19: Is Your Pastor Biblically Qualified?

Welcome to the Ready for Eternity podcast. My name is Eddie Lawrence. We live in a time where pastoral scandals seem to make headlines almost every week. Many are left wondering what's gone wrong in our churches.

The answer may lie in a fundamental oversight, the biblical qualifications for church leadership. As scandals continue to rock congregations across the nation, it's clear that many so-called pastors fall far short of the standards set forth in Scripture.

In this episode, I'll talk about how returning to biblical principles could stem the tide of pastoral misconduct. It's time to ask, is your pastor biblically qualified? Why did Paul need to tell Timothy that the work of being an overseer, aka pastor, is a noble task in 1 Timothy 3 .1?

Similarly, why did he need to state that overseers must be above reproach, 1 Timothy 3 .2? It would seem that pastors in Ephesus were not above reproach and had ruined the reputation of the role of overseer.

Church pastors in Ephesus had so tarnished the role that Paul needed to affirm that the job is indeed honorable. Just as dirty politicians ruin the reputation of true statesmen, pastors who are not biblically qualified ruin the reputation of the role of overseer.

What are the biblical qualifications? They can be found in 1 Timothy 3 .2 -7 and also in Titus 1 .5 -9. Here is the complete list of qualifications from an overseer. A man is above reproach who possesses these qualities.

Husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, manage his household well, submissive children, not a recent convert, well thought of by unbelievers.

How do churches choose pastors? Unfortunately, when selecting pastors, the Bible's criteria often isn't the primary focus. Instead of trusting in God's ideal for a spiritual leader, we tend to lean to our own understanding.

We look for men who are like those described by Paul David Tripp, those who have a strong personality, who are quick-witted, forceful, domineering, able to win the day in a discussion or argument, and can cast vision and collect people.

In other words, churches tend to select pastors who are more like candidates for political office than the servant leader the Bible describes. When we disregard God's wisdom and replace it with our own, we are sure to make a mess of things.

This is one of the major reasons why we read about pastors caught up in scandals on a weekly.

Basis.

If you think I'm exaggerating, head over to ministrywatch .com and take a look at their website, especially the investigations page. For each dirty pastor or church leader that we read about on their website, I wonder how many are out there that are still getting away with it.

An unqualified pastor doesn't have to be a criminal offender to cause damage to the church. There are lots of so-called pastors who have developed a sense of entitlement. They see their position as one of power and authority, and they bully people to get their way.

This is in stark contrast to Peter's instructions to pastors.

Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5 .3.

Likewise, Jesus said that we're not to be like rulers who lord it over others.

Even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10, 42 -45.

Some pastors see their current church to be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. They want a larger church, a more prominent role in their denomination, or just to gain a following of their own.

In other words, church is about advancing their career. It's funny how the Lord never calls these guys to smaller churches with a smaller salary. Go figure. None of the character traits that describe a biblically qualified pastor in 1 Timothy 3, 2 -7 are difficult to understand.

In fact, all the words used to describe a man who is above reproach are pretty much self-explanatory. Even though the ideas are simple, let's take a look at them and make a few observations. First up, a man who is above reproach must be a one-woman man.

As we discussed in the previous podcast episode, a pastor must be a married man and manage his family well. A literal translation of the Greek word for husband of one wife is a one-woman man. Of course, this means pastors are male.

A qualified pastor has only one wife, and he must be faithful to her. He's not an adulterer, he's not flirtatious with women he's not married to, and a wise pastor will not even be alone with another woman when providing spiritual counseling.

A man who is above reproach must be sober-minded and self-controlled. The Greek word for sober-minded is often translated as temperate. This word means being very moderate in drinking alcohol or being restrained in conduct.

Someone that's self-controlled and level-headed. He must either abstain or drink in such moderation that his mind is never impaired. Self-control and clear thinking is the trait that Paul seems to be describing.

He's not careless, impulsive, rash, nor negligent. Overlapping somewhat with being sober-minded, he must also be self-controlled. This is the opposite of someone who is unrestrained and undisciplined.

This word can carry the nuance of sexual decency. The person is prudent and thoughtful. He avoids extremes. A man who is above reproach is respectable and hospitable. An overseer must be respectable or be of good behavior.

Decent and dignified are words which come to mind when thinking about such a man. He has qualities that evoke admiration or delight. He is the opposite of dishonorable, contemptible, or unworthy. Naturally, a respectable person is someone we like to be around.

This makes it important for a pastor to not be cold, unfriendly, unsociable, or unhelpful. He must be hospitable. He's someone who loves to be with people and welcomes them into his home. He must also be able to teach.

There is no such thing as a non-teaching pastor. Teaching is one of the gifts mentioned in several passages which is given for building up of the church. Think of Romans 12 .7, 1 Corinthians 12 .28, and Ephesians 4 .11.

In the Word Biblical Commentary, William D. Mounts says this,.

This is one of the more significant requirements of an overseer and sets him apart from the. The elders are the teachers. The deacons are more involved in the day-to-day serving.

One who is able to teach is neither a poor communicator nor unknowledgeable. A man who is above reproach is not a drunk or an addict. Being intoxicated is always condemned in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 5 .11 says we aren't even to associate with someone who claims to be a Christian but is a drunk.

A pastor can't be a carouser, an alcoholic, or an addict. The Greek word used in this passage portrays a person who spends too much time sitting with their wine. A man who is above reproach is not violent or quarrelsome.

The word violent in this verse denotes one who is pugnacious, a defiant person with a chip on his shoulder. Overseers cannot be violent bullies but must lead gently as 1 Peter 5 .3 says. A man who is harsh, forceful, hot-headed, or domineering is not fit to be a pastor.

Similarly, they must not be quarrelsome. This Greek word's definition conceptually overlaps with the previous trait of not being violent. Mounce says it is a strong term describing active and serious bickering.

It can even refer to physical combat. When selecting pastors, we should dismiss from consideration any man who shows signs of being belligerent, combative, divisive, bad-tempered, or thin-skinned. A man who is above reproach is not a lover of money.

We can infer that some in Ephesus were teaching not for the sake of the kingdom but in order to make money. So it is today. There are many men who pose as pastors pretending to have the best interest of the church at heart.

In reality, they are only doing what they do to line their pockets. A materialistic, covetous, greedy man who wants to spend the church's money with little to no financial oversight is a lover of money.

An overseer must not be a new Christian. New Christians are not spiritually mature and therefore unable to serve as overseers. They lack the wisdom and the spiritual insights that only time spent in study and church life can provide.

In short, they are simply not equipped for the task. Humility is one of the important characteristics that accompanies spiritual maturity. Paul says there's a real danger that an immature overseer would grow arrogant.

A man who is above reproach is well thought of by those outside the church. It's of utmost importance that the church doesn't fall into reproach. There is no faster way for that to happen than for its leaders to fall into disgrace.

Not only must a pastor have a good reputation inside the community of believers, but also among unbelievers. He's not a person who has a poor reputation or is disrespected, disliked, or untrusted. This isn't to say a pastor is perfect, but his character and reputation should be such that no legitimate claim can be made against him.

Some people look at these qualifications and conclude that they represent the pinnacle of Christian sanctification and maturity that seem impossible for the average disciple.

To possess.

However, these character traits are not the ultimate spiritual achievement. They are the minimum standards for those who would be pastors. Why would I say this? Because God expects all disciples to develop these character traits, with one exception.

The only qualification in 1 Timothy 3 verses 2 through 7 not expected of all believers is able to teach. Paul gave this list of requirements as a means of filtering out those who are unfit to serve as pastors.

If a man can't conduct himself in the manner expected of all Christians, he has no business leading the church. If you're skeptical that this is the conduct required of all Christians, I encourage you to follow the link in the episode description to the article that I'm narrating.

In that article, there is a table that gives a list of Bible verses that shows each one of these traits, with the exception of being able to teach, is expected of all Christians. I need to emphasize that it's the rotten apples that we hear about.

We might hear about them so much that we might despair there are any biblically qualified servants of God left. Be assured, there are still many, many men who are quietly serving the Lord faithfully as biblically qualified pastors.

You'll never hear of most of them. This is because they are too busy working to advance God's kingdom to toot their own.

Horn.

If you have a biblically qualified pastor, be thankful. Thank God for him, pray for him, and encourage him in his work. Shepherding a flock of God's people is often a thankless job.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. We hope this episode has deepened your understanding of Scripture. If you found this content valuable, please share it with your friends. For more biblical studies, visit our website at ReadyForEternity .com.

That's the word ready, the number four, and the word eternity. ReadyForEternity .com. Be sure and leave a comment on the Ready for Eternity Facebook page or reach out on Twitter. That's all for now.

Keep studying your Bible, growing closer to God, and getting ready for eternity.

See you next time.