(2) Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…
Paul continues to give Timothy instructions for how to lead God’s people continually to Christ, and he continues to give Timothy instructions about pastors.
He starts with the words, “Therefore, an overseer must be…” By doing so, he says in the strongest way he can that a pastor has to have certain qualifications. They are not negotiable.
Why? Because, as it says in verse one, the office of overseer is a noble task. In other words, the overseer is to represent Christ’s leadership to Christ’s people. Since Christ is physically absent, an overseer is to watch over the Lord’s flock and care for his sheep in the way that Christ would.
And therefore, certain qualifications for such a man are in order.
An overseer must be above reproach. There must be no doubt as to his character and godliness. Jesus was and is sinless. No one within the Church or outside of the Church could ever have accused him of sin. And if they could have, who would’ve followed him? Though pastors cannot be sinless, they can live in a way such that they are not worthy of blame. And so the message about Christ will appear good to outsiders – and those inside will be more apt to follow their leadership. Further, overseers are to represent Christ in the sight of God – and such actions will honor him – as will the imitating actions of those in the Church.
An overseer must be ‘the husband of one wife,’ or literally, ‘a man of one woman.’ In other words, he must be free from sexual impurity. He wouldn’t have to be married (Paul himself wasn’t at this point in life), but he was to live his life pure for one woman. This is a good example for God’s people and looks good to outsiders. But more than that, it is in imitation of Christ, who set himself apart for a pure Bride, his Church. He is always faithful to us. He never strays from us. He always acts in love towards us. He never regrets choosing us and saving us – but will save us to the end.
An overseer must be sober-minded. In other words, he must be able to think clearly and to be restrained. He must not simply react to events and people. He must not be impulsive. Someone in charge of God’s visible church would be put through the fire – both from those outside the church seeking to hate Christ – and those within who weren’t in submission to him. A pastor cannot be a person who just reacts to bad things. Just like Jesus never reacted to those who hated him – and ultimately, as a sheep before his shearers, when he was condemned to die for our sins, he was silent. He suffered for us – and our leaders are to imitate Christ so we can join him in his suffering for the glory of God.
An overseer must be self-controlled. They must be sensible. They must be able to have goals, to keep those goals in front of them, and to make decisions rationally, not based on emotions or impulse or desire – but based on God’s word. They must be able to make decisions based on God’s word to model obedience to God’s people, to demonstrate heavenly priorities to God’s world, and to imitate and glorify Jesus. And that is how, though he suffered much in our place, Christ endured the wrath of God. He had his mind set on future glory and joy. So he was able to say to the Father, “Not my will, but yours be done” – and to suffer in our place for our sins – since he knew he would take his life back up again as King of all things.
An overseer must be respectable. This is the same word used to describe how women are to dress. It simply means that a man who is a pastor should be someone who people naturally respect. If they don’t, will they trust his leadership? Will they trust his instruction? Will those outside the Church see the Church as something deserving of attention? No. But if the Church is led by respectable men, God’s household will function properly within and glorify Christ to outsiders. Even those who hated Christ when he was on earth knew that he demanded respect; he couldn’t be brushed off as a fool, or a lunatic. And by his love and goodness and mercy his disciples knew he was good and followed him.
An overseer must be hospitable. In other words, a pastor must recognize that he doesn’t get his ‘own space.’ He must welcome others into the life of his home in practice and because he wants to be with them. He obviously has to love his wife more – and so he is to not do this to the detriment of his immediate family. However, he is to be welcoming outsiders into his family and home in regular practice, out of love for them. He is to imitate Jesus in this manner. We hated him, yet, he took us into his family. He loved us while we rebelled against him. He didn’t make us mere servants in his household, but heirs of God’s Kingdom. And he went to prepare a place for us to be with him forever – because he delights in us and we delight in him.
An overseer must be able to teach. The Christian faith is a religion of the book – of words. God has communicated himself and his glory to us in words which he chose. His authority and his glory and his love and his grace and he himself are revealed through these words – and so those who lead must be able to explain these words to God’s people – because they are God’s people – not the pastor’s. Ultimately, the people of God do not follow the pastor – but the pastor explains to the people who God is and what he commands of us. He shows us God from God’s book. Jesus is the head pastor of every church – and he is the ultimate expression of God himself – he is the exact imprint of God in physical form. When we see him, we will know him fully. Until then, he has given us words which are to be explained to us by pastors – so we can know him and love him.
Summary:
1) Since overseers represent Christ to the Church, and Christ’s leadership of the Church to the world, they must meet certain qualifications.
2) Some of these qualifications are being above reproach, being sexually pure, being sober-minded, being self-controlled, bing respectable, being hospitable, and being able to teach.
3) Christ is the ultimate head pastor of every church and the whole Church – and was the perfect overseer in coming to earth, explaining God’s word to us, dying for our sins, rising from the dead, and promising to return to take us home to be with him.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for Christ’s leadership. Thank you for his humility and suffering. Thank you that he always had your glory in mind and thus always had our best in mind – and was willing to suffer so much for it. Thank you that his words are trustworthy. Help us to rejoice in the good news he announced!
I pray that you would cause me and those in pastoral ministry to grow in and consistently demonstrate these qualities – not because we want to earn our salvation – but because you are worthy of being honored. Help us love Jesus more than all things and desire to show off Jesus more than all things – because it’s all about Jesus, in whose name I pray – amen.
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