The Requirements of Elders, Part 1

The point: Admit no one to the office of elder who does not meet all biblical requirements, as to do otherwise is to act without Christ's directive and blessing.

A king sends an envoy with explicit requirements for electing provincial governors. Disregarding these requirements is impudence and forfeits the king's blessing, illustrating the disrespect and lack of blessing when churches ignore Christ's requirements for elders.

Let me illustrate. Suppose a king was to send from his very court an envoy, an envoy, to a certain part of his domain, to a certain province, with the explicit command that that particular province was to elect as its governor one or two or three its governors, men who met the following requirements. And then there were following fifteen specific requirements that must be met for these people to elect a governor or governors which would rule over them in that province in subjection to the king. Governors who were to receive all of their directions from the king and who were to administer their...

10:05 - 11:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Admit no one to the office of elder who does not meet all biblical requirements, as to do otherwise is to act without Christ's directive and blessing.

Martin states that if all unqualified elders were to vacate their offices, half the pulpits and two-thirds of church boards would be empty, highlighting the widespread problem of unqualified leadership.

And then to place over themselves governors who do not meet the king's requirements is to act in such a way that they cannot in any way expect the blessing of the king upon the administration of that governor's responsibilities. And so, dear ones, as we consider this matter of a biblically based eldership, we're going to have to do an awful lot of unlearning like we've had to do in every other area. As I've been soaking my soul in these passages over the past few weeks, I've just come down out of my study time after time and said, how could we have gone so far? For I'm convinced if everyone in...

11:34 - 13:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not become or remain a member of a church where the office-bearers do not command respect for their personal qualifications, as it jeopardizes your own edification and well-being.

An extended quote from John Brown emphasizes that respect for the personal qualifications of office-bearers is prerequisite for proper submission and edification, arguing that churches should not install or retain leaders who do not command respect for their character.

Second, to do so, that is, to install any office bearer who does not meet these requirements is not only to express anarchy to Christ, but it's to jeopardize our souls and our own well-being. For you see, the scripture places the bishop, the elder, in the place of oversight who must watch over the souls of men, and you are to render to such overseers due subjection and obedience for the sake of your soul. But how can you render due subjection with respect and confidence when the one who bears that office does not meet the very requirements for the office? How can he with authority lay upon you...

15:12 - 16:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not treat the requirements of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 with indifference, as this shows anarchy to Christ, jeopardizes your soul, and forfeits grounds for blessing.

Martin describes an 'unwritten agreement' in many churches where unqualified leaders are tolerated in exchange for not demanding accountability from the congregation, leading to a 'mutual excusing society' and spiritual flabbiness.

So if you want a surefire way to show anarchy to Christ, to jeopardize your soul, and to forfeit any grounds to expect blessing, then just treat with indifference the list of 1 Timothy 3 and of Titus chapter 1. And as I've sought to analyze this, I've come to a conclusion that sharing it over the table for the past few days, has deepened my conviction as to its validity, and it's this. You know what's happened in most churches? Starting in the sacred place of the teaching ruling elders whom we call pastors and moving right down to ruling elders, I believe this is what's happened.

20:22 - 21:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Apart from the spiritual gifts, all of these graces of the elder are required of every Christian.

The requirements for a construction worker differ from those for a stenographer because their tasks are different, illustrating that elder requirements are determined by the specific task of oversight.

Principle number one, always remember that these requirements are given in the light of the task of an elder. So we're going to relate them all the time. If I were to say today, I need five construction workers, a construction worker must be, then I give a list. I'm absolutely confident that if I were to say, on the other hand, I need five stenographers, they must be, the list would be different.

23:20 - 23:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Look upward for God's illumination to understand the true meaning of the biblical requirements for elders.

The chameleon's ability to look in two directions at once is used to introduce the spiritual challenge of looking in three directions (upward, inward, outward) simultaneously when studying the passages.

The difference being that what should be there in every believer must be there in anyone assuming the office of an elder. And then the last principle that I hope will guide us in our study is this, we should be looking in three directions as we study these passages. You say, Pastor, wait a minute, I've only got two eyes and usually they work together. Once in a while I've met someone who seemed to have independent control, like the chameleon that does, he can have one eye looking at a fly over here and one eye at a bug on the leaf over here, and it's a very weird thing.

27:42 - 28:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So that the primary requirement for all elders is an unassailable, demonstrable piety and godliness.

A construction worker with scars or a bent knuckle can still work, but one paralyzed in an arm and leg cannot, illustrating that 'blameless' does not mean sinless perfection but the absence of disqualifying character defects.

People may bring charges on his character and conduct, but they will hold no water, no grounds to charge him, no grounds to lay hold of him. He is a blameless man. Now, that cannot mean that he is sinless, that he is faultless, for James, an elder, said, in many things, we offend all. It does not mean that he is without problems and without struggles, that he is perfect, there is no room for growth, but it does mean, and can mean nothing less than this, that there are no dominating sins or character traits which disqualify him for the proper respect of the assembly and for the proper administr...

37:30 - 38:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So that the primary requirement for all elders is an unassailable, demonstrable piety and godliness.

A letter from a pastor whose people were upset by Martin's preaching style but not his character is used to distinguish between minor criticisms and fundamental character flaws that would truly crush a servant of God.

And I frankly do not see how a teaching, ruling elder can do anything less if he is to walk before men blameless, blameless, blameless. Frankly, I do not care if people are disturbed as they sometimes are. I have a letter from California. A pastor where I ministered said his people somewhere upset.

40:57 - 41:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Seriously study and ponder the passages on elder requirements, soaking your mind in them with the threefold look (upward, inward, outward).

Martin imagines Titus entering a church in Crete 1900 years ago, reading Paul's letter, and the people's immediate understanding and action based on the clear meaning of the Greek words, highlighting the challenge modern readers face with translation and cultural context.

So that as the time draws nigh when we, by God's grace, must do what these people had to do in recognizing such, look out among them such, we shall be able to act intelligently and scripturally. I close now with trying to draw you back with me a number of years, about 1900 years to be more specific. When one morning Titus, the apostolic representative, enters into one of the churches at Crete. And when he enters into that church he says, this week I received a letter from our beloved apostle Paul.

51:04 - 51:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin encourages continued study of the passages with the threefold look (upward, inward, outward), reiterating the gravity of the task and the need for intelligent, scriptural…

Explaining the nuanced meaning of the word 'joker' to someone learning English illustrates the difficulty of fully grasping the precise meaning of biblical terms like 'blameless' or 'not a striker' without cultural context and careful exposition.

Now let me illustrate. If I say to you, if you're going to have someone to teach a certain class, please don't get a joker. Now the word joker means something to us. Now what we mean by that is, don't get a man who has a raw, kind of a caustic, forced, artificial sense of humor and who will display that humor at the expense of others.

53:18 - 53:48 Read in full sermon