skip to main |
skip to sidebar
As I’ve stated in Bible classes, I recommend getting up every morning and reading the Bible. Once you’ve got your mind straight go immediately to God in prayer.
One of the important things to be done in prayer is to take a deep look at yourself… where you have been, where you are and where you want to be.
In addition, critical self-examination is important. Make a list of all your short comings… like am I quick to anger, am I too negative, am I a know-it-all, do I listen to others, etc. This should also include the negative things people say about you… their perceptions whether they be true or false.
Once you know who you are then you can start working (with God’s help) on who you want to be.
It’s easy to find fault in others. Start with yourself. We have a powerful God.
There’s a misguided concept among some Christians that when we come to worship services we should wear the best we have to honor God. Let’s think about that.
In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, the scripture states that Christian women should not be dressed with “gold and pearls, expensive clothing and braided hair but rather modestly that her good works might shine”. That verse, by the way, is not gender specific. The man should not be dressed in extravagant suits and ties and expensive things either. Why is that? Because expensive and extravagant dress, mask what we should really be showing… good works and humility.
Consider James 2:1-3, a man comes into the assembly “with a gold ring and fine clothing”. What happens? Brethern, impressed with what he looks like externally, honor that man and neglect the man who looks poor and we become respecters and profilers of God’s children.
I know for a fact that visitors have come into our congregation and felt like they couldn’t fit in with the church people because they felt different because they looked different.
God doesn’t want us to honor him with our clothing he wants us to honor him our hearts. Don’t hide who you are with expensive and extravagant clothing… because that’s all that some people can see.
The Apostle Paul gave criteria to Timothy and Titus by which men could be made Elders (Bishops, Pastors) in the congregations they worked with. The interesting thing to me is that these criteria or qualifications given to these two men are not the same and in some ways not even close. Let’s look at the differences.
A simplistic look would reveal that Timothy’s instructions contain 107 words while Titus’ instructions contain 87 words. Looking deeper into the 16 or so criteria given to Timothy only seven of these are replicated in the instructions given to Titus… one wife, sober minded, hospitality, No brawler, no striker, no love of money and faithful children. Some might say that since these are the ones held in common that perhaps they are the most important ones.
A lot of the attributes that are not exactly repeated are similar. For example, Timothy has “temperate” while Titus has “not soon angry”. However, there are some stark criteria mentioned to Timothy but missing in the instructions to Titus. For instance, the men Titus would be helping to qualify did not have to have a “good testimony from them that are without” not did they have to be “teachers”. Both attributes that Paul told Timothy but did not repeat to Titus. Hmmm.
In addition, the qualifications are different stylistically. To Titus Paul uses an antithetical device that we think of as not/but. Not self-willed… (5 things total) but given to hospitality (6 things total). This type of device creates a contrast to emphasize the positive things. It is only used once to Timothy… no brawler but gentle.
It may be that the qualifications were different because of specific problems in a given locale. Note to Titus Paul writes that the Elder must be able to “exhort and convict” (which by the way is not “teaching” but implies a high knowledge level) because of “vain talkers, deceivers, etc.” This is not mentioned to Timothy at all.
In summary, Timothy and Titus were given criteria that had some differences but which could be used independently of each other to select men in their respective congregations. Why were they different? Perhaps because of different problems in different congregations or perhaps because these criteria to select men were just generalizations to help in the process of selecting men.
Remember that most of these criteria are character driven and are not the only criteria to be used in the selection of men to become Elders… Knowledge and understanding of the mission of the church and the process by which Christians mature are critical criteria and perhaps so critical that most would realize that a man would not seek a job he didn’t understand… and therefore so obvious that they are not directly stated.
I’ve been studying the qualifications for Elders recently and thought it might be a good exercise based upon those studies to write down a few qualities that I would like to see in an Elder.
1. Someone who is a skilled and effective Bible teacher who inspires me with their knowledge and wisdom.
2. Someone who is not selfish but lives to help others.
3. Someone who can listen to both sides of an issue.
4. Someone who inspires me with their prayers.
5. Someone who sacrifices everything for the benefit of the congregation.
6. Someone who knows me and demonstrates personal concern and love for me.
7. Someone who has a marriage that inspires me and whose children love and respect them.
8. Someone who cares about the lost.
9. Someone who I can laugh and cry with.
10. Someone who I look up to and would like to be like.
11. Someone who believes the best about everyone.
