Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew   

                          AN ELDER -- MUST RULE HIS HOUSE WELL, NOT BE A NOVICE AND HAVE A GOOD REPORT OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

1Timothy 3:4-7 (KJV), "One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

Rule His Own House Well -- The Greek word for "rule" is "to stand in rank and preside over". The elder must stand in rank as the head to preside over his own house. The elder must be blameless in the rulership of his home. This encompasses his relationship with his wife, his children and his finances. The fact is that if he does not know how to rule his own home, he will not be able to rule the church which is presented here as a much larger family. 1 Timothy 3:5 adds, "(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)" Using the first class condition in verse 5, the apostle Paul made this a very real and visible condition to evaluate an elder. Look at the manner in which he takes care of his household. This will reveal his ability, or the lack of it, to take care of the church. The lack of ability to care for a home of a few individuals leads to his inability to take care of the house of God that could number in the hundreds. If he is not faithful in the least, how could he be faithful in the much?! This revelation and comparison cannot be denied or ignored. If any church rejects this comparative quality and does not want to take this very visible qualification for eldership into their equation, the church will certainly suffer.

We live in an age of broken homes. The dereliction of parents in the bringing up of children litters the landscape of our time, worldwide. The saddest part is that no concrete steps have been taken to reverse this failure. A brief survey of Christendom paints a not too different picture. Broken homes and bankrupt parents addicted to sins of sexual immorality, gambling and drinking are found inside and outside churches. People have become so used to such scenes that they have accepted this as a natural course in family life. The choice of "pastors and elders" is done by scraping from the bottom of the barrel, family life being conveniently ignored in the process of assessing their qualifications. Seniority, wealth, carnal status in society, friendship and flattery – these have replaced the God-given qualifications simply because the church "needs" leaders! Pragmatism has destroyed many churches. The slide must stop if the church is to survive until the LORD returns. Men who cannot rule their own homes must be disqualified from being a church elder. This is not a negotiable quality!

There are pastors and elders who are afraid of their wives. These elders allow their wives to rule the church by proxy. Their wives’ comments and opinions stop them from doing what is right in God’s sight. Hearkening to their wives' desires takes priority over pleasing God. These leaders would not dare to do anything if their wives have not been consulted first. The decisions they make at BOE meetings can be switched around if their wives disapprove of their decisions. Such elders may possess a good knowledge of the Bible and all the other qualifications of an elder but if they are afraid of their wives, they are to be rejected. To love the wife unconditionally and sacrificially IN THE LORD, i.e. as Christ loves His church and died for the church, definitely does not mean to love the wife because of the fear of her ire and displeasure. More women today are well educated and financially independent. This "liberated women" worldly concept has sadly crept into many churches. They determine how decisions are made at home. They speak out during public meetings and their husbands sheepishly sit and allow them to be the spokesman when it is supposed to be the other way round. Such behaviour has brought open shame to the husbands especially when they become argumentative, and shout and lose control. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (KJV), "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (KJV), "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." Husbands who are not able to lead their wives are also husbands who do not know and obey God's Word. Some might know the Word in their heads; but sadly not in their hearts which is obedience. They have not been taking care of their wives' spiritual life throughout their marriage and this is the sad result. They must help their wives grow spiritually in the knowledge of God's Word and be in faithful service. These are biblical concerns for all Christian husbands, how much more for the elders!

Another sad state of affairs in the home is the ill-disciplined children. When elders fail to discipline their own children, be assured these elders will not do any better when it comes to church discipline! The Book of Titus teaches this truth very clearly. Titus 1:6, "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly..." These are supposed to be believers, teaching their children from birth. If their children's behaviour is one of carnality, i.e. they are lovers of the world, it speaks a lot about their focus in their family life. God's promise to all obedient Christian parents is in Proverbs 22:6 (KJV), "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Their children must exhibit Christian behaviour and conduct. If they are truly born again, they will show forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They must not be accused of unruly behaviour (behaviour not put under obedience), of riot (i.e. like an unsaved person), of having no regard for God and His Holy Word, even of disregarding the Word of God entirely. When bad public behaviour is visible, it is because of the head of the home’s failure to discipline at home from the infant years. Without the exercise of godly discipline, the church leader shouts like a toothless tiger. He roars at the top of his voice about biblical separation from sin and wrong doctrines and the need to live a holy life and all sorts of virtuous biblical platitudes; but it is like thunder and lightning without rain. The elder who does not discipline his children according to Scriptures must be set aside. He has failed his children and he will surely fail God's children in the church.

Last, but not least, we look into how the elder governs his finances. An elder is not to be tightfisted with his personal finances. He should not think that his money is his own and not entirely God’s. How an elder handles his personal finances will most likely be the same way he handles the finances in the church. Does he know and truly believe that whatever money he has is actually God’s money? He is not at liberty to do whatever he wants with it. If all he does is to spend it on worldly things, and he does not use it to buy good Christian books to read and to grow spiritually, or he does not give to missions, and if he possesses a tightfisted miserly regard for money instead of using it to enhance his service for God effectively, then he will not handle the church’s, i.e. God’s, money wisely. If he believes the best and wisest way to govern his own finances is to put the money in the bank and build reserves, he will do the same with the tithes and offerings in the church. His trust is in the bank and not in God. Missions and missionaries will also suffer lack because of him.

Conversely, an elder who truly believes that God has given and blessed him with whatever finances he has, and who uses them wisely for the promotion of God’s servants and kingdom, will have the same regard for the church finances. The key thing to remember is that all finances belong to God. Money is to be used and must be used wisely. It is not meant to be stored in the bank solely to build reserves, like the servant who buries his talent in the sand! What kind of books do Christians buy and have on their book shelves? Are they mostly books like Bible encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, biographies of godly men and women, or mostly worldly books (e.g. investment, business, sports, fashion, etc.)? What occupies our conversation and minds? Stocks and shares and property prices, the latest car model to buy, or other worldly pursuits? How an elder spends the money God has given him will reveal a lot about how he will spend the God-given finances in the church.

To rule one’s house in a godly manner is one of life’s most difficult challenges, but by God’s grace it is not unachievable. An elder must have his house in godly order whereby sins are biblically dealt with, and repentance prayerfully accepted, and children’s spiritual lives are given the highest importance. His children are to be brought up from infancy in the fear and admonition of God. His wife is to be loved in the same way that Christ loves the church and gave his life for it. The elder does not fear his wife. He helps her grow spiritually and serves the LORD effectively. His finances are used to promote God’s kingdom and support God’s servants. He who does not meet this practical and visible qualification of ruling his own house well cannot be God’s elder! Many churches have ignored this qualification and have paid a heavy price! Having carnal elders in the leadership is the quickest way to kill a church.

Not a Novice -- The Greek word for "novice" is "neophutos". Literally it means "something that is newly planted." It is from this word that we get the English word "neophyte". In the spiritual realm it refers to "a young convert or a novice", one who is new to the faith and more specifically new in the faith as well. If he had been brought up in a Christian home, he may be quite advanced in his understanding of the Word of God as far as head knowledge is concerned; but his walk with God is like he has just taken his first few spiritual steps in a long journey toward heaven. This was the case in the days of the apostles when a Jew who may have had tons of knowledge of the OT because of his upbringing in a Jewish home became a believer. His knowledge of the OT would have been very useful. He would have been way ahead of many Gentile Christians in the church, being able to read the Hebrew Bible fluently. He would also have memorized large portions of the OT by heart as was the custom in those days. The qualifications mentioned in verses 2 and 3 would be difficult to ascertain in some cases and these individuals might think that their superior knowledge of the Bible would make them good candidates for eldership. However, the qualification in verse 6 tells us this is not the case. He has not been tested yet. He has to prove himself through time tested trials and difficulties. Head knowledge must not be mistaken for experiential faith-directed knowledge. Ultimately the Bible is for the purpose of transforming lives and not just the mind. It begins with a new mind in Christ but it must lead to a life in Christ.

We have to be careful to know the great difference between head knowledge and experiential knowledge. A case in point would be a Bible College student who crams his mind with much Bible knowledge but has not gained necessary experience in relation to what he has learned. He has not gone through life's challenges. A young preacher being prepared for the fulltime pastoral ministry falls into this category. He has gained a tremendous amount of Bible knowledge during his three to four years of Bible College education. However, he does not have the practice years. Courage to remain steadfast in the face of persecution and temptations as he continues to abound in the work of the Lord has not been seen in his life yet. There is no substitute for time tested experiences which a novice lacks. He has not lived enough on the earth to have experiential knowledge. In this sense he is still a novice. He may be able to preach and teach very well because of his knowledge of God’s Word but he is a novice in Christian living. To put him into a position of leadership requires time. The souls of men, women and children are at stake. He needs to remain faithful for the rest of his days on earth and not just for a few terms in office. Time of life in service will reveal whether he has the spiritual maturity to stand at the end. Potentially, a novice is a prime candidate for the evil one to fill him with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

A leader who is young and inexperienced but has much head knowledge will be easily tempted to fall into the sin of pride. He is idealistic in his ideas and could readily preach messages, but without compassion or heart. He could be a great orator. Praises would come in and he could soon be lifted onto a pedestal. "He is a very good speaker/teacher for his age!" This is one of the many comments that might be true but will inflate his young heart. Soon he will fall into the same sin that caused the devil to fall, the sin of pride, hence, the phrase "fall into the condemnation of the devil." The devil cannot condemn anyone. It is not his role to do so. When a person falls into the sin of pride, the devil will encourage him to sin more and more. The sin of pride is a deadly sin that has already ruined innumerable young preachers and potential pastors. If only they or the church had waited for maturity to set in; then perhaps such a young gifted individual could have become a faithful and humble servant of God. Today, the horizon of Christian service is littered with so many broken lives and failed Christian leaders. There was a Bible College graduate who topped his class every year. By the time he graduated, there was much hype about this "new bright star" and within a few years of his graduation he was ordained. Time revealed him to be a man without a backbone. He was silent in most of the leadership meetings. Today he is nothing but a puppet on a string to some of the "powerful" and moneyed people in his church. This man was promoted too fast and it went to his head. In the end, he became nothing but a tool of Satan!

The phrase "the condemnation of the devil" does not mean that the devil will condemn, but rather it means to be under the kind of condemnation that God cast upon the devil. The sin of the devil is found in Isaiah 14:12-15 (KJV), "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." The devil wanted to be like God when he was in heaven. It was the height of arrogance on the part of the devil to be like the most High when he was created to be a ministering spirit. He could not become part of the family of God. He was punished severely by God and became the Fallen Angel. He is also known as Satan which means an adversary of God. The name "devil" means "slanderer". He is a liar, and will discredit the name of Christ, the Word and the work of God, even by using God’s servants, the proud novices.

It has to be noted at this juncture that it is not wrong to be like God; for after salvation every believer is commanded to become more and more like Christ who is God! This is the reason God gave gifts to His church. Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV), "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." [emphasis added] However, when the devil or any man wants to be like God by his own way and not by the way of Christ, then it is a sin and arrogance to think that he could be like God. Man is a depraved sinner the moment he exists in his mother's womb. To be like God on man's terms is idolatry and this is fueled by the deception of the devil. Ever since God cast him from heaven, the devil has been trying to be like God via the many false religions that he has created all through the ages. This is his ploy that has succeeded in leading millions into hell. God’s children must not fall into the sin of pride!

Satan will tempt Christians, and when they fall into sin, their own sins will bring condemnation upon them. God will condemn for the sin of pride as well, which is a sin that will result in a family of other sins. When pride sets in, the leader is not teachable. He thinks he knows it all. He becomes arrogant and pig-headed in his ways. "My way is the only right way" will be his philosophy in life. Anyone who proposes an alternate view will be quickly put down and termed as insubordinate. He will resort to "politics" to establish his position of leadership. This will inevitably lead to a "yes man" system whereby all the leaders around him are expected to be his echo. Intimidation will be used at all meetings whereby his word becomes law. His dogmatic ways will send the church in the direction of self destruction. It will only be a matter of time before he falls into a grievous sin because he has no more accountability to regulate his decisions and way of life. Lives will be stumbled and the name of Christ will be dragged through the mud.

There is no instant maturity and growth. A novice needs time to grow and mature. He cannot speed up the growth. However, time alone will not automatically turn a novice into a mature Christian. The list of qualifications must be found in him. There are some Christians who think that growing old and spiritual maturity naturally go together. This is not true. There is no wisdom in a hoary head if the hoary head has not been living by faith and walking with Christ through the study of God’s perfect Word. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:31, "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." [emphasis added] There are no automatic mature and godly Christians. They have to make a deliberate choice to want to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. They should not simply let time pass, do nothing and hope that when old age hits, they are automatically mature Christians. Spiritual maturity is a life-long exercise of discipline in prayer, walking by faith and the serious in-depth study of God’s Holy and perfect Word. This takes time and genuine spiritual experiences with God as they are purified by the fire of persecution. In God's time they will mature and grow and others around them will be able to notice the transformation.

Every elder must be mature in his faith and walk closely with God. Making a novice an elder is a sure way of endangering the cause of Christ, himself, his family, and the church. This warning must be taken seriously. God's Word is never wrong. A novice cannot be made an elder!

Good Report Outside the Church -- The Greek word for "good report" means "good witness." The emphasis is not so much on the "good report" per se but the location where he is to have that good report. The phrase which captures this emphasis is "of them which are without." Apparently it was found then, as it is today, that "Christians" were well behaved inside the church but behaved like the devil outside the church.

Such hypocrisy has stumbled many unbelievers, and even has prevented them from accepting Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It is much more so when the stumbling comes from church leaders, especially an elder of the church! There was a church elder who was entrusted with looking after the firm’s funds when the management found out that he was a leader in his church. They assumed that he was an honorable man. Sadly he was caught for embezzlement and was sent to prison. Do you think that his non-Christian colleagues would want to become Christians? There was a married church elder with grown up children who was a CEO of an organization. He committed a sexual transgression with a young man who worked there. He was caught, confessed his guilt and was dismissed from the firm. Such a serious transgression brought great shame to the name of Christ. Many of us can behave quite well for about two to three hours in church on Sunday. But it is a very different story when it comes to the work place and at home. Day in day out, and sometimes under very trying circumstances, would worldliness and hypocrisy surface?

The report has to be good, i.e. the elder must be very well behaved in his conduct. He must reflect Christ-like qualities such as honesty, integrity, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and standing up for truth and righteousness. He must not be a liar or compromiser. He will not "do like the Romans do" but will always do what the Bible teaches. At home, he honours his parents and is a loving husband and a godly father. His wife will be happy to give a good assessment of him as husband and father. Does he impart Christian principles to his children, or worldly ones? Does he succumb to peer pressure at work and follow the world? Does he have the courage to speak up for Christ whenever the name of Christ is maligned? Do his colleagues see Christ in Him? If he is his own boss, will his employees give a good report on his character and conduct?

Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He, together with his fallen angels, will go all out to point accusing fingers against God’s children, especially the leaders in God’s church. The Bible’s warning is that the reproach (accusing finger) and snare (trap) of Satan will come, it is only a matter of time and frequency. The adage from the Bible, "be sure your sins will find you out" adds to this warning. The church that desires to elect and ordain an elder must take this qualification very seriously indeed. Church leaders who ordain a hypocrite will become partakers of his sin. An elder who lives a hypocritical life outside the church will fall because Satan and his hosts will set "traps" for him. His sins will become public. Great shame will be brought to the name of Christ!

Before a person is to be considered for eldership, it may be wise to obtain testimonies from loved ones at home and colleagues at the work place. The above text says, he "must", not "may", have a good report. This is not a formality but a serious necessity in view of the hypocrisy and moral laxity existing in our age and time.