Andrew goes over the qualifications of church leaders.
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Rapp Report Daily 0060
I. Blameless (1 Timothy 3:2, 10; Titus 1:7)
Repeated three times
Required for both elders and servants (implied to female servants)
It literally means, “that cannot be laid hold of” and sometimes translated “above reproach”. This is a must. It has the idea of “unrebukeable”. This does not mean the man must be perfect, for then no one could ever be qualified. It has to do with the idea of not having anything that could be nailed to someone, in other words, nothing that they are covering up. The man must reconcile things and not cover them up.
Examples: Elder arrested for drunk driving and stopped down for “personal sin” the man was not qualified until the sin was named. Another example was an elder that had a daughter that had a child out of wedlock and wanted to hide her away until after the birth and not mention it to anyone, he was disqualified because of the cover-up.
II. Temperate (1 Timothy 3:2, 11)
Repeated twice
Required of elders and female servants
The Greek word literally means “wineless,” or “unmixed with wine”. It means sober, temperate as in abstaining from wine, either entirely or at least from its immoderate use or of things free from all wine, as vessels, offerings.
This is the word that is often used to describe one who abstains from alcohol. Here, it is used in a metaphorical sense to describe the pastor as one who keeps a watch over his own conduct and ministry. He is not given to excesses in any way.
This word has the idea of self-controlled or level-headed, not someone who rushes into something without thinking it through.
III. Sober Minded (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)
Repeated twice
Required only of elders
The Greek word has the meaning of a sound mind, sane, in one’s senses or curbing one’s desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate.
An elder needs to be as a character SELF-DISCIPLINED. He needs to be one characterized by discipline in his priorities, in his use of time, in his duties for service.
He is a person who is serious about spiritual things. That does not mean he is cold and humorless, but that he views the world with an eternal perspective.
If one is temperate and sober-minded in their thinking, will result in being self-disciplined.
IV. Good Behavior (1 Timothy 3:2)
Used once
Required only of elders
The Greek word means, well arranged, seemly, modest. Its basic meaning is to be orderly. His well-disciplined mind leads to a well-disciplined life.
The elder needs to be organized by nature. If a pastor is not organized many of the duties of his calling may be neglected.
V. Hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)
Repeated twice
Required only of elders
The Greek word That word translates philoxenos, a compound word from the Greek words for “to love,” and “strangers” and has the meaning of hospitable or generous to guests. It does not refer to entertaining friends, but showing hospitality to strangers.
VI. Not Given to [Much] Wine (1 Timothy 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7)
Repeated three times
Required of both elders and male servants
Not given to wine in 1 Timothy 3:3 is a single word that This word literally means “not a slave to alcohol”. The New King James Version has a footnote for this word stating that it could be translated not addicted.
Not given to much wine in 1 Timothy 3:8 is not the same word. It is several Greek words that mean to not be addicted or given over to wine.
This does not mean that the elders cannot have any wine but the servants can have some. This talks more about the issue of addiction, not wine. Paul encourages Timothy to have a little wine to prevent the dysentery of the water (2 Timothy 5:23). However,