Some
Advice For Today's Church Leaders From the Apostle Paul
[1st
Timothy chapter 3]
Today
we will continue our ongoing study of the apostle Paul's writings,
taking up where we left off last week at the end of chapter two. In
this letter to Timothy, Paul cautions him about certain individuals
who crave to be in charge of a church, especially when it is for the
wrong reasons. Notice Paul's terminology as he applies it to the
church because it is different than today for the most part. So,
let's explore the details of this chapter beginning at verse one.
“Here
is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above
reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not
violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must
manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with
proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own
family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a
recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same
judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with
outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the
devil's trap.” (1st
Timothy chapter 3, verses 1-7, NIV)
Notice
Paul's terminology right here in the first verse. He calls the senior
church leader an overseer. Not a bishop, an archbishop, or a pope (my
apologies to all my Catholic brothers and sisters, but that's what
the Bible says, I mean no disrespect). These are man's terminologies,
and they should be viewed with skepticism. They weren't commonly used
until at least 300 years after the crucifixion, death and
resurrection of Christ. The head of a church, what we have become
accustomed to calling pastor, reverend, or bishop, should have the
title of overseer. And yet it is very seldom that we see or hear the
senior leader of a church addressed as such. This goes to show you
just how far off base the modern church has become – regardless of
denomination – since that time. “If
anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
Now the overseer must be above reproach...”. Paul
makes it abundantly clear that anyone who desires to be the head of a
church had better not have any skeletons in their closets. But he
goes much further than that. Divorced men and women, greedy people,
heavy drinkers and others who “party hardy” have no business in
the pulpit. Neither do people with overactive libidos, or who have a
bad temper or a mean disposition, or who are recent converts. On this
last point, this could include anyone who has been a Christian for,
say, less than 5-10 years.
An overseer must have a good reputation outside the
church as well as within. Nobody wants to have a crook or a swindler
as the head of any church. Contrast that to some churches today, who
spend all their money buying TV airtime so they can beg or grovel for
even more. I know of two Christian TV networks, whom I will decline
to name, that have millions of dollars in the bank drawing interest.
The interest alone on these deposited millions would generate
sufficient income to keep most any church solvent. Yet they always
beg for more. I know of two pastors right here in Atlanta where I
live that do this very thing. One of them drives a Rolls Royce, the
other drives a Bentley convertible (as before, I will decline to name
them). The question in my mind is, what are these two “ministers”
doing driving around in cars with six-figure price tags? That money
should be given to the poor and needy, as well as to help fund
outreach programs at the local, state, national and global level. The
price of a Rolls Royce would be sufficient to build at least three
houses for Habitat for Humanity. That's three more homeless families
that could be taken off the streets. Those who squander their
church's money on highly expensive cars, enormous homes, expensive
clothes, boats and even airplanes (I'm not kidding, there are TV
evangelists who have their own planes!) will be held accountable by
God at the final judgment. Having said enough about that – at least
for now – let's continue starting at verse eight.
“Deacons,
likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in
much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of
the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first
be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve
as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be worthy of respect,
not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A
deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his
children and his household well. Those who serve well gain an
excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ
Jesus. Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing these
instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought
to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all
question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among
the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”
(1st
Timothy chapter 3, verses 8-16, NIV)
Deacons,
for those readers who don't go to church much, are basically
assistant overseers. They answer to the overseer and the church as a
whole, and they are held accountable to one another. They must be
respectable, having a good reputation both within and out of the
church, and it is imperative that they take their limited authority
very seriously. They can't be shady salesmen or unscrupulous
businessmen or women, and their reverence towards God, combined with
their faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ, must be at the
forefront of their lives. “They
must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear
conscience.”
This point is simply non-negotiable to any serious Christian. Church
leaders can't be compromising with God, they can't lead Jekyll and
Hyde double lives, and they and their wives must remain faithful to
one another to set a good example for the rest of the church to
follow. “They
must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let
them serve as deacons.”
This brings to mind a couple of experiences from my own past. I first
became saved by Christ and committed the rest of my life to Him back
in 1992. Since then I have served as a musician in five different
churches, but I never started off that way in any of them. I sat
quietly and fed on the Word during my initial time with these
churches. I quietly let them know that I was a keyboard player and
that I was available if needed. Then, provided that the Lord led and
encouraged me to do so, I continued to attend weekly while beginning
the process of learning their music. On average, it took me as much
as four to six months just to get myself to a point where I had
learned their songs enough to be able to play them (I can read music,
but I mostly play by ear). During this trial process I learned as
much as I could about that particular church while giving them an
equal chance to get to know me as well. This is how I allow myself to
be tested by them and approved by God in that congregation. Deacons
and overseers are similar in this regard, except that the process for
them would be more rigorous than a musician. This is just one example
of what it means “to be tested”.
“A
deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his
children and his household well. Those who serve well gain an
excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ
Jesus.”
Based on Paul's writing, a divorced person can't be the head of any
church. There's no telling how many people are breaking this law of
God even as I write this. I can only tell you that the pastor at my
church has been married to the same lady for 31 years. Besides my
blogging, book writing and my website, if I didn't have those I would
still settle for being just a musician, having all of my former sins
from before I gave my life and my heart to the Lord washed away by
the blood of Jesus. That is good enough for me, and I am contented
with that. But I serve to the very best of my ability in order to
receive “excellent standing” and “great assurance” in Christ,
not just to make a good impression with other people. I encourage you
all to find a way to do the same. It doesn't matter what you do or
how you do it, just get it done with the knowledge that your service
gives you the greatest assurance in Christ.
“...you
will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of
the truth.”
The church, regardless of denomination, is God's household. Are we
loud and boisterous during church (babies excluded)? Of course not,
no one would do that. But order should be maintained, not because of
man-made traditions but because God is present, or at least I would
certainly hope so. The same goes for our everyday living. Let me ask
this question, for example. When you are driving in your vehicle, do
you drive it as if Jesus was sitting in the passenger seat? Because,
you know, he really is whether one believes it or not. Think about
that the next time you're stuck in traffic, or if somebody cuts you
off or pulls out in front of you. That's the proper perspective on
this entire issue, and on this particular chapter of 1st
Timothy as well. Jesus is both physical body and Spirit, and he “was
preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken
up in glory.”
He will be returning soon to take home his Bride, which is the
church. His bride must be spotless and without wrinkle or blemish, as
the Bible says in the book of Revelation. Since the time of His
return is very nearly upon us, let's take today's lesson to heart.
While you're at it, start warning people that His return is nearly
upon us. Therefore, this is how we should be living. We're just about
out of time.
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