Qualifications for Elders and Deacons

Qualifications for Elders and Deacons

This fall, we have nominated two new elders and two new deacons. We are submitted to the authority of God’s Word, and committed to our vision of seeing lives transformed by the power of the gospel to the glory of God. We believe that commissioning more qualified elders and deacons in our local church will (1) strengthen our ministries, and (2) position us for long-term stability and fruitfulness.

As we have invited members to consider and share feedback and affirm these four candidates, it’s helpful to go back to some of the basics about elders and deacons.

We’ll review three important topics here:

  1. What are Elders and Deacons Again? What’s the Difference?
  2. What are the Biblical Qualifications for Elders?
  3. What are the Biblical Qualifications for Deacons?

 

What are Elders and Deacons Again? What’s the Difference?

According to the New Testament, elders are not simply a board of directors or a board of trustees; rather, they are understood as shepherds—men called to pastoral oversight of the church. Simon Peter identified himself as an elder and challenged elders in other local churches to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1–4).

In sum, the elders’ role is to shepherd the local church together through teaching and overseeing the flock.

The function of deacons (to put it simply) is to administrate servanthood.

This aligns with the meaning of the Greek word for deacon (diakonos) which simply means “servant.” To learn more about deacons, you can find several helpful blog posts on our website about “What the Bible Says about Deacons” and “Why Do Deacons Matter for the Church’s Health?

What are the Biblical Qualifications for Elders?

The New Testament has specific qualifications for elders that we must take seriously. Paul says in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 (with a very similar passage in Titus 1:5-9):

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”(1 Timothy 3:1–7)

Without these qualities in his life, teaching, family, and community, a man should not be commissioned as an elder.

Notice that in Christian leadership, there is no substitute for character. An elder must have a track record of trustworthiness and godliness. And yet we must also recognize that the New Testament does not expect flawless perfection of anyone. According to Galatians 2, there was a time when Paul had to confront Simon Peter for a very serious doctrinal error that had very significant practical implications as Peter self-righteously withdrew from fellowship with believers of different ethnicities. Yet when he was confronted, Peter did not stiffen his neck in his error and his pride; to the contrary, he repented. And through his repentance, because of the sanctifying work of God’s grace in his life, he was positioned to serve in ministry for years to come. The New Testament doesn’t expect elders or elder candidates to be flawlessly perfect; neither should we.

It is also significant that in Paul’s list of requirements for elders, the most unique qualification is that an elder must be “able to teach” (or perhaps a better translation: “skillful to teach”). This requirement does not mean that every elder must be equally skillful in Sunday morning preaching. But it does mean that every elder must be adept in spreading sound doctrine to others. Consider the way Paul describes the teaching requirement for elders in Titus 1:9: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” In Paul’s description of the teaching requirement for elders, there is little emphasis on communication skills, but a deep emphasis on doctrinal fidelity and effectiveness in passing on sound doctrine. In light of this, we put a significant emphasis on the doctrinal vetting of elder candidates.

God expects elders to be men of consistently commendable character who are skillful in teaching sound doctrine, and we must consider these factors as we evaluate elder candidates.

What about Qualifications for Deacons?

The Biblical qualifications of deacons are listed in 1 Timothy 3, just after the passage we quoted above about the qualifications for elders:

“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 3:8–13)

The New Testament is clear that with deacons, as with elders, character matters.

The most significant difference between the qualifications for deacons and elders is this: while elders must be skillful in teaching, there is no requirement about ‘skillfulness in teaching’ for deacons. (Although their doctrine still matters: they must “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”)

Is that all?

It’s almost surprising that the New Testament doesn’t give more qualifications. A deacon does not have to be a certain age. An elder does not first have to master the Hebrew language. There’s no mention at all of how “successful” they must be in their line of business. These things have their value, but in God’s view, they are secondary to a candidate’s character, doctrine, and proven faithfulness in the church. 

0 Comments

Add a Comment