Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - The Calling And Qualifications of Elders

Episode Date: January 31, 2024

In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis looks at the calling, and the qualifications of the elders/pastors that Christ has entrusted with shepherding His church.In examining both 1 Peter 5 and 1 Timothy 3, Jonny highlights 16 explicit qualifications and two fundamental attitudes that define those who lead the church. Why is this important for a church member? Because if you’re a Christian you are called to submit to the elders of the church (Heb. 13:17). Therefore understanding their calling and qualifications are essential for every Christian.Watch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey folks, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. In this episode, we continue the series that I started last week on the church, which is the body of Christ. If you haven't already listened to that episode, I would encourage you to stop now and go back and do so because this episode will build upon the former. Now, last week, we looked at the reality that Jesus Christ is building his church. And in this episode, I want to look at the qualifications and the attitudes of the chief leaders that Jesus Christ has put in position in shepherding and leading the church under himself as the great shepherd, that being elders. Well, without further ado, let's dial in. The year is 62 AD. The empire of Rome is experiencing a time of political turmoil

and economic instability under the leadership of Emperor Nero. The rise in Christianity has led to a rise in persecution and following the fire of 64 AD, Nero is eager to deflect the blame and use the Christian community as the scapegoat. This persecution was marked by extreme brutality and the most horrendous and horrific methods of execution and torture were reserved for those who would not renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Nero's executions of Christians were both public and painful. Often Christians were thrown to starved and savage animals. At other times they were crucified like their Lord. And at other times Nero, who was known for his extravagant garden parties, would dip the Christians in wax or pour pitch on them, tie them to stakes, and set them ablaze as Nero's dinner guests would then waltz through his garden and see the Christians burning. Despite the severity of Nero's persecution, however,

the Christian community continued to grow and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Remember, Tertullian once said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, and such was true in the early church. It's against this backdrop and in this context of hostility and persecution that Peter writes his first epistle. It is addressed to Christians who are scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And Peter tells us this much in 1 Peter 1.1. And they were all under Roman control. And Peter is writing these churches and encouraging them to do two primary things. Number one, to stand firm. He reminds them

that their living hope is in Jesus Christ because they serve a living Savior. He tells them, don't waver, don't bend, stand firm. But not only that, because he knows that in the midst of persecution, it is easy to withdraw and privatize our faith. Peter then exhorts them not only to stand firm, but as my friend Harry says, to stand out. To stand out in the face of persecution. Stand firm and stand out as someone who has been called out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ. And Peter encourages them that the suffering that they are currently facing as a child of God is not something that is unbeknownst

to their heavenly father, but something that is happening to them according to God's providential plan. Peter says so explicitly in 1 Peter 4, 19, saying, therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. Now, Peter has just told them that the persecution

they're facing is not something that is outside of God's sovereignty and control, but their suffering in 419 is according to the will of God. Now, the question then arises, how then are they to trust God in such difficult times? How are they to stand firm and stand out in the face of this hostility? Well, then comes in to the scene in chapter five, the role of an elder. The role of elders were to help those in the church, not only to understand the word of God, but to help lead the church communities so that the people within the body of Christ were able to stand firm and stand out as a light in the dark and as salt in a dying and decaying world.

So Peter says that in first Peter 4, 19, and then he begins chapter five immediately after that saying, therefore, I exhort the elders among you as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed. Here's the imperative. Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving yourself to be an example to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you'll receive the unfading crown of glory. Now, in order for us as Christians to stand firm and stand out, in order that we might suffer well in a world that is against us as Jesus followers,

God knows that you need shepherding. You need someone in your life that is entrusted with your soul. And in the midst of these difficult days in the first century, Peter is going to urge and exhort the elders, who are the chief leaders within the church, to shepherd the flock. Now, for a moment, there are two offices in the local church, that being elders and deacons. Elders, as we will look at in greater detail next week, are those who teach, train, and lead others with the word of God. They preach as well. And deacons are ministry leaders and administrators of mercy

on behalf of the church to those who are in need. An elder is synonymous with two other terms that are used in scripture. The one being an overseer and the other being a pastor. A pastor is an elder and an elder is a pastor. Those are the same things in scripture. They are the same title, the same responsibility. Among the Jews, an elder was a leader in the Sanhedrin. And in the early church,

the elders were those who presided over the assemblies of the church. Now, remember, this is just a brief field trip for a moment because we looked at what the church is last week. It is an assembly, an ecclesia of those who have been to three things really called out of the world. That's what it means. Eck means to call out.

They've been called out of the world and those who have been also called together into a common assembly. That's what a church is. Those who have been called out of the world, but not only called out as scattered sheep, but those who have been called out of the world, but not only called out as scattered sheep, but those who have been called together into the same fold. And then third here, those people who have been called together are those who make a common confession about the person and work of Jesus Christ and who live in submission to his living word.

If you want to know what's happening at a church when you go there on a Sunday, it's that those people have gathered there to say that Jesus is the only way to God and every other religion and every other hope is damned. And there is only one hope by which we can be saved. And that is Jesus Christ. We come here. We gather at church because we love Jesus. We want to obey Jesus.

We desire to serve Jesus. And we want to know more of Jesus in his word. Now back to elders. An elder is someone who then with that assembly that makes a common confession because they've been called out of the world and called together into a common assembly. It's someone who teaches, preaches, leads, and trains those who are amongst Christ's flock. They are shepherds. Why? Because God's people are his sheep. This is what a Christian is. Remember in Psalm 100 verse 3, it says, we are God's people and the sheep of his pasture. Before Christ, our life was described this way in Isaiah 53. All of us like sheep have

gone astray. Each of us has gone to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. And finally, in 1 Peter 2, 24, it says, and he himself bought our sins or brought our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By his wounds, you were healed. Watch this. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. So watch this. You, if you're a Christian, are a sheep. You are in the care of your great shepherd, who is Jesus Christ, who himself appoints through his Holy Spirit under shepherds who are given the responsibility to feed, lead, protect, and care for the sheep that

belong to God. Shepherds keep watch over the pasture that belongs to them. And from that idea, we get the word pastor. The Latin verb pasere means to lead, to pasture, to set to grazing, to cause to eat. And so every shepherd, every pastor in the church is an under shepherd subservient to the plans and purposes of the great shepherd that is Jesus Christ. And the reason that the shepherd or the elder or the pastor of a church is to do so with great care and with great stewardship is because Jesus Christ himself is the one who cares ultimately and most, most vibrantly for his sheep. In John 10, it says that Jesus knows his sheep and he gives his life for his sheep. In John 10, it says that Jesus knows his sheep and he gives his life for his sheep. In Matthew 9, when Jesus saw the crowds, he has

compassion on them. Why? Because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Here's what you need to understand. You're probably not a shepherd and you probably don't see sheep very often. Here's the reality. Sheep without shepherds die. They die. And you're a Christian. If you're a Christian, you are a sheep. And without shepherding in your life, you will die. Now, in a real sense, a sheep cannot fend off wolves. They cannot scratch. They cannot bite. They cannot jump. They cannot run. They just lay there and die. And this is the analogy used of God's people and that we all need shepherding. Now, I want to look back with you at first Peter five verse one. It says that Peter exhorts the elders amongst them.

Now, this is important because at any healthy church, there is a plurality of elders. When I say plurality, it just means that there is more than one. As many of you know, I'm the pastor of a church in Franklin, Tennessee, but I am not the only elder at my church. There are six of us because the shepherds themselves need shepherding. And in the days to come when hostility grows,

that is the time the church has the greatest need for strong, godly, effective shepherds. The most difficult times demand for the most enduring shepherds. So Peter exhorts them in 1 Peter 5 to shepherd the flock among you. What this means is that Jesus Christ has one big flock, but each shepherd, each elder, each pastor is responsible for stewarding and shepherding the flock of God that is amongst them. That is where we get the idea of the local church. Now, think with me. If I'm an elder at a church, how do I as an elder know who I am responsible for shepherding?

How do I know whom God has entrusted to me as the shepherd of their souls? The answer is membership. Meaning that when people gather, there's a lot of people in the church, but how do I know in the eyes of God whom he has entrusted to me? It's the people that say, I want to become a member and I want you to steward and shepherd my soul. Now in the remainder of this episode, I want to look at three things with you. Number one, the calling of an elder. Secondly, the qualifications of an elder. And third, the attitude of an elder. And in the next episode, what I want to look at with you is the function of an elder. And then fifth, the motivation of the elder in the church. Now, first with you, I want to look at the calling of an elder. Peter exhorts the elders in verse one to shepherd the

flock of God amongst them. But what we must do first is examine how those elders whom Peter is addressing were put into that office in the first place. In Acts 14, 22, we read of the same reality of suffering that believers were facing in first Peter. It says there in Acts 14, 22, through many tribulations, we will enter the kingdom of God. Then in light of this reality of persecution and hostility and rejection, it says in the following verse, when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. The apostles in the early church set up elders and because tribulation

and trials and persecution and hostility were going to come, they appointed these elders to help the church endure and to stand firm and stand out. Paul tells Titus, who he had left in Crete in Titus 1.5, Paul tells Titus here, for this reason, I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. Crete was a place that was saturated and inundated not only with immorality, but with false teaching. So elders are to be appointed, okay? But as we begin, who appoints elders? Who elects them?

Well, we see the answer in Acts chapter 20. Paul is saying his farewell to the church of Ephesus. He has been with them for three years, but now he is going to depart from them and he is giving them his final words. Acts 20, verse 28. He says, take heed to yourself and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. That's an elder.

He says to care for the church of God, which he obtained with the blood of his own son. So the question for you, who ultimately appoints elders? Well, Acts 20 verse 28 tells us it is the Holy Spirit. Paul says in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. A church does not appoint elders. God does. They are affirmed by the church and recognized by God's people, but they are called

by the Holy Spirit. The church affirms what the Holy Spirit appoints. Now the question you may be asking then as we move on, how do we know if someone has been appointed by the Holy Spirit to the role of an elder? And that brings us to secondly here, the qualifications of an elder. Peter is exhorting the elders to shepherd. They have been appointed by the Holy Spirit. But what type of men does the Holy Spirit call? What are their qualifications? Now, I'm going to look at a list of 16 qualifications with you in 1 Timothy 3.

But every single one of these, before we begin, has to do with their character, except for one. The one outlier is a gift, a skill, and we will look at that in a moment, but largely their qualifications have to do with who they are. I've counted 16 in 1 Timothy 3 alone, and that is all really condensed in a matter of seven verses.

It says there in 1 Timothy 3 that if anyone aspires to be an elder, that would be the first qualification. They have to want to do it. So number one, if you're taking notes, an elder aspires to be an elder, that would be the first qualification. They have to want to do it. So number one, if you're taking notes, an elder aspires to do so. They're not coerced. They're not forced, but rather through the desires that God has put in their heart, they aspire to help shepherd the flock of God within their local church. Secondly, an elder is to be above reproach. In first Timothy three, verse two, it says an

overseer then must be above reproach. This means Timothy 3 verse 2, it says an overseer then must be above reproach. This means that there is no cause for concern in his life and conduct. My dad always used to use the example of a Teflon pan where nothing could stick. And for the elder in the church, their life is to be one of integrity. So much so that when accusations are made about their character and conduct, nothing can stick. He is, as my dad would say, a Teflon man. Accusations about what they've done or situations that they've been in are quickly dismissed because people know the godliness and maturity of the man being questioned. Now, one thing to clarify, this does not mean that the elder is sinless,

but that the consummate picture of his life is one of godliness. The office of an elder is not just for those who have the gift of leadership, but for those who are moral and spiritual examples. And the first descriptive reminds God's church for all time that the qualifications of an elder are first and foremost character-oriented. Richard Baxter, who was a 17th century pastor, once told his group of pastors that he was working with to take heed to yourself, lest your example contradict your doctrine, and lest you lay such stumbling blocks before the blind as may be the occasion of the ruin, lest you unsay with your lives what you say with your tongues. This is why pastors and elders need to be men of

high character. MacArthur says this, pastors must take great care to remain above reproach for several reasons. First, they are the special targets of Satan and he will assault them with more severe temptation than others. Those on the front lines of the spiritual battle will bear the brunt of satanic opposition. Second, their fall, of sin that is, has a greater potential for harm. Satan knows that when a shepherd falls, the effect on the sheep is devastating. Third, leaders' greater knowledge of the truth and accountability to live it brings greater chastening when they sin. Fourth, elders' sins are more hypocritical

than others because they preach against the very sins they commit. Leaders in this regard need an abundance of God's grace and power because of their great responsibility and their visibility. Now, because the level of a man's integrity and his level of being above reproach is often measured by the health of his marriage and his commitment to his wife. 2 Timothy 3 then continues and says third here that this man, an elder, is to be the husband of one wife. In 1 Timothy 3, 2, it says that he must be above reproach, the husband of one wife. Now in scripture, women are not second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. They are highly favored.

They are used mightily by God. But there is one office that is reserved for men, and that is the office of an elder. We will talk more about this in a future episode. But many people have correctly highlighted that women are used in high capacities in other portions of scripture to explain that this passage surely couldn't be saying what it is saying. But we see here very plainly that the elder is a husband, which means he is a man. And then it says that he is the husband of one wife. Now the scripture here is not merely forbidding polygamy,

but is speaking even more directly to the oneness and unity that a husband has with his wife, not only with his body, but with his eyes, heart, and mind. You can be married to one woman, but possess a divided heart. You can be physically the husband of one wife and emotionally and mentally be an adulterer. Jesus makes this much clearer in his sermon on the mount. And here Paul is referring to a one woman man. This is especially an important qualification in a world like today today where every man has a brothel in his pocket, a world of pornography only a few clicks away. So Paul says that one of the qualifications of an elder here is that they are the husband of one wife. And then fourth,

he says they must be temperate, meaning that they are clear headed to be temperate means that they are alert, discerning and prudent. Then a prudent man is a clear thinker and a serious thinker about serious things. This does not mean that he's not joyful because that's one of the fruits of the spirit, but it does mean that when you engage him on the subjects that matter, he has a depth of maturity and discernment. Fifth year, not only is the elder to be temperate, he is to be prudent. Paul sums up really what this charge means in Philippians 4, 8, when he says, Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute.

If there is any excellence in anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Both temperance and prudence carry along with it the overarching reality of sobriety and self-control, meaning that the elders in Christ's church are not mastered by their lust or their appetites. They're clear thinkers and they're pure thinkers. They are temperate and prudent. Now, six here, it says in 1 Timothy 3 that the elder is to be respectable. They're to be well-disciplined.

This means that his life is one of order. It's not one of chaos because if his life is full of chaos, how can he bring order and structure and shepherding to the family of God? It then says in 1 Timothy 3, verse 2, that an elder must be hospitable. This word means that he loves strangers. It does not mean that the elder likes to host his friends and only invites them. It means that he also loves the down and outers. Christianity at its very core has hospitality as an essential tenant of what it means to follow Christ. All Christians, and here especially elders, are those who love to love others by opening their home and opening their heart, even to those who they do not know well. Consequently, if the elder is hospitable, which they are commanded to do so, it means that they are approachable. They are not hidden. They're not top floor elite. They are

those who are known because they have a history and a habit of opening their homes to stranger. It says right in the middle of this list, number eight, that they are able to teach. This is the only qualification that doesn't have to do with character. Paul says they must be able to teach. This means that the guy knows sound doctrine. He can, as it says in Titus 1.9, refute aberrant things that are being said about God, Jesus, and the gospel. He knows the word, he studies the word, and he is a skilled teacher of the word. Now, this is also the main differentiator of the qualifications of a deacon. Deacons possess high qualifications for their

character, but are not required in scripture to have the gift of teaching. And as we will look at in our next episode, the primary function of an elder is to teach, preach, and train the body of Christ with the word of God. So this ability and gifting is a prerequisite. This more than anything is a spiritual gift of teaching. And this must be conjoined to a depth in doctrinal understanding because the deeper a man's well and understanding of scripture is, the richer his teaching will be. This means that the elder is a diligent student of the word of God. It means that he can discern subtle errors. It means that he lives what he teaches and what he teaches, he teaches with conviction. Number nine, in regards to the qualifications, the elder must be not addicted to wine.

The Bible is littered with the tragic consequences of those who are addicted to alcohol. Drinking is the mother sin of many other forms of iniquity, and therefore God's servants and elders in the church must have a reputation of prudence, caution, and wisdom in regards to alcohol consumption. Tenth here, it says in 1 Timothy 3 that the elder must not be pugnacious. This means that he doesn't love to fight. He isn't violent. And because he isn't violent, number 11, he is a man that Paul says is gentle. This means he's gracious. He doesn't love to hammer people. He doesn't delight when people sin so that he can come down hard on them. He is a man who is gentle. And then it says, 12th, that he is also peaceable.

This means that he doesn't like to fight. He's not quarrelsome. He doesn't love to disagree with people. He's not looking to banter. 13th in this list, in verse 3, the elder is not someone who loves money. We live in a world where the gospel is often abused so that men and women can profit from it. Furthermore, this love and pursuit of money is the root of all evil. Therefore, God's servants and God's shepherds

must be those who have pure motives. And one of the chief characteristics of that pure motive and pure heart is that they are free from the love of money. And consequently, because they're free from the love of money, they are not jealous of those who have it. 14th in verse four, it says that this elder must be a good manager of his household. Show me the potential elder candidates, wife and kids. Why? Because verse five of first Timothy three says, if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God? It then says that the 15th qualification is that this man in verse six is not a recent convert. There are a number of baby eager believers, but the scripture says that the potential elder candidate must not be someone who is a new believer, but rather it is someone who has

gone through trials, held firm in temptation. And furthermore, it says in verse six, that if he is a new believer, his heart will become proud. You want to make sure this guy is humble. So he's not a recent convert, number 15. And number 16, it says in verse seven, that he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. So it must be a man that's not only respected by people within the church, but he must be well thought of by others outside of the church. Can I just sum it up for you? We just looked at 16 qualifications, but I want to just sum it up. An elder needs to be a godly man who is able to wield, teach, and train others with the word of God.

Furthermore, this elder is to operate in plurality, which means amongst other elders. It says in 1 Corinthians 14, 29, Meaning this, this. The pastor or the elder is not a CEO over a large business. He is someone who elders alongside other elders who are with him in the trenches. This prevents imbalance and promotes longevity, accountability, and fuels a joy in serving together. Now, third and finally here, I want to look at the attitude of an elder. We've looked thus far at the calling of an elder. They're called by the Holy Spirit, the qualifications of an elder as outlined in 1 Timothy 3. And now I want to look with you back in 1 Peter 5 at the attitude of an elder. In 1 Peter 5, Peter says,

I appeal to you as a fellow elder. And then goes on to say that they are to elder, not under compulsion, but with great joy. I want to look with you just at this word that Peter says here in chapter five. He says, I appeal to you. The verb is parakel and the Holy Spirit is called the paraclete because he is someone who comes alongside. And the idea here is that when Peter is appealing them, he's not so much wagging his finger in their faces, but putting his arms around their shoulders. He is appealing to them passionately and personally. He is exhorting them as a fellow elder. He's not domineering. He's not patronizing. He comes to them as someone with love and sincerity and a level of urgency.

And I want you to think about why that's so profound and so special. Because Peter could have exercised his apostolic credentials and authority. He could have said, I write to you as the preacher at Pentecost. I'm the leader of Christ's church. But he doesn't do that. He comes to them as a brother. My friend Harry always told me that the force of positional authority is not as impactful as relational ministry. I want to say that again. He says the force of positional authority is not as impactful as relational

ministry. A true elder isn't in love with flexing their authority. But when it comes to the people of God, like Peter, who says, I am a participant of the sufferings of Christ. He comes to them with a level of humility. And then secondly, here with an eagerness in verse two of chapter five, he tells them to shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness. The ministry of the church is not to be shepherded by those who have to be coerced into doing it. If you're going to be a pastor or if you're going to go to a church where there are elders, which there should be, you need to have elders at your church who do so not under compulsion, but with a sense of divine commission, but not under any sort of human

or personal, I have to, but rather I want to. Ministry is not a drag. It's a privilege. And Peter wants to make this clear. You're not to do this under compulsion, but with eagerness. I'm so thankful that when I was growing up, I watched my dad be a pastor my entire life, and he never carried out his responsibility as if it was a burden to bear, but rather a privilege to enjoy. Now, as we land the plane and really look forward to next week, I want to ask you a question. How valuable are the sheep within the church of God? Well, we must think about that another way by really understanding that the value of anything

is determined by the price that was paid. And so back to our question, how valuable are Christ's sheep? Well, what's the price that was paid? The price that was paid was the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Christ's sheep are therefore precious. And the under shepherd who elders and pastors and oversees that group of sheep allotted to their care is appropriately eager to feed and lead and protect and die for the sheep entrusted to them because they are precious and valuable to the great shepherd who is Jesus Christ. So in this episode, we have examined the calling of an elder, the qualifications of an elder, and the attitude of the elder, as we have just observed, is one of eagerness and humility and stewardship.

In our next episode, I want to look at the chief function, which is to teach and preach and train with the word of God. And it's going to detail for you why you need to be in a church that holds high the word of God and preaches it with a level of depth until then stay dialed in.