Elders — Their Qualifications (No. 2)
Text: 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9
Series: Restoration Sermons
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository
Learning Objectives
By the close of this lesson the hearer should be able to:
- Recite the elder qualifications as given in Timothy and in Titus.
- Identify which qualifications are unique to each list.
- Hold the standard of the office without lowering it or making it impossible.
Thesis
God has placed elders in the church, named the office, and specified its qualifications in two lists — 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 — which overlap and complete each other, together drawing the full portrait of the man fit to shepherd God's flock.
Burden
This lesson is the companion to the last, and where that one cleared away confusion, this one lays the two lists side by side and reads them. It is detailed by necessity, because the qualifications are detailed — God did not leave the matter to our impressions of who would make a "good leader." He specified. A church that wants scriptural elders must actually know what Scripture requires, in particulars: this character, this household, this reputation. The burden of this lesson is to put the full standard before us plainly, so that elders are recognized by God's measure and not by ours.
Introduction
God has placed elders in the church, given them their names, and specified their qualifications. This outline sets out the names of the office, then the two qualification lists — Timothy's and Titus' — and finally the qualifications unique to each. This is a study to be read with the open Bible alongside.
I. The Names of the Office (Acts 20:17)
The one office wears several names in the New Testament:
- Elders (Acts 20:17).
- Bishops / overseers (1 Tim. 3:1-2).
- Pastors (Eph. 4:11).
- Shepherds (Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 5:4, "the Chief Shepherd").
- Teachers — "able to teach" (1 Tim. 3:2).
- Presbyters — the presbytery (1 Tim. 4:14).
All name the same men and the same work.
II. The Qualifications of an Elder (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1)
According to 1 Timothy 3:
above reproach; the husband of one wife; temperate; sober-minded (prudent); orderly (respectable); given to hospitality; able to teach; not addicted to wine (no brawler); not violent (no striker); gentle; not contentious (peaceable); free from the love of money; one who manages his own household well; not a new convert; and of good reputation with those outside.
According to Titus 1:
blameless; the husband of one wife; having children who believe; not self-willed; not quick-tempered; not given to wine (no brawler); not violent (no striker); not fond of sordid gain; hospitable; a lover of what is good; sober-minded; just; holy (devout); self-controlled; and holding fast the faithful word.
The two lists agree in the heart of the matter and supplement each other in the details.
III. The Sum of All Qualifications
- Five in Timothy are not named in Titus: orderly, able to teach, not contentious, not a novice, and good testimony from those without.
- Five in Titus are not named in Timothy: not self-willed, a lover of good, just, holy, and holding fast the faithful word.
Read together, the two lists give the complete portrait — and neither alone is the whole. A church seeking elders must weigh both.
Application
Hold the full standard, and hold it as God gave it. Do not lower it — an elder must genuinely be this kind of man, blameless in reputation, sound in household, settled in character, sober, gentle, just, holy, holding fast the word, and able to teach it. But do not distort it into the impossible either, as the companion lesson showed: these are the marks of a mature Christian man, and God commands the office, so such men can be found and made. Two practical things follow. First, measure candidates by both lists together, not by a favorite trait or a popular personality. Second — and this reaches everyone — notice how much of this list is simply Christian character: every believer should be growing toward temperance, gentleness, hospitality, justice, holiness, and a firm hold on the faithful word, whether or not he will ever be an elder. The qualifications of a shepherd are, in large part, the goals of every disciple.
Conclusion
God named the office and specified its qualifications in two complementary lists. Timothy and Titus together draw the full portrait of the man fit to oversee God's flock — above reproach, sound in home, mature in character, holding fast the word. Measure by the whole standard, keep it high without making it impossible, and recognize the men God's word describes.
Invitation
The Chief Shepherd, who set qualified undershepherds over His flock, gave Himself for that flock and calls you into it. Come to Him on His terms: believe on the Lord Jesus, repent of your sins, confess Him, and be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38), and be added to the church the Good Shepherd bought with His blood. Come while we sing.
Word Study
| English Term | Greek Term | Basic Meaning | Usage in This Sermon | Sermon Significance | Key Texts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above reproach / blameless | anepilēmptos / anenklētos | not "sinless," but giving no handle for accusation | a reputation that cannot be justly attacked, the umbrella under which the other qualifications stand | a reputation that cannot be justly attacked, the umbrella under which the other qualifications stand | 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6 |
| Husband of one wife | mias gynaikos anēr | "a one-woman man" | the qualification stresses faithful, devoted marriage | the qualification stresses faithful, devoted marriage; with "children who believe," it marks the proven family man whose home commends him for the flock | — |
Scripture Interlock Table
| Theme | Boles' Outline | Supporting Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Names of the office | I | Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 3:1-2; 4:14; Eph. 4:11; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 5:4 |
| Qualifications (Timothy) | II | 1 Tim. 3:1-7 |
| Qualifications (Titus) | II | Titus 1:5-9 |
| Five unique to Timothy | III | 1 Tim. 3:2, 6-7 |
| Five unique to Titus | III | Titus 1:7-9 |
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Converted from H. Leo Boles, Outline 55. Doctrinal audit: core-framework (the full elder-qualification lists of 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1, with the office's several names; the standard kept high but attainable); no correction. Companion to Outline 54. The qualification lists are rendered faithfully to the two passages (NASB phrasing paraphrased, kept brief). Style audit: OCR cleanup; text "Tim. 3:1-13"→1 Tim. 3:1-13; "Elders. (Acts 20:1-7.)"→Acts 20:17; the OCR'd list-letters normalized. All of Boles' citations verified and retained.
