everal churches in a large, western city provide leadership training for Christian leaders. One church teaches error. The pastor says that Jesus did not come to forgive us of our sins but to give us a positive self-image. Yet, church leaders come because the church is very large and they want to know how to grow the size of their own churches. Another large church in the area provides leadership training too. It is a biblically solid church. Pastors come from all over the world to learn about evangelism, counseling, men’s and women’s ministries, and church government - elders and deacons. As a result, many pastors go back home, and encourage their congregations to change to an eldership form of church government because they believe it is biblical. Later many churches run into trouble in the leadership team. Why does this happen? The usual reason is that their leaders were not qualified to be elders. Shared ministry in some churches results in power groups and alliances.        Qualifications. Too often we evaluate people from the outside. If he or she looks like a leader, behaves like a leader, is eloquent of speech and exudes warmth, we believe that person would make a good spiritual leader. Additional requirements frequently include their financial contributions, outside political connections, professional position, internal church connections and/or family history. These are the criteria or qualifications churches frequently use when selecting leaders. 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:7-9 are merely given “lip service.” As a result, models of holiness are not really considered as selection criteria. Biblical knowledge is usually a secondary consideration compared to business skills and spiritual gifts of organization. In many churches, the pastor is the Bible expert and the leadership looks to him for spiritual guidance as well as theological and Biblical knowledge. By implication, theological and biblical knowledge are considered to be unimportant in choosing lay leaders.        The prophet Samuel had been directed by God to select a new king to replace Saul. King Saul was disqualified, and so Samuel was sent to select one of Jesse’s sons as the new king. When Samuel arrived at Jesse’s home, he saw Eliab, the oldest son, and thought to himself, “Wow, this is the one!”     But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NASB) 1 Samuel 16:7   Today, we tend to look at outside appearances too, and modify the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:7-9. Excuses are made and men are selected who are not ready, because a quota must be met or someone feels an obligation. We cannot look at a person’s heart, but 1 Timothy and Titus give us a spiritual microscope to do just that - to look at a man's or woman’s spiritual heart.       Jesus’ Qualifications. The Jewish readers of Hebrews must have struggled with Jesus’ qualifications when they read that Jesus was a “merciful and faithful high priest” in Hebrews 2:17. Since childhood, they were taught that only males, who were Levites without any bodily defects could qualify to minister as a high priest. But Jesus was not a Levite. He was male and He was perfect, since He never sinned (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was already ministering in the role of a high priest, with some exceptions.         < Back   Next >
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