“Now the overseer must be above reproach…Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect….” (1 Timothy 3:2, 8)

There are two kinds of officers in the church. First, there are the elders, also called overseers. They are mature and instructed men whose main task is teaching, but who are also responsible for the major administrative decisions of the community. In connection with this, they have authority to enforce the apostolic commands regarding church discipline. Then, the deacons are the assistants to the elders and servants to the church. They are to handle the practical affairs that would otherwise hinder the elders in their work of prayer and preaching, such as the distribution of aid. They have no authority over the elders. The modern-day “deacon board” is unbiblical. A more biblical model would be for there to be a board of elders, and a team of deacons to carry out the decisions of this board.

Strange comments are sometimes made regarding our passage. According to some preachers and writers, it states that an officer of the church is to possess a worthy character, but it does not say that he must affirm sound doctrine. Those who demand doctrinal purity from their leaders are unloving and nitpicking Pharisees who miss the heartbeat of God. There are great problems with this interpretation of the passage, with this argument from silence, or alleged silence, and with the conclusion drawn from such an interpretation.

Suppose I am involved in a legal battle and spend two hours telling a friend about it. Since the case entails dispositions, court appearances, and much paperwork, I am in a rush to find a lawyer to represent me. My friend asks at this point, “What kind of lawyer are you looking for?” I pause for a moment and reply, “I am looking for a lawyer who will be honest with me, and who is punctual and efficient, polite, and presentable. Since I am not familiar with the law in this area, he must also be someone with a lot of patience.” Now, imagine if my friend responds, “You did not mention that he must know the law. So that is unimportant?” Of course a lawyer must know the law! The whole matter is about the law! I mentioned that he must represent me in dispositions, in court, and in handling the paperwork. The entire context suggests that I am looking for an expert in the law, only that I am looking for an expert in the law who possesses other qualities that are also important to me. My friend’s reaction indicates that either he has forgotten the entire context of the conversation, or that he is a tremendously stupid person, or both.

Likewise, to say that Paul’s list of qualifications for elders and deacons does not require them to be sound in doctrine betrays a deficiency in simple reading comprehension, and a complete neglect of the context of the Pastoral Epistles. In these letters we find a constant emphasis on doctrine that is repeated in various ways and from all angles. There are apostolic commands to preach the word, to maintain and transmit sound teachings, and to oppose false doctrines and false teachers. Many of these are explicit, sometimes directly applicable to the minister of the gospel, and often even to all believers.

That said, the list in fact requires sound doctrine in our elders and deacons. Paul writes that the overseers must be “able to teach.” Are we to think that he means “able to teach false doctrines”? And the deacons “must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith.” The main task of deacons is practical service, and so Paul does not emphasize the ability to teach “the deep truths of the faith.” But notice that they must still affirm them. Those who allege that the list does not require doctrinal soundness and precision are disqualified by this very passage, at least from being elders. To say what they do about this list indicates that they do not know the primary task of the elder or overseer, and lack the ability to understand the plain statements of Scripture.

Paul reminds us of an essential principle in church order – God requires specific traits in the leaders of his people. A person is not qualified just because he is willing and available, or even ambitious, for the position. He is not qualified just because he possesses some qualities that the world considers desirable, but that are irrelevant to spiritual leadership. A sober consideration of what Paul says may lead us to the realization that many, if not most, church leaders today are not qualified to stand in their positions.

The Bible requires a minister of the gospel to be sound in both his doctrine and his character. He must be examined in both of these areas. However, if a person is not sound in doctrine, then we do not even need to consider his character – he cannot be an elder or a deacon, because he might not even be a Christian. May God raise up many among us, and may God himself become their teacher, so that they may become sound in the faith, both in their doctrine and character, and lead the church out of disrepute into glorious victory by the truth and power of Jesus Christ.