Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

                                                       THE ELDER MUST BE – "VIGILANT," "SOBER" AND "OF GOOD BEHAVIOUR"

1 Timothy 3:2, "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;"

Vigilant -- It comes from the Greek word "nephaleos" which means "to be circumspect." The root word in Greek is "nepho" which means "to abstain from wine." Total abstinence from wine is the emphasis. Wine incites the passions of man. When a man drinks, his eyes can easily turn bloodshot. He tends to act foolishly and will sin in the process. He will utter secrets and speak "like a leaking tap" non-stop. Proverbs 23:29-35, "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again." The person who lacks this quality is one with a passion out of control. He loves the wrong things. His priorities will be worldly and carnal as opposed to heavenly and spiritual. He is caught up with worldly pursuits and he will have no time for the things of God. His list of priorities will be upside down. To make such a person an elder would render the spiritual work ineffective at best and, at worst, disastrous. Whenever there is an important event or meeting in the church, he would either be absent or reluctantly attend with a wrong spirit. His body might be present but his heart would be somewhere else. He would make wrong decisions and half-heartedly serve the LORD, caring more for the title than the responsibilities of an elder. A Christian who is not circumspect cannot be an elder. Making such a person an elder would be like "forcing a round peg into a square hole"! He would make spiritual decisions using carnal reasoning and motives. A recipe for disaster! This is the similar caution God gave in the Old Testament.

All priests on duty, including the high priest, were not allowed to drink or even touch the fruit of the vine. The two sons of Aaron, Nadub and Abihu, were burned to death by the LORD because they offered strange fire. They died while they were on duty. Immediately after their deaths the following command was given by God in Leviticus 10:8-11, "And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." The priests were given the highest honour by God. They were not merely doing a religious work, they were the God appointed mediators between God and man, and man and God. They were to possess a very clear mind to conduct themselves before God. All Christians are modern day priests who, like the OT priests, must focus on the important and spiritual matters. 1 Peter 2:5, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." How much more should an elder remain sober at all times. He must abstain from wine totally. There is no other option if he is to be God’s appointed elder!

All kings had to practise total abstinence too because their duties were just as important. They had to make decisions that would affect an entire nation. Proverbs 31:4-5, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted." Are not Christians also kings? 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" All Christians are royalty and one day will rule with Christ. The day to begin our kingly conduct is now, even the moment we become Christians. The elder will need to make decisions that affect the entire church, which will have eternal consequences. In this regard, their duties are more important than that of kings!

The elder as priest and prince must practise total abstinence. This is required of him from Scripture. His passions must be under control at all times. He must be circumspect in his behaviour whereby there must not be worldly and carnal passions. When he is "under the influence" he will lose control. The word "vigilant", in short, points to having a heart or passion under control at all times. Priorities are always focused heavenward and with eternal perspectives in view. An elder with such priorities will be a blessing to the church and lead the church heavenward. With controlled passions the elder must make decision based upon the truth of God’s Word. Personal relationships must also be guided by God’s Word to avoid the sin of nepotism.

Sober -- It comes from the Greek word "sophron" which is made up of "sozo" (to save) and "phren" (the mind or cognitive faculties). The two words combined means "safe or sound in mind." The previous word "vigilant" focuses on a controlled passion whereas "sober" emphasizes a "controlled mind." A person who controls both his passions (heart) and his mind will make a very able and stable leader. He is not rash in his decision makings. He is a man with sound reason coupled with a controlled passion. He has the right motivation, and coupled with the clear mind, he is a leader who makes careful and well considered decisions. His mind is guided by the Word of God and led by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says that the mind is one of the first things in the believer’s life that requires renewal. Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." [Emphasis added] The mind controls the actions of the person. For example, if a person believes that there is no God, he will live a life of debauchery as he believes that he is not answerable to anyone. He swears, drinks, takes drugs, gambles and commits all sorts of sinful acts and cares less what consequences he has to bear because he believes that there is no God. The Bible says that God created man. The Bible also says that all who die in sin will go to Hell. If the truth is taught to a man and he believes that God exists, and that all the deeds and thoughts of every man will be judged and punished by God, that man will change. A person whose life has been changed by believing in the LORD Jesus Christ who died for him would surely live his life very differently. The believer who has the mind of Christ will think and hence live like Christ. The reason is that all his decisions will be guided by the Word of God. The leader who has to decide on the spiritual well-being of God's people needs the mind of Christ. He must be sober! The mind guided by the right teaching can transform lives, his own as well as others under his care.

A mind that is renewed by the Word of God will think godly thoughts. The one who has this mind will evaluate problems, situations, render help and make proposals that will be in accordance with God’s Word. He will make judgements that will be based upon God’s Holy Word. This is precisely what an elder is supposed to do. He has no right to make subjective opinions. He is to make judgements on all matters belonging to God and God’s people with the intent to nurture, help and protect. If it is God’s money that he is handling, he must therefore use it wisely for God’s purposes, for God’s people and God’s projects. He cannot do this without having a renewed mind. The judgements he makes must be God’s judgements. Deuteronomy 1:17 states clearly, "Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it." [Emphasis added]

This renewed mind does not come about by wishful thinking or by prayer alone. It will come only through the constant study of God’s Holy Word. Therefore, every elder must have a consistent programme to study God’s Holy Word, and this must go on because no Christian will ever arrive at the point where he says, "I know all there is to know about the Word of God and I need not study further." Even the great apostle Paul had to admit that he could never stop learning. Philippians 3:9-12, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

To be sober means to have a mind under control through a faithful and consistent study of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will take the Word of God and sanctify the mind of the believer. Worldly ideas will be pushed out and replaced with godly teaching. Every elder must be vigilant and sober, i.e. possessing a mind and heart under the control of God’s Word. To do that, the elder must keep on studying the Word of God and keep his mind clear at all times by staying away from any alcohol.

Good Behaviour -- Literally, "of good behaviour" means "orderly arrangement". It comes from the Greek word "cosmios" from which the English word "cosmos" is derived. The world is designed by the all-knowing Creator in a most orderly fashion. Not an inch is out of place. Every star and planet is positioned in its precise location by His sovereign will. This is God’s "cosmos." When God used this term to describe the overall demeanour of the elder, He wants to see a man with every part of him "in proper order". In modern terms today, it would describe a gracious gentleman. He should be immaculate in his words, behaviour as well as his appearance. He is a careful man in that he means what he says and says what he means. He does not mix his words with double talk.

His behaviour is beyond reproach. There is no action out of sorts. He is circumspect in his deeds. He knows where he ought to go and where he ought to stay away. He is no man pleaser. He does not go to certain places because it is "the thing to do and the place to be". He will try his utmost to always go to places that will not bring shame to His Lord. Peer pressure will not faze him or compel him into doing something that dishonours his God and brings shame to the Name of Christ, whose name he must bear dutifully and honourably. It is sad that there have been elders who were made elders because of their "seniority" and who displayed shameful behavior. They behaved like masters and treated the church members as serfs. They wanted to be greeted by members who passed by them and they got upset when they were not. They were callous in their behaviour and were easily seen by others as man-pleasers; they swooned over those who are wealthy and influential. The status and philosophies of the world characterized their lives and conduct. Such individuals must never be made elders.

The elder of good behavior speaks words that are carefully chosen, seasoned with salt to bless, encourage, and sometimes to rebuke when needed. His words are tactful, knowing when and what to say at the right time to build up the faith of believers and promote Christ. He is not perfect but he is beyond reproach as an "all rounder". He is godly at home, in the work place and church. He is no hypocrite. He is the same person in control of his whole demeanour wherever he goes. The world would describe him as "cultured". He may not attend the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and mix with the "hip ones" of today’s society and enjoy fine dining; but he is a gentleman with an immaculate disposition. His attire need not be expensive but is neat and decent. He mixes well with people of all social status. He is not rude or quarrelsome. He speaks well and is well mannered.

Barnes describes well such an elder when he wrote, "He should not be slovenly in his appearance, or rough and boorish in his manners. He should not do violence to the usages of refined intercourse, nor be unfit to appear respectably in the most refined circles of society. Inattention to personal neatness, and to the rules which regulate refined intercourse, is indicative neither of talent, learning, nor religion; and though they are occasionally--not often--connected with talent, learning, and religion, yet they are never the fruit of either, and are always a disgrace to those who exhibit such incivility and boorishness, for such men ought to know better. A minister of the gospel should be a finished gentleman in his manners, and there is no excuse for him if he is not. His religion, if he has any, is adapted to make him such. He has usually received such an education as ought to make him such, and in all cases ought to have had such a training. He is admitted into the best society, and has an opportunity of becoming familiar with the laws of refined intercourse. He should be an example and a pattern in all that goes to promote the welfare of mankind, and there are few things so easily acquired that are fitted to do this, as refinement and gentility of manners. No man can do good, on the whole, or in the "long run," by disregarding the rules of refined intercourse; and, other things being equal, the refined, courteous, polite gentleman in the ministry, will always do more good than he who neglects the rules of good-breeding." [Emphasis added--Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Swordsearcher, 8.0]

Burkitt adds succinctly that "in his words, in habit and garb, in his deeds and actions, neither proud and supercilious, nor morose and sour, but affable and easy, kind and courteous, of a composed temper and grave behaviour" [William Burkitt’s Expository Notes, Swordsearcher, 8.0]

All elders must have these Christian qualities – "vigilant," "sober" and "of good behaviour"!