After his instructions for dealing with elders who sin, Paul gives Timothy four principles for choosing qualified men and therefore avoiding many problems.
Lecture Outline Detailed Outline Remember ItThe church and its leaders are not to appoint someone to eldership too quickly without first conducting a thorough examination (1 Tim. 3:10).
The one who appoints a person to leadership shares in both the success and failure of that leader. If an elder is found to be immoral or a false teacher or otherwise unfit for office, Timothy (or those who appointed this elder) will share the consequences. There is a bond created between the one(s) who appoints and the appointee.
If Timothy will take the time to carefully assess a candidate for eldership, he will find it is not that difficult. There are those who are most obviously unfit for eldership and will not even be considered. Others, upon careful evaluation, will be seen to be unqualified. Some of those who are qualified for eldership will be obvious to all. Some of those who at first may not appear to be qualified will, upon further investigation, be found to be eldership material.
- From what you heard about the scandalous activity of the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches (who have hidden the sins of their leaders, and moved them on to other churches without discipline), what are the consequences of these actions to the gospel and to the church? List as many adverse consequences as you can.
- Why is the public act of laying hands on a newly appointed new elder a good thing? List as many reasons as you can think of.
- Read the article, “Should Adulterous Pastors Be Restored?” by R. Kent Hughes and John H. Armstrong (www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1995/april-3/should-adulterous-pastors-be-restored.html).
John H. Armstrong, Can Fallen Pastors Be Restored? The Church’s Response to Sexual Misconduct (Moody Press, 1995).