1 Timothy 3 - What Should A Leader in the Church Look Like?

1 Timothy 3 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Sometimes people imply that the early church had little to no structure, but that isn't true. While the early church was nimble, it had a system of governance. With the rapid growth of the church, it was necessary to have leadership, administration and organization. Some people are "allergic" to structure and organization but it was integral to the spread of the gospel. 

The spiritual gift of administration is one of the gifts Paul lists in 1 Corinthians. 

The spiritual gift of administration is the divine ability given by the Holy Spirit to bring order, clarity, and structure to people, plans, and resources to accomplish the mission and goals of the church. Where is this in the bible?

 

1 Corinthians 12:28: Paul lists "administrations" (Greek kubernesis) among the spiritual gifts, which literally means "to steer," referring to the work of a ship's helmsman in guiding a vessel safely to its destination through various challenges.

Romans 12:8: The related gift of "leading" or "ruling" (Greek proistemi, meaning to stand before or care for) is mentioned, emphasizing the responsible oversight and diligent guidance needed within the body of Christ. (Google AI)

Paul lists the qualifications of the two primary leadership positions in the church, elders and deacons. First of all, Paul goes over the traits an elder should have. The word elder is from the Greek word "episcopos", where we get our term "bishop". The main role of an elder is that of a spiritual overseer. We learn in other passages that often the elders would also teach. 

But as you read over all of the qualities Paul uplifts for a good elder, we see they are all related to character. Of course, their giftedness and competency are important but if they were lack character and spiritual maturity, they were not fit to be an elder in the church. Significantly Paul says this should not be a new Christian, but a mature one. 

I serve in a Lutheran church where an elder would be a member of our Church Council, which for all intents of purposes is a board of directors. Other mainline churches might call it an "elder board", or "session". Many other churches would just stick with the term elders. 

Note Paul mentions the word "devil" a couple of times. When Satan goes after a church, he usually goes after its leaders.  When a person in a leadership falls into sin of a public nature, it can really damage a church. It can cause splits from within and ruin its reputation in the community. Both affect its mission greatly.

So it is obvious churches need to spend an ample amount time in prayer, as they discerns the right candidate for this important position. Usually a board will recommend an elder to the congregation and would be voted in at a meeting of the congregation. 

8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. 11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. 12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Depending on your denominational background, you may or may not be familiar with the role of a deacon. It varies somewhat based on which denomination. I.e. Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist.  In some churches deacons are considered "ordained ministers". 

A deacon is an ordained or appointed minister/lay officer within a Christian church who is dedicated to a ministry of service, compassion, and practical assistance. The term is derived from the Greek word "diakonos", meaning "servant" or "minister". 

Deacons primarily serve to meet the tangible and administrative needs of the church and community, allowing elders or priests to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. Key duties often include: 

Charitable Ministries: Ministering to the poor, sick, imprisoned, and marginalized, and leading the church's social justice and outreach efforts.

Pastoral Care: Providing pastoral care, counsel, and support to congregation members, especially in times of need or distress.

Assisting in Worship: Assisting the priest or elder during worship services, which can include proclaiming the Gospel, preparing the elements for communion, leading prayers, and distributing the Eucharist.

Administrative/Organizational Duties: Managing church property, finances, and logistics, as well as coordinating volunteers and organizing ministry program. (Google AI)

You can see the wide range of ministries a deacon can lead. Many of these ministries can be led by those who aren't deacons. For instance some churches have a pastor who oversees pastoral care, or a full time worship leader. 

You can see the qualifications for deacons are very similar to those of elders. Notice in both cases Paul mentions a healthy family life. A leader's marriage should be strong and their kids parented well in a healthy faith filled home. 

Paul reasons, "If a person cannot manage their family well, then how can they lead a church!"

There would not be enough books in the world to contain the amount damage done in the church due spiritually immature or unhealthy leaders. I think every church would do themselves a favor by reviewing Paul's qualifications for a church and be diligent in following them when calling leaders. 

There is no perfect leader and certainly no perfect pastor, but a leader should exhibit these characteristics as a disciple of Jesus. When leaders fall, we shouldn't "shoot our wounded". We need to care for our leaders when they through things like a divorce or a struggle with an addiction. Many leaders are workaholics and their families fall apart because of it. We need to all maintain an attitude of "If not for the grace of God there go I!"

Suffice it to say that Paul's teaching here is every bit as relevant today as it was to the church in the 1st Century. 

Pray for your leaders they need it. Some of you may be called into church leadership. It is a high calling and very rewarding to be used by God to help grow His church and bring His kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. 

Reasons for Paul’s Instructions

14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 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. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

    was vindicated by the Spirit,[d]

was seen by angels,

    was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

    was taken up in glory.

Paul's hope was that he could be with them soon. You can see Paul had a love for God, Jesus, the gospel but in this passage we see his love for the Church. In the Apostle's Creed we call it, "One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church". Notice it says "one". There is only one church, which is the body of Christ. 

Jesus is the head of the church, and we all make up the body. There are different parts of the body, which play different roles. You could broadly make a connection with this to the diversity of the church. I.e. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant. Though we have different styles of worship and services, different views on communion and baptism, different views on women in ministry, what holds us together is Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. 

As Paul said to the Corinthians about his call to preach nothing but Jesus, 

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

At the end of the day what unites us is our singular mission to proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. As a Christian you are part of the most important institution on earth, the Church. One day Jesus will come back to take His bride the Church to heaven with him!