So You Want to be an Elder
2 Timothy 3:10-4:5
So, You Want to be an Elder
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
If the man of God honours the charge he has received, he must resist wickedness. Not all wicked people appear evil. Some appear reasonable and their arguments may even sound appealing. The man of God must be discerning, however. This is not an easy task, and it is an assignment which may be misunderstood by fellow saints. “Why can’t we all just get along?” is the question often addressed to elders. Though the man of God longs for peace, he is convinced by the Word of God that divine peace can only be secured through submission to the will of God as revealed in the Word of God.
Perhaps the most difficult words to accept as Christians as those spoken by the Son of God in Matthew 10:34-39. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own
household.
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
In the process of standing firm against the philosophies of this dying world, the elder will not always be appreciated. Some will turn away in disgust, claiming that he is a tyrant for failing to compromise godly convictions. If many of Jesus’ adherents deserted Him as He taught strong doctrine [see John 6:66, 67], we shouldn’t be surprised if many of our adherents likewise desert this church if we embrace strong doctrine.
Yet, without leaders appointed and approved by God, the church will drift toward disaster. Without godly leaders who hear the voice of God in the midst of the shrill cacophony of voices clamouring for attention, the church will never know the unity of the Spirit. There will be a modicum of peace, but it will be the peace of the graveyard. Therefore, I pray that God will raise up elders among us, as I suspect that He is already doing. As these godly men are raised up, they must know what they face and they must recognise the tasks which God has assigned long years before their appointment.
One vital truth I urge you to see is that elders have no power to coerce or compel. They must, however, be prepared to act with authority. There is a difference in those two concepts. The authority which elders must wield is the authority of the Word, strengthened by the moral authority of a godly life. They must expect that the sheep will frequently resist their leadership. This is because the flock has not often seen strong, godly leadership. There will always be the temptation within the flock of God to do something to keep the elders in line. Elders will be seen as too strong and fearful sheep will try to ensure that their leaders are hobbled. Such efforts must be resisted, but the elders must not be overly harsh in their resistance to such ungodly efforts.
In order to more fully explore these concepts, join me in study of the Word of the Apostle written to a young elder in the ancient city of Ephesus. Timothy had journeyed with Paul during missionary travels. The young servant was trusted by the older saint, and ultimately, he was established as overseer of the Ephesian church. There, the Apostle instructed him in how to conduct the business of the church. Little of what Paul wrote left an impression of a life without conflict, but instead he repeatedly warned the young elder of the very real prospect of conflict and of how he must conduct himself during such times. He was specifically instructed to resist wicked people whose actions, either purposefully or unpurposefully, jeopardised the continued health of the flock.
Elders Must Struggle — You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. If you wish to be a church leader, if you think you should be an elder, you will struggle and you will even require divine intervention on occasion. Sinful people will be convinced that they are justified in opposing you, but accommodate them is to invite harm to the flock. Opposition to evil—even opposition to well-meaning individuals whose actions threaten the unity of the Faith—is a major responsibility of the elder.
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears
[Acts 20:28-31].
To complicate the work assigned to the elder, his resistance must always be loving—he must always keep in view the need to rescue them from the trap in which they are caught. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will [2 Timothy 2:24-26].
In the act of resisting evil, the elder will be tested. As he opposes the exaltation of human opinion against the Word of God, it will prove altogether too easy to become angry. An old saying says, “Scratch a saint and you find a sinner underneath.” Absolutely true! Nevertheless, the elder must keep the focus on winning over the errant individual. Not everyone will love the elder, but the man of God must nevertheless keep himself from harsh reaction to provocation.
This is not to say there is no time for firm resistance. Notice the times that Paul urges Timothy to openly oppose evil. Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme [1 Timothy 1:18-20].
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some [2 Timothy 2:16-18].
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message
[2 Timothy 4:14, 15].
Paul says that Timothy knows a lot about him. An elder will be compelled to admit that his life is an open book. You … know all about my teaching. Paul speaks of his doctrine, asserting that Timothy knows what Paul taught because it was openly taught. The elder must be open in handling the Word of God. He must not shy away from a doctrine because it is controversial; but he must rather teach what God has said and do so boldly. You … know all about … my way of life. The man of God will live in a fishbowl. He cannot have one manner of life on Sunday and another on Monday. He must endeavour to live consistently, his life matching his doctrine. You … know all about … my purpose. Paul says the motive for his service was apparent. Just so, the elder’s motive and inner compulsion will be evident to those who know him. The man of God can ever say, You know how I lived the whole time I was with you … I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested… You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to [all] that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus [Acts 20:18-21]. The elder must honestly be able to say, I declare to you … that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God [cf. Acts 20:26, 27], and the people must know that he speaks truthfully.
The man of God will also exhibit faithfulness [preferred for th`/ pivstei over faith], patience, love and endurance because he will have likewise experienced persecutions and sufferings. Persecutions is from the verb diwgmov", which means to put to flight. Both Paul and Timothy had been put to flight because of their refusal to compromise or to cease proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. They each knew what it was to be a fugitive from the persecutions of both Jews and pagans. The elder must be prepared for persecution, and tragically a man’s enemies will [too often] be the members of his own household [Matthew 10:36] or even savage wolves from our own number who arise and distort the truth [Acts 20:29, 30]. There is also the suffering of an elder which must be considered.
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn [2 Corinthians 11:23-29]?
Timothy had witnessed the persecutions Paul experienced in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. The missionaries were chased out of Antioch under threat of persecution [Acts 13:50, 51]. Iconium Jews stirred up a plot to persecute the missionaries than they had to flee in fear of their lives [Acts 14:5, 6]. In Lystra, Paul was stoned and left for dead [Acts 14:19]. In addition, Timothy [Acts 16:1-3] had witnessed persecutions in Philippi [Acts 16:19-34], in Ephesus [2 Corinthians 1:1-11] and in Rome [Philippians 1:12-18]. Perhaps it would be a good thing for elders in this day to see that this position does not always bring accolades and laude and honour. Sometimes it brings struggle.
An elder must be prepared to struggle. If he cannot live a life of constant struggle, openly and subject to constant inspection, let him decline the position. The churches of that day (to say nothing of the churches of this day) were rebellious. The members thought to dictate to the pastors how to conduct their ministry, and the conflict necessitated a constant resistance against the intrusion into the realm of sacred appointment. Just so, in this day the man of God must stand against a constant demand that the pastor do what the majority tell him to do. However, he will always hear the voice of the One who appoints to divine service, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”
Elders Must Shield — Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. I must warn you that you need not live a godly life to be persecuted—you need but desire to be godly for the world to hate you. How much more is this true when the one desiring to be godly is an elder. Thoughtless individuals will accuse the elder of acting “holier than thou.” They will feel constrained to attack him in the area of greatest vulnerability, and the elder will always know that he is not a holy man (though he will long to be holy).
What I would have you see from these two verses is that an elder must defend the Faith, even as He defends the flock. This does not mean that he can keep negative sentiments from being expressed about his service or about the progress of the congregation to the membership. It does mean that the elder is responsible to watch over the flock, shielding them from harm through presenting sound teaching and through pointing them again and again to the shelter of the Word.
Nowhere does a Christian encounter greater opposition than as a pastor—a leader of the church. Every church member has an opinion and too often, those opinions are exalted to a position of doctrine. Dear people, what I think about a subject is of no great consequence, but what God says about an issue is vital to the continued health and growth of the congregation. Therefore, when the elder depreciates opinion and promotes biblical teaching, he will be hated by those who consider their opinion to be doctrine.
The man of God will be hated because as he shines the light of the Word on human opinion he will expose those who are deceived and he will expose their deceit. Deceived people and deceivers hate the thought that their perfidy is exposed for all to see. Listen again to the Word of God. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God [John 3:19-21].
As Paul writes, he is scathing in his portrayal of those who deceive. He speaks of evil men and impostors who will go from bad to worse in verse thirteen. Evil men is sufficiently derogatory to make his point we would think, but he adds that they are also magicians [govh"]. The implication is that with a slight of hand they make the meaning of the Word disappear. There is more than a hint of irony in the words chosen to describe the advance of these evil men and impostors—they will progress.
Those who question the Word of God and ridicule the thinking of the people of God present themselves as progressive. They consider the preacher who dares teach the Bible as it is written to be out of step with the times. Such a man is two thousand years out of date. If you will honour God through being an elder of the church, you will need to be out of step with the times and in step with the Spirit.
The Word of God is living and active so long as we employ it as God gave it. When we begin to adapt it to our thinking, or when we begin to attempt to soften its impact on obdurate hearts, we fall under the censure delivered to the Pharisees by the Son of God. You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down [Mark 7:13]. You must understand that it falls to the elders to shield the flock from those who are themselves deceived, for to permit them to continue to direct the flock is to ensure that the flock is likewise deceived. Those who are deceived are deceivers if they lead.
I am compelled by Scripture to point out that deception is characteristic of the last days—that time preceding the return of the Saviour. Listen to the Words of Jesus in Matthew 24:4, 5, 11, 24. Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many… and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people… For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
Elders Must Study — Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Dr. William Evans, who pastored College Church from 1906-1909, was an unusually accomplished man. He had the entire King James Version of the Bible memorised as well as the New Testament of the American Standard Version. Dr. Evans also authored over fifty books. His son, Louis, became one of the best-known preachers in America and for many years pastored the eminent First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. When Dr. William Evans retired, he moved to Hollywood to be near his son, and when Louis was away, he would substitute for him.
One unforgettable Sunday Dr. William, as he was affectionately called, spoke on the virgin birth. All were amazed when he raised his Bible and tore out the pages that narrate the birth of the Lord. As the tattered scraps floated down toward the congregation, he shouted, “If we can’t believe in the virgin birth, let’s tear it out of the Bible!” And then as he drove home his point, he tore out the resurrection chapters, then the miracle narratives, then anything conveying the supernatural. The floor was littered with mutilated pages.
Finally, with immense drama he held up the only remaining portion and said, “And this is all we have left—the Sermon on the Mount. And that has no authority for me if a divine Christ didn’t preach it.” After a few more words, he asked his listeners to bow for the benediction. But before he could pray, a man in that vast and sedate congregation stood and cried, “No, no! Go on! We want more!” Several others joined in. So, Dr. Evans preached for another fifty minutes.[1]
Dr. Evans was right. You cannot pick and choose from the Bible what you want to believe is inspired. The Bible does not present itself that way. If we are led by those who claim the Bible is inspired in spots, then we are dependent upon them to spot where the inspiration is! These “spotters” become our authority for faith and practise instead of the Bible serving in that capacity. We have no authority left should we surrender that authority to those who are willing to compromise what God has written.
What is of greater significance is that the Bible will have no sustaining power for life if you make yourself the arbiter of what you will and will not believe about it! What Christians believe about the Scriptures has everything to do with their continuance and service in the Faith!
I am not opposed to education, but it seems that we have almost educated the Holy Spirit out of the churches. I believe in education, but education which casts doubt on the Word of God and which substitutes the precepts of this dying world for the teachings of the Word of God is education which shall destroy the churches of our Lord.
Continue in what you have learned … because you know those from whom you learned it. Timothy was taught the doctrines of the Faith first by his mother and by his grandmother. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also [2 Timothy 1:5]. What a heritage! How glorious to have the heritage of a godly mother or grandmother! If you are a mother or a grandmother, what a marvellous heritage to pass on to your children or to your grandchildren! Do you think this is inconsequential? Rejoice in your role in life!
I am honest when I say that I trust we will raise up a generation of godly women who instruct their children in the love of God and in the grace of Christ the Lord. There is nothing which will keep a child from serious harm such as a heritage of faith. Our Sunday School teachers should be men and women who teach the Word and live a godly life. This is more than a call for baby-sitters and entertainers to watch over the children. Teaching our children is undoubtedly one of the most vital ministries of the church. We should not hesitate to remove anyone who ceases to believe these truths, and we should make every effort to find the most godly men and women possible to teach those same truths week by week.
Just so, the elder must be godly and able to teach the Word of God. Timothy was instructed, the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also [2 Timothy 2:2]. Elders are to be able to teach as we know from 1 Timothy 3:2, but especially are the elders of the church responsible to hold firmly to the trustworthy message [Titus 1:9]. The need for such adherence is so that the elders can encourage other by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
As an aside, in preparation for the series of studies on women in ministry, I read repeatedly the passages under consideration. I prayerfully weighed what God had caused to be written for our instruction. I read what many who are reinterpreting these verses had to say. I read over ten complete works on the subject of women in ministry and numerous commentaries on the subject in addition to over thirty major theological papers which were published within the past twenty years. However, in the ultimate analysis you really don’t care what someone says about the Word, you have called me to declare the Word. When I stand before you, you expect that I will say “Thus saith the Lord!” The reason for this is that you are convinced that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness [2 Timothy 3:16].
When I begin to tell you what I think, you may take it as a given that people will cease to be saved, for they will no longer look to Christ who is present in every text in the Word. What will I teach, if the Word must be explained away? Where will rebuke of error be permitted if the Word has no place in our preaching? Where will correction for those seeking the way be found if the Word has been explained away? How will the church be trained in righteousness if we have jettisoned the Word as meaningless?
The elder must be thoroughly versed in the Word of God so that he can teach. It is not the method which is important, but it is the content which you must seek. Not every preacher will be scintillating and vibrant as they speak, but every preacher should point you to the Word and speak with the authority of that Word. We should be able to know that whenever an elder stands to speak we know that we will receive sound instruction and that Christ will be glorified in the presentation of His Word.
The elder must be thoroughly knowledgeable of the Word of God so that he can rebuke error. This means that he must both recognise error and speak against that error. While the world does not enjoy rebuke, the child of God will welcome rebuke because he knows that it is for his own benefit.
Let a righteous man strike
me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
[Psalm 141:5]
He who listens to a life-giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise.
[Proverbs 15:31]
The elder rebukes the people of God when they begin to err, but he does so for their benefit and not to injure them. Though there is a risk that some will be angered, for the health of the Body and in love for Christ, he must deliver the rebuke of the Word.
The elder is responsible to correct. The word which Paul uses is descriptive. Ejpanovrqwsi" [correction] is used only here in the New Testament. It refers to the restoration of something to its original condition. In secular Greek, the same word spoke of setting upright an object that had fallen down and or helping a person back on his feet after stumbling. After exposing error, the elder must be conversant with the Word of God so that he will be able to build up those who respond to the rebuke. The building up is through divine correction—through teaching that same Word of the Living God.
When the Apostle says that Scripture is the means of training in righteousness, he uses the word which speaks of discipline throughout the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 2:25 the word is translated gently instruct. That word is translated training in Ephesians 6:4. Paideiva is translated discipline in Hebrews 12:6, 7, 11. Thus, the elder is responsible to employ the Word to build up the people of God through instruction in the Word of God. How else do you suppose that we will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [2 Peter 3:18] if not through instruction in the Word which ensures that we are trained in righteousness?
The elder must be a student of the Word. This is the basis for the encouragement to do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth [2 Timothy 2:15]. This is the basis for the caution, do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure [1 Timothy 5:22]. This is the reason the elder must not be a recent convert, lest he fall under the same judgement as the devil [1 Timothy 3:6].
Elders Must Stand — In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
All that Paul writes concerning the responsibilities of an elder—the expectation of suffering, the requirement to shield the flock and the duty to study—becomes even more important as the age nears its conclusion. The elder must stand firm, even in the evil day when the churches begin to hire people to say what they want to hear instead of submitting to the teaching which is needful. The elder must stand, even when the churches turn aside and embrace myths and stories instead of the truth of the Word. The elder must keep his head, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and on top of everything else ensure that he discharges all the duties of his ministry.
The focus of an elder must be the glory of God. That glory is obtained as the elder stabilises the flock in times of panic. That glory is assured when the elder teaches the Word and constantly draws the flock back to the Word which saved them and by which they are established. That glory is secured as the elder lends his confidence to the people so that they are not surprised by pressure and as he reminds them of the responsibility to win the lost and to glorify the Lord Christ. May God raise up elders among us. Amen.
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[1] Ethel May Baldwin and David V. Benson, Henrietta Mears and How She Did It! (Glendale, CA: Regal Books, 1966) pg. 149 in R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell, Preaching the Word: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, To Guard the Deposit (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000) pp. 235-6