Bible Study: The biblical qualifications for pastors and deacons
1 Timothy 3:1–13
Click here to read the passage, 1 Timothy 3:1–13.
Click here to read the notes and questions for 1 Timothy 2:8-15.
Read 1 Timothy 3:1–13
The Gospel and Church Leadership
Church leadership matters deeply to every believer. Strong, passionate leaders strengthen the church and advance the Gospel, while poor leadership can cause spiritual harm or even turn people away from Christ.
Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 3:1–13 remind us of the importance of godly leadership for the church’s mission and witness.
The Bible identifies two primary leadership roles in the church:
Elders, who are servant leaders. Other names for elder are pastor and overseer.
Deacons, who are leading servants.
Church leadership is designed by God. It is not man’s invention, so we must avoid imposing our own leadership structure on God’s design.
We also must keep in mind that Jesus is our leader and that people are qualified to lead only insofar as He is living and working within them.
4 responsibilities of elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
What is an elder?
Old Testament: It’s used to describe the leadership in Israel that assisted Moses.
New Testament: Elder, pastor and overseer are interchangeable words. Christ entrusts elders to lead the church.
Four responsibilities of elders:
They are entrusted by Christ with the responsibility of overall leadership in the church. They are accountable to Christ. Elders are called “servant leaders” because even though God has given elders to guide us, they lead as servants of the church.
They care for the body of Christ. They are on the front line of spiritual warfare, acting as a shepherd to protect the church from false teachers and other evil things.
They are to teach the Word of Christ. They are to care for the flock by feeding the flock with the Word of Christ. We don’t follow pastors simply because they have a position. We follow them because they know the Word, teach the Word, and follow the Word.
They are to model the character of Christ. Here are some questions to ask of a leader in the church. These questions have been taken from 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; and 1 Peter 5:1–4, and they are grouped under four different categories.
In His Personal Life
• Is he self-controlled?
• Is he wise?
• Is he peaceable?
• Is he gentle?
• Is he a sacrificial giver?
• Is he humble?
• Is he patient?
• Is he honest?
• Is he disciplined?
In His Family Life
• Is he the elder in his home?
• If he’s single, is he self-controlled?
• If he’s married, is he completely committed to his wife?
• If he has children, do they honor him?
In His Social/Business Life
• Is he kind?
• Is he hospitable?
• Is he a friend of strangers?
• Does he show favoritism?
• Does he have a blameless reputation (not perfect but above reproach)?
In His Spiritual Life
• Is he making disciples of all nations?
• Does he love the Word?
• Is he a man of prayer?
• Is he holy?
• Is he gracious?
3 responsibilities of deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13)
Some may say that deacons are simply those who serve in the church. But that’s not true because we all serve in the church. Deacons lead the church in service. They are leading servants.
Deacons serve elders so they can lead, and they lead others so they can serve.
Three responsibilities of deacons
Meets needs according to the Word. For instance, the first deacons (Acts 6) were set aside to provide food to the widows.
Support the ministry of the Word. They provide support to free up the pastors’ availability for preaching of the Word.
Unify the body around the Word. They promote unity in the church.
Questions
Which of the four responsibilities for elders stand out most to you and why.
How does the requirement to be “above reproach” apply to all believers, not just church leaders?
Why is it important for church leaders to manage their households well, and how does this reflect their ability to lead the church?
How might the warning against pride or being a new convert protect both the individual leader and the church?
How does the role of deacons differ from that of elders, and what does this teach us about the diversity of leadership in the church?
How can we, as a group, encourage and hold each other accountable to live out these qualities, whether we serve as leaders or not?
Another thought-provoking article. Curious, do you include these topics in your men's Bible studies?
I am first challenged to consider how "holy" am I living given I accepted a role in teaching the word. I will admit I have taken it to casual and more like any other common task, and not one called to meet with God and learn from him so to share with others.
The other challenge is the idea that Deacons are not simply those who serve in church as we are all called to serve, the Deacons lead.
The idea that they unify the body around the word and they promote unity in the church.
Which of the four responsibilities for elders stand out most to you and why.
#1, as you wrote - they are accountable to Christ. As mentioned, I have taken this responsibility lightly.
How does the requirement to be “above reproach” apply to all believers, not just church leaders?
This is the expectation of ALL that are called sons, the elders and deacons have simply just accepted additional responsibilities.
Why is it important for church leaders to manage their households well, and how does this reflect their ability to lead the church?
We don't need "do as I say, not as I do" and we also need people who are striving in this direction and likely not achieving in some such that they are relatable and easier to pray for.
How might the warning against pride or being a new convert protect both the individual leader and the church?
Pride hurts as it brings us into the discussion and the view of Christ. The new believer needs mature believers to help them navigate the newness, the freshness, and being unaware of the depth of growth ahead of them.
When I was a new Christian, and even still sometimes today, having knowledge of the Bible and teachings can be a source of pride, and missing the spiritual teaching as I'm focused on being "right".
How does the role of deacons differ from that of elders, and what does this teach us about the diversity of leadership in the church?
I'll paraphrase what I remember hearing another preacher say about Acts, the idea that the Elders would forget just how critical their role in prayer was and get distracted by the good deed of taking care of others.
I am easily distracted by deeds and thinking that prayer can wait.
How can we, as a group, encourage and hold each other accountable to live out these qualities, whether we serve as leaders or not?
Reading this, I'd say that we need to gather for these purposes. Maybe this is before or after service, a group praying during service, or maybe meeting a different day/time, but meeting and praying.
In today's world, we need to understand the Holiness of God, the relationship that he has made available to us, and the sincere and earnest behavior we MUST accept in doing his will.