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1 Timothy 3; Titus 1 – Checking off the list vs. Checking our understanding of the list
The qualifications of elders is often controversial because we approach it as a cold list instead of as a life lived and learned. Let me demonstrate the difference. Must all of the elder’s children be faithful? That seems to be one of the eternal questions. First, ask yourself what is the purpose of the qualification. Second, now apply that purpose to the following scenario: A man has three children. The first is wild and rebellious, definitely contrary to Titus 1:6. The man blames himself because he let the child run loose. After seeing the outcome, he repents and changes his ways. His next two children are godly, showing his blameless parenting of them, and that he now knows how to manage his own household (1 Tim.3:5). Does this man meet the qualifications of what is required to oversee a congregation? Yes, he lived and learned and now can lead.
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