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What kind of men does God want to serve as shepherds in His congregations? The apostle Paul gives specific instructions through the Holy Spirit to the young evangelists Timothy and Titus. We can read in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 what God is looking for in the leaders of His churches (These passages are provided at the end of this article).
Let’s take a big picture view of the qualities God requires of His church leaders.
The need.
A great responsibility calls for godly leaders. Without shepherds, the local congregations are lacking provision, protection, accountability and direction (Titus 1:5). God’s design for His church was to have shepherds “after His own heart” that would feed His people (Jeremiah 3:15), so that they would not be lacking (Jeremiah 23:4). Paul tells Titus that there are people in need of leadership, correction, and protection (Titus 1:9-13). Those who would lead in such a capacity must be people who think God’s way, just as David was chosen to be king because he was after God’s own heart.
Must be…
This term “must be” is described by Thayer as “necessary…it is right and proper.” You might consider how this term “must be” is used elsewhere, for example, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). These qualities for God’s leaders are not optional. Look at 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and think about it: Would you want a man who only has some of these qualities? Do you want a drunkard leading the church? How about a quick-tempered man? Each one of these qualities has a reason according to God.
Qualities expected of all God’s people.
The things that God says “must be” present in the shepherd overseers is what God expects in all Christians. An elder is to be blameless, and so is every Christian (Philippians 2:14-16). The elders are to be hospitable, but all God’s people are called to be that way (Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9). It’s not just the shepherds who are to be able to teach, God wants every Christian to grow into being teachers (2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 3:15; Hebrews 5:11-14).
God doesn’t expect all Christians to get married and have kids, but God does expect all Christians who are husbands and fathers to lead their houses well (Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3). A man who serves as a shepherd elder is an example of what God expects of all Christian fathers and husbands.
An elder (shepherd, bishop) is to be an example to the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-4). He serves as an example of what God is looking for in all Christians.
5 categories:
We have the qualities of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 divided into 5 categories:
- His attitude – He has a desire for the office of elder. This desire is not a campaigning for office or a grasp for power, but a man who has demonstrated a deep care and love for souls. The one who would serve as a shepherd has a vigilant, sober-minded attitude. He is a peaceful man, one who is not quick-tempered or self-willed.
- His character – He is “gentle, just, holy, self-controlled and a lover of good.” By his life, he is demonstrating the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23), the Christian virtues (2 Peter 1:5-9), and the “beatitudes” (Matthew 5:1-12). Again, these qualities are expected of all Christians, but the elder has demonstrated these character qualities for all to see.
- His reputation – He is blameless (not flawless). He lives in such a way that everyone around him knows his heart for God. Does he have a reputation for hospitality? What do people around him say about him? What about his neighbors and co-workers? Would they be surprised that he is serving as an elder? Does he live a dual-life? Both Judas and Peter sinned, but Peter’s reputation was one of humility and repentance. Judas was all about himself. People around you can see the difference.
- His experience – Just as in applying for any job, you have to prove that you know what you’re doing. You have to be able to show that the job for which you are applying is something you are capable of performing. We don’t put a man in the office just because he is older and has a few kids baptized. We should see that he has already shown to be a shepherd of souls.
- His family life – He is a one-woman kind of man and he has led his children to follow Jesus. In order to lead the church, you have to have demonstrated that you can lead your home. The principles of shepherding a church are the same as leading a family. Watch how he interacts with his wife. What is she like (Proverbs 12:4)? If they have a strained marriage and you see they don’t really like each other, do you want that man to serve as a shepherd? How does he interact with his kids? How do the kids respond to his leadership? Can you see that his kids have been shepherding to follow Jesus? This matters, Paul says, because if he can’t do it at home, he won’t do it for the congregation.
Grace and Balance
While we see that the man that serves as a shepherd “must be” a certain kind of godly man, we must also bring grace into the picture. These men are not supermen. Sometimes I believe brethren have been so strict on these qualifications that even Jesus Himself couldn’t be a Shepherd in His own church. God was the greatest Father ever and His children walked away from Him. He was the greatest Husband ever and His wife (Israel) cheated on Him.
Be careful of legalism when applying these principles. A case in point, Peter served as a shepherd/elder (1 Peter 5:1). Was Peter flawless? Did he have some baggage and skeletons in the closet? Even as an apostle, fully led by the Holy Spirit, he played the hypocrite and had to be rebuked publicly by the apostle Paul (Galatians 2:11-14). You are not going to find flawless men, but you will find blameless men – study the difference.
Titus 1:5-9
(5) This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— (6) if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. (7) For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, (8) but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (9) He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
(1) The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task (2) Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (3) not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (4) He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, (5) for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? (6) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.