When we discuss the qualifications of an elder, we
find that those things are given to us by the Apostle.
Paul in two places in the New Testament, one is found in the
book of 1st Timothy and the other is found in the book of
Titus and as we mentioned from time to time we reference this
passage that's found in the book of Titus Chapter 1 and verse 5
and I'm just very briefly say a few introductory things.
That are what by way of review just a few.
First of all in Titus Chapter 1 and verse 5, Paul gives the
reason that he left Titus in Creed two-fold.
Reason number one is set in order, the things that are
lacking and part of that was lacking was to ordain Elders in
every city in every church. It's also very important to
remember. That creep was not just some
little place. In fact, it was the fifth
largest island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
It Had over a million people living there and I told by
ancient historians and Scholars, there was, at least 100 cities.
It was a big place. It was 185 miles long and at the
widest part, it was 35 miles wide, very big place and Paul
told Titus, I left you in Crete to set in order the things that
are lacking and ordain Elders in every city.
And by that we simply say every city Is every church or
congregation now, the word Elder is described in three ways.
Three different words, describing the same office.
He is called an elder. He is called a bishop and he is
called a pastor and all three of these words, refer to the same
man, it refers to the same office, but it describes
different aspects of his position as an elder by way of
his duties and so forth. For example, the word Elder
itself just means older. This is describing a man that is
older and with experience and by the very definition of the word
Elder it disqualifies. A young man.
He's also called a bishop and why is that it describes his
duty to the congregation as what a bishop or overseer?
He is also called a pastor, why's that it describes his task
and that is to feed or Shepherd the Church of God.
Now. I want to add this that I didn't
do last Sunday. Let's look at this.
Let's look at passages that describe all of them together
and Acts chapter 20 and verse 17.
It says from my letus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the
Elders of the church. So in Acts chapter 20, it's
talking about Paul's addressing the Ephesian, Elders.
What else? Drop down to about verse number
28. And it says this, therefore,
take heed to yourself and to others.
All the flock among the which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers that's Bishops to Shepherd that's Pastor the
Church of God which he has purchased with his own blood.
That's noticed one more, First Peter, chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.
It contains it all in the same two verses.
It says, the elders who are among you I exhort I who am a
fellow Elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and
also a partaker of the glory Glory that will be revealed
Shepherd or Pastor. The flock of God which is among
you serving as overseers or Bishops not by constraint but
willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly I simply
showed you this passage to describe.
It's the same man, he is an elder, he is a Shepherd or
pastor and he is an overseer or a bishop as well.
It's all talking about the same man.
All right, so we're We realize this.
There's about twenty? Four qualifications for a man,
to be an alga, what if we noticed so far?
Number one, he must desire the office, but not only that if
he's going to desire the title, he must eagerly and more
earnestly desire. The work.
Sometimes people just want the title, they don't want the work
in life and in various aspects of life.
And Paul would describe if a man desires the office, he must even
more so desire, the work. He must be a man of good
reputation in other words. No, sustainable charge held
against him not perfect but blameless Used to be a one-woman
man. He is to be faithful and true to
his bride. Just like Jesus Christ is
faithful and true to his bride and that is the church.
So what is that called? Paul calls that the husband of
one wife regardless of how many children that he has.
It must all be faithful Christians not faithful to their
father, but faithful to the Lord.
He must be a calm person. And watched whole the King James
Is calls that Vigilant the new King James.
Just simply says, that means temperate.
He is to be a man of self-control.
I have to make a little side point here.
Have you noticed all of the qualifications we've noticed so
far and we'll notice today. How many deal with a person
self-control? How many deal with a person
having self-control controlling yourself?
You know why it's hard to do that?
It's sometimes hard to do that. But this is a man, this is a
man, an elder he is going to be sober minded and that means
this. He's going to demonstrate
self-control in both his premeditated actions and his non
premeditated reactions. He must not be a reactionary
type Resort, what else? He's to be respectable.
Or a good behavior. Remember the word that we get
another word from that? Greek word is the word
Cosmetics? Remember, I talked about that
cosmetics and the kind of Cosmetics were talking about is
not something that conceals or covers up but it's something
that highlights and reveals the beauty.
That's already there. That's what we're talking about.
An elder is somebody by a respectable lifestyle with good
behavior demonstrates outwardly the beauty That he already has
inside and that's Jesus Christ. Remember that song we used to
sing? Let the beauty of Jesus be seen
in me or how about songs like Christ liveth in me.
That's the way a Christian lives.
That's the way a Christian is. You know, what?
Elder must be? He must be a person.
That is a good behavior demonstrating that, which is
already inside. And by the way, every Christian
falls into that category, don't all of these are most of these
are many of these describe just a regular Christian.
What else has to be hospitable? That means a lover strangers and
must be able to teach and that is skillful, and that is capable
of doing so. All right.
Now, we're going to begin with Point number 10.
Qualification. Number 10, and by the way, some
of these things will go quickly. Some of these things are more
obvious than others and some of these things will spend a little
more time. And again, like I said, our
sermon has six points and one verse in the first one that we
want to notice is not given to wine.
Now, when you talk about this is found in first, Timothy chapter
3 and verse 3. What does it actually mean?
When it says not given to wine that phrase actually means this
and don't let anyone else tell you any differently, the phrase
not given to Wine. Simply means this he must not
drink. Intoxicating beverages period,
Now literally it means this it means not beside why Kenneth
wuest said this it's a person who is beside wine is a person
that sits long at his wine. Now the meaning is a person who
is given to wine is one who is beside wine?
So what is he saying? An elf and Elder has nothing to
do with that stuff period. Okay, we have to fast-forward a
few lessons from now. As we get into the deepens, I'm
just going to make one quick point.
We're going to get back to it later on down the road.
When he talks about an elder, he says an elder must not be given
to Wine but then when he talks about a deacon he says an elder
a deacon must not be given to much wine.
See you know how people interpret that they say oh an
elder can't have any A deacon can have a little there for
fatigue. Him can have a little then, a
Christian can have a little in moderation and therefore, social
drinking is okay. Okay, I promise to get into that
later on. I'm just going to tell you
though, it doesn't mean that. And when he says, not given to
much wine, it doesn't mean you can have a little just don't
have a lock, doesn't mean that at all.
All right. That being said about an elder,
not given to wine. Also this it doesn't justify
anybody else in addition to an elder being allowed to drink.
In fact, Barn says this, listen to this the way in which the
Apostle mentions the subject of wine here would lead us to
fairly suppose that he did not mean to commend.
Its use in any sense that he regarded its use as dangerous.
And that one would do no injury to himself or others by leaving
it entirely alone. He may do injury though by
indulging in it. Now let's go further about this
and prove what it actually means.
It actually comes from a Greek word pair or Enos and that is a
combination of the preposition para which means at by the side
of or near and the word boy, knows which his wine.
In other words, an elder doesn't need to be anywhere near that.
And I got to say this. Does that mean does that mean
that if you're in a restaurant, The summit 8, we don't go to
bars, we don't go on stuff. But Ima take, you can't
eliminate every aspect of somebody else drinking in your
vicinity. You can't eliminate that, it's
all around, you have nothing to do with that.
You go to a restaurant and sit at a table and be with there
with your family, drinking ice tea, and somebody sitting right
there and attend a table. Right next to you, is drinking
alcohol. So is Paul saying when he says,
you cannot be beside wine? Is he saying that you have to
get up and leave and you can't be sitting next to To a table
that is having alcoholic beverage.
No, not at all. You know, just means it.
Simply means this when he says, You must not drink it, you can't
be beside it. You can't be near it.
What it means is, total abstinence that's all It means
total. Abstinence.
Now some mistranslations folks have led some people to believe
that Paul was just being against the idea of being drunk.
In other words, as long as you drink it in moderation it was
okay but if you have it in excess that's wrong and don't
get drunk. And one of the reasons that
people deduce that is because of various mistranslations.
I'm going to give you a mistranslation of this passage
and it's a bad translation on that is founded the Purified
Bible, listen to this. In the Amplified Bible it's a
misleading bad translation on this passage because it says not
addicted to wine. But that's not the point at all.
His point was, it being addicted to Wine?
His point was stay away from it, completely and Elder has to stay
away from it. Totally now, interesting,
though, in the Amplified Bible classic edition, it says the
same thing not given to wine and that's the point.
So the reason that he's not talking about being addicted to
wine. And that's a bad translation is
because Paul is talking about just staying away from it
period. Okay, I got to add something.
I got to add alcoholism and addiction for a minute.
I'm going to tell you something alcoholism.
And the addiction is real stuff. And it is true.
That some people more than others, have an addictive
personality or have addictive traits.
So one person could partake of something and really they could
take it or leave it for the rest of their life and other people
can partake of something and become addicted to it, and have
to have it. I want to talk about that for
just a minute. I want to talk about alcoholism
and I want to talk about the idea of being addicted.
First of all, let me say this and let me add this to.
I do agree. That once a person has
alcoholism or is addicted to it, the experts say that that could
be categorized or classified as somebody that has an actual
disease. Is the disease of alcoholism or
it's the disease of addiction okay?
I could buy that with this exception. first of all, alcohol
is and maybe a disease with the choice to drink is not The
choice to drink is not a disease.
That is a willful choice and the absolute best way especially
when some of us may have very addictive personalities and very
best way to not get in trouble, is to not be anywhere near it.
Don't have anything to do with it.
And by the way, I've known some very addictive Personalities in
my life that I got a good friend.
I got a very good framework that we grew up together.
We Junior Rodeo together, we went to Cal Poly together, great
friends. And after Cal Poly, he lives
here in Bakersfield, he continued to drink and drink and
drink and drink became an alcoholic.
And I remember that we had an intervention, I was asked to go
there by his father and we tried and we got him into rehab.
Now, he was absolutely addicted to the chemical of in alcohol.
He was addicted to it. Absolutely, he needed help.
He needed even medical help to get off of.
Okay, my point is this he had never had a problem if you never
took the first drink, Alcoholism maybe a disease but the choice
to drink is not an elder folks needs to abstain an elder needs
to stay away. And by the way, I'm talking to
every Christian, please get that, please understand.
If you want to be on the path of what God wants for your life,
you abstain from those kind of things in your life.
What else? As I said before some of these
things, go to go quickly and some a little longer.
Here's another one. What about this?
Not violet the King. James says not a striker.
And I think it's obvious what that's talking about and we go
back to our passage. So, not only not only is an
elder not to be given to Wine, which means what don't go
anywhere near it. Stay away from it.
If staying total, abstinence move on, but then you can't be a
striker. You can't be violent.
That actually means not a Bruiser.
Not one, ready with a blow? That's somebody else, that is
called a bully. Now, I'm going to tell you, I
have to say this too. I do believe that the word,
bully and bullying is an overused word.
It really is in fact that even get and I'm, I'm against
bullying, I'm against picking on people I'm against that totally
thoroughly completely against it.
But sometimes people look at the idea of a bully and they say
bullying because somebody said I don't like your hairstyle
bullying by the way that happened in school, I've heard
about these kids and one said that's that's the dumbest
looking haircut I've ever seen to another boy.
You know what? He reported.
It bullying me. Really.
Is that how far we become to being courageous and tough and
life? Is that it?
I used to have a small hand. When I was growing up in big
ears. I was in class one day.
This guy kills his men. How big are your ears?
You know what they say? They bully A bully is a bully.
Is someone that is a Bruiser. He is somebody that is ready
with the blow. He is somebody that is ready.
With a strike, he is ready for some, what for to do, those kind
of things, that's a bully Elder can't be that.
By the way, Christian can't either.
He wasn't saying an elder. You better not be violent but
Christians fair game starts talking to each other.
It's all right. It's not what he said.
Listen to this. One scholar said that there's
quite possibly, a reason that the word violent is listed right
after. Why listen to this, I'll read it
to you. He said, perhaps Paul, is
referring to fights resulting from the consumption of
intoxicating, drinks, intoxicating drinks, as well as
uncontrolled emotions can result in physical, violence, and an
elder must not be in, must be in control of both of those now,
I've known people in my lifetime, every time they went
out and drink, they got a fight. In other words, they're drinking
was connected or their use of intoxicants was connected to
their behavior and they became Bible.
Is that why Paul lists of these one after the other?
I don't know. Makes sense though.
I've known two kinds of people when they get drunk, one loves
everybody. The other one wants to fight
everybody. Can't do that.
Can't be a violent person. In fact what we need to be, is
this, this is the flip side and Elder is gentle considerate of
the other person. Incidentally, so is a Christian.
Second Timothy 2:24 25 and the servant of the Lord must not
quarrel, but be gentle to all able to teach patient in
humility correcting, those who are in opposition, if God,
perhaps will grant them repentance.
So that they may know the truth. So an elder can't drink and he
can't be violent. What else?
He can't be greedy for money. You know, this is an interesting
one here. Interesting one here, found in
our passage, not greedy for money, it actually comes from a
Greek word. That means he is not a lover of
money. This word is only found in two
places in all of the Bible to places it's found here and it's
also found in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5 and it's translated
in Hebrews 13:5 as Covetousness as the King James renders that
and it's also translated and rendered in the NIV as free from
the Love of Money. Now, what is the root of all
evil? It is not money.
It is the Love of Money. It's the Love of Money.
David Lipscomb said this. This is a person who is not
willing to use, wrong means to obtain money.
He's not anxious for sudden riches.
Another commentator said this, we're talking about someone if
he is guilty of this being greedy for money, we're talking
about someone that has an intense fondness for money
avarice or miserliness. What does that mean?
Well, first of all, The word avarice means extreme Greed, for
material, gain or wealth. That's what a verse means.
So, in other words, the person that's greedy is going to be a
person. That's that Elder has to be the
opposite of that. What else a miser?
Have you ever known a miser? Sometimes people criticize
others that are close to the vest as more there.
Really a Miser, I'm not saying that a Frugal person is guilty
of being a miser. Please understand.
Because I'm going to tell you, we have to be good stewards of
our money. We have to do that.
We got to make good choices with what the Lord has blessed us
with, that's all true. So when I say that, somebody is
Frugal or somebody is really under control regarding their
finances. I'm not saying that's a miser.
I'm saying that a miser is somebody that's a person that
Hoards wealth and spends as little as possible, even when it
is necessary, it is the opposite of generous It's the opposite of
generous. This is a very neglected
qualification. Here's the point, though.
An elder that stingy and miserly with his own money, is probably
going to be the same way with the Lord's money.
A congregation that is miserly, won't spend the money to preach
the gospel. Now, I got to tell you, this
congregation does an excellent job.
And has the right attitude and the right Spirit when it comes
to spending the Lord's, money to preach the gospel.
As you know, that we support this congregation supports, I
believe seven Filipino preachers.
We support partly support, brother Duane permenter in
Hawaii. We support another preacher in
Africa, All of you, the congregation here supports me
and my living to preach the gospel.
We have gospel meetings where we will spend money when a preacher
comes and preaches the gospel. So, when I say about somebody
being a Miser, I'm certainly not speaking of this congregation
I'm just saying no wonder, no wonder it's a requirement,
because a man that is greedy for money is, guilty of Everest is
guilty of being a miser, guess what?
You put that value in, he'll be just as, as the opposite of
generous in the church, as he will be in his personal life,
have to be somebody of a generous spirit.
Elder should be examples of generosity.
In the church. Paul said, love the love of
money is the root of all kinds of evil.
An elder who is miserly will also be critical of those who
attempt to teach the truth about liberal giving.
That's true. My the way did you know this?
Did you know this? That that even happened to
Jesus? That even happened to Jesus a
couple weeks ago, Terry gave us an excellent lesson on, giving
on the contribution on liberal giving and how we give.
And the Bible's clear about how the money is to be spent in a
generous way and to take care of the work of the church.
A person. That's a miser will be critical
of somebody that taught a lesson like Terry top.
And you know what? What's amazing is you don't have
to feel bad. If there's a miser like that,
they take it like that, and they're critical.
Because guess what happened to the Lord to Jesus is teaching a
lesson in the Book of Luke on money.
And in Luke 16 and 14. Watch this.
Now the Pharisees who were lovers of money, also heard all
these things and they derided him but we're derided simply
means contempt or ridicule. So a person that's a miser, a
person that is greedy for money will criticize somebody that
teaches a lesson about how we should feel about money.
Paul go is not saying that an elder should not be concerned
about financial matters. In fact, Paul even defended the
fact that an elder can receive financial remuneration or
support for his Services, just like a preacher.
In fact, in 1st Timothy Chapter, 5 and verse 17.
Listen to this, let the elders who rule we'll be counted,
worthy of double honor. Especially those who labor in
word and Doctrine. Now, let me explain double
honor. Double honor doesn't mean he
gets to paychecks. Double honor.
One of them is talking about financial remuneration or
support and the other is talking about the honor of being in the
position of an elder. That is Honorable, it's
honorable before men in his honorable before God and helmet.
So what he's saying is if an elder is dedicating his entire
life to being an elder and teaching the word of God in word
and Doctrine, that's his job. Now he doesn't, he doesn't have
another job. Worthy of double honor.
The second honor is the financial support. so, Paul
wasn't saying, That Elder can't have anything to do with
receiving money. When elder serve in a full-time
capacity, they may be paid as preachers, who serve the church
and preach the gospel. First Corinthians 9, 14 even.
So the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel
should live from the gospel. Paul is simply saying with this
qualification that his attitude must be a certain way toward
material things. He must be generous and
unselfish Here's another one. He must be gentle and I got to
tell you. This doesn't mean that he's a
pushover. This doesn't mean he's not a
strong person. This doesn't mean that at all.
In fact the word gentle there comes from a Greek word.
Get this. That means mildness Channel -
fairness and sweet reasonableness.
Let's flip that. Have you ever dealt with a
person that was completely unreasonable?
if you ever had a discussion with somebody, and the person
was completely unreasonable, You are wasting your time when you
deal with an unfair or unreasonable person.
So the elders supposed to be this guy, he is jail.
What does that mean? He is gentle, he's Fair, he's
reasonable. He's a reasonable man.
The King James renders, this passing simply patient.
This word is also found in other passages in James chapter 3 and
verse 17. But the wisdom that is from
above is first. Pure then Peaceable, gentle
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, with
partiality. And without hypocrisy.
Here's another passage Titus Chapter 3 and verse 2 to speak.
Evil of no one. Same word to be Peaceable.
Gentle showing all humility to all men, Philippians 4 15, let
your gentleness be made known to all men.
The Lord is at hand. So instead of what he's saying
is instead of being this guy, Don't do that.
Be that guy. In your demeanor, in your
behavior. And be reasonable be yielding to
your relations with your relations to others.
In fact, Paul also uses the word to describe the general nature
of every servant. Which means this.
It is all Christians. Except with the ability to teach
it says in the CERN of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle
to all able to teach and patient.
So a person that is gentle an elder is described in that way.
As someone that is gentle kind yielding and moderate.
And again here's another example of somebody that could be put in
a category of someone that demonstrates self-control Let me
just say this, before we go to the next one.
Don't you think with a lot of the things that we have noticed?
I'm talking to the man. I'm talking to the women in a
lot of the things that we have noticed be regarding demeanor
and behavior. Don't you think that if you
would do these things and work on these things in your life,
you would be a better Christian. So when I preach on elders,
don't think that if you're a sister in the congregation that
it really goes, those are great points but they don't have
anything to do with me. That's not true.
There are many things that are exclusive to the office of an
elder but there's a many things that also affect and include all
Christians. Now, an elder is a man.
Also, that is not quarrelsome. Not quarrelsome.
In other words, he's a man that is without battle and that comes
from the Greek word a makos. Now, one of the ways to
understand the word a mako's is to look at the Greek noun, the
opposite of that. So what's the opposite?
The opposite is the word mock. Oh by the way, do you see what
kind of English word looks like that word.
Remember that Ridiculous song Macho Macho Man.
And what they did is they took that song as describing a man
that was a manly man who was called a macho man.
What they're doing is what they're doing is they're kind of
misapplying, the word mock. Oh the Greek word mock.
Oh it means this somebody that is guilty of squirrels disputes
and fighting so, that word means, so, in other words, Don't
be physically violent. Don't be argumentative.
Don't be involved in corals all the time.
Disputes all the time. Paul said also to avoid
questions that gender strife and in the very end and that's about
in second Timothy 223, the very next word, The Neighbor.
Next verse is the verb form of the word used in this passage
notice this and the servant of the Lord must not quarrel.
It's the verb form of this word. Don't do that.
Don't be a quarrelsome type person.
Now a little context at this time, you know, many of the Jews
were being very contentious and they were being quarrelsome
about certain theories that they had developed concerning the law
and they were very argumentative about that.
Paul told Timothy, don't engage in these squirrels with the
Jews. He told Titus the same thing in
Titus 3 and 9. He said but avoid Des foolish
disputes, genealogies contentions and strivings about
the law for they are unprofitable and Useless.
Now, I'm not saying that you don't urge Lee contend for the
faith. I'm not saying you don't stand
for the truth. I'm not doing that at all.
But have you ever had a religious discussion with
someone? And they really didn't want the
truth. It just wanted to fight.
They just wanted to argue. They had a preconceived idea of
what they thought they believe. So instead of sitting down with
the word of God and reasoning with the word of God to find the
truth, all they wanted to do was quarrel and fight the Jews were
like that. The Jews were guilty of that,
they had all these theories around the law and they wanted
to argue, they wanted to be quarrelsome.
They wanted to be contentious. It wanted to cause problems.
Paul told and to passages Timothy and Titus don't do that.
Don't do that. I had a Bible study one time
with the fella. He did that.
He came in with a paper bag and the paper bag was full of all
kinds of books. And these books were basically
proving in his mind is fiery about Christianity and salvation
and it was where he got all of his thoughts and what have you.
And I showed up with only the Bible.
And he got mad when I refused to look at the books.
I said, read that right there. Very respectfully and kindly
read that he read it and then he said, but it doesn't mean that.
I said, why isn't that? Why doesn't it mean that you
only did? He went into the bag?
Is? No, no, no.
The bags off lemons. And then he got mad, he wanted
to argue and fight. You really want to know the
truth one to fight? What I'm saying is this, that
kind of a personality of somebody that wants to fight, he
can't be an elder. He can't be an elder.
He can't be a quarrelsome or argumentative person.
And finally, here's our last one, it's obvious and quick.
Here it is. It fits Being Greedy for money
falls into line with the very same thing, and it's the idea of
not being covetous, not being covetous.
Now, Kenneth wuest says that not being covetous means he is not
fond of silver. But he is free from the love of
silver. He further said it's similar to
being greedy for money. In other words, the love of
money is not his problem. This is the guy that says he's
free from the love of that and he's not materially minded.
Money is not his God. That's all that means.
Guess what we've done and for lessons in for sermons we now
knocked out 15 qualifications. So in closing and in conclusion,
here they are. We talked about all of these,
I'm not going to go back into these, we talked about these
before, we began our lesson but there they are.
What do we know today? He can't have anything to do
with drinking it all. He's got to stay away.
From any all those intoxicants he's not to be a striker or a
violent man, physical altercations.
He can't be that kind of a guy. He was not be greedy for money.
He must have a generous spirit and not be a miser for that.
He must be gentle in that. He must be a reasonable man.
A fair man one, that considers the other person's thoughts and
the other person as a person when they discuss things with
him. He's not to be a quarrelsome.
Argumentative kind of guy and he must not be Covetous.
Money cannot be his God, he must have only one God and everything
else Falls in line with that. I'm through this morning.
Thank you for your kind listening.
I hope and pray that something was said that was helpful and
encouraging to you. In some way, as we continue our
series on such an important thing as being an elder and his
work. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.