The Office of Overseer (Pastor, Elder) – 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Paul has sent Timothy to Ephesus to put things in order in that church.  So he has instructed Timothy to help these believers live in accord with their confession, understand the role of prayer and the goal of prayer, address wrong teachings, and here, clarify the role of leaders in the church and their qualifications.  Church government was a crucial aspect of church health.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.  (1 Timothy 3:1-7 ESV)

The term overseer has sometimes been translated bishop (the Greek word is episkopos, from which we get Episcopal, referencing a protestant denomination that has bishops over multiple churches and an archbishop over the denomination).  It describes officers in the church that Paul appointed in every church he founded (Titus 1:5) and these officers are also called by Paul elders and pastors (or shepherds, Acts 20:17-28, where all three terms describe the same people, Paul describing the elders as being made overseers by the Holy Spirit to “shepherd (Greek)” the flock).  And they formed a “college” of leaders, not one executive leader.

A person must have a strong desire to hold this office, not be appointed against his will or without a passion for leading this way.  It is a noble task but a highly responsible and crucial one, so the candidate must possess high qualifications in terms of character and ability.  An overseer must be morally sound, which in biblical terms means devoted to his wife, serious about the things that matter, self-controlled, loving of others as demonstrated in hospitality, not given to mind-altering substances, not an angry or violent person stirring up strife, and not in it for power and money.  He must also be able to teach soundly the core doctrines of the faith.  All of this would be evidenced in the way he manages his own household.  His children would especially be a reflection on his character and soundness.

Any position of authority has the temptation to power lust.  A recent convert to the faith would be particularly susceptible to this conceitedness as well as less likely to have the knowledge of the faith required to teach.  Time is needed to determine a person’s strength of character and ability to lead.  This also gives a chance to see how outsiders view the candidate.  Satan fell because of pride, thinking he could rival God.  The overseer could too.  Care must be taken.

Since leaders are the embodiment of what it means to live the Christian life, these qualifications would be a good paradigm for all Christians.  How do we measure up?