1 Timothy 3:1-13

Summary: It may strike you in looking over the qualifications for the offices of elder and deacon how little is said in terms of what these officebearers do. What instead dominates Paul’s list of credentials is the kind of character such officebearers must have (it might strike you as well that the requirements for each office are virtually identical). In short, elders and deacons must be those who exemplify the spiritual maturity of a grace-filled life. Such maturity is essential for the noble task of taking care of God’s people. As Christ has taught us, the houour of church leadership is not that of ‘lording it over’ (Mt. 20:25ff) but of being a humble servant under whose care it is a delight to be.