Qualification Of Elders
“This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the
position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good
behavior, hospitable, able to teach” (1 Timothy
3:1,2).
Qualification Of Elders
“This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the
position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband
of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good
behavior, hospitable, able to teach” (1 Timothy
3:1,2).
Qualifications Of Elders:
Character
Desire
Holy
Just
Gentle
Good Behavior
Lover Of Good
Blameless
 Good Testimony
 Hospitable
 Not Quarrelsome
 Not Greedy
 Not Covetous
 Not Violent

Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits

Self-controlled
“but hospitable, a lover of what is
good, sober-minded, just, holy, selfcontrolled” (Titus 1:8).
“but hospitable, a lover of what is
good, sober-minded, just, holy, selfcontrolled” (Titus 1:8).
Self-controlled
1) Word defined (KJ temperate).
“mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining”:
“controlling oneself, temperate, continent”
(Thayer, p. 167). AMG says, “Having power over,
being master of. Used metaphorically, meaning
self-control, continence.”
Self-controlled
2) A virtue to be added by all disciples.
“But also for this very reason, giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to selfcontrol perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly
kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).
“But I discipline my body and bring it into
subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I
myself
should
become
disqualified”
(1
Corinthians 9:27).
Self-controlled
3) Additional thoughts.
“An elder must maintain control over all his passions.
Not all men attain such heights. Some are controlled by
circumstances, emotions, desires, and even other men.
Elders must be above all such and maintain mastery over
self” (Patton, Truth Commentary, p. 270).
“I have known some who profess to be elders who could
neither control their temper nor their tongues. Nothing is
farther from a qualified elder than the man who lets
himself fly into a rage when things do not go his way. This
is one quality that can not be hidden. His speech and
actions will show whether he has self-control or not” (H.E.
Philips, Scriptural Elders And Deacons, p. 163).
Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits


Self-controlled
Sober-minded
“but hospitable, a lover of what is
good, sober-minded, just, holy, selfcontrolled” (Titus 1:8).
“but hospitable, a lover of what is
good, sober-minded, just, holy, selfcontrolled” (Titus 1:8).
Sober-minded
1) Definition.
“Discreet, sober, temperate, of a sound mind;
self-disciplined in one's freedom, self-restrained
in all passions and desires” (AMG).
We can see how closely related sober-minded
and self-control are. H.E. Philips says, “Soberminded considers temperance (self-controlled,
JRM) from the standpoint of CAUSE”
(Scriptural Elders And Deacons, p. 163).
Sober-minded
2) Same word or form of it used.
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper
for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober,
reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in
patience; the older women likewise, that they be
reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to
much wine, teachers of good things--that they
admonish the young women to love their husbands, to
love their children, to be discreet, chaste,
homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded”
(Titus 2:1-6).
Sober-minded
2) Same word or form of it used.
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper
for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober,
reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in
patience; the older women likewise, that they be
reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to
much wine, teachers of good things--that they
admonish the young women to love their husbands, to
love their children, to be discreet, chaste,
homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded”
(Titus 2:1-6).
Sober-minded
3) Comments on this word.
“Obviously the word sober-minded does not just mean
one who is not drunk with liquor, though that idea is in
the term, but it is much more inclusive and
comprehensive than that. It means that quality to be calm,
even tempered, cautious, circumspect, and wise in the full
use of the mind and body under all circumstance to the
point that good sense is shown in all judgment, reason and
understanding” (H.E. Philips, Scritpural Elders And
Deacons, pp. 163 & 164).
“…that one must be prudent and self-controlled under
emotional and inflammatory situations; one whose words
and actions evidence wisdom at all times” (M. Patton,
Truth Commentary, p. 269).
Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits



Self-controlled
Sober-minded
Not Quick-tempered
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
Not Quick-tempered
1) Definition (not soon angry, KJ).
“prone to anger, irascible” (Thayer, p. 452).
Bullinger says, “prone to anger, revengeful” (p.
53).
Not Quick-tempered
2) Must be slow to anger.
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man
be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”
(James 1:19).
“He who is slow to wrath has great
understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts
folly” (Proverbs 14:29).
Not Quick-tempered
3) Not a sin to be angry.
“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go
down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).
“And when He had looked around at them with
anger, being grieved by the hardness of their
hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your
hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was
restored as whole as the other” (Mark 3:5).
Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits




Self-controlled
Sober-minded
Not Quick-tempered
Not Self-willed
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
Not Self-willed
1) Meaning of this expression.
“self-pleasing, self-willed, arrogant” (Thayer, p.
84); AMG says, “One who is pleased with himself
and despises others, insolent, surly, the contrast
of courteous or affable. A person who obstinately
maintains his own opinion or asserts his own
rights but is reckless of the rights, feelings, and
interests of others. He regulates his life with no
respect to others.”
Not Self-willed
2) Must be concerned about others.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself. Let each of you
look out not only for his own interests, but also
for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
Not Self-willed
3) Elders are warned.
“Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor
as being lords over those entrusted to you, but
being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2,3).
Not Self-willed
4) An example.
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who
loves to have the preeminence among them, does
not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to
mind his deeds which he does, prating against us
with malicious words. And not content with that,
he himself does not receive the brethren, and
forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the
church” (3 John 9,10).
Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits
Self-controlled
 Sober-minded
 Not Quick-tempered
 Not Self-willed
 Not Given To Wine

“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
“For a bishop must be blameless, as a
steward of God, not self-willed, not
quick-tempered, not given to wine, not
violent, not greedy for money” (Titus
1:7).
Not Given To Wine
1) Word defined.
“given to wine, drunken”: 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus
1:7; (others give it the secondary sense,
‘quarrelsome over wine’; hence, “brawling,
abusive”) (Thayer, p. 490). Vine defines this term
under the word “brawler.” “an adjective, lit.,
tarrying at wine, “given to wine,”, A.V. probably
has the secondary sense, of the effects of winebibbing, viz., abusive brawling” (p. 148).
Not Given To Wine
2) A warning!
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions?
Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the
wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look
on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a
serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange
things, And your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you
will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or
like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: “They
have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me,
but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek
another drink?” (Proverbs 23:29-35).
Not Given To Wine
3) Additional thought.
“The man for the eldership must not be subject to
wine or other intoxicating liquors of any kind, but
abstain completely from fermented juice of grapes
and other berries or fruits that would cause
drunkenness. He must not participate in strong
drinks so that he becomes a drunken brawler. His
reputation and mind must be free from all influences
of evil and intoxication; nothing must unbalance the
mind or body. But the kind of wine spoken of in the
Bible as not causing intoxication is not forbidden
here” (H.E. Philips, Scriptural Elders And Deacons,
p. 172).
Not Given To Wine
4) If a man abstains –
(a) Could he become addicted to wine?
(b) Could he become drunk?
(c) Would his reputation be questioned?
(d) Would he set a good example?
(e) Would his judgment be obscured?
(f) Would he be more Christ-like?
Qualification Of Elders – His
Habits
Self-controlled
 Sober-minded
 Not Quick-tempered
 Not Self-willed
 Not Given To Wine
