In the sermon 'Qualifications of Elders' by Steve Hopkins, held at Barnabasal Church, the biblical qualifications for eldership are explored through the lens of Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3. Pastor Hopkins emphasizes the necessity of a multiplicity of elders who hold equal authority, contrasting this with hierarchical structures in certain denominations. Key qualifications include being blameless, which is understood as having no standing charge against them, rather than sinless perfection. Elders must be faithful to their spouses, exemplifying marital fidelity, and must demonstrate effective leadership in their households, as seen through the conduct of their children. The sermon further underscores that elders should not be recent converts to avoid pride, should have a good reputation outside the church, and should be adept in teaching sound doctrine to counter false teachings. Additionally, a spirit of hospitality, patience, and the avoidance of greed are essential dispositions. The sermon concludes with a call for congregations to respect and appreciate their elders, ensuring peace within the church. It references the Baptist Confession of 1689, highlighting the biblical framework for church governance and the roles of elders and deacons.

Thanks for joining us at Barnabasal Church. This week, Pastor Hopkins gives his sermon on eldership from Titus chapter 1 and 1 Timothy chapter 3. Good morning. And what a blessed morning it is and a blessed day. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

Father, we want to thank you for who you are, God, our Father, and we, your children, on account of the mediation of our Lord Jesus. How grateful we are, God, for You sending Him into the world and for His redemptive work and reconciling us to God. No greater work has ever been done, No greater gift ever given. God, we want to thank you for providing a place for this church to worship you. We're grateful, Lord, for your provision.

We're mindful, God, that many of our brothers and sisters around the world are meeting outdoors and in very uncomfortable conditions and even in secret. And we pray for them, and we ask for your special watch care over them, God, and attention to their needs. And for those, Lord, who are meeting under the tyranny of governments, Lord, that are persecuting them, God, and that are having to meet in secret where the meetings of the church have been outlawed. We ask, God, that You would protect them and comfort them and Fill their hearts with peace and joy as they worship you at the risk of their freedom and even their own lives God we are grateful for our church family. We thank you father that you brought this congregation together We thank you Lord for giving us hearts of love for you and for one another We ask the Lord that might increase in the coming year We ask Lord that You might be with us in a special way this morning as we open Your Word and seek Your face, for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen.

If you would, turn with me in your Bibles to the letter of the Apostle Paul to Titus chapter 1, where we'll be looking at verses 5 through 9 in a review of the biblical qualifications of Elder, and then 1 Timothy chapter 3. Beginning with verse 5 of Titus chapter 1, We read the Apostle Paul saying, "'For this cause I left thee in Crete.'" This is why I left you behind, Titus, in Crete. So it's the Apostle Paul speaking to Titus, a Gentile Christian, a man trusted by Paul, a man ordained of God, to go forward with the organization of the churches in that area of the world and to appoint qualified elders and to deal with false teachers that were plaguing the church at that time. So Paul says that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting. That is that you should carry out my instructions to bring into order those things that are still unfinished with regards to the organization of the church.

And he says, ordain elders. That's what I want you to do. Notice ordain elders, plural, not singular. The Scripture teaches a multiplicity of elders and a multiplicity of elders of equal authority, not a hierarchy as we see in Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and other isms, but a multiplicity of elders of equal authority to provide spiritual oversight and leadership in the churches. It says, in every city, as I had appointed.

And then he goes and begins with the qualifications. If any be blameless. I remember when we first organized the start of the church in 1996 and we were trying to deal with that one. I was like, whoa, What do you mean? You know, what can this mean?

None of us, well, none of us are qualified. You know, it was really, it was difficult. But this means blameless, not blameless in the sense of sinless perfection. For them there would be no elders at all, right? There wouldn't be any elders because no man would be qualified.

But blameless in the sense of having no standing charge against him. There needs to be a man that is not under indictment or under accusation, you know, of any, have any standing charge that is against him or any standing accusation. If there's any, it needs to have been resolved. Before I go on there, let me quote Calvin on this. I ran across this earlier this morning on Blameless.

Calvin says, not speaking here of one who is exempt from every vice, for no such person could at any time be found, but one who is marked by no disgrace that would lessen his authority." I thought that was really good. Marked by no disgrace that would lessen his authority. He goes on to say a man of unblemished reputation. Okay, and then he goes on, the Apostle Paul goes on, the husband of one wife, literally it means A man of one woman, that's what it means. The husband of one wife, a man of one woman.

That is a man who is faithful to his wife, who is the only woman in his life. Others put it this way, he is a one woman man. He's a man of one woman, a one-woman man. He is to be a man who has lived chastely in marriage. He should be a man who has modeled Christ to his church.

The qualification is marital fidelity. MacArthur writes here, a husband who is both inwardly and outwardly devoted and faithful to his wife." And of course, you see in this that there's a gender qualification. He must be male. If he's married, he's to be a husband, not a wife, right? The Bible concept, the biblical concept is all male leadership.

And if any doubt that, 1 Timothy chapter 2 verses 11 through 14 ends that controversy, any controversy on the matter. Paul doesn't permit a woman to teach her to exercise authority in the church, speaking by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if any woman assumes such a role, she is clearly violating the command of God given through the Apostle. He goes on, having faithful children, that is, believing children. Having faithful children, that is, believing children, that is, children who are of the faith of Christ, children who are faithful to God.

Faithful to God reflected by their conduct, and thus a man who shows that he has been able to lead his children in the way of truth unto saving faith and holy living. Not children accused of riot or unruly. That is, not children who are rebels in their home. He can't be a man who you look at his children and you say, wow, that son, that daughter is a rebel. Or that child is unruly, ungovernable.

Calvin says, he who cannot obtain from his children any reverence or subjection will hardly be able to restrain the people, talking about the church, by the bridle of discipline. So it needs to be a person who, you look at their children and it's obvious that they have been educated in sound doctrine of godliness and in the fear of the Lord, Believing children who are of the faith of Christ For a bishop he goes on verse 7 to say the word here is episkopos means an overseer Which the Apostle Paul by the way, you'll notice uses interchangeably with the word elder so the bishop which means overseer and elder are one in the same office. So are throughout Scripture, by the way, presbyters, pastors, shepherds, all the same office. No hierarchy. No bishops, pastors, and then lower-ranking elders.

No. All the same office, all of the same authority. Different functions sometimes in accord with the giftings of each elder or church leader, but the same office and same authority. So for a bishop, the word is, again, overseer. Paul tells Titus, must be blameless as the steward of God.

A steward is someone who cares for the things that belong to another. So he has to be one who is above reproach as a servant of God and trusted with God's church, entrusted with authority in the church, entrusted with spiritual truths, and thus one who rightly divides the Word of God. He says he's not to be self-willed. Paul says he's not to be self-willed, that is, not arrogant. Not a man who says it's my way or the highway, or not to be.

Not soon angry, not a man who is quick tempered or easily angered. If he's quick tempered, he's easily angered, you can say, okay, this isn't a candidate for an elder. Not given to wine, not a man who uses alcohol immoderately or any other substance that would tend to dull his senses. No striker. He's not to be a violent man.

He's not to be a quarrelsome man, not given to filthy lucre. That is, not a man who is greedy for gain. A note in my Reformation Study Bible commentary says here, quote, a greedy desire to gain great wealth should not be the motive that drives a man into church leadership. You know, we see how positions in the church were bought and sold and everything, and like in medieval times and Roman Catholicism, horrible things going on, and men getting rich and living off of the backs of the poor and the church are getting wealthy off of that. It's not anything close to what should be the motivation, what should be motivating the man who seeks to be a servant in the church of Christ, to serve God's people, and to feed the flock of Christ over which the Holy Spirit has made him an overseer.

It goes on to say here though that however that does not mean that church leaders are to live in poverty for Paul calls for remunerating, that means paying certain church leaders. Close quote. If you'll turn with me to 1st Timothy chapter 5 and beginning with verse 17, we'll look at verses 17 and 18 real quick. First Timothy 5, 17 through 18, this is really an elaboration of that. The apostle Paul elaborates here, he says, beginning with verse 17, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.

For the Scriptures say, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward." Again a note in my Reformation Study Bible commenting on this passage says double honor here speaks of, quote, the honor befitting the position of leadership as well as financial remuneration. Verse 18 enjoins the financial support of the officers who teach the Word and shepherd the flock, those who govern the church and those who in addition carry out the more specialized ministry of preaching and teaching. At least in this commentary in the Ligonier's Reformation Study Bible, They say that the passage can be talking about teaching elders and ruling elders, but it goes on, it says here, it says, teaching elders, also known as ordained pastors or ministers, have the primary responsibility of teaching and preaching in their congregations. Ruling elders, on the other hand, are able to teach but spend less time teaching and preaching than teaching elders do, even as they share a responsibility of governing the church as well as praying for and caring for the people under their watch." But back to Titus 1.9, he must be a man we just read not given to filthy lucre, not given to desire for getting rich off the office or unholy financial gain, but a lover of hospitality.

The lover of hospitality here, it means literally a lover of strangers. That's what the word means, a lover of strangers. Or fond of guests. He must be a man who opens his home to people and loves to have people in his home. He must be a lover of good men, literally a lover of the good, is what the Greek actually says, a lover of the good.

He must be sober, that is clear thinking and self-controlled. He must be just or upright in his conduct, holy, which means set apart to God. He must be set apart to God. He must be temperate or disciplined. And then verse 9 says, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught.

That is, he needs to be a man who clings to the truth of the word of God, not a man who strays doctrineally or is blown to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Simply put, he must be a man who is doctrinally grounded and proficient in the Scriptures. Why? So that he may be able to, by sound doctrine, both exhort and to convince the the gainsayers, that is, those who contradict the truth. He's got to be able to deal with those who contradict the truth.

He needs to be a man who can reason from the Scriptures and be able to rebuke those who contradict the truth of God's Word. Because the apostle Paul says, look, there's these men whom the apostle calls deceivers in the next verse that are always trying to draw away the people of God. They're always trying to lead them astray, and there's more of them now than ever because they've got the internet, and they're just, you know, watch out for the snakes on the internet, you know? Every brand, every wind of doctrine is out there, but it's got to be able to deal with those. Those people who are always trying to draw away the people of God, those deceivers, false teachers who are teaching things they ought not, the apostle Paul says, they ought not to teach, thereby destroying whole households in the process.

These guys destroy entire households with their false doctrine. And so in verse 11 Paul says they must be stopped. And that's a duty of elders and pastors and overseers and presbyters and shepherds of the flock of Christ. He says they must be stopped. Some verses say silenced.

How? Through the teaching of sound doctrine and the right handling of the Word of God. And then we see in 1 Timothy chapter 3 beginning with verse 1 a repetition of many of these qualifications with some additional exposition. Here the apostle Paul writes, beginning with verse 1, this is a true saying, if a man desired the office of a bishop. Again, if he desires the office of one who has the oversight, literally, He desires a good work.

First thing we notice about this, that male leadership, once again, is specified. If a man desire it, not a man or a woman. Male leadership. If a man desires the office, it's not a woman. And a man who desires the office means the office is not entered into under compulsion.

He desires it. He's not forced into it. It's something he wants to do. He's being led by the Spirit of God to do this. He has godly motivation to do this.

And those who desire the office desire a good work, the Scripture tells us here. It's a good thing to desire to serve and lead the church. It's a good thing to desire to serve and lead the church in this office of overseer or elder. And then verse 2 says, a bishop, one who has the oversight, then must be blameless, again, above reproach, the husband of one wife, again, a man of one woman and faithful to that one woman or wife, vigilant, not slothful, sober-minded, of good behavior, that is of respectable behavior, given to hospitality, one who loves to open his home to people, even strangers, and apt or able to teach. He needs to have an ability to teach the Word of God.

Not given to wine, again, not given to the immoderate use of alcohol or other substances that tend to dull the senses, no striker, again not a violent or quarrelsome man, not greedy of filthy, lucre, again not greedy for financial gain, but patient. Here's another one that's added that wasn't in the text from Titus, but patient, but patient, but patient. He needs to be a patient man. He needs to be one who will be patient with the members of the church. You know, the desire of every elder, every pastor, every church leader should always be, as the apostle Paul said, to see Christ formed in the people of God, to see Christ formed in them, to see growth in Christ-likeness, which is something that happens over time, and it requires patience, and it requires repetition of teaching, and it requires reasoning in the Scriptures.

And therefore, patience is an indispensable quality in elders or bishops. Not a brawler, not a contentious man, or a man that likes to pick fights, right? Those around picking fights. It doesn't matter. I'm not talking about physical fights here, but not a brawler in the sense of picking theological fights with everybody, you know?

You have to contend for the Word of God, but going around picking fights on petty things and things that don't really, really matter, I think is what is indicated here. He shouldn't be a contentious man or a man that likes to pick fights. Not covetous, We all know what that means. One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. Again, he needs to be a man that has his own house in order, who rules his own house well.

And it's something that is manifested by the reverence and willing subjection of his children to his authority. MacArthur comments here his home life must be exemplary. End quote. Verse 5 says, for if a man know not how to rule his own house, How shall he take care of the church of God? I note in my Reformation Heritage Bible commentary says, Paul shows that godly leadership begins in the home and with one's own family, for if a man cannot oversee his own family, he cannot oversee the family of God.

End quote. Verse six says, not a novice, by which is meant not a recent convert to Christ. He doesn't need to be someone that – he got saved, he's on fire, and now he's out there, you know, just kind of all worked up. And no, that's not what's necessary. It's not what's needed in the office of Eldon, not a recent convert, not a novice, not a man who's only been a Christian for a little while, less being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

I saw this growing up in an independent Baptist church. They brought in this young man. He was like 25 years old, and he had been converted recently. He was on fire. They threw him into this school, and all of a sudden he was all over he was an evangelist he was all over the place teaching and preaching and everything and then I heard after that he fell in a terrible way He fell in a terrible way and was removed from his position.

But, less being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. The sin of pride is what the devil fell into. A man who recently comes to the faith is not a good candidate for elder as he may assume himself to be wise and be prone to fall into the same sin the devil fell into, which is pride. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without." So a man who would be an elder needs to have a good reputation outside these doors also, Outside of these doors. He pays his bills.

He's not out doing things that people are bringing accusations against or what have you in society. He has to have a good reputation among those outside the church as well as those inside, lest he fall into reproach in the snare of the devil. And we'll end this afternoon with this admonition to elders and overseers from Acts chapter 20 and verse 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost Have made you overseers To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood." Now for a charge from Scripture to elders, and then a charge to The congregation from the Apostle Paul, we read this in our opening sentence this morning, a portion of this from 1 Peter chapter 5, this is verses 1 through 4. The elders which are among you, Peter says, I exhort whom also an elder, Peter was also an elder and an apostle, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Here's what he exhorts them, feed the flock, feed the flock of God which is among you, Taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, as we just read, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, not for dishonest gain, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." Amen. And then to the congregation, everyone please listen to me here. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 12 and 13, he writes this admonition. He says, and we beseech you, brethren, he's saying, you really need to hear what I'm saying here. We beseech you, We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.

To know them, that is, The ESV says to respect them. The New American Standard says to appreciate them. We beseech you, brethren, to know them, to acknowledge them, to appreciate them, to respect those which labor, they're laboring among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. You know, the tendency with us is to, rather than to appreciate, to kind of depreciate, rather than to respect, to really kind of think of them and even begin to act towards them disrespectfully. But he says, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves, to esteem them very highly.

Again, there's a tendency amongst many to not esteem them very highly in love's sake, but to lowly have a low estimation, have a low estimation of the elders or the spiritual leaders of the church, to have a low estimation of them. And rather than to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, to find reasons to despise them and fault them and talk about them behind their backs in a negative way. So this is an admonition we all need to hear. We need to teach you, brethren, to know them, to respect them, to appreciate them which labor among you and over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among yourselves." That's where you'll have peace in the church. This is what gives peace in the church.

Okay, moving to our Baptist confession, I'm going to read of the church, of the Baptist Confession of 1689, chapter 26 of the church, paragraph seven, eight, and nine, to each of these churches thus gathered according to his mind that is the mind of Christ declared in his word, in God's Word, He had given all that power and authority which is in any way needful for their carrying out that order in worship and discipline which God has instituted for them to observe with commands and rules for the do and right exerting and executing of that power." And then paragraph 8 says, a particular church gathered and completely organized – remember, this is what Titus was going to do, organize those churches – a particular church gathered and completely organized according to the mind of Christ consists of officers and members. And the officer is appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church. Chosen by the church and set apart by the church, not imposed upon the church. But it says, set apart by the church, so called and gathered for the peculiar administration of ordinances, baptism and the Lord's table, the execution of power or duty which he entrusts unto them or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world.

And those who are in that office are called bishops or elders and deacons. Those are the two offices. Bishops and elders, oversight of the spiritual life of the church, deacons, the care of the physical life of the church. And it goes on in paragraph 9 to say, the way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit under the office of bishop or elder in a church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the church itself." That means the church needs to be going, yeah, This is what we want, okay? And solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer with the imposition of hands of the eldership of the church if there be any before constituted therein.