May 13, 2004 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

The following is a study of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-11. This is an excerpt from the new Way of Life Advanced Bible Study Course “The Pastoral Epistles,” which was published in April 2004.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS:

1. God has always required high standards for those who lead His people. This was true for the judges of Israel (Ex. 18:21), the Levites (Le. 10:8-10), and the kings (De. 17:14-20).

2. The Lord’s standards for church leaders are much higher than anything which was required of O.T. leaders. That King David committed adultery and kept his office is not an example of the church. David was a king of a nation, not a pastor of a church.

WHAT IS NOT REQUIRED OF PASTORS?

1. A formal Bible education or a college degree is not required (Acts 4:13). The Apostles were not trained in a formal seminary and did not hold theological degrees, and the Bible says nothing about such a requirement. The pastor must be skillful in the Word of God, but he does not necessarily have to possess a theological degree.

2. Impressive appearance or demeanor is not required (1 Cor. 2:3-4; 2 Cor. 10:10).

3. Wealth and earthly connections are not required (Acts 3:6).

4. A great speaking gift is not required (2 Cor. 10:10; 11:6).

5. Great natural talents are not required (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

6. It is not required that the man fit every individual’s idea of what a church leader should be. The pastor must be blameless according to the standards of the Word of God, not blameless according to man’s standards and opinions.

WHAT ARE GOD’S STANDARDS FOR PASTORS?

HE MUST BE A MAN (1 Tim. 3:1, 2, 4-5).

A woman is not qualified to be a pastor. Compare 1 Tim. 2:12.

HE MUST BE BLAMELESS IN THE AREAS LISTED IN 1 TIMOTHY 3:2-5 AND TITUS 1:6-8.

“blameless” -- This does not mean sinless or perfect according to man’s standards. It means having no just cause for blame according to the areas listed in God’s standards. The Greek word anepileptos is also translated “unrebukeable” (1 Tim. 6:14). There should be nothing that the enemy can use against him and the church.

BLAMELESS IN HIS FAMILY LIFE (1 Tim. 3:2, 4-5; Titus 1:6). He is to rule his house “well.”

“the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2)

1. He should be a married man. This is in contrast to the Roman Catholic requirement of celibacy.
“It is implied here also, that he who has a wife and virtuous family, is to be preferred to a bachelor; for he who is himself bound to discharge the domestic duties mentioned here, is likely to be more attractive to those who have similar ties, for he teaches them not only by precept, but also by example (1 Tim. 3:4, 5). The Jews teach, a priest should be neither unmarried nor childless, lest he be unmerciful [Bengel]. So in the synagogue, ‘no one shall offer up prayer in public, unless he be married’ [in Colbo, ch. 65; Vitringa, Synagogue and Temple] (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).

2. He cannot be a polygamist. I knew a pastor in Nepal who has three wives, but the Bible forbids this.

3. He cannot be divorced and remarried. There are some who disagree with the position that the divorced man cannot be a pastor, but for the following three reasons I am convinced that this is the scriptural position.

a. The pastor should not be a divorced man because he is to be blameless in his marital status. The man who is divorced, though he can be forgiven and can serve the Lord fruitfully in many ways, does not have that blameless marital status that is required for this special office.

b. The pastor should not be a divorced man because he is to be an example of God’s perfect will to the church (1 Pet. 5:3). Though divorce is allowable under certain circumstances (Matt. 19:9), it is not God’s design for marriage (Matt. 19:3-6).

c. The pastor cannot be a divorced man the pastor has to preach the whole counsel of God, and if he has a broken and crippled marital status, he is not in a position to preach some things with complete authority. People tend to discount preaching when it is done by men who have serious blemishes.

4. He cannot have a poor relationship with his wife (1 Tim. 3:4-5). If a man does not know how to love and guide his wife in a godly manner, he will not know how to love and guide the church, which is an even greater and more difficult responsibility. A husband’s rule of a wife and a pastor’s rule of a church is not like worldly lording. It is not done with a harsh, overbearing attitude. It is a rule by love and humility and compassion and gentleness. If a man does not know how to treat his wife in this manner, he will not treat the church properly.

“having his children in subjection with all gravity” (1 Tim. 3:4)

1. The pastor must have his children under discipline. This is described in the book of Proverbs (13:24; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

2. The word “gravity” refers to the children’s obedient demeanor and their respectful attitude toward authority. Strong defines it as “venerableness.” The children are so trained that they respect authority. I know a pastor who has three children. When another church worker visited their home, the pastor and his wife told the children to give the best seat to the visitor. The children refused to move and instead of disciplining them, the pastor ignored the open disobedience as if nothing happened. He allows the children to do as they please. The pastor’s wife says that it is too much trouble to make the children obey. That man is not qualified according to God’s standards.

“having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly” (Tit. 1:6)

1. The pastor’s children must not have a poor testimony in the church and community. If children are not disciplined properly, they have a reputation of being unruly. Such a reputation greatly weakens the pastor’s testimony and injures the Lord’s work.

2. The children must not be accused of living in a riotous manner, referring to profligacy, licentiousness, recklessness, wastefulness, dissolution. The prodigal son wasted his substance in “riotous living” (Lk. 15:13). It refers to sensual partying, drinking, drugs, rock & roll, and such.

3. The children must not be accused of being unruly, meaning insubordinate, ungovernable, disobedient to authority. They are not children who refuse to obey their parents or to submit to other authority figures.

BLAMELESS IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE (1 Tim. 3:2-3; Tit. 1:8).

“vigilant” (1 Tim. 3:2)

1. This means circumspect; spiritually watchful.

2. The pastor is a man who knows that he is in a spiritual war and he lives his life cautiously and purposefully so as not to be overcome by his enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Compare 1 Th. 5:6-8; 2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Pet. 5:8.

3. Vigilant is the opposite of spiritual and moral carelessness.

“sober” (1 Tim. 3:2)

This means “self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion)” (Strong). The Greek word “sophron” is also translated “temperate” (Titus 2:2) and “discreet” (Titus 2:5). It is the opposite of intoxicated or spiritually and morally loose and careless.

“of good behaviour” (1 Tim. 3:2). This means “orderly” (Strong). The Greek word “kosmios” is also translated “modest” (1 Tim. 2:9).

“given to hospitality” (1 Tim. 3:2)

1. The Greek word “philoxenos” means “fond of guests.”

2. The pastor must be a man who enjoys showing hospitality, both to the unsaved and to the brethren. Compare Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9.

“not given to wine” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. The Greek word “paroinos” is a combination of two words para (near) and oinos (wine)

2. Some commentators say that this means only that the pastor must not linger at the wine and not be a drunkard. For the following two reasons, we believe Paul is saying the pastor should not go near wine.

a. The only way to avoid impropriety with alcoholic beverages of a certainty is to avoid them altogether (Prov. 20:1). The following is from John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides, 1891: “From observation, at an early age I became convinced that mere Temperance Societies were a failure, and that Total Abstinence, by the grace of God, was the only sure preventive as well as remedy. What was temperance in one man was drunkenness in another; and all the drunkards came, not from those who practised total abstinence, but from those who practised or tried to practise temperance. I had seen temperance men drinking wine in the presence of others who drank to excess, and never could see how they felt themselves clear of blame; and I had known Ministers and others, once strong temperance advocates, fall through this so-called ‘moderation,’ and become drunkards. Therefore it has all my life appeared to me beyond dispute, in reference to intoxicants of every kind, that the only rational temperance is Total Abstinence from them as beverages, and the use of them exclusively as drugs, and then only with extreme caution, as they are deceptive and deleterious poisons of the most debasing and demoralizing kind.”

b. This is even more true today than in ancient times, because wine and beer and other alcoholic beverages are much more potent today.

(1) “Today’s wine is by biblical definition strong drink, and hence is forbidden in the Bible. ... Therefore, Christians ought not to drink wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages for they are actually strong drink and are forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today” (Norman Geisler, Focus in Mission, Sept. 1986).

(2) “…to consume the amount of alcohol that is in two martinis today, by drinking wine containing three parts water to one part wine (the biblical ratio) a person would have to drink over twenty-two glasses” (Robert Stein, Focus in Mission, Sept. 1986).

“no striker” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. The pastor must not be a quarrelsome, pugnacious type of man who loves to fight.

2. There are two ways to strike others: with fists and with words. The pastor should not be the type who strikes out at others in either way. Some men do not use their fists, but they lash out at others with an angry tongue and pen, using vicious words and not representing the graciousness of Christ.

3. An example of a striker was Jerome, one of the fathers of the Catholic Church. He hated those who desired to remain in the apostolic doctrine and “engaged in many violent and bitter controversies.” When Vigilantius, Jovinian, and Helvidius rejected Jerome’s false teachings such as worshiping relics, enforced celibacy, and the perpetual virginity of Mary, Jerome called them dogs, maniacs, monsters, stupid fools, two-legged asses, gluttons, servants of the devil, and madmen. “The pen of Jerome was rendered very offensive by his grinding tyranny and crabbed temper. No matter how wrong he was, he could not brook contradiction” (Armitage, A History of the Baptists, I, p. 207).

4. A modern example of a striker is Peter Ruckman, a Baptist pastor in Pensacola, Florida. He has the same type of crabby spirit and uses the same type of language against those with whom he disagrees as old Jerome. He claims that God instructed him to “pour out vitriol” upon other preachers. “God called me to sit at this typewriter and pour forth VINEGAR, ACID, VITRIOL, AND CLEANING FLUID on the leading conservative and fundamental scholars of 1900 through 1990. ... God is in charge. He ... destines me to sit at this typewriter and LAMBAST, SCALD AND RIDICULE these Bible rejecting fundamentalists who ‘believe the Bible is the Word of God,’ ... I hereby dedicate myself anew to the task of DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND NEGATIVE BLASTING against every adversary of that Holy Book...” (The Bible Believers Bulletin, Dec. 1985). Some of the names Ruckman calls men who disagree with him are “jackass,” “poor, dumb, stupid ‘red legs,’” “silly asses,” “apostolic succession of bloated egotists,” “two-bit junkies,” “two-faced, tin-horned punks,” “incredible idiots,” “egotistical jack legs,” “conservative asses whose brains have gone to seed,” “cheap, two-bit punks,” and “stupid, little, Bible-rejecting apostates.”

5. Of course, striker also refers to a pugilist. I have been threatened with physical harm by pastors on more than one occasion. The last time this happened was in the Philippines in January 2004. A Filipino pastor associated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship threatened to strike me because he did not like what I was saying and he did not like some things about my ministry.
“not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. “not greedy of filthy lucre” refers to serving for financial gain. Compare Titus 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:3.

a. It is associated with all sorts of evil, such as taking bribes (Pr. 15:27; 1 Sam. 8:3).

b. It was the sin of Balaam (Jude 11).

c. It was the sin of the prophets of Israel (Is. 56:11; Jer. 6:13; Mic. 3:11; Mal. 1:10).

2. This refers to the motive for Christian service. The pastor must not be one who serves God for financial gain. Many men are in the ministry chiefly for what they can get out of it by the way of money and prestige. The term “rice Christian” in Asia refers to those who are Christians because of how it can benefit them financially. Churches and mission organizations must be very cautious about supporting men in the ministry, so that they do not support men who are merely seeking a livelihood.

a. If a man’s motive is money, he will not have a ready mind to preach God’s Word and to do God’s will in the church (1 Pet. 5:2). He will always be weighing decisions by how it will affect him financially. He will not preach hard things from the Bible that people do not like to hear, because he will fear that tithers will leave or will stop giving.

b. This is why men must first be proven before they are put into the ministry. If a man will not serve the Lord without pay, he should not be put into a position whereby he is paid to serve the Lord.

3. This also refers to not misusing money in the Lord’s work. Contrast Rom. 12:17 and 2 Cor. 8:21. The three chief things that result in the downfall of preachers are improper relations with women, misuse of money, and misuse of power. The pastor must take every precaution to avoid temptation with money and to avoid giving room for others to doubt him and to talk against his ministry. The pastor should never handle the church funds, for example. I know of a church in which large sums from the tithes and offerings are given as loans to the pastor and to certain of his favorite friends for the operation of their businesses and for build of houses and such. The pastor who allows that type of thing is wrong and should not be a pastor, because it brings the name of Christ into reproach.

“patient” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. This describes the pastor’s demeanor and attitude in life. The same Greek word (“epieikes”) is also translated “moderation” (Phil. 4:5) and “gentle” (Titus 3:2; 1 Pet. 2:18).

2. The opposite of being patient is being impatient, irritable, harsh. This is described in Jam. 3:17.

“not a brawler” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. This is from two Greek words, the negative a (not) and mache (peaceable)

2. It is the opposite of gentle and meek (Titus 3:2).

3. Note how many times the Holy Spirit emphasizes that the pastor is to be a gentle, meek type of man. Compare “no striker” and “patient” in verse 3.

4. Gentleness is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is the product of being surrendered to God.

5. “Gentleness or meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will" (Vine).

6. David said the gentleness of God made him great (Ps. 18:35).

7. This does not mean the pastor is pacifistic and wimpy, as he is usually portrayed by Hollywood! Meekness is being weak to defend one's own opinions, but strong to defend God and His Word; weak to promote self, but strong to promote God and His Word; weak toward fulfilling ones own will, but strong toward doing the will of God; weak for personal views, but strong for God's truth.

a. The Lord Jesus Christ is meek and gentle, but He is also strong, bold, forceful, manly. Twice He made a whip and chased the money changers out of the temple (Jn. 2:15; Mat. 21:12). He will return to earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19) and will rule with a rod of iron.

b. Moses was “very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3), but he was exceedingly zealous for God and truth. He ground the golden calf to powder and threw it on the water and made Israel drink it (Ex. 32:30). He did not hesitate to punish evil doers (Num. 25:5).

c. Paul was gentle as a nurse with the believers (1 Thess. 2:7), but he was also very bold against evil doers in the church (1 Cor. 5) and against heretics (Acts 13:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 2 Tim. 2:16-18).

“not covetous” (1 Tim. 3:3)

1. This is from three Greek words, the negative a (not), philos (love) and arguros (silver). The pastor is not to be a man who is in love with money.

2. This refers to a manner of life. The pastor is not one who lives to pursue wealth. Paul was this type of man (Acts 20:33-34; 2 Cor. 12:14-15).

3. This is the second time that the Holy Spirit has emphasized that the pastor must not be a man who is seeking after money and personal gain. Compare “not greedy of filthy lucre.”

4. The Pharisees were covetous (Lk. 16:14). Not only did they love money but they loved the prestige of office (Mat. 23:6; Lk. 20:46) and the praise of men (Jn. 12:43).

5. Diotrephes is an example of this because of his love of “preeminence” (2 John 9)

“not selfwilled” (Titus 1:7)

1. The pastor is not to rule the flock by his own will but by God’s will. His authority is not his own word but the Word of God (Heb. 13:7).

2. The church does not belong to the pastors but to God. See Titus 1:7, where the pastor is described as “the steward of God.” Pastors are merely under-shepherds who watch over the Lord’s flock (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

3. Contrast Diotrephes who ruled the church by his own will and refused to receive even the Lord’s apostles and treated the believers harshly when they did not do what he wanted (3 John 9-10). “Not one who is determined to have his own way in every thing; setting up his own judgment to that of all others; expecting all to pay homage to his understanding” (Adam Clarke).

4. Contrast the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6, 15). This term is from nikao (to conquer) and laos (people), or to rule over the laity. This error eventually developed into the Catholic hierarchy whereby the simple office of the pastorate became the haughty offices of bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, patriarchs, cardinals, and popes.

“not soon angry” (Titus 1:7)

1. He must be a man whose temper is under control. “Not a choleric man; one who is irritable; who is apt to be inflamed on every opposition; one who has not proper command over his own temper” (Adam Clarke).

2. There are great challenges to the church leader’s teaching and work and he must be patient and meek instead of quick to defend himself and to become angry at the opposition.

“a lover of good men” (Titus 1:8)

1. He loves those who love the Lord (Ps. 16:3; 1 Jn. 3:14)

2. His close fellowship is with good men and not with evil men (Psalm 1:1; 1 Cor. 15:33)

3. He loves good men regardless of their rank in life or the color of their skin or their educational level or whether they are in his own church. It is the unsaved man who merely loves his own (Matt. 5:46-47).

“just” (Titus 1:8)

1. This means “equitable (in character or act)” (Strong).

2. It refers to honesty in dealings (Lev. 19:36).

3. It refers to right dealings with men, not giving preference, not taking bribes, treating all men fairly (Deut. 16:18; Col. 4:1; Heb. 10:38).

4. The pastor must be just in his dealings with the flock (1 Tim. 5:21).

5. The pastor must be just in his dealings with the elders (1 Tim. 5:19-20).

6. He must be just in his dealings with money.

7. He must be just in his dealings with the unsaved (1 Tim. 3:7).

“temperate” (Titus 1:8)

1. This means “self-controlled” (Strong). It means “having power or control over all his passions and appetites” (Barnes). It “denotes abstinence from all that would excite, stimulate, and ultimately enfeeble; from wine, from exciting and luxurious living, and from licentious indulgences. ... It relates not only to indulgences unlawful in themselves, but to abstinence from many things that were regarded as lawful, but which were believed to render the body weak” (Barnes).

2. Paul referred to this in 1 Cor. 9:27.

HE MUST BE ABLE TO TEACH AND TO DEAL WITH FALSE TEACHING (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9-11).

Not only must the pastor be blameless in his personal life, he must have the ability to teach the Word of God and to protect the church from error.

1. This is a man who has been taught the Word of God (Titus 1:9). This does not mean that he has to have a formal seminary education; it refers to training and knowledge, not to theological degrees. The men that Titus ordained were not trained in a formal theological school; they were trained by the apostles and missionaries. The process is described in 2 Tim. 2:2.

2. This is a man who understands and holds fast to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).

a. Such a man must not only be taught the truth he must understand it properly and not veer from it. Compare 2 Tim. 2:2 -- “faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Some men sit under good teaching but they do not learn properly; they don’t understand correctly; they get things mixed up; they never become skilful in the word of truth. They are weak in doctrine. They tend to go off on theological tangents. Such men are not qualified to be pastors.

b. Such a man labors in doctrine (2 Tim. 2:15). No man can understand the truth properly who does not work at it. Proverbs compares seeking truth and wisdom to searching for silver (Prov. 2:1-5). This is a very arduous task. Silver is usually found in mountains and must be excavated at great cost. Many Christians are too lazy to seek truth from God’s Word in this manner. Even if they purchase dictionaries and concordances, they don’t use them diligently. The Bible sits on the table day after day unused, and even when such men read the Bible, they don’t grow very far in their understanding because they don’t work at it.

c. Such a man has a right relationship with the Spirit of God apart from which no man can understand the Scriptures (1 Jn. 2:27).

3. This is a man who can teach the Word of God so that he builds up the church (Titus 1:9 “exhort”). See also Eph. 4:11-13. The pastor is a man who not only knows and understands sound doctrine but he is able to use it to build up the saints.

4. This is a man who can protect the church from false teachers (Titus 1:9-11).

a. The false teachers are described (vv. 10-11)

(1) They are unruly. They will not submit to God-ordained authority. They believe they are a law unto themselves.

(2) They are vain talkers. They are full of talk but their talk is vain, meaning empty, not valuable for salvation or spiritual edification. Their talk does not build up; it tears down. It produces doubt and confusion.

(3) They are deceivers. They are not afraid to use deceptive tactics. They “creep into houses” (2 Tim. 3:6). They use “sleight” and “cunning craftiness” (Eph. 4:14). For example, they use Bible words but change the meaning. An example is Karl Barth who spoke highly of the Bible inspiration and of Christ’s deity but did not mean that the Bible is infallible or that Jesus is God. Another example is the Roman Catholic Church, which uses the term “grace” but really meaning works and sacraments. They hide their identity, such as when the Seventh-day Adventists have prophecy conferences and do not identify themselves as Adventists. They also change their identity, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who have changed their name many times

(4) They subvert. This means “to overturn.” The Greek word (anatrepo) is also translated “overthrow” (2 Tim. 2:18).

(5) They are after filthy lucre. Their motive is money and prestige; they want to make an impression upon people and gain a following.

b. How does the pastor stop their mouths (v. 11)?

(1) What this does not mean.

(a) This does not mean that the preacher is able to turn every false teacher from his error. That is not possible. The heretic has a deep spiritual problem (Titus 3:11). He has a seared conscience (1 Tim. 4:2). Ordinarily he will not respond to the truth but will continue to argue against it and to champion his false doctrine.

(b) This also does not mean that the preacher can stop heretics with physical force or by using the civil authorities. New Testament churches do not have authority to arrest or torture or kill their enemies (Lk. 9:54-56).

(2) What it does mean to stop their mouths.

(a) It means that the preacher teaches sound doctrine in such a way that the believers are not deceived by error (Titus 1:9 “by sound doctrine”). The God-called pastor shuts the mouths of false teachers by building up the saints so that they can defend the faith and therefore are not led astray. For example, he shuts the mouth of the Jehovah’s Witness by instructing the saints carefully in the doctrine of Christ’s deity, and he shuts the mouth of the Seventh-day Adventist by instructing the saints in the doctrine of eternal punishment, among other things, and he shuts the mouth of the New Evangelical by instructing the saints in biblical separation.

(b) It means that the preacher answers the false teaching. Every false teacher has pet verses to support his error. These are taken out of context and misused, and the God-called preacher must know how to deal with these verses properly so that the false teachers are no longer able to use these to confuse the minds of the saints. (For extensive examples of how to do this see the Way of Life Advanced Bible Studies Course “Defense of the Faith.”)

(c) It means that the preacher rebukes the saints when they are giving heed to false doctrine and are in danger of going astray (Titus 1:13-14). The pastor is more than a teacher. He must also reprove and rebuke when necessary. We see this in Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians (i.e., 1 Cor. 15:33-36) and his epistle to the churches of Galatia (i.e., Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1-3; 4:9-20).

(d) It means that the preacher rejects heretics when they refuse to repent (Titus 3:10-11). The pastor must have the courage to deal plainly with those who are teaching error. The word “heretic” means one who creates divisions by false doctrine and if they are not dealt with in a severe manner, they will divide the church and possibly even destroy it.

HE MUST NOT BE A NOVICE (1 Tim. 3:6)

1. The Greek word “neophutos” means “newly sprung up,” in the sense of a new plant.

2. There is no exact time limit given, because men grow at different rates spiritually, as children do physically and socially and intellectually. One believer might mature so rapidly that he is ready to take an office of leadership within a relatively short time, whereas another might require many years.

3. The particular danger for the immature man is pride, which was the thing that condemned the devil (Is. 14:12-14). Pride is one of the great dangers of the ministry (Prov. 16:18; 29:23; 1 Pet. 5:5).

HE MUST HAVE A GOOD REPORT IN THE COMMUNITY (1 Tim. 3:7)

1. The Greek word translated “report” (marturia) is also translated “testimony” (Acts 22:18) and “witness” (Titus 1:13).

2. Those that “are without” are the unsaved. Compare 1 Cor. 5:12; Col. 4:5; 1 Th. 4:12.

3. This does not mean that the unsaved will necessarily speak well of the pastor’s doctrine. They will probably not like his “narrow minded” preaching on sin and hell and judgment and on Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. The gospel is foolishness to the unsaved (1 Cor. 1:18) and is openly hated by many of them (Acts 19:27-28; 22:22).

4. What this means is that the unsaved will speak well of the pastor’s manner of living, his honesty, generosity, kindness, morality. Compare Acts 6:3; 10:22; 22:12; 3 John 12.

HE MUST BE PROVEN (1 Tim. 3:10)

1. This means that his life and abilities are tested to ascertain if he is called of God and qualified for the position.

2. The requirement that he be proven applies both to pastors and to deacons.

3. Church officers are to be proven before they take an office. They are men who have demonstrated their calling. Timothy was warned about ordaining men too quickly (1 Tim. 5:22).

HIS WIFE MUST BE SPIRITUAL (1 Tim. 3:11)

The same qualifications are given for the wives of both pastors and deacons. The man’s wife is a very important part of his life and ministry, and her spiritual condition will greatly affect the man’s personal life and his work. If pastors and deacons have unspiritual wives the entire congregation can be injured and crippled.

Consider the four words Paul uses to describe the qualified pastor’s or deacon’s wife.

“grave”

1. “It speaks of that combination of gravity and dignity which invites the reverence of others” (W.E. Vine). The wife of the deacon is to be the type of Christian lady who lives her life with a godly seriousness of purpose. Her life is the kind that causes others to respect her spiritually and morally.

2. This does not mean, of course, that she has no sense of humor. It is referring to a serious-minded, dignified, grave manner of life, not a depressed personality. Spirit-filled women have many types of personalities, but one thing they all have in common is a spiritual dignity that causes others to look upon them with respect.

3. The spiritual “gravity” of the qualified pastor or deacon’s wife causes other women to accept her teaching (Titus 2:2-4) and to seek her counsel. It is very important for the spiritual health of the congregation that women like this are behind the pastors and deacons.

“not slanderers”

1. The Greek word used for “slander” (diabolos) is used elsewhere of the devil. The word means “accuser.” In Revelation 12:10 the devil is said to be the accuser of the brethren. He loves to say evil things about people with a malicious goal of hurting them. The wife of the pastor or deacon must be a woman who is especially careful about her conversation and attitude toward people. Otherwise she can easily hurt her church and ruin her husband’s ministry with her tongue.

2. Slander refers to gossiping, backbiting, and other hurtful conversation, especially that which is untruthful and mean-spirited and spoken with the object of hurting people or getting back at them for some perceived injury. Gossip and slander involve deception, untruth, and an injurious attitude and purpose.

3. Please note that it is not wrong for pastors’ and deacons’ wives to discuss the spiritual welfare of people in a godly manner so that help can be given to them and others can be protected from possible harm.

a. To “speak the truth in love” is not gossip (Eph. 4:15).

b. To admonish or reprove people is not gossip (Rom. 15:14; Eph. 5:11).

c. To discuss and report spiritual and moral problems in a godly manner is not gossip (1 Cor. 1:11; 5:1).

“sober”

1. To be “sober” in this context means to be in control of one’s mind and life with the goal of pleasing God and fulfilling His will.

2. Some examples of things that can take control of one’s mind in an unwholesome manner:

a. Alcohol and drugs

b. Sensual music such as rock and roll, country/western, rap, and most modern pop music, which is mostly another form of rock

c. Unwholesome radio or television programs, such as the wicked and vain “soap operas” that glorify lying, adultery, drunkenness, etc.

d. The vast majority of Hollywood movies

e. Unwholesome “romance” novels

f. Vain and sensual beauty magazines

g. Books and magazines glorifying Hollywood movie stars and rock and pop music stars

h. Gossip or any other influence which would draw one’s mind away from conscious fellowship with Christ and the things of our holy God

“faithful in all things”

In a word, this is God’s standard for the wife of a church officer. She must be a faithful Christian woman in all aspects of her life, in her home, in the church, and toward the lost.