Profile for a Church Elder

1 Timothy 3:1-7

About the Sermon

1 Timothy 3:1–7 outlines the qualifications for the office of elder. Or, to use another biblical word, the role of pastor. This is the Lord’s check-list for how to identify those He would have lead His church. Put another way, this is how much the Lord loves and treasures His church, the very household of God.

About the Series

What if we could read a letter written by one of Jesus’ apostles to a first century church leader? What would we learn about Christ’s deign for her leadership and health? We need look no further than Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul tells us why he wrote this letter: that we 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” (3:14–15). That will involve a variety of things, chief among them instruction in sound—literally, healthy—doctrine for a healthy church and a radiant witness (1:3, 10; 4:6; 6:3). From worship to widow-care, from anger to parenting, Paul’s words are for us.
What if we could read a letter written by one of Jesus’ apostles to a first century church leader? What would we learn about Christ’s deign for her leadership and health? We need look no further than Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul tells us why he wrote this letter: that we 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” (3:14–15). That will involve a variety of things, chief among them instruction in sound—literally, healthy—doctrine for a healthy church and a radiant witness (1:3, 10; 4:6; 6:3). From worship to widow-care, from anger to parenting, Paul’s words are for us.

Sermons in the Series