1 Timothy 3:1-16

Leaders

Everything rises and falls on leadership. A good leader can take an ordinary group of people and an ordinary plan and accomplish extraordinary results. A mediocre leader can take an exceptional group of people and a brilliant plan and achieve mediocre results. A bad leader can destroy much good work.

In this passage Paul lays out instructions for leadership qualifications in the church. The first thing that jumps out at me in this passage is that nowhere is talent or intelligence mentioned. Those things can help but they are not at all near the top of God’s list. Man looks for those abilities but does need ability so much as character. 

A few observations from this passage. Don’t get too bent out of shape about the phrase, “The husband of one wife.” There are cultures where you can’t find a leader who is the husband of one wife. Does this mean that there can be no church leaders in such a culture? Of course not. Likewise, I don’t see this as excluding women from such positions. While they aren’t the husband of one wife neither are bishops in the Roman Catholic Church. For that matter it appears that Paul wasn’t either. The phrase is there because any man with multiple wives has certainly got his hands full already. (In all seriousness.) But where all you have to chose from is polygamous God’s grace is sufficient. 

Such a leader should have children who are obedient. You can tell a lot about parents by observing their children. I am not just talking about whether their kids talk too much or not. Children are children and that is a beautiful thing. I am talking about rebellion. Some people punish their kids for being kids and wink at rebellion. A child with a lot of energy isn’t a bad child, but a child with rebellion is headed for a hard life. One other thing, at some point in the pre-teen years they cease being children. A teenager may bring shame to their family but that isn’t always the parent’s fault as would be the case with a six or eight year old.

Finally, consider these points: selfcontrolled, not violent, not a lover of money, and not a malicious talker. All of these qualities are within the reach of the least in the kingdom. It isn’t about talent or intelligence. It is about heart and character.