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The teachings of the New Testament are not random or accidental. Every book in the New Testament was written for the purpose of giving divinely inspired teaching to meet the specific need or needs of the person(s) or congregation involved.

The letters to Timothy and Titus were written to address specific needs under living circumstances. The deterioration of conditions in Ephesus and Crete made the provision of qualified leaders in the churches vital. The activities of morally and doctrinally deficient teachers in those places made the need for qualified leaders obvious. I wonder sometimes if we view the qualifications of elders and deacons as a lofty list of super traits to which few people can aspire. Do we think that the apostle just pulled this list out of nowhere?  Paul’s description of what elders should be needs to be seen against the background of the sort of teachers mentioned in chapter 1.

First, the eldership is a noble task (Vs. 1). The false teachers had swerved aside from the noble tasks of a good conscience and sincere faith (1:5). Leadership had lost any edge of nobility that it might have had in people’s eyes. Those who were claiming to be religious leaders unbridles in their lusts, contentions and habits. They had no concern for family or for truth. The church would be different!

Second, elders must be able to teach (Vs. 2). The false teachers desired to be instructors of the law but lacked understanding of the confident assertions they made (1:7).

Third, elders must be gentle, not quarrelsome (Vs. 3). The false teachers had a morbid interest in “controversy and quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth” (6:4-5).

Fourth, elders are not to be lovers of money (Vs. 3). The false teachers imagine that godliness is a means of gain (6:5).

Elders and deacons must be good family men (3:2, 4, 5). The false teachers were forbidding marriage (4:3).

Elders cannot be conceited men (Vs. 6). The false teachers were puffed up with conceit, understanding nothing (6:4).

Deacons must have a good hold on the faith (Vs. 9). The false teachers had made shipwreck of the faith (1:19).

Deacons must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience (Vs. 9). The false teachers were of a seared (cauterized) conscience (4:2).

Paul’s point in all this was to show that those who were having such a dire influence on the church at Ephesus and Crete were not qualified to lead them. Find men who are!

Sometimes a man is asked to consider serving as an elder and he declines for whatever reason. He may not feel ready for it. He may realize he is not qualified. He may feel he can better serve in other ways. He may not desire it.

Serving as an elder is a difficult, but rewarding work. It is often a thankless job with much criticism and little appreciation shown by some in the congregation. Elders often have to deal with problems in the congregation of which few will have any or accurate knowledge. Elders have feelings, and their wives have feelings too!

How do you know if a man desires to become an elder? Does he go around talking about it? Does he ask members to put his name in the pot the next time new elders are considered? Does he secretly tap shoulders trying to gain support in his lust for power?

A Christian man should see this as a challenge to be the most faithful Christian he can be. A good way of desiring the work of an elder is by meeting the qualifications over a period of time, leading by example, and taking advantage of challenges and opportunities that come along. Your challenge may be to usher, greet, lead in observing the Lord’s Supper, lead a prayer, lead singing, teach a class, or participate in a program of any kind. If one declines to accept any responsibility, the opportunities for growth will fade away and he will either remain stagnant or die spiritually. If these challenges are met, other challenges will come along, and he will want to grow in them. Eventually, he may desire to lead as an elder. The desire to serve comes along with personal growth. Many times, when a man becomes an elder, he has already been serving as a deacon. As an elder he becomes one among other overseers in the work and must allow others to do their jobs.