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October 20, 1985
What type of man can be an elder in the church? As Alistair Begg teaches, the mark of the Spirit must be evident in every aspect of an elder’s life, from their personal character to their family life to their proficiency with Scripture. The bar for qualification is high because the task is challenging: those suitable for eldership must commit to pray for, protect, and provide for the flock they lead, just as Jesus does for all of us.
1The saying is vtrustworthy: If anyone aspires to wthe office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore xan overseer1 must be above reproach, ythe husband of one wife,2 zsober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ahospitable, bable to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but cgentle, not quarrelsome, dnot a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ekeeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for wGod's church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may fbecome puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover, he must be well thought of by goutsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ha snare of the devil.
8iDeacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,3 jnot addicted to much wine, knot greedy for dishonest gain. 9They must lhold the mystery of the faith with ma clear conscience. 10And nlet them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11oTheir wives likewise4 must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, pfaithful in all things. 12Let deacons each be qthe husband of one wife, qmanaging their children and their own households well. 13For rthose who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
sHe5 was manifested in the flesh,
tseen by angels,
uproclaimed among the nations,
vbelieved on in the world,
wtaken up in glory.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
