The List

Monday, July 28th, 2008 | bible, elder, ministry, overseer, pastor, testimony, tradition

1 Timothy 3:2-7 contains a list that people usually consider to be qualifications for a leadership role within the Church. The normal practice (at least in Baptist circles) has little to do with determining if their leaders actually meet the requirements of this list, but they often use it if they want to kick their leaders out. I believe this list is there for a question, because they are items that mark true discipline and discipleship for Christ. However, I do not necessarily believe that a Christ-Follower must meet all these requirements to be considered someones leader/pastor/elder (whatever you may call them). The Bible gives us a number of examples of people who were leaders, people chosen by God. In this post I am going to pull out a few key characters and compare their life to this list. Hopefully, it will shed some light on this subject.

An overseer must (be)
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Noah
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Joseph
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Isaac
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Jacob
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Moses
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
David
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Solomon
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Judah
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Paul
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Peter
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Barnabas
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
Acts 14:23 Guys
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…
James
01. above reproach
02. a one woman man
03. temperate
04. prudent
05. respectable
06. hospitable
07. able to teach
08. not addicted to wine		 09. not pugnacious
10. gentle
11. peaceable
12. free from the love of money
13. one who manages his own household well
14. keeping his children under control with all dignity…
15. not be a new convert
16. he must have a good reputation outside the church…

*Disclaimer: These strikes are not exhaustive, they are based purely on my and another’s memory. Therefore, there may be more strikes given the lack of historical detail on some of these characters .

4 Comments to The List

Alan Knox
July 29, 2008

If this is truly a list of “qualification”, then I certainly do not “qualify”. And, in fact, I’ve never met anyone who does “qualify”.

-Alan

Aussiejohn
August 2, 2008

Lew,

I’m so pleased Alan commented because I’m in the same box, “unqualified”.

Thankfully, my lack has not limited God from using this imperfect, and “unqualified” child, for His glory, via the Gospel I’ve imperfectly preached.

Keith Watson
August 21, 2008

If we view the list as a list of perfections - that is - a temperate person is someone who has never or does never loose his temper, then the reality is that no one but Jesus would ever have been qualified.
My understanding is that this isn’t a list of perfections, but instead is a non-exhaustive list of character traits that demonstrate true gospel transformation in a persons life.
So the question isn’t ‘has he, or does he ever loose his temper?’ Rather, could we say that his general character is that of a temperate, peaceable man?
Gospel transformation and Fruit of the Spirit issues, not perfections.

Lew
August 21, 2008

Keith,

I agree 100%.

Thanks for commenting,
Lew

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