Properly & Orderly

Part 6 - Lead Properly, Orderly…

Presbytery exams of potential pastors major in biblical knowledge and biblical and systematic theology. Presbyteries spend a minimum of time questioning candidates in personal godliness. They expend almost no time at all examining candidates' practical understanding of Presbyterianism at the Session level. Yet, when we look at Paul's outline of qualifications for elder, the accent is not upon biblical knowledge and theology but upon matters pertaining to interpersonal relations.

This fits the pattern of the text we are examining. "Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner" (1 Corinthians 14:40). All things refer to all aspects of Christian ministry and service. Properly refers to fruit-laden actions. The fruit is the fruit of the Spirit. Being orderly means bringing order to our lives and following the procedures, guidelines, and commands of Scripture. Our lives must be characterized by fruit-laden order.

In this light, look at 1 Timothy 3:2-3, "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money." Note the conspicuous lack of reference to theology and biblical knowledge. Theological and biblical knowledge are not unimportant. Improper theological grounding disqualifies a man from holding office in the church.

The only words of Paul in the above text that may have reference to biblical knowledge is the descriptor, able to teach. There is warrant to translate the Greek word used by the apostle as teachable. Such a translation fits Paul's train of thought. Elders must be "temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, teachable."

Paul's instructions in Titus 1:7-9 are similar. "The overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."

Elders must be above reproach or, as the Authorized Version states, blameless. He must not be found wanting in his adherence to either the first or second tables of the Law. He must express love for his neighbor in every way. Love is the preeminent fruit of the Spirit. The elder must not be self-willed or arrogant. This is the opposite of love. "Love does not brag and is not arrogant." Love "does not seek its own" or "demand its own way" (1 Corinthians 13:5 & 6). The elder must not be quick-tempered. "The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:20).

Elders must not be pugnacious but peaceable. "Everyone [including elders] must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." (James 1:19). Elders must be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) following the lead of the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). All these qualifications have to do with interpersonal relations. God and Scripture require elders to be fruit-laden in their relationships with each other, the members of the church, and those outside the church.

Finally, the descriptor translated respectable in 1Timothy 3:2 may be rendered orderly as in the American Standard Version of 1901. The root of the Greek word is cosmos. Elders must approach their work with others in an orderly, respectable, decorous manner.

Putting all of this together, the work of elders should exemplify what we have been discussing in 1 Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner." Elders, along with all others in the church, must exhibit lives of fruit-laden order.