Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20120415.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Timothy: God's Ministry Roles For Church Leaders And The Local Church
Part IX: God's Qualifications For Local Church Elders
C. God's Personal Life Qualifications For Local Church Elders
(1 Timothy 3:2-3, 6-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. God's plan for the local church involves a key role for its human leaders who must necessarily meet certain qualifications that help and not hinder God's work in the body.
    2. Yet, the dysfunction of many men in today's world makes it imperative that church leaders be examples to other men in their personal lives that affect their institutions of marriage, family, government and church.
    3. Accordingly, we view those personal life qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:2-3, 6-7 as follows:
  2. God's Personal Life Qualifications For Local Church Elders, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, 6-7.
    1. Paul claimed in 1 Timothy 3:1 that if one desired to serve in the office of church elder, he desired a kalos work, one "at once seen to be good" versus an agathos work which "is good in virtue of its results," U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 723; Moulton & Milligan, The Vocab. of the Greek N. T., 1972, p. 318. Thus, it is essential that elders (and all church leaders by application) be immediately seen by all onlookers, be they immature believers or the outside observing world, as qualified and good for the office itself!
    2. Thus, the following personal life qualifications are essential for church leaders, 1 Tim. 3:2-3, 6-7 (NIV):
      1. An elder must be "irreprehensible" (anepilaptos), "affording nothing which an adversary could take hold of, on which he might ground a charge," Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T. ; Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the N. T., 1973, p. 381-382; 1 Timothy 3:2a.
      2. An elder must be "sober" relative to wine (nephalios, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Theol. Dict. of the N. T., v. IV, p. 939-941), which applies to all substance abuse, 1 Timothy 3:2c. Similarly, 1 Timothy 3:3a claims he must not "be addicted to wine" (paroinos, Ibid., p. 634), which applies to all substance abuse, that he avoid alcoholism or drug addiction.
      3. An elder must be "moderate, show self-restraint" (sophron, Ibid., U. B. S. Greek N. T.; Ibid., Theol. Dict. of the N. T., v. VII, p. 1103), 1 Timothy 3:2d.
      4. An elder must be "well-mannered, honorable" (kosmios, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., Theol. Dict. of the N. T., v. III, p. 896), 1 Timothy 3:2e.
      5. An elder must be "hospitable" (philoxenos, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 868), 1 Timothy 3:2f.
      6. An elder must be "skillful in teaching" (didaktikos, Ibid., p. 190), 1 Timothy 3:2g.
      7. An elder must not "be pugnacious, a bully," (plektes, Ibid., p. 675), 1 Timothy 3:3b.
      8. An elder must rather be "gentle" (epieikes, Ibid., p. 292), 1 Timothy 3:3c.
      9. An elder must be "peaceable" [lit. Non-argumentative] (amaxos, Ibid., p. 44), 1 Timothy 3:3d.
      10. An elder must be "not greedy" [lit. not-loving-money] (aphilarguros, Ibid., p. 126), 1 Tim. 3:3e.
      11. An elder must not be a new convert [lit. not a "neophyte"] (neophutos, Ibid., p. 538; 1 Timothy 3:6) lest he be lifted up with pride for his sudden elevation to church leadership and fall into the condemnation of the devil who was also lifted up with pride, leading to his fall, cf. Isaiah 14:12-14; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftns. to Isaiah 14:12 and 14:13-14.
      12. An elder must have a testimony that is kalos before the lost world (Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.), one that is "at once seen to be good" lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Tim. 3:7), lest Satan "disgrace" him and through him the church "before a watching world," Bib. Kno. Com., N. T., p. 737.
Lesson: To be seen at once to be upright by all onlookers, even immature believers and the lost world, local church elders (and all church leaders by application) should be irreprehensible, free of substance abuse, self-restrained, well-mannered, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not a bully, but gentle, peaceable, not greedy, not a new convert nor having a bad reputation before the lost world.

Application: May we men get qualified in these realms of our personal lives to serve as local church leaders, and may we all strive by God's leading and power to see these qualities developed in our lives.