Biblical Characteristics of Leadership

Introduction:

A. Honorable Ambition: tensions between “desires a good thing” and Neh. 45:5 “Seekest thou great things for thyself, seek them not.”

B. Question: Should the man seek the office or the office seek the man?

C. Shakespeare: “Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambitions, By that sin fell the angels; how can man then, the image of his Maker, hope to profit by’t?”

D. Key to these characteristics: godliness is more important than giftedness, character more important than ability, what a man is more important than what he does!

E. In our culture, where there is little persecution beyond name-calling and ridicule, coupled with the entertainment syndrome in the church, there is a danger of self-seekers, position plotters, prestige pirates that is not in land of persecution. Remember the master principle, the servant shall be greatest. We do not make ourselves great by making men our servants, but rather, by making ourselves the servants of men.

I. The Calling

A. “True saying”

1. Appears five times

2. Used of a self-evident truth

3. The other four times it refers to doctrine

4. The need for the right kind of leadership that is to follow is on par with the need for correct doctrine

B. Male leadership

1. Any MAN

2. A woman could not be a “one-woman man”

3. The prohibition in chapter 2 reinforces this

4. Women were not the head of households, and thus, not to be the head of the church

C. Desire

1. There is an internal calling

a) Wrong reasons for going into the ministry

(1) Money

(2) Prestige

(3) Need

b) There should be an internal pull in this direction

2. There is an external agreement

a) Laying on of hands signified this

b) Lifestyle that comes with it

II. Definition of “Bishop”

A. Elder (presbuteroV): Definition: One who rules, leads, represents, judges, governs

1. Usage (66 times in NT)

a) It has age, maturity in view

b) OT origin: 70 tribal leaders who assisted Moses (Nu. 11:16, Deut. 27:1)

c) These leaders judged the people in Deut. 1:9-18

d) Members of the Sanhedrin (Matt. 16:21, 26:47)

e) City leadership (1 Sam. 11:3-10, 16:4, 30:26-31)

f) Leaders over the synagogue in the absence of the temple priests, kings, and prophets

g) NT writers borrowed this word with which they were familiar and used it to fit their purposes

2. NT usage

a) Refer to older people Lu. 15:25

b) Leaders in Judaism Matt. 16:21

c) Worshippers in heaven Rev. 4:4, 10

d) Leaders in the church Acts 11:30, 14:23

3. Elders responsibilities

a) Elders rule and teach 1 Tim. 5:17-19

b) Shepherd 1 Pet. 5:2

c) Have oversight Acts 20:28

4. Key Thoughts

a) Deals with the character and nature of the leader

b) Jewish origins and used primarily in Acts during the infant church with a Jewish audience

B. Bishop (episkopoV) : one who oversees, superintends, guards, protects

1. Originates from a Greek secular usage where an emperor would appoint a “bishop” to lead, oversee a captured city-state. The bishop was responsible to the emperor for the well being and order of the city.

2. Used more in Paul’s epistles than in Acts. Paul was writing to Gentiles who were primarily Greek.

3. Deals more with the OFFICE

4. NT function of bishops

a) Care for the church 1 Tim. 3:5

b) Teach the Scriptures Titus 1:9, 1 Tim. 3:2

c) Protect the flock Acts 20:28

d) Leads church 1 Tim. 3:1-5

C. Pastor (poimhn): One who shepherds, feeds, guides, protects

1. Shepherd metaphor was common Ps. 23, John 10:1-29

2. Noun form is only used in Eph. 4:11 (interesting that “pastor” is the preferred term among Baptists).

3. NT usage

a) Tend, oversee, provide an example 1 Pet. 5:1-5

b) Protect against false teaching Acts 20:28

c) Teaching, edifying Eph. 4:11

III. Characteristics from 1 Tim. 3:1-7

A. “blameless” (anepilhmtoV): no charge will stick; above reproach; it is not enough to be acquitted, but one must be “squeaky clean.” Charge will not stick because of the person’s impeccable character.

1. He is in a present state of blamelessness

2. His present character is the issue

B. “husband of one wife”

1. Not a polygamist

a) Polygamy was not a problem

b) Polygamy probably would have excluded a person from the church, not just from leadership

2. Not remarried

a) This refers to a moral trait, not marriage condition

b) Remarriage is permitted and even advised in Scripture

(1) Younger widows are to remarry (1 Ti. 5:14)

(2) Remarriage permitted in 1 Co. 7:39

3. Never divorced

a) This is a possibility, though the prohibition was probably not meant to prevent this in all circumstances

b) Some divorces prior to salvation can be so messy and cause family problems, especially as it relates to children, that it may exclude someone from this position

c) Sexual sin is a reproach that is not taken away (Prov. 6:32-33)

4. Not divorced since being saved

a) This prohibition, or the blameless one, probably does prevent divorced from being pastors

b) Again, divorce before or after marriage causes sticky family issues that may preclude one from pastoring

5. Must be married

a) This would have excluded Paul who was single

b) This refers to the sexual morality of the pastor

c) You cannot have single pastor who is immoral

6. Figuratively speaking of being “married” to the church

a) This can’t be true because later he speaks of raising children correctly which can only be done by a married man

b) Peter was married

7. Not remarried after a divorce

a) Thus, only married once

b) Again, it is not referring to marital status

8. “One woman kind of man”

a) These are traits, thus this interpretation fits well

b) He doesn’t have roving eyes

c) Committed to one woman

d) No sexual sin

Question? Can a divorced person be an elder or deacon? Definitely not if the divorce was post-conversion, and possibly not if it was pre-conversion. First, the phrase “husband of one wife” could well be intended to exclude divorced men from serving in these capacities. Since this is a possibility, the prudent course of action is to “play it safe” and not allow a divorcee from serving in this position. Second, the “blameless” idea may disqualify a person. Even if a person gets a divorce for “scriptural” reasons (immorality of spouse or desertion), the resulting mixed family situations make it difficult for the person to meet the standards of being an elder or deacon. God has a high standard for those in leadership. We have a tendency to gravitate to the lowest common denominator when God wants us to strive for the highest common denominator.

This does not mean that divorced people are second class or that they cannot serve in other capacities. For example, in the military, a person’s eyesight may prevent him from becoming a pilot. He is not qualified. However, he may still serve in other capacities and may even rise above in rank a pilot. Remember, deacon means servant. If a man has a servant’s heart, he will serve whether given a title or position or not!

C. “vigilant” (nhfalian): temperate, under control

D. “sober” (swfrona): respectable, not a clown, serious about spiritual things

E. “good behavior” (kosmion): orderly, good habits, organized

F. “hospitable” (filoxenon): love for strangers

1. Not so much hospitality to the saints, though that is suggested

2. Refers to being kind and open-hearted to strangers

3. This precludes prejudice

a) Illus. Of the pastor this week fired for bringing in blacks

b) Having to take two black kids home in SC

G. “Apt to teach” (didactikon): the only ability mentioned

1. The primary responsibility of the pastor

2. In Acts 6 deacons were chosen so that the apostles could spend their time in the Word and prayer

3. 1 Ti. 4:6, 11, 13, 16;Titus 2:1; 2 Ti. 2:15

H. “Not given to wine:” drunkenness most definitely; in our culture must be a teetotaler

1. Timothy seems to have been a teetotaler since Paul tells him to drink not just water but a little wine for his stomach’s sake

2. Their culture mixed water and wine to purify the water and dilute the wine

I. “Not a striker:” not violent, quick tempered

J. “Not greedy of filthy lucre:” not in it for the money.

1. Most pastors are not in it for the money. 75% of all pastors are paid below the poverty level

2. Deal in detail with this in chapter 6

3. Three great sins to be wary of are mentioned here

a) Women

b) Money

c) Pride

K. “Patient:” gentle

L. “Not a brawler:” not quarrelsome, not disposed to fight, not argumentative

M. “Not covetous:” one of the 10 commandments

N. “Ruleth well his own house:” gravity = respect. Children are taught to respect him and others. His home life should not be such that his kids don’t respect what he does. Can’t neglect his family.

Question? Should 1 errant kid out of 5 disqualify a man?

O. “Not a novice:” not a recent convert, newly planted

1. One of the great sins: Pride

2. This is the sin that brought down Satan

P. “Good report without:” credit report, business dealings.

IV. Characteristics from Titus 1:6-9

A. “Blameless”

B. “Husband of one wife”

C. “Having faithful children:” not wild and disobedient

D. “Not self-willed”

E. “Not soon angry”

F. “Not given to wine”

G. “No striker”

H. “Not greedy of filthy lucre”

I. “Lover of hospitality”

J. “Lover of good men:” GK. Lover of what is good, whether men or principles, or things

K. “Sober:” serious

L. “Just:” upright

M. “Holy”

N. “Temperate:” self-controlled, disciplined

O. “Holding fast:” sound doctrine

V. Characteristics from 1 Peter 5:1-4

A. Two Activities of a Pastor

1. Shepherd, feed

2. Oversee

B. Qualities that should characterize his ministry

1. Proper attitude: willingly, not by constraint

2. Proper motive: eager to serve, not greedy for gain; not in it for what he can get out of it but for what he can put into it

3. Proper manner: not as lords, but as examples; don’t drive the herd but lead the sheep