Qualifications for a Bishop

“QUALIFICATIONS OF A BISHOP”

First Timothy 3.1-7

We will take a brief look at the qualifications God has set forth for him who would be an overseer of the Church of Jesus Christ, the meaning of the word bishop that translates ἐpίskopo.[1] First Timothy 3.1-7:

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

While the qualifications Paul lists in this letter to Timothy sharply restrict any man who is to be a bishop to one who is a mature, Spirit-led, Christian man and excludes many men and all women in our Churches from consideration, this ought not so to be.

These qualifications that we will look at cannot be met by any Christian woman but should be met by far more men in any New Testament Church who have been saved for any length of time than is usually the case. Sadly, this is not true. Most of the valid differences between those who are qualified to be elders in a Church and those who are not but may someday be qualified is God’s calling to the office of bishop and the subsequent character and knowledge of Scripture gained by preparing for that calling.

The qualifications Paul lists are to be present possessions of the bishop, not realizations he hopes to someday possess. No one will be perfect in these marks set before him in Scripture, but the man of God must have a track record. God’s program of ministry is a life-and-death matter. Those officers that function in the Church must have a history of life that establishes their record of dedicated service to Christ and their faithfulness in so doing.

We will notice that these qualifications are broad in scope, covering a man’s visible relationship to others, his family, his God, and even his mastery over self. Paul doesn’t list conditions of the heart whereby a man examines himself, but rather a man’s actions and experiences as they are observed by others. This is where some young men get tripped up. They will insist that their hearts are ready for the ministry, but that isn’t enough. They must be willing to do whatever is necessary to prove to others and to the pastor they are sitting under, by their experiences and outward actions, that they are qualified to serve.

Those of you who will look at Paul’s letter to Titus and study the qualifications listed there will notice some slight differences in the qualifications listed. I will mention one or two of the differences as we proceed. This is my second pastorate. I remind you that I was somewhat surprised at the total lack of questioning in this area when I candidated for this pastorate approaching forty years ago. Not that I had any concerns about my qualifications. Rather, I thought more Church folks would scrutinize me in this area. However, the same was true at my first pastorate. No real scrutiny.

This is not desirable because the bishop is the foremost and most prominent teacher and leader in any Church because of his position. He is supposed to be, spiritually, in no way exalted above anyone else in the congregation. However, his position makes him more prominent than most other members. The pastor should be farther along the pathway of the Christian life than most members and heading in the direction where the other godly and growing folks are also headed. By the time Church members get to where the pastor is, he should have moved forward along the road in his spiritual walk.

As we look to a bishop’s qualifications, notice what Paul had to say about the office itself in First Timothy 3.1:

a) Paul’s letter to Timothy, inspired by the Holy Ghost, contains a commendation of the office, and the man who desires the office:

“If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

b) The office needs commendation from someone because it is a challenging office. I have found no one not a pastor who I think comprehends the burden of pastoring, including too many pastors. Even a preacher’s wife and children do not actually feel the weight of responsibility that loads down upon the heart of a man who really cares. However, they carry their own unusual burdens unappreciated by those who know them.

c) The man who aspires to this office is commended because God has placed into his heart a yearning to serve God that can only be satisfied in this way. The word is ὀrέgoo, “to stretch oneself out, to aspire to, to desire.”[2] This is not the usual Greek word for passion or appetite. And the word carries no baggage as always being a suspicious or ambitious desire. Context rules, and in this context, Paul establishes that the yearning of a qualified man to engage in this ministry is a good thing.[3]

d) Many people desire the office of a bishop for the wrong reasons. Others misinterpret a strong sentiment for the ministry as being the same as a calling to the ministry. Many mothers and fathers want their children to be in the ministry. This is because they do not know what it is like. I am beginning to appreciate the ministry of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, more and more.

e) Again, this word “desire” Paul uses, ὀrέgoo, refers to a yearning that is not It is an appetite that is not ambition placed into the qualified man’s heart by God alone. Surprising to me are the many times such callings of men are against the desire of their pastor.

As we examine these qualifications, remember that God wants more men to have these same qualifications, whether or not He has called them into the Gospel ministry.

First, PAUL LISTS PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Verses 2-3:

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.

We take them one at a time:

First, “A bishop then must be blameless.” This word blameless, ἀnepίlhmpton, signifies that which cannot be called into account. It implies not merely acquittal but even the absence of a charge of accusation being reasonably leveled against someone. Unimpeachable.[4] We know that in every Church there are those who would either try to do harm to the pastor or allow the pastor to be harmed without lifting a finger or making a comment to stop it. This is why Paul wrote,

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses,”

in First Timothy 5.19.

Should someone accuse me of wrongdoing, the Scriptural thing to do is to ask that individual to accompany you to my office, where I can be charged to my face and presented with the facts. Should the accuser neglect to do this, then it is your responsibility to confront that person about their sin and then inform me about it if they refuse to ask seek forgiveness. In this way the Church is guaranteed to never have any pastor’s sins swept under the rug and at the same time of never being torn apart by slander against the pastor. That is the Biblical way to do it.

Next, “the husband of one wife.” This is among the most controversial phrases in the Bible, with scholars agreed that the phrase is rendered “one-woman man,” but with a great division on the implications of what a one-woman man is. At the very least, it refers to a man who is married. Because I am qualified in this area, no matter what Paul meant, you can rest assured that I have no ax to grind. My initial view was that an individual who was divorced before his conversion, or an individual who was divorced from an unfaithful wife, could become a one-woman man, as the notion was understood in the first century by the Greek-speaking world. I went so far as to employ and recommend such a man in this Church and even performed his second marriage. However, while I am convinced that God grants a right to remarriage when a divorce occurs before conversion and also on the grounds of unfaithfulness by the ex-wife, I am no longer persuaded someone with a history of divorce qualifies for the office of a bishop.

My reasons for embracing this historically majority view position that no one I am aware of challenged until the Pentecostals and Charismatics began violating Scripture in this regard in the 1960s? Oops. Henry VIII disputed this position, but he is hardly a valid advocate of any biblical position. The strongest support favoring this once universally held position is the representation to the unsaved world that the pastor’s marriage properly conveys to the lost of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church of Jesus Christ, especially in the first century when divorce and remarriage were rampant.

First-century Greeks and Romans were very likely to have been divorced and remarried. Congregations were full of couples who had been previously married. With the Church of Jesus Christ supposedly being all about putting on display things that are supposed to be in the Christian life because of the believer’s relationship with Christ, one wonders what else the apostle could mean by such a qualification for spiritual leaders? Can you become qualified for the pastorate with a living ex-wife? No.

Third, “vigilant.” Nefάlion means to be “sober, sober-minded, clearheaded. The word originally connotes abstinence from alcohol, but it has a wider, metaphorical sense here.”[5] Not only does God not want any drunkards in the Gospel ministry, He also does not want men with the personalities of buffoons and clowns. Need I say more?

Fourth, “sober.” Soofrona means to be self-controlled.[6] It only makes sense that spiritual leaders in the Church should have self-control as a description of their lifestyles. After all, the Christian life is supposed to be a disciple’s life, and a disciple is a disciplined one.

Fifth, “of good behavior.” Kόsmios sounds much like cosmetics because it comes from the same word that gives us the word cosmetics. Not that a preacher is to wear makeup. The word means to be orderly and implies a well-ordered demeanor, the orderly fulfillment of all duties, and the ordering of the inner life from which these spring.”[7] The man who occupies the office of bishop is not to be a flagrant and braggadocios sort of man. Gregarious is one thing, but a “Hey, look at me!” personality is quite another matter. Related to this qualification is my sermon titled “Ostentatious Christianity?”[8]

Sixth, “given to hospitality.” Filόxenon means lover of strangers. Fίlos is a Greek word referring to love, and xέnos, perhaps you have heard the English borrow word xenophobe, hater of strangers, hater of foreigners, means strangers. A lover of strangers, acted out by displays of hospitality, was very important in the days when few Christians could afford accommodations as they traveled. It is also important these days. I would suggest you not consider calling any man to be your pastor in the future who cannot provide you with a list of names of people who have stayed in his home or dined at his table.

Seventh, “apt to teach.” Didάktikos means “able to teach” or “skilled at teaching.”[9] If you have a preacher who can’t teach his way out of a paper bag, there is a problem. Probably the most crucial aspect of the bishop’s functions is his skill at communicating God’s Word. A boring Bible teacher is unqualified to be a pastor. Notice that of all the qualifications we’ve looked at thus far, this is the one that indicates what a bishop’s function will be. To this point, the qualifications provide credibility to an audience who willingly listens to the man. Once there are people who will listen to the man, is the man capable of communicating with the audience? God’s plan centers around the right man doing the right job.

Eighth, “not given to wine.” Pάroinos might seem related to “vigilant,” and it is. It means “one who is long at his wine, one who is a slave of drink.”[10] “Whereas in the OT drinking wine is sometimes pictured as a good thing, in the NT wine is not pictured in a positive light (except for medicinal use.) ... drinking for enjoyment is never recommended.”[11] There seems to be a connotation of a man who likes to party. God’s man doesn’t have time for this kind of behavior as a life habit. At least he shouldn’t have time for this.

Ninth, “no striker.” Plektes describes someone who is “not a giver of blows, not given to violence.”[12] Think of how proud you would be having the toughest man in town for a preacher. Not! How can a bishop engage in fisticuffs when our examples in the New Testament refused to defend themselves against all attackers? Defending others is one thing, but defending yourself is not something we see God’s spiritual leaders engaged in.

Tenth, “not greedy of filthy lucre.” Meh aἰscrokede means not shamelessly greedy for money, avaricious, fond of dishonest gain.[13] I don’t think I have ever heard of many Baptist preachers who were greedy. If they were, they would probably go into some mainline denominational church, a Charismatic church, or a Pentecostal church. That’s where the money is.

Eleventh, “patient.” Ἐpieike refers to “equity, lenient, kindly, forbearing.”[14] This is a person who will look at the humanity and reasonableness of the facts of any situation. This is a difficult trait to have. Pastoring is a people-growing calling. And people do not grow spiritually like plants, evenly and predictably. People grow and then shrink and then grow and then shrink. You can never tell what is going on with some people. You have no choice but to be patient. Sadly, some preachers try to force the issue, and the results are never good.

Twelfth, “not a brawler.” Ἄmacos is related to the ninth qualification of not being a striker, but this word leans more to one who does not engage in verbal combat. “Without fighting, not a fighter, not contentious.”[15] A pastor should not be one who has a habit of engaging in talk fights with those who oppose his position and practice. Let them rail on. God’s people will defend their pastor if need be. God will defend His man.

Thirteenth, “not covetous.” Ἀfilἀrguros refers to money, pure and simple. “Not a lover of money.”[16] Sometimes there is a danger of the desire for material possessions that creeps in. That would be greedy of filthy lucre, qualification number ten. At other times there is just an attraction to money. This qualification speaks to that. By the way, covetousness is idolatry, Colossians 3.5.

These are the personal qualifications that a bishop must have to be qualified. Only such a man should be considered when reviewing these requirements.

Next, PAUL LISTS A DOMESTIC QUALIFICATION

Verses 4-5:

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

The single qualification added to his already existing marital status is given in verse 4. The word rule, proΐstemi, means “to stand before, to rule over, to manage.”[17] How can God’s chain of command in the home be modeled and reinforced through the Church if the most visible teacher in the Church doesn’t have his own home situation well in hand? Amazingly, you will find that many people will oppose a pastor all over America, not for failing on this point, but for being strong on this point. We must understand that men and women all across America who profess to be Christians oppose God’s plan for the home and the Church.

You ladies must take courage. The assault is being made in your direction by Satan. When your pastor, or any pastor, is attacked for taking a Biblical stand on these issues, you need to pray that God will strengthen him against all Satanic opposition. God will not help us so long as weak men refuse to rule their homes but will help us by strengthening men to rule their homes. Do not forget that men need to be and do those things that make them worthy of a wife’s respect and willingness to follow. Hey, guy. You have to earn it!

Next, Paul gives the reasoning for the necessity of this domestic qualification. Ruling the home is easier than ruling the Church of God. Being a husband is easier than being a pastor. Additionally, one wonders how a man can show strength in his home when he isn’t married. He cannot.

This is where the Church of Rome is all wet. History shows that a spiritual leader who is not content in his home will be a distracted congregation leader. Rome maintains that being married and pastoring is too big a job for a man. Better, they say, to devote all of your time to one or the other.

Third, PAUL GIVES A CHRISTIAN LIFE EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATION

Verse 6:

“Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

Novice, neόfutos, from which we get the English word neophyte, refers to a new convert who has not had the experience of weathering the storms of life that only come over some time.[18] Thus, a new Christian does not qualify because he risks the great danger of being lifted up with pride. Paul warns Timothy that this sin of pride is the same sin that led to the fall of the Devil. To place a new believer into this kind of position would subject him to temptations that might lead to irreparable harm in his Christian life, not even mentioning his lack of knowledge of God’s Word. Charles H. Spurgeon was the rarest of exceptions to this principle, becoming a pastor in his teens. Often you will do a new believer a favor by holding him back in certain areas of service for his own good. I once held a man back from becoming one of our deacons because of his strong tendency toward pride. The result? He left the Church with his entire clan, proving he had a significant pride problem. Was I ever forgiven for helping him? I don’t think so!

In Titus, you might notice there are no warnings about novices from Paul. This might be because Timothy, being young, was more likely to gather younger men around him. Perhaps, for that reason, Paul saw fit to warn him about novices while not so warning the older Titus. As a young Timothy kind of pastor, I had to be very careful about elevating young Christians too fast into positions of responsibility. Only by external behavior can a congregation examine a young man desiring the office of a bishop. Just as Timothy had charge of this matter at Ephesus, I had charge of this matter when I was younger.

Any man aspiring to greater responsibilities must have these attainments visible in his life—especially young men. As Paul cautioned Timothy, you who are young must be careful in this area. Our congregation must be convinced a young man has matured enough to handle additional responsibilities before considering him as a pastor. I never want to be guilty of bringing a man on too fast. I must see proof that, though young, the man is no longer a novice.

Finally, PAUL GIVES A TESTIMONY AMONG THE LOST QUALIFICATION

Verse 7:

“Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

Here many pastors fall down. And not always through their own fault. One of my uncles was a successful bank loan officer who told me long before I entered the ministry what little regard creditors have for those in the ministry.

My uncle, a marvelous Christian, suggested this was because Gospel ministers were by far the lowest-paid professions in proportion to their level of expertise in any profession he had dealt with. He said that too often, Churches have the attitude that a pastor should be poor and humble. The congregation believes, “God, keep him humble, and we will keep him poor.”

As I relate this to you, I do so from my concern for my eventual successor. My wife and I are comfortable at present, and we have no issues with unsaved people regarding a bad report for misconduct or owing money because we owe no money.

Just be careful that you look after a younger ministry couple who comes to this ministry after us. I am persuaded that one of the issues my predecessor had here with several lost people was their resentment that the pastor had taken advantage of them regarding financial matters by driving hard bargains with folks and refusing to pay them what he felt he did not owe them. Really? How wise is it to risk being badmouthed by an angry man or woman because you squeezed money out of them, and they felt you had taken advantage of them by driving a hard bargain? I would urge you to make sure you take good enough care of the next pastor and his family that he feels no compulsion to unwisely drive hard bargains with people, thereby risking long-term anger and resentment. Our Church ended up paying off a number of claims to cool the rage of individuals who felt they had been taken advantage of by my predecessor, perhaps because he felt a money squeeze.

Help your next pastor maintain a good reputation with the lost community. And be careful yourself when it comes to driving hard bargains with unsaved people who might resent being squeezed so hard when you are deal-making. It does not always reflect well on a Christian to win such negotiations if it leaves the other party resentful.

So, there are four areas of a man’s life that are subject to scrutiny if he aspires to the office of a bishop if he thinks God might want him to be a pastor. These areas include his personal disposition, his domestic life, his experience in the Christian life, and his reputation among the unsaved. When you think about it, these areas are important in everyone’s life.

How does your life measure up in these areas?

These are great topics to discuss with your children. Talk these things over slowly, courageously, and honestly, all the while probing to elicit their true responses to your inquiry of their opinions about your personal qualifications.

“Pastor, what about some men and all women who claim God has called them to the Gospel ministry?” I respond by asking, “Do you use your experiences and feelings to interpret the Bible? Or do you use your Bible to interpret your experiences?” I know of missionaries who spent years raising support to get to the mission field, where they learned that while God had given them a profound burden for missions, they had no success and, hence, no calling. They misunderstood a God-given interest for a calling from God.

If someone is not qualified according to God’s Word, I would advise studiously, prayerfully, and energetically devoting yourself to being the best help to your pastor you can possibly be. What is written down always and in every case trumps what is felt. I imagine those of the house of Stephanus, First Corinthians 16.15, who was addicted to ministry, and Tabitha, who was called Dorcas, Acts 9.36, was just such a woman.

I am reminded of a woman who started Churches in Peru. “But you said women should not be pastors.” True, and she was no pastor. She moved into remote villages and conducted Bible studies among whoever would attend. She stayed in contact with nearby Baptist pastors, who would come and baptize the converts.

Then, when God called a man to be the pastor of the congregation, she would ask him if he wanted her to remain or move on to another village. In that way, she started Churches without pretending to be a pastor. See? There is a way to serve God within the boundaries of God’s qualifications.

_________

[1] Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Rogers III, Cleon L., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1998), page 491.

[2] Ibid.

[3] William D. Mounce, Pastoral Epistles - Word Biblical Commentary 46, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), page 168.

[4] Rogers, page 492.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Available upon request at www.ClassicalBaptist.Press or pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church by asking for pamphlet #59

[9] Rogers, page 492.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Mounce, page 175.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Bauer, Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), page 29.

[14] Rogers, page 492.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

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