parents in the process - but no actions on the part of a godly father can GUARANTEE the salvation of all of his kids.

I hope that this part of our study has answered some questions and helped a little. I believe Paul is telling Titus to look carefully at a man's relationship with his kids. Does he show them an example by behaving in a godly manner at home? Does he pray and read the Bible with his children? If this is the case, most of those kids will come to believe in Jesus as their Savior. If all or most of the kids are unruly, disruptive, rebellious, and rejecting God, then there is something wrong. There's a disconnect and he is probably not the best choice for an elder. If most of the man's children follow Christ, but one goes astray, it should not automatically disqualify the dad as an elder. 

So, whatever view you believe, Paul's instructions are clear: an elder needs to be a godly husband and father. If he is not successful at managing his home life, then we should not expand his responsibilities to include the family of God. We need more "one-woman" men, and we need more godly, mentoring dads as elders!  

A roadmap for elders - a one-woman man

 

Paul told Titus that he should look for men who are spiritually mature to appoint as elders in the new churches in Crete. And we know that spiritual maturity will be seen in a man's home life and in his personal character:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)

The fruit of the Spirit is just the starting point! 

Let's dig in.....

Paul uses the term "above reproach" ("beyond" reproach in some translations) twice in these verses; once to speak about a man's home life, and once to sum up his personal character.

namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, (Titus 1:6-7, NASB)

The scholars tell us that the Greek word used here is different from the one in I Timothy:

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, (I Timothy 3:2, NASB)

But those same scholars tell us that the meaning is essentially the same. Nothing in the man's life can be seen, for which an accusation can be brought against him. He's a man of integrity, and he is the same guy at church as he is at home. No hypocrisy there. If he sins, he is quick to confess it, renounce it, and ask for forgiveness. 

One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper,
But one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13)

And the first "evidence" Paul lists as a qualifier for being "beyond reproach" is that he must be a "one woman man." Yep, seriously. No country songs here, just biblical teaching. (Grin)

There have been arguments about interpreting this verse. What exactly does it mean? I'm not a learned person, or a biblical scholar, but let's try to figure this out together. Some people have said it's a prohibition against polygamy, and I think that can be assumed to be correct. Paul cautioned believers to stay away from the practices of unbelievers, who would have wives, concubines, and slaves for sexual pleasures.  It's also been argued, after reading some of the early church leaders' writings, that this meant if a man's wife died, remarriage would make him ineligible to be an elder.

Others have said that remarriage of a widower is not a disqualifier, but that divorce is. Most who hold this view say they only are talking about divorce that happens after salvation - not before. 

Paul is focusing here in the present. He's looking at potential elders' present-day spiritual maturity. I don't believe that he is fishing for sins that were committed years ago. It seems common sense to me, because what if a man used to be quick-tempered? Or he years ago was addicted to alcohol and has lived sober for decades? Would these past evidences of spiritual immaturity disqualify him from becoming an elder? I think if we apply that yardstick, there would be no one who could qualify for the job! And we would be going against the teachings of scripture, where we learn that God extends forgiveness and mercy to those who repent and leave their sins behind . . . . in other words, Titus was to look at present godly character for elders.

The term is literally (according to those scholars, again!) a "one-woman man." He is devoted to his wife alone, and is not a womanizer. His thought life is under control; the Spirit guides him so that he is not pushed around by his lusts. He doesn't look at pornography. He has a track record of mental and moral purity. 

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. (Hebrews 13:4, NASB)

Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth. (Proverbs 5:18)

Here are some applications . . . 

..........a man who has never been divorced and has been married for fifty years may be disqualified from being an elder, if it's found that he has not renounced and turned away from his pornography addiction. 

..........on the other hand, a man who went through a divorce as a young man may have matured. He has dealt with the sins that led to his divorce, or he was the one who was left behind. He is faithful to his present wife in all respects. He could be qualified to be an elder.

..........and a single man could be an elder, as long as he is morally pure, including his thought life (I Corinthians 7:1-9). He might not be able to fully empathize with those parents that he counsels, but he can still be a godly leader in the church. (Grin)

Next time we study, we will look more at spiritual maturity of church leaders.

Prayer requests

Sometimes even the most spiritually mature among us need a little encouragement. Today, I want to post some verses that will soothe our anxious hearts and remind us that He is with us each and every day. 
If He is for us, who can prevail against us?

No one!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (II Timothy 1:7, NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Praying together in faith is a powerful force in our own lives. It's also a powerful reminder to keep our hearts open to the needs of other believers. We are blessed and strengthened by our time with God, and encouraged by the prayers and compassion of others. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to ask for help. Society today celebrates "self" and "strength from within," without giving thought to the strength of almighty God. When we ask a family member or a friend for a specific prayer, we are reminded that we are not alone - and we grow closer as a body of believers in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together today on behalf of all those who need the touch of our loving Creator, all around the world. And if you have a prayer request that you can share, please leave a comment so that we can pray alongside you.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Let's get real - elders

It's not a new phenomenon. Man seems to be uncorrupted. Seems to have at least a modicum of integrity. Man gets elected or appointed to a position of leadership (in a church, in a country).  

You know what comes next. Man is discovered to have sins and scandal in his life, and perhaps is unapologetically still living in corrupt, wicked habits that hurt not only himself, but also harm others and his ability to lead.

And it's a difficult situation to handle, because there are people who want to say, what a man does in private has nothing to do with his performance as a leader!

Here's a word for us from Paul: there's not much that could be further from the truth.  Paul's letter to Titus was to encourage the younger man in his work. Titus had been tasked with correcting some of the problems in the newly-organized churches there. One of the first things Paul told him to focus on was to appoint godly leaders. 

Paul encouraged another young pastor in a different letter - his instructions to Timothy were along the same lines, and he actually gave guidance there on which men were qualified to be elders, too. (Just a thought, as we study, think about what could happen if the believers in America would apply Paul's words by removing unqualified men and recognizing godly men as church leaders!!)

Last week, we discussed how Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and runs His church through a plurality (not just a single person) of men who are spiritually mature. Paul called them elders. We should not elect them as part of a popularity contest, but recognize those who meet the qualifications that we will study in this part of Titus. Paul's two lists are written in I Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. Let's look at our passage for this study, Titus 1:6-9:

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Please take time in your study or quiet time this week to also look at the list in I Timothy 3. We will find that they are not identical. I wasn't able to find a definitive study of why they were different, but that is not as important as the fact that both lists focus on godly character - not on spiritual gifts, talents, or other abilities. 

I found it interesting that many of these qualities are noted elsewhere in our Bibles, and they do not all have to do with the discussion of what makes a godly leader! They are prescribed as traits every believer should strive for! Here's why: they describe a spiritually mature person. That is something that doesn't just "happen." It's not a process that happens quickly. Spiritual maturity takes time and effort, instead of being something that comes instantly from a dramatic experience. It requires desire, and it also requires discipline.

We should also remember that no one is going to meet these qualifications perfectly. These are lifetime goals! Nobody can say, "I've got it now. I'm spiritually mature. I have all these qualifications now." 

But if a church wants to recognize a man as an elder, he should not have any truly glaring violations. His overall character should be one of spiritual maturity.

So, we've established that it's a "tall order," and next time we pause here to study we will dig into the qualifications that Paul lays out.

Friday slowdown

 Sometimes when we pray and listen to God, our hearts overflow. There are not words to describe the fervent feeling as we fellowship with Him.

God's way of doing things

 

I think at this point, we have seen enough to know that the responsibilities of an elder are many, and varied. And we can see there needs to be a difference between the secular way of organization and God's way of doing things. It's not a great idea to vote a man into church leadership because he is a likeable, agreeable fellow. And just because a man is a success at business doesn't mean that he is the best choice for the shepherd of a church. That's not God's way.

In the New Testament, the apostles (or their delegates, like Titus and Timothy) appointed elders for the churches based on careful discernment. Sometimes it was a crucial decision and they utilized not just prayer, but prayer and fasting.

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (Acts 14:23)

They gave careful consideration to the choice of church leaders, and they tried to discern which men met the biblical qualifications. In their case, it was the qualifications laid out by Paul in his letters. The people in the church were probably given the opportunity to commend certain men that they knew were godly and hard workers. 

Next week's study will include the qualifications of the elders, but for now, let's just agree with Paul that an elder must be a man of mature character, of godly faith, and "above reproach."  It's usually pretty obvious who these men are, since they are not just sitting around doing nothing! They are likely to already be shepherding and guiding those who need their help. It's a calling that they hear from the Holy Spirit - the church simply recognizes that, when it asks them to be leaders.

Most churches look for men who are already helping with the work of oversight -- perhaps they are serving on a committee and using their experience to help others. The church looks for men who are already shepherding -- perhaps they are teaching a class or mentoring young believers. There should be a desire to be an elder:

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. (I Timothy 3:1)

In other words, he shouldn't have to be wheedled and cajoled into it. Many churches use a process of questionnaires and interviews before the other elders or deacons approve him. Some even post the candidate's name in their bulletin, and if anyone has concerns they can reach out to the pastor or elders. There are all kinds of terms of service; in some churches the elders are reinstated each year, and in others they serve for several years. It's good for a church body to realize the immense responsibility of the elders, and allow them some time off or "down time" before coming back on board to serve again.

Each church congregation is different, but they all should have this goal: to make certain that godly, qualified men are serving as overseers and leaders. They can help them by praying for them, paying for leadership and Bible courses to prepare them, by and by showing them love and compassion as they try to serve the church. God's way of doing things is that the church is led by a group of godly men who shepherd His flock under His headship. 

The church will be strong and resist the pressures of the secular world and the sinful culture around it, when the leaders are godly and strong, faithful and true. 

Elders - examples of cooperation

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.....Since an overseer manages God’s household, (Titus 1:5, 7a)

We've been studying how the leadership of the early church was organized. We've talked about some of the tasks of the elders in the New Testament churches, and we'll look at a couple more today.

Let's zero in on "an overseer manages God's household." What does that mean? 

Think for a moment about a nurse or nurse practitioner, taking the pulse of a patient. The medical professional is not casually counting heartbeats -- not if they are doing a thorough job! Placing their hands on the wrist or the throat of a patient, they pay attention not just to the rate of the pulse, but also the strength and the rhythm. A medical team can tell a lot from a patient's pulse: they can assess the regularity of the heart's contractions, and whether or not the strength of the heart's beating is sufficient to move the blood effectively, insuring the health of the patient in their care. 

The elders, in their roles as overseers, keep their fingers on the pulse of the church. They make sure the church is spiritually healthy. There are many things included in a "health assessment" of the church: the elders guard the flock from error by preaching the Word carefully to them. 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15)

Oversight also includes determining church policies, and making decisions about the needs and direction of the church ministries. Elders have a role in overseeing church finances, too. 

Elders should come alongside ministry leaders and see if they need help or guidance, and often they will need to help resolve conflicts between members. Now, they don't necessarily do all the work that needs to be done! Many times they need to rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance in order to delegate the work to qualified, godly helpers who will get things done:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

Lastly, it's important for elders to be examples to the congregation of how to cooperate and work together to further the kingdom of God.

It's called teamwork!

It's easy to see that the leadership of any local church should be plural. Not just one person. Check out these verses about the New Testament churches:

This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:30)

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (Acts 14:23)

 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.  (Acts 15:22)

There are other references, too, if you want to do your own study, using the concordance in your Bible. It doesn't look like there were any one-pastor churches in the New Testament! This is different from the individual home churches, where people met to pray and sing praises, and hear scriptures and letters read. Those may have had a single elder over them, but they were part of the church as a whole. It seems that the organization was accepted as natural, to have responsibility placed in the hands of several godly men, instead of in one individual. In this way, the elders need to be united and depending upon one another as parts of the body of Christ, always remembering that He is the head.

Now, some of you might be thinking that there were leaders who emerged in the early church: not everyone was on the same footing. After all, you don't get as much done when everyone is a committee member and no one is the chairman! 

You're right! 

Usually one person does end up as the "leader of the leaders." Everyone has different spiritual gifts, personalities, training, and maturity. If we look at the twelve apostles, we know that they were all considered apostles - no level I or II apostles, or any such designation! But Peter clearly was the leader and he was the most frequent spokesman for the group. When we read about the early church in Jerusalem, James was clearly the leader. But when we look at Acts chapter 15, the leaders worked together in what we now call the "Jerusalem Council," in order to make a decision about an important matter.

In order to serve the local church, elders must work together in mutual respect, and cooperate in order to shepherd the flock of Jesus Christ.

Verses that inspire

 

I was inspired by this verse in my devotions, and I wanted to share it:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

We should never forget that is only by God's grace that we can accept His gift of salvation. It is His mercy that makes it accessible, and we can only receive it through faith, which He gives to us, as well! 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

But we haven't been raised to newness of life just to sit like a stone. We have a purpose! 

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, BSB)

We are God's craftsmanship, his masterpieces, made in Jesus Christ, so that we may perform good actions and good works. And these are tasks that God prepared for us to do, even before we were born!

In today's world, it's easy to feel like we don't measure up to others. Just look at all the happy-go-lucky, awesomely positive things that people post on social media!! If we are not careful, we forget that EVERYONE has trials and sadness in their lives, and we start to think that there is something wrong with us. Our life is not like that. 

The truth is, we need to get our noses out of social media and remember that God created us for a totally unique and wonderful purpose! God sees us as important. We are His handiwork and He cares about us. He is interested in what we do and what we think. He created us to do something good.

And if we are still breathing, it's because we haven't finished what He has for us to do!

God can use us to touch other people and make a difference in the world. There are people around us that need to know about Jesus. God can use us to show them our Savior.

God has lots in store for us - are you still breathing? Don't give in to the lies that you are not important. Don't listen to anyone (even yourself) who tries to say you are not as talented as someone else. Choose to believe what God says about you - remember that you have been created to do good things!

Elders shepherd the flock

Last time, we explored the "job titles" of elder, overseer, and pastor. We saw that in the New Testament, these seem to be interchangeable - and important.

Paul left Titus in Crete to make sure that the early churches there were on a solid footing. And that they were led by mature, godly men who would devote themselves to the tasks of being elders.

Let's study their job of shepherding the flock.

What does that include?

If we break down the job of a shepherd, who is in charge of a flock of sheep, it gives us a picture of the functions of church leaders. It's really important for the health and survival of the flock for the shepherd to know where the rich pastures are. He must lead them to the good spots for grasses, so that they may eat and grow strong and healthy.

The elders must "feed" God's Word to the people of the congregation - their flock. But there are other times they need to utilize the Word. Let's dig in.....

Paul told Timothy that all of the elders must know the scriptures well enough to teach others ("able to teach" in I Timothy 3:2). He told Titus that elders must:

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:9, NIV)

In some translations, the word "encourage" in the NIV is shown as "urge strongly." And "refute" carries the meaning of arguing and proving someone wrong. Paul was making sure that Titus knew: sometimes one must argue to convince someone of right and wrong. A sound and thorough knowledge of God's Word would be needed.

That doesn't mean that every elder must have the gift or the desire to speak publicly. Some will preach; others will teach; still others may administrate the affairs of the church:

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages." (I Timothy 5:17-18)

That shepherd out in the fields also cares for the sheep. He binds up the wounds of the injured, nurses the sick back to full health, and helps the lambs to grow up to healthy maturity. 

In much the same way, the church elders are to take care of the physically ill:

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: (James 5:14)

And to care for all the church:

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:4)

Paul told Timothy that elders were to disciple younger men, so that some could be trained to be leaders in the future:

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (II Timothy 2:2)

And that they must be gentle and encouraging to all of the members of the congregation:

...Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (I Thessalonians 2:7b-12)

It takes a special kind of guy to be able to do all that! All of this is part of shepherding the flock. We'll see next time, that there are a couple of other tasks for elders, too.

Friday slowdown

 There's a great old hymn by the prolific writer, Philip Bliss, that encourages believers to "be a Daniel."

Let's pray for each other in these tumultuous times - let us all have the courage of Daniel!

Organization and structure

When a builder begins construction of a house, there are certain things that "come first." It's best to have a plan, to know the terms and definitions, and to have trusted co-workers.

It's the same way in the church. The body of Christ (our Savior is the head) should have structure and organization. The plan and the trusted co-workers are two parts of the equation, but the terms and defnitions? Wow!

There are so many different terms! In every denomination, one can find people doing similar jobs, but their job title is different! 

Humans can really add unnecessary layers to simple things, right?

Go figure.

In Titus, Paul uses a couple of terms, and we should study them. Let's look back at verse five, where he gives Titus his "mission statement."

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.  (Titus 1:5)

What's an elder? 

Some of us may be in churches where that term is used, and some of us may not be. I think the next few verses (which we will study in detail soon) give us some clues.

An elder is:

•         a spiritually mature man
•         knowledgeable in the Scriptures
•         recognized by the local church to work with other elders
•         tasked with oversight and shepherding God's children

Again, we will study this more deeply very soon, but that is a passable definition for now. (Grin)

Now, here is where we muddy the waters a little. There are actually several terms in the New Testament which refer to church organization. We see elders, overseers, pastors, and leaders. Let's try to use scripture in order to understand scripture, ok? In verse five, the word used is "elder." It seems that they were a clearly defined and recognized group of men. (We have studied before, and I've shared my belief here and here that the teaching of the New Testament is this office is restricted to men. You can click on those two links and read two posts based on God's Word and my understanding of it, guided by His Spirit.)

In the New Testament, the churches were always described by the city they were in: the church in Corinth, in Ephesus, etc.  And there were multiple elders in each city (look back at verse five). The church in one city may have been large and still growing - they might have needed to meet in several locations, which were usually believers' homes. So there would have been an elder for each small group, and the church as a whole was viewed as a unit in that city.

It seems that the word "elder" was borrowed from the commonly used Jewish term for leadership. It referred to mature men. By virtue of their experience, possibly their gray hair (grin), and wisdom, they provided leadership in the remote and rural communities of the nation of Israel. So, an elder was expected to be a man of good character: consistent, godly character.

But wait! The Bible does NOT give an age requirement! (Notice, I said possibly gray hair.....not mandatory!) The scholars say that when Paul told Timothy not to let anyone look down on him for his youthfulness, Timothy was probably in his mid-thirties.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (I Timothy 4:12)

There are several references in Acts to the church in Jerusalem having elders, and Paul and Barnabas appointed elders quickly in the churches they founded on their first journey together (Acts 14). The Philippian church had elders, but they referred to them as overseers.

Maybe we better look at that, next.

I studied this, and it looks like "elder" and "overseer" are used interchangeably. The word translated overseer comes from secular culture. It referred to those whom the emperor appointed to lead city-states. In that role, they were to superintend, to watch over, and to guard those cities, in much the same way that an elder is to watch over the local church. (Later in church history, the term referred to the bishop or overseer of a city, who was higher in the chain of command than the other pastors in that city. Like I said, we humans tend to make things more complicated.....)

The word "pastor," which means shepherd when we use it as a noun, actually only is seen once in the New Testament! (Ephesians 4:11) The other times that we see it, it is used as a word of action - a verb. Like this:

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (Acts 20:28) 

So, elders are interchangeable with overseers and they are to "shepherd" the church. Here's another passage where all three titles are used:

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (I Peter 5:1-3)

The elders are to shepherd the flock by exercising oversight. They are not to lord it over the people, but instead, shepherd them and provide a good example to them.

This may be the most important thing about being a church leader....one's motivation. The writer of Hebrews sums it up this way:

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

No matter what the leaders in a church congregation are called, they are tasked with being good shepherds. To emulate our Good Shepherd. That's a tall order! We'll study more about how the elders are supposed to act, and how they are qualified, next week. 

Organization, continued

When we began our study of the book of Titus, we touched on the fact that Paul was writing to a younger man. Paul was, for all practical purposes, mentoring Titus in the ministry.

Paul said he left Titus in Crete to set things in order and to appoint elders in every city, just as he had directed him to do. 

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. (Titus 1:5, NIV)

There were a number of fledgling churches scattered across the island of Crete, and they were struggling mightily against the sinful, pagan culture of the people. They were also plagued with false teachers with selfish motives - these were upsetting whole families (see verses 10-11). Sounds a lot like our world today, doesn't it?

Paul wrote to Titus to help the younger man focus on correcting these problems. The Bible doesn't go into a lot of detail about Titus; we don't know much about him. He seems to have been an unusually wise and stable young man. Years before, Paul had taken him along on a trip back to Jerusalem. Why? To demonstrate to the apostles that Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised to be saved! (I bet that was awkward.)

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. (Galatians 2:1-3)

Some time later, Paul had sent Titus to Corinth. He was tasked with dealing with that rowdy bunch of new believers, and he had done well. Paul must have trusted him completely by now, to set things in order in Crete. 

"To set things in order." The Greek word used there is also used when talking of setting broken bones into place. Kinda makes us wonder if the churches in Crete were a bit fractured and splintered, doesn't it? This is also a good example of the trust that Paul had in Titus; he tasked the young man with following up on the work, and bringing it to maturity. Paul wasn't trying to keep any glory for himself - his focus was on what was best for the fledgling churches.

It jumps right out at us: a major part of Paul's remedy for these churches' problems was to find and raise up godly leadership. Churches today need that same type of leadership - godly, mature leaders who will stand for the truth and speak out against error. Paul said of the prospective leader:

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:9)

Do we see churches in our world today that are weak? Some that are strong? Churches will be weak or strong, depending on the spiritual maturity of the leaders. They will also be weak or strong depending upon the soundness and truth of the doctrines the leaders preach. In order to lead, they must be strong believers, themselves.

We'll explore this further, the next time we study!

Prayer requests

 

It seems like every time we turn on the television, or look at our emails from other folks, or look at social media (please don't do that!), we are overwhelmed with constant updates about different crises around the globe.

We feel the impacts of these crises in our homes, when we shop for our groceries, and when we fill our gas tanks. It seems we are battered from all sides: our government is not incompetent. They know exactly what they are doing; they are working to dismantle our great nation and build it back into the Marxist state that will cooperate with the great reset openly touted by Klaus Schwab and others at Davos.

Because of all this, it is common to feel anxiety and uncertainty during these challenging times. It makes a difference when we remember that God is an almighty fortress of hope and protection. He invites us to take refuge in Him through prayer when we are feeling fearful and alone.

Whether we pray on our own or with others, finding times to pray during these days of uncertainty is important. Sometimes the best way to turn to God is to read or listen and reflect on His Word. 

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  (II Timothy 1:7)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Let's pray.

Organizational skills

 

Does that photo capture what you thought of, when you read the title? Some people have "mad" (really great) organizational skills. They can put things into categories, work out storage options, and the result is a well-planned, useful space.

Other people have a different kind of organizational skills; they are good at prioritizing tasks, making lists, building a foundation for the next effort, and more. 

This time, we are talking about the organization of the church. Specifically, the New Testament church. We are going to continue in the book of Titus and see what the Holy Spirit has for us to learn.

Here's a question for us: "Who runs the local church?" Some people may think that the pastor runs the church. They believe that all of the decisions filter through his hands, and that all of the business in the church is run by the shepherd of that congregation.

Some people think that the organization of a church should be patterned after the United States government. That it should operate as a democratic republic. They say, the pastors and elders (or deacons) are the elected officers, similar to the President and Congress. They point to the church business meetings as the place where members can voice their opposition or approval, and vote on things.

A third model that has greatly influenced American churches is that of the business world. Many Christians are accustomed to various management and operational procedures. They think that the church is like a corporation, with a chairman of the board at the top (the pastor) and his board of directors (elders) next in the chart. The final level of the organizational chart is that of the stockholders!

It's true that there may be some similarities between the business and government models and the modern church, but the biblical picture is different. The church is not just an organization or a club, but instead it is a living organism. All living organisms are highly organized. Organisms have organs that are separate in function by mutually dependent, like our heart, our circulatory system, our lymphatic system, etc. 

That describes the church, too. We believers are a living, unified organism, the one body of which Jesus Christ is the head. Every member is a necessary part of that body - we may be separate in function, but we are dependent on one another, and also on Christ, the head.

Now we can see that the main idea of the New Testament church (and our churches today) is to allow Jesus to function as the living head of the church body. None of us should be seeking our own way about various matters in the church - we must seek God's will as revealed in His Word. And there is NO one man who "runs" the church; Christ leads the church through godly men who shepherd His flock under His headship.

Here's our focus verse for this part of our study:

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. .........Since an overseer manages God’s household........ (Titus 1:5, 7a)

We'll talk more about this next time!