Qualifications of pastors, elders, bishops, etc. (partial list) The two epistles to Timothy, and that to Titus, contain a scripture-plan of church-government, or a direction to ministers. The ministry is a work. However the office of a bishop may be now thought a good preferment, then it was thought a good work. The office of a scripture-bishop is an office of Divine Appointment, and not of human invention. The ministry is not a creature of the state, and it is a pity that the minister should be at any time the tool of the state. The office of the ministry was in the Church before the magistrate countenanced Christianity, for this office is one of the great gifts Christ has bestowed on the church, He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:8-11 New King James Version (NKJV). This office of a Christian bishop is a work, which requires diligence and application: the apostle represents it under the notion and character of a work; not of great honor and advantage, for ministers should always look more to their work than to the honor and advantage of their office. It is a good work, a work of the greatest importance, and designed for the greatest good: the ministry is conversant about no lower concerns than the life and happiness of immortal souls; it is a good work, because designed to illustrate the Divine Perfections in bringing many sons to glory; the ministry is appointed to open men’s eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, etc., 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:18 New King James Version (NKJV). if a man desire, he should earnestly desire it for the prospect he has of bringing greater glory to God, and of doing the greatest good to the souls of men by this means. In order to the discharge of this office, the doing of this work, the workman must be qualified. A minister must be blameless, he must not lie under any scandal; he must give as little occasion for blame as can be, because this would be a prejudice to his ministry and would reflect reproach upon his office. He must be the husband of one wife; not having given a bill of divorce to one, and then taken another, or not having many wives at once, as at that time was too common both among Jews and Gentiles, especially among the Gentiles. He must be vigilant and watchful against Satan, that subtle enemy; he must watch over himself, and the souls of those who are committed to his charge, of whom having taken the oversight, he must improve all opportunities of doing them good. A minister ought to be vigilant, because our adversary the devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because [NU-Text and M-Text omit because] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 New King James Version (NKJV). He must be sober, temperate, moderate in all his actions, and in the use of all creature-comforts. Sobriety and watchfulness are often in scripture put together, because they mutually befriend one another: Be sober, be vigilant. He must be of good behavior, composed and solid, and not light, vain, and frothy. He must be given to hospitality, open-handed to strangers, and ready to entertain them according to his ability, as one who does not set his heart upon the wealth of the world and who is a true lover of his brethren. Apt to teach. Therefore this is a preaching bishop whom Paul describes, one who is both able and willing to communicate to others the knowledge which God has given him, one who is fit to teach and ready to take all opportunities of giving instructions, who is himself well instructed in the things of the kingdom of heaven, and is communicative of what he knows to others. The New Matthew Henry commentary on 1 Timothy 3:1-2
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 01:11:37 +0000