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Paul’s first letter to Timothy is concerned about the health and welfare of the church in Ephesus. Much of this health is connected to the leaders and those who teach there. Leaders have influence, or they wouldn’t be leaders. And unsound leaders have an unhealthy influence.
One of Timothy’s responsibilities, then, is to ensure the raising up of qualified overseers (or elders) who will lead and instruct the flock of God in Ephesus. In 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Paul writes about the qualifications for overseers, and in 5:17–25 he returns to the subject of these leaders. He speaks about remuneration for elders who teach (5:17–18), about rebuking elders who are in sin (5:19–21), and about the danger of choosing elders in a hasty manner (5:22–25). In this post I want to think about this final element—the danger of hastily choosing elders.
Paul wrote, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).
The phrase “laying on of hands” is about the public recognition of certain men as elders. If Paul is instructing Timothy not to be involved in hastily recognizing certain men as elders, then perhaps some of the trouble in Ephesus is the result of the church acting too quickly, rather than circumspectly and patiently, in appointing particular people to positions of leadership and influence.
In the qualifications section of the letter (1 Tim. 3:1–7), Paul said that an overseer “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (3:6). One way, then, that a church might act too quickly in appointing an elder is if such a candidate is a recent convert.
A candidate reveals his moral and shepherding fittedness (or he reveals his disqualification) over time. This seems to be Paul’s precise point in 1 Timothy 5:24–25: “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.”
The fact that some people are spiritually unfit for ministry leadership may not be initially evident, so hastily appointing them to be an elder can backfire. As Paul said, “the sins of others appear later.” Of course, he doesn’t mean the elders are without sin. But a potential elder can, as time passes, show himself unfit for pastoral leadership. If a church and its leaders demonstrate more patience and thorough examination in the process of elder selection, some poor leadership choices can be avoided, and a church can be spared much grief.
When Paul says, “So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1 Tim. 5:24), he’s referring to the good works and character that are revealed over time. Imagine the situation in which a group of leaders are considering elder appointments, and they pass over an individual whom they initially have doubts about. Yet over time, that person’s good works and character become evident.
A patient and thorough examination of elder candidates will mean that certain people (whom you initially thought would qualify) will be excluded, while others (whom you might not have considered at first) will be an excellent fit.
Never appoint elders out of desperation. A desperate or hasty decision can cause great grief later on—and maybe even sooner rather than later!
Having a perfect record of choosing leaders is probably unreasonable. Every church can probably look back in hindsight and see that an unwise choice was made in appointing a particular person to leadership and influence. What can help future appointments, however, is a patient and thorough process of elder selection, whereby leaders and churches avoid hasty action.
For those seeking to appoint new elders in their local church, consider the following questions. Who is seeking to be involved in the life of the church? Who seems to be setting an example in godliness and faithfulness? Who is known for edifying and instructive and wise words? Who has demonstrated years of growth and devotion in their walk with Christ? Who has exerted—either formally or informally—fruitful influence in the lives of others? Who has been happy to take on tasks and responsibilities without official titles or recognition? Who has offered helpful observations and recommendations that strengthened the church? Who aspires to the office of overseer? Who has developed a reputation of respect and honor in the eyes of others? Who has shown investment and care in his marriage and toward his children?
The above questions are the kind of character questions and practical considerations that should be on the minds of those who are seeking additional elders to lead a church. And in order to answer these questions, a patient and thorough examination of elder candidates is needed. Don’t be hasty. A local church’s health is inextricably connected to the kind of leaders it has.