DAY EIGHTY-SIX: 

Elders and Deacons 

1 Timothy 3:1-16 

The Ordination of Elders in a Scottish Kirk, by John Henry Lorimer, 1891

Last week we looked at some passages from Paul's letters to churches. This week we'll consider Paul's "pastoral epistles." He wrote two letters to Timothy and one to Titus. These letters give valuable advice to pastors and the other leaders of the church. Our passage today deals with the qualifications for church leaders, and is basic to understanding Presbyterian church governance.

Let's look at these two words, elder and deacon. The Greek word for elder is presbuteros  the comparative of presbus  which simply means old (literally greybeard). Recognize the root from which the word Presbyterian is derived? Thus an elder is relatively older (or better, more mature) than others. It parallels the Hebrew word zaqen which also mean older. The concept of rule by elders goes back to the earliest civilizations. People with maturity, character and leadership qualities attract the attention of the community and they are chosen as leaders. That's kind of the way it is in our time with local governance- school boards, village councils, township trustees, etc. We choose these leaders through elections, but most will tell you that they got involved in the first place because people came to them and urged them to run. Others saw the right qualities in them. Acts 14:23 says, "And when they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." This was during the first missionary journey and reflects Paul's practice in every church he founded. Once the church was established he left it in the hands of elders who would govern and teach the congregation. The word "appoint" gives the impression that Paul and Barnabas chose the elders. The Greek word, though, means to "vote by stretching out the hand." These elders were chosen by the people, and Paul ordained them to their task. We read a couple of weeks ago that the apostles and elders gathered for the Jerusalem Council, so the office of elder was already in use among the churches of Judea. 

The word for deacon is diakonos which means literally to run errands. In Acts 6 we read that the apostles realized that they didn't have the time to provide pastoral care and support to the rapidly growing church. They told the people to choose deacons who would handle the peoples' contributions and distribute them to those in need. Deacons, then, are servants who serve the Lord by serving others.

With this introduction out of the way, let's dig into our passage. "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." The word for overseer is episcopos, which means literally to see over, or to lead and administer. It's the root from which our word bishop comes. Many denominations are governed by bishops (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalian, Lutheran and Methodist). These bishops have considerable authority within the areas they govern and while they may have advisors they make most decisions unilaterally. Is this passage talking about bishops or elders? I believe the latter. Paul used the terms interchangeably in his letter to Titus: "This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you- if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain..." (Titus 1:5-8). Elders oversee the church. Paul said that anyone who would aspire to be an elder is seeking a good thing. He called it a "noble task."

Paul then laid out the qualifications for the office of elder or overseer: "Therefore an overseer must be

• above reproach- someone who lives an upright life with no shady dealings;
• the husband of one wife- literally a "one woman man," not an adulterer or polygamist;
• sober-minded- literally sane, a clear-thinker;
• self-controlled- someone whose life is in order;
• respectable- lives a life that others admire;
• hospitable- literally "loves strangers," is willing to host and care for others, especially travelers;
• able to teach- to be able to share with others the truths taught in the Bible;
• not a drunkard- not an alcoholic or a binge drinker but a person who is not controlled by drugs or alcohol; 
• not violent but gentle- literally a hitter, someone who is prone to violence;
• not quarrelsome- literally someone who thinks he's never wrong and will never give up arguing over a point;
• not a lover of money- literally "dirty profit," someone who is so greedy that they don't care if their dealings are always honest as long as they gain from it;
• 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?- the word manage has more of a sense of to guard or protect. If a prospective elder never disciplines his children but lets them do whatever they want, he's not acting as their protector and would very likely do no better at protecting the church;
• He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil- Spiritual maturity takes time. Someone may show great promise and learn quickly, but some lessons only come with experience;
• Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil- An elder must have the respect of non-Christians in the community.

Paul then gives a list of qualifications for deacons. The qualifications for elder apply to deacons as well, and Paul amplified them in this second list: "Deacons likewise must be 

• dignified- honest and respectable;
• not double-tongued- literally not having two tongues, not saying one thing to one person and another thing to another;
• not addicted to much wine- knows when to quit drinking;
• not greedy for dishonest gain- same word lover of money above;
• They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience- a mystery is a deep or hidden thing, not really secret but beyond understanding and worthy of further study and meditation. The deacon (and elder) must be a lifelong learner, continually growing in knowledge and faith. We'll discuss the mystery of our faith in more detail below;
• And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless- give people little jobs with a little bit of responsibility and watch them. If they do well they might be elder or deacon material.
• Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things- I'll discuss this in more detail below;
• Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well- as with an elder, a deacon's home life is an important indicator of how that person will govern and serve the church.

"For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." The word for gain is literally purchase. Deacons (and elders) receive a reward from God for their faithful and diligent service.

Let's go back to verse 11: "Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things." Another translation would be "The women likewise must be..." The word for woman is often used for a wife. Does this passage allow for women to serve as elders and deacons? I believe so. There are several examples of women as leaders in the church in the New Testament. I encourage you to go back and read the discussion of women in leadership from Day 27.

Paul concluded this chapter with these words: "I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth." Paul is still teaching Timothy and further preparing him for his work as pastor. The word for behave comes from a word that means to go the right direction, to make the right choice. The church is the household, the family, of God. It is a "pillar and a buttress of the truth." Pillars support the weight of a structure, and buttresses (like the steel beams that extend outside our building) prop up and support the walls and roof. The church has a sacred calling to proclaim the truth of the Gospel and to live it out before a watching world. The truth is sometimes distasteful and we are constantly tempted to compromise and make it more palatable. But we must resist that temptation and stand for the truth that God has revealed to us.

Paul reflected on the mystery of the faith: "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

• He was manifested in the flesh- Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and God became man;
• vindicated by the Spirit- when John baptized Jesus the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, and the Father said from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased";
• seen by angels- angels ministered to Him in His human weakness, after the temptation and in the Garden of Gethsemane;
• proclaimed among the nations- by this time there were thriving churches throughout the Roman Empire and beyond;
• believed on in the world- as John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"; and
• taken up in glory- Christ ascended into heaven and reigns at the right hand of the Father.

This certainly IS a great mystery, one which we'll never totally understand in this life!

After reading those qualifications, is there ANYONE who is fit to be an elder or deacon in Christ's Church? We're sinners saved by grace through faith, but sinners nonetheless. Quite rightly, this should give us pause. It is indeed an awesome responsibility to serve in these capacities. But those whom God calls He also equips and empowers. If someone suggests (or if the Nominating Committee should ask) that you'd make a good elder or deacon, give the matter prayerful consideration and say no only after discerning that God has other plans for you at this time.

We need to be careful in choosing our leaders. Throughout the years of my ministry and my observations before I've seen how difficult it is to get people to serve. After while Nominating Committees get desperate and are tempted to look for warm bodies to put into these important positions. This is another temptation we must resist. We need to be prayerful as we seek out those whom God has chosen as our leaders.

All of this applies to pastors as well. Presbyterians recognize two types of elders, based on 1 Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." I'm a "Teaching Elder." My responsibility is to teach you how to apply God's Word in your lives. I also preside over the Session, the Board of Elders. The other elders are "Ruling Elders," and together we oversee the church. When we work together to seek God's will for our church we reap great blessings!

Here's a children's choir to remind us that "I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weugc4TPwrM