ESOCS Devotional 19 October 2024 – The Qualities of Godly Leadership
MEMORY VERSE: “And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.”1 Timothy 3:10
TEXT: 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-10
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
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Early churches also developed an order of deacons or church helpers. It seems that deacons looked after many of the everyday tasks in the church so that the elders had more time for prayer and teaching (Acts 6:2-4; Romans 12:6-8; Philippians 1:1). However, deacons were not limited to routine affairs, and some were also preachers (Acts 6:5; 6:8-10; 8:5). Most of the New Testament churches were founded in heathen cities, where many of the converts came from a background of low moral standards. Although some of these converts may have developed spiritually, they may also have retained disorders in their marriages, families and personal habits. These disorders, in spite of otherwise good qualities, would make such people a poor example to the church, should they be in leadership positions as elders or deacons.
Paul, therefore, gave Timothy some guidelines concerning those who might hold office in the church. The qualities he listed are not qualifications in the sense that anyone who fulfils these requirements is an elder (for such a person may not have the elder-shepherd qualities outlined above). Rather, they are minimum requirements that otherwise suitable people must fulfil if the church is to recognize them as elders and be ordained. Elders should maintain a quality of personal and family life that is a good example to others in the church. Their behaviour should be blameless and they should have some ability to understand and teach the Scriptures (3:1-5). They should not be recent converts, as time is necessary for spiritual character and gifts to develop. They must each have a good reputation, not only among Christians but also among those who are not Christians (6-7) stressing the need to save the image of the church.
Paul gave a similar list of qualities to test the suitability of deacons, both men and women. Although he did not require deacons to have the ability to teach, he did require them to have a sound understanding of basic Christian truth. He also gave a warning against gossip, since deacons are likely to know about the personal affairs of those who gave to and receive from the church’s finances (8-13), and other things.
- You should not wait until you are ordained in a church before you begin the right things.
- Father, let the Holy Spirit train me to do only what is appropriate in your sight.
Further Reading: Job 41:1-end; Isaiah 35:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:1-end
ESOCS Devotional 19 October 2024
