Qualifications Of Church Overseers Series

Let us continue to worship our God by again listening to what was said to Timothy as he was called to minister for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Open your Bibles to the First Letter to Timothy in the New Testament…..

Before we read our passage for today, let us note again the calling of Timothy… read along with me again 1 Timothy 1:3-5….

Timothy was appointed by the Apostle Paul to minister in Ephesus.

In our passage today, we will note the qualifications for an “overseer”. The biblical definition for this word is a bishop, a pastor, or an Elder as we call them today. Next week, we will note the qualifications for deacons (church leaders/ministers).

Let us also note that at the end of 1 Timothy Chapter 2, God’s states how men and women in church were to behave. Now in Chapter 3, we will learn God’s desires for church leaders. Read along with me now 1 Timothy 3:1-7….

V1: a trustworthy saying – i.e. must be followed, not just what was said in 1 Timothy 2:8-15

And so God gives qualifications for those who desires to be an “overseer”! Let us note the timeframe here in Ephesus; the church was just being built through the Apostle Paul, Timothy, the Holy Spirit, and God’s Words. Since Timothy was appointed, the qualifications were for Christian men who wanted to be overseers (Bishops, Pastors, Elders) of this now growing, active new group!

The church in Ephesus was growing and there were men who wanted to take leadership, likely as the world saw manly leadership! Remember the type of society they were in (a pagan society driven by ancient Greek and Roman culture = worldly).

What we note was God protecting His Church with the right godly leadership: As we look at the list, God was looking for someone "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound; Like a bird, like a plane, like Superman!”

God was protecting His church and He was basically saying, if you want to oversee the church, you must be like Superman! Let’s take a closer look at what God was looking for.

V1: If one desires to be an “Overseer” for God, they must desire a “noble” task! The original Greek meaning for a noble task is to do good, honorable, excellent work! Therefore….. An overseer’s goal is to always do the right things for God alone! This is a sign of the right Pastor/Elder of a church when they are always seeking to do the right things for God! If a person desires to oversee the church, they must have the attitude, “I need to be Superman for God!” An “overseer” for the church must have the attitude that they will always do the godly things! Now, what qualifications does God require for an “Overseer”?

V2-7: an Overseer must….

1. Be above reproach – have nothing in his life that people can use to attack the church

2. Be husband of but one wife – is pretty straight forward that an Overseer must be devoted to his wife; some today make this complicated but let us note that God does not really directly require marriage or prevent remarriage, whether by the wife’s passing or a righteous divorce, just a man committed to his wife!

3. temperate – reliable, trustworthy, not prone to wide swings of vision, mood, or action

4. self-controlled – soberminded - able to think and come across clearly with serious matters and careful with humor; I find it a turn off when a Pastor or elder always has a sarcastic remark about someone.

5. respectable – of good behavior, modest

6. hospitable – willing to open their home and care for people

7. able to teach – a student of God’s Word to be able to teach

8. not given to drunkenness – applies to drinking alcohol, but today we must also include addiction to drugs (must live with Ephesians 5:18…)

9. not violent but gentle

10. not quarrelsome – not always looking for a fight or debate to win

11. not a lover of money

12. manage his own family well – the home must be a Christian church, especially with dependent children; let us note that a Pastor/Elder having a family and a home tells a lot about that person; some say, if you want to know a person, look at their kids!

13. must not be a recent convert – must demonstrate spiritual maturity

14. have a good reputation with outsiders – must have a godly testimony to the world

And so, what does this all mean to us today?

1. The Christian church is God’s and He will protect it according to His will!

We must always listen to God’s voice in everything, especially with church! The church is God’s and will provide the right instructions for it! All of the qualifications listed for a Pastor/Elder in 1 Timothy 3 will provide for a godly church and must be followed always!