 Some suggest that the qualifications of elders are not “hard- and-fast” rules.  “Forever, O L ORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps 119:89).  “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21).

 There are only a couple people in New Testament who are called “good.”  Joseph of Arimathea was “a good and just man” (Lk 23:50).  Barnabas “was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24).  Those men were servants.

 Elders are to be good men in the Congregation.  The office to which a good man might aspire is that of “bishop” (NKJV) or “overseer” (ESV), v 9.  An elder must be hospitable (v 2).  An elder must also be “able to teach” (v 2). An elder must be able to teach in order to combat error (Tit 1:9).

 Elders are to be good men in Character.  They are to be blameless, temperate, of good behavior (v 2-3).  Elders are to be good men in Career.  An elder cannot be “covetous” (v 3).  “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10). Many have erred because of greed. Ahab killed to take Naboth’s vineyard. Judas betrayed the Lord for a measly 30 pieces of silver. “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim 4:10).

 Elders are to be good men in Cottage.  He is to rule his house well, and he must have his children in submission with all reverence (v 4).  Part of ruling his house well is that an elder is to be “the husband of one wife” (v 2).  The man of God is also to care for his children. “You, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4).  Elders are to be good men in Community.  “He must have a good testimony among those who are outside” (1 Tim 3:7).

Therefore, how do we need to live?

 One: Understand the importance of these qualifications.  There are three major problems with appointing unqualified men to the eldership: One: The church operates much more smoothly with qualified men. Two: Appointing unqualified men in the eldership is inconsistent. Three: God’s Word says we cannot appoint unqualified men. God expects His Word to be followed.  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21).  “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).

 Two: See the wisdom of God in these qualifications.  Autonomy for the local eldership.  Plurality for the local eldership. Every time we find elders in the New Testament, there is more than one elder serving a congregation. Because you need at least two elders: Each elder has someone who can help shepherd his soul, too. Elders -- like the rest of us -- disagree.  Keeps one man from running the church.  Elders reach better decisions: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17, ESV).

 Think about the wisdom of God evident in this morning’s text:  An elder is to be “sober-minded” (v 2).  An elder must be “able to teach” (v 2).  An elder must be gentle (v 3).  An elder must rule “his own house well” (v 4). “If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” (v 5).

 Three: Make sure you only put forth names of men qualified to serve.  Spend considerable time with the two texts which give us the qualifications of the elders.

 Four: We must not seek our own way.  These are God’s guidelines.  Love “does not seek its own” (1 Cor 13:5).  “He must have a good testimony among those who are outside” (1 Tim 3:7). If I run my mouth to non-Christians about those who were selected, I can make him ineligible. I could do great damage to the church.

 God has required many people to fulfill obligations before they could serve. For example:  Only a Levite could be a priest (Num 3:5-13).  Only those who lapped water like a dog fought with Gideon (Judg 7:4-8).  The New Testament also talks about qualifications. To be an apostle (Acts 1:15-26). Caring for the Grecian widows (Acts 6:3). Enrolled widows (1 Tim 5:9-16).

There are qualifications for salvation.