1 Timothy 3:2

The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Of the fifteen qualifications mentioned in this chapter, seven are listed in this verse.

Without reproach ... This is the great and all-inclusive qualification. Wuest pointed out that the Greek word from which this comes means "one who cannot be laid hold upon,"[8] that is, a man without a handle, one who has given evil men no occasion whatever to blame or censure him. The late Grover Cleveland Brewer denominated this as really the only qualification for elder, the other qualifications mentioned here and in Titus being merely the checkpoints for determining blamelessness. As Zerr said, of course, "This word has been distorted out of its true meaning, by saying it requires a bishop to be without sin."[9] Sinless perfection is not required of Christians, nor of elders; and those are profoundly in error who make the high standard in evidence here the excuse for appointing none at all. The very fact of Paul's appointing elders in every church immediately after the first missionary journey (Acts 14:23) proves that such officers are absolutely necessary in every congregation; and the fact that one or more of a given group of elders might be declared deficient in given qualifications is not a valid reason for countermanding God's order to ordain elders "in every church."

The husband of one wife ... Dummelow gives the four major interpretations of this that have come down historically, thus:

(1) The presbyter is not to be a Christianized Jew who, under Moses' law, had taken more than one wife. (2) He is not to take a second wife after the death of the first. (3) He is not to marry again while his divorced wife lives. (4) He is to be a man faithful to his wife.[10]

Literally all kinds of interpretations of this requirement are to be found in commentaries. White, for example, said, "This does not mean that the bishop must be or have been married."[11] However, this is exactly what it does mean; and even if such a requirement is not in the Greek from which this is translated, it is perfectly obvious that Timothy was here under strict orders to look only in the married community for church officers. Moreover, this requirement refutes the long horror of celibate rulers of the historical church. Under (2), mentioned by Dummelow, it may be observed that the oldest historical interpretations are deeply colored by this very view; but we reject it on the grounds that Paul himself said, "marriage is honorable in all" (Hebrews 13:4 KJV). The ancient views to the contrary were influenced by the ascetic views that eventually led to the flowering of celibacy. As Hervey said, "There is nothing in Paul's writings to suggest the notion of there being anything dishonorable in a second marriage,"[12] provided, of course, such second marriages were due to the death of a previous partner or divorce for Scriptural reason. What is prohibited, absolutely, is polygamy; and there are some who read into this requirement the possibility that some of the Christians from the pagan culture either were, or had been, involved in polygamous marriages; and it is regrettable that, if such was the case, no Scriptural precedents have come down to us throwing light upon the proper handling of such a problem. Gerald Fruzia recently explained how missionaries in Africa confront exactly this situation, requiring that polygamy be abandoned. If the problem exists today, it probably existed in Paul's day also.

De Welt declared this means "one wife at a time";[13] Alford, Wordsworth and Ellicott concur in thinking that what is forbidden is "second marriages for church officers."[14] However, the Greek simply has this, "a man of one woman."[15] As Ward noted, "Above reproach dominates the whole list."[16] Thus, ANYTHING reprehensible in the marital relations of a prospective elder would certainly disqualify him. In this first great requirement is seen the absolute sanctity of the home and that sacred respect and honor of it which dominate the whole Christian doctrine. Significantly, "All of the qualifications listed except aptness to teach and that pertaining to a novice are requirements that apply to all Christians."[17] There are not two standards for so-called clergy and laity, but one standard for all.

Temperate, sober-minded, orderly ... It has often been remarked that the preconditions of leadership in the church are not such things as unusual talent, wealth, power or ability, but sound moral and ethical conduct.

Temperate ... "The literal Greek here is `one who sits long at his wine,'"[18] leading to the rendition, "not given to much wine." That wine was freely used even by Christians in apostolic times is evident in a statement like this; but it should always be remembered that the so-called wines of our times have ten times the alcoholic percentage of wines in that day; and that, even in those times, the people who wanted to set the proper example abstained from wine altogether (see 1 Timothy 5:23).

Such qualifications as temperate, sober-minded and orderly in church elders are absolutely mandatory. The church today is beset with every conceivable fad, fancy, fiction and nostrum that the devil himself can invent; and, for dealing with such things, the church of all ages needs stable, sober, orderly, right-minded men who have the courage and ability to protect and nourish the flock of God.

Given to hospitality ... In the times during which Paul was writing, there were not many inns of the type available today; and many Christians were required to travel, some being displaced from their homes by persecutions, and others traveling in the spread of the gospel or the service of the church. Elders were to be chosen from that class of Christians who opened their doors to fellow-saints in need or distress. Little reference is made here, if any, to the type of hospitality that says, "Come over to my house and have a good time; and later we can go over to yours for the same purpose." White is probably correct in supposing that "The duty of the elders was closely connected with the maintenance of external relations, which was their principal function."[19]

Apt to teach ... The Christian life is a life of study and learning. Ill-informed elders are a contradiction in terms. Every elder should be able to shut the mouths of the gainsayers, shield the church from false teaching, and see to it that truth and truth alone is fed to their charges. The inroads of so-called "higher" or "source" criticism of the New Testament, the current development of the most notorious and amoral philosophies, the advocacy of such things as homosexuality, abortion, etc., place an additional burden upon elders to be well taught and able men. As Lenski said, "Aptness to teach means not merely a natural aptitude, but the qualification of having been taught, as well."[20] It is regrettable that this qualification is sometimes overlooked.

[8] Kenneth S. Wuest, op. cit., p. 52.

[9] E. M. Zerr, op. cit., p. 171.

[10] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible, (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 997.

[11] Newport J. D. White, op. cit., p. 111.

[12] A. C. Hervey, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21,1Timothy (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 51.

[13] Don DeWelt, op. cit., p. 59.

[14] A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 50.

[15] Kenneth S. Wuest, op. cit., p. 53.

[16] Ronald A. Ward, Commentary on 1,2Timothy (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1974), p. 54.

[17] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 579.

[18] Kenneth S. Wuest, op. cit., p. 56.

[19] Newport J. D. White, op. cit., p. 113.

[20] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 584.