Direction not Perfection!
1 Tim 3:1-7 3 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. NKJV
Paul's letter to Timothy demonstrates how an elder is to grow into his position as an overseer of the church. These qualifications should increase in their depth and accountablity as men mature in this position. For instance, a man's desire for the position should continue to increase the longer he has the position. This desire should not change. One should not remain in a position if he no longer desires to do so.
The standard for this position is blamelessness. Paul is not talking about perfection. For example the following standard is the husband of one wife. This does not mean only married once, rather it means that he is a one woman man. It means he doesn't sleep arround and lust after other women. Some may desire to interpret this blamelessness as never having divorced and remarried, but Paul is not talking about a perfect history, rather he is talking about the lifestyle and practice this elder is now living in.
Temperate means that generally he is slow to anger and patient with those who oppose him in doctrine and teaching. It doesn't mean his demeanor or personality has to please everyone on every occasion. Sober minded doesn't mean he never gets confused or understands every passage of Scripture. It means that he generally keeps a straight head in difficult circumstances. Jeremiah was a prophet who struggled with keeping a sound mind in a day when Israel had to eat their own children to stay alive(Jer.19:9). Imagine the difficulty of keeping a sound mind due to those circumstances. The Apostle Paul also had problems keeping a sound mind because of the thorn in his flesh(2Cor.5:13). His behavoir should be increasingly good before the congregation.
He should be a good teacher who can explain the Scriptures so that the hearers can understand. His giving should increase as the Lord makes the ministry fruitful and should receive strangers into his home. He should not be given over to strong drink(wine/beer) or given over to practicing violence and brawling. His motivation for ministry should not be for selfish gain, but to make the church prosper in it's fruitfulness. His preaching should be authoritative but not to the degree that every detail is a debate. He is to direct his ministry to those who are being counseled and not give place for the whole congregation to debate His direction for the counselee, which gives place for quarreling(1Cor.14:29-33).
He shouldn't be covetous or jealous of his flock's possessions, but increase his desire to bless and not curse Christ's disciples. He is to 'rule' his own house well and keep his children in submission to show that he can oversee the church of God. He shouldn't be a new convert who can be easily tempted to spiritual pride and fall under the same condemnation as the devil who lords his own conscience over everybody else's conscience. This is why the Scriptures command all churches to appoint a plurality of elders based on each size of a congregation(Acts 14:23). Not only can a new convert can fall under this, but one who has become to comfortable in the pulpit. He should also have a good testimony amongst unbelievers lest he come under the snare of the devil.
Elders should increase in these qualifications more and more. 1 Thess 3:11-4:2 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. NKJV
