Welcome to Nazarene Israel, my name is Norman Willis. In the last chapter we talked about what kind of righteous elders we need to have in our congregations and what kind of elders we need to avoid having in our congregations in order to build Yeshua’s one true global, unified ministry (kingdom). Because Yeshua expects all of His ministers to work together to build him a single, unified ministry worldwide.
In this chapter we want to talk about what the selection requirements are that the apostolic priesthood must follow when they are selecting righteous elders, and when they are excluding elders who are not meeting the standards. But first, before we do that, let us quickly review what we learned in the last chapter.
In “Selecting Elders, Part 1”, we saw that righteous elders are one of the primary keys of building Yeshua’s kingdom. And that is because, while the priesthood has the job of stitching all the congregations and all the various ministries together globally, really, it is the congregational elders who build those congregations.
And if we are willing to receive it, the congregation is where a lot of the real evangelization and most of the true pastoring and spiritual growth take place. Because congregational elders are the ones who teach the people how to walk out the Five-Fold Ministry, which is what keeps the ministry continuing in edification and brotherly love. This is a very important function, it cannot be done without the elders. Without the congregational elders there is nothing for the priesthood to join together.
Let us read what apostle Shaul tells the apostle Titus to do.
Titus 1:5
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you:
Yahweh is an Elohim of order and not of disorder (as exists in the Messianic movement). As we saw in the last chapter, it is critical that the elders must be appointed by the apostolic priesthood, or else you do not truly have global unity of the ministry. Meaning, you do not truly have Nazarene Israel elders, but rather, you have false (substitute, anti-elders), if you will. And such anti-elders are not really helping to build a true global, unified ministry. In reality, what they are building is an anti-kingdom (anti-ministry) and that does not really help.
Well, people have a lot of objections to this.
Some say, “Well, we do not have apostles today because there were only ever 12 apostles.”
This is something that people really need to stop and think about. If there were only ever twelve apostles, then from where did we get the apostle Shaul? Or the apostle Titus? Apostle Timothy and apostle Apollos? Where did we get the apostle Barnabas, and where did we get all the other apostles in the renewed covenant that came after the twelve? Hmmm. Does not quite add up.
We also saw that in order to truly be a Nazarene Israel elder, they must be appointed (recognized) by the apostolic priesthood. This is what Yeshua describes in Matthew chapter 12, verse 30.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:30
30 “He who is not with Me is against Me,
and he who does not gather with Me
scatters abroad.”
In other words, Yeshua is saying,
‘He who does not gather with me to help build my one true global, unified ministry, really, he scatters abroad.’
Some ministers may think,
‘I really just do not want to. I do not want to qualify, I do not want to join, and I do not want to be subject to congregational discipline. I do not want to be held accountable to everything that the renewed covenant says to do.’
People need to think about this because we have to get ourselves right before Yahweh Elohim. If you are one of these ministers who is operating independently and you think this way, you need to ask yourself some things.
• In the first place, how are we truly disciples, let alone leaders?
• In the second place, how do we hope to escape damnation and judgment for misleading the people?
• Are we trying to tie a millstone around our neck so that we can be drowned in the depths of the sea?
• Would we not rather prefer to do everything that the Renewed Covenant says to do?
Well, while there are a multiplicity of beliefs that exist today, there is only one true faith. And we see that this was exactly the same in the first century. There were a multiplicity of beliefs, but there was still only one true belief, as we read in Jude, verse three.
Yehudah (Jude) 1:3
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Here Jude is saying, ‘I am saved, you are saved, we are all saved here. That is not what is at issue.’
But in the first century there was more than one group just like how today there is more than one group. There was more than one belief even though there should only be one belief. Because the only way to end up with Yeshua’s true global (worldwide) ministry is to have one belief set and one organization held to Yeshua’s true standards.
So if that is also something that you want to do and something that matters to you as it does us, please continue with us. We are going to talk about the selection requirements that are necessary for the apostolic priesthood to use in selecting righteous elders and congregational leaders. If you and your family want to get your best reward for helping to build Yeshua’s true global, unified kingdom, then there is important information that you need to know and understand. So please keep reading part 10 of our Set-Apart Communities series.
So, how does the apostolic priesthood know whom to select and whom not to select as an elder? What rules do they use? What are the standards?
Well, one good place to start is to take a look at the basic definition of what an elder is. So we go to Strong’s Hebrew Concordance, and we look up the term elder, because that is one of the things we like to do!
Hebraic Definition of Elder
Strong’s Hebrew ConcordanceOT2204 zâqên (זָקֵן)
A primitive root; to be old:- aged man, be (wax) old (man).OT2205 zaw-kane’ (זָקֵן)
From 2204, aged, ancient (man), elder (-est), old (man, men and women), senator.
So basically, an elder is defined in the sense of being a senator, a leader, or a representative. That is, someone who has the trust and the respect of the people.
We also took a look at Strong’s Hebrew old testament 2206 which is from 2204 and refers to the beard as indicating age.
Hebraic Definition of Elder
Strong’s Hebrew ConcordanceOT2206 zâqên (זָקֵן)
From 2204; the beard (as indicating age):- beard.
However, we are going to see that this means much more than just being old enough to have a beard. What we are really describing here is about having years of life experience and (hopefully) wisdom gained from those years of life experience.
For example, later we are going to see that one requirement is that an elder must have been able to raise his children successfully, to have brought them up in the way they should go so that when they are older they shall not depart from it. What we are talking about more than anything is that an elder is a respected example of the way we should all walk, both to the people inside the community, and also to the rest of the people outside the community.
Well, as we saw in “Selecting Elders, Part 1”, the roots and fundaments are shown to us when Israel was leaving Egypt. Because everything we see in the Renewed Covenant is going to be reflection of what was given in the original covenant. Maybe in different terms, with different specifics, but the principles and the precepts are always going to be the same.
So, when Israel was leaving Egypt, Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro (Jethro) was counseling Moshe. He saw Moshe leading the people and judging the cases from morning until evening. Yitro advised Moshe:
‘Moe, listen to me and obey my voice. You are not going to make it this way! You are going to wear yourself and the people out. You cannot possibly lead the nation alone when it is disorganized. Listen Moe, you are going to have to appoint some righteous leadership to help distribute the load of governance, okay? You are going to have to break things down into manageable size groups.’
Who did Yitro advise Moshe to assign in these roles?
Something (Egregious) 18:21
21 “Moreover you shall select from all the people smiling book and DVD salesmen, such as do not really fear Elohim (and don’t really do all that He says), men of passion for half the truth, loving disorganization and prosperity doctrine; and place such over [the people] to mislead thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.”
Oh wait, wait! What? No, whoa, okay. Excuse me! Uh…
Shemote (Exodus) 18:21
21 “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear Elohim, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over [the people] to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
Now these are the type of men to select for the elder role. Able, capable men who know how to go out and how to come in, men who have their head about them. Men who are aware of their situations and their surroundings. People can respect that. You want to select men such as fear Elohim, meaning they are going to do all that Scripture says. Not just the Levitical Torah, but also the commandments in the Renewed Covenant and the Five-fold Ministry, building a single, unified ministry on a single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets (Foundation of Apostles and Elders).
Men of Truth. We know from King David’s writings that the Torah is Truth. We also know the term Torah means instructions. So these are men who are going to obey the instructions that Elohim gives, not just in the Levitical Torah, but also the commandments that Yeshua and His representatives give in the Renewed Covenant writings.
Again, the Five-Fold Ministry, the single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. These are going to be men who hate covetousness, meaning they are going to hate unlawful or unjust gain. And we will talk later on about what prosperity doctrine really, truly is.
And a lot of people will say,
‘Well, but Norman. That is all Old Testament stuff. Do you not know? Any Christian pastor will tell you. Jesus died to set me free and to nail the law to His cross! (His stake, tree, gallows, whatever word we want to use there).’
Well, no. Not really. Because take a look in the feeding of the five thousand in Luke chapter 9.
Luqa (Luke) 9:14
14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples,
“Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”
Yeshua himself was still using these righteous divisions of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands because these are considered to be manageable size groups. The numbers may differ under the Levitical Order and the Melchizedekian Order. If we are willing to receive it, the deacons are going to be analogous to these leaders. The deacons may be over tens, or perhaps they might be leaders over ten families. In a hypothetically large congregation they might even be leaders over fifty families. But the point is that they are going to be organized elders which are going to be analogous to leaders over 50s, 50 families, hundreds, or even (in a very large congregation) leaders even over thousands.
Now the apostolic priesthood is going to have a different function. The apostolic priesthood is going to be analogous to the tribal elders or what is called the Seventy Elders, which later became the Foundation of the Beit Din Gadol (the Single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets or also, the Single Foundation of Apostles and Elders). Because, once again, it is the priesthood’s job to unify the nation just as the Seventy Elders unified the nation. We talked about that in earlier sections.
But the precepts remain the same, even though the numbers may change between the Levitical Order and the Melchizedekian Order. Because in the Levitical Order they were already called out of Egypt. So they could arrange by even numbers; that is, in tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. In the Melchizedekian Order we are arranging by region, you are going to organize by cities or towns. So, the numbers might change, but the principle (precept) is going to remain the same.
The principle is that the priesthood and the leadership is going to have to establish righteous judges (elders, servant leaders) over the people at various levels. And this is so that the servant leaders can judge, lead, and serve the people at all times. This is how the body is able to edify and unify itself in love, as it says in Ephesians 4. Because, once again, Yeshua wants a single global (worldwide) ministry, and He wants all of His ministers to work together at His ministry. Not establishing their own ministries where you have ‘Here a ministry, there a ministry, everywhere a ministry, ministry!’
Okay. So let us take a look at these selection requirements for the righteous elders. Because sometimes you may think,
‘Wow, this guy is really superman! This is really someone! Just kind of like the Proverbs 31 bride. She is like, wow! Who can reach that?’
Well, no. Really, when we take a look at it, these are the ideal standards for righteous elders. But really, the people who learn to become this way are people a lot like you and me. They are just people who realize what a big job there is to do and that we only have one lifetime in which to do it. So with that in mind, let us take a look at the selection requirements for elders.
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:1-2
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop [elder], he desires a good work.
2 A bishop [elder] then must be blameless [he must obey the torah],
the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach…
An elder has to do everything the Scripture says to do. He has to be the husband of one wife, which we will discuss further at the end of this presentation. He has to be temperate. He is not going to be a hothead, fly off the handle (lose his temper), or go into fits of rage. He is going to be sober-minded, have his head on straight, and be down to earth.
There are a lot of Messianic out there with their heads in the clouds thinking that they can please Yeshua without organizing according to the Five-Fold Ministry and the single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. There are a lot of independent rabbis and independent leaders, teachers, and pastors out there who are not sober-minded. They think that they can preach against organization, they think that they can preach serial-marriage and divorce and book sales, and get away with it. And that nothing bad is going to happen to them in the day of judgment.
But a righteous elder has to be someone of good behavior, whether that is judged by the Torah or by the standards of the community. He also has to be hospitable. He has to be able to teach. You have to be able to welcome people into the congregation and help them in love, get to know what things it is that they need to know.
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:3-4
3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence…
He is not given to wine, pornography, gambling, or any other kind of an addiction. He is a peaceable, gentle man. You want to appoint men who are not covetous, men who are not greedy for unjust gain, and who will not quarrel. Again, these are the same rules that Yitro gave to Moshe in the wilderness.
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:3-4
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence…
This is very important because that is what we see an elder truly is. Mostly, he is an example, both to the congregation and also to the outside world. He has to be someone that people can look to and say, “That is something I want for me and my family.”
We talked about that in “Selecting Elders, Part 1”, we are going to talk about it some more.
In verse five, the apostle show poses a very interesting, very important rhetorical question
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:5
5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of Elohim?);
Well, if we think about this, it is very telling. Because really, a father has at least some kind of biological authority over his children, simply by virtue of the fact that he is a biological parent. You still have to raise your children in love, and you have to raise them the right way so that your children want to receive your authority. You still have to raise them in a way that earns and gains their respect. But at least with children, there is a biological predisposition to want to look to their parents.
Well, you do not have that with the congregation. Most people in the congregation are not going to be your kin folk, they are not going to be relatives. A congregational elder or leader is only going to have the amount of authority that the people grant to him. And if you cannot raise your own children when you have biological authority as a parent, how are you going to possibly raise them when you do not have this biological authority as their parent?
So for this reason, and elder has to be someone who knows how to inspire confidence in his own children, so he can then inspire confidence in the people. He has to be someone that knows how to get his own children to ascend to his spiritual authority so that he can then get the people to ascend to his spiritual authority. If he does not know how to do that with his own children, how is he possibly going to lead the congregation? That is one of the things he is supposed to be learning in between the time he is young and the time he becomes bearded (an elder).
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:6-7
6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
For example, let us say that the mayor of your town converts to the faith, or some respected official or perhaps the leader of a corporation. You do not automatically name this respected person as an elder in the congregation. Because even though he may know how to do things correctly in a business environment that does not necessarily mean that he knows how to do things in Elohim’s set-apart kingdom environment. So whether he is old or young, or rich or poor, or whatever title he may hold, an elder he should not be someone who is new in the faith.
To be a respected elder in the faith you have to not just be older in years, but you have to be old in Elohim’s word, seasoned in the faith. Because there are a lot of trials and a lot of challenges that happen for leaders. We need time not only to learn how not to become puffed up, but we also need to know how to deal with certain situations.
Every time I have seen this rule violated I have seen people getting hurt. I have seen both the elders suffering damage and the people around them suffering damage. So this is a very important rule. We need to take care not to lay hands on someone suddenly. But this needs to be someone who is respected both inside and outside the congregation and who has the necessary years of experience in order to lead the people properly.
Essentially, an elder is an example, both to the flock and to the outside world. He has to be someone that people can look to as an example.
Now, let us take the whole thing into context with Titus, chapter 1.
Titus 1:5-7
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
7 For a bishop [elder] must be blameless, as a steward of Elohim, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money…
We see a lot of the same things mentioned again. But appointing elders in every city is going to go a long way to correcting the things that are lacking.
Appointing righteous elders means that you need to find men who are blameless. They are willing, they want to obey everything, not just in the Levitical Torah, but also in the Renewed Covenant writings.
An elder must be the husband of one wife. Again, we will talk about that a little later on the end of this chapter. They need to have raised faithful children who are not accused of dissipation or insubordination. This is someone who knows how to raise up his children the way they should go, in love, so that when they are older they shall not depart from it. Because again, if he cannot raise his own children in love to follow Scripture, how is he going to raise the people when they do not have that biological tie?
He has to be a good steward of that which is entrusted into his care. And to do that he cannot be self-willed. He has to be someone who is not coming from a place of thinking and from a place of hearing. He has to be someone who is broken in the Spirit, hearing in the Spirit, and who communicates in the Spirit. This is something you see violated all the time in the Messianic movement.
He also has to not be quick tempered. He cannot fly off the handle, he cannot flash temper. And again, he has to be not given to wine, pornography, gambling, or any other kind of addiction. He has to be self-controlled, not violent, not greedy for money, and not covetous. The same things we saw Yitro giving counsel to Moshe about, just in different format. You are looking for someone who is a proper quality leader for the people.
Okay, let us look at the necessary qualifications for elders and leaders in the Messianic world!
Tortured 1:8-9 New Messianic Version
8 but he should smile a lot, and sell books and DVDs in an independent manner, as an independent pastor, with secular-style TV shows,
9 Justifying his book and DVD sales with a big smile (even though neither Yeshua nor His disciples ever did that).
Hmm! Okay, wait now. No, no, no.
Titus 1:8-9
8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, set-apart, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
You want to select people who are who are hospitable and lovers of that which is good in Elohim’s sight and who are considerate of the Great White Throne judgment to come. Men who are just according to that which Elohim considers just. Men who are set-apart, self-controlled, and who do not partake in corruptions. Corruptions like that of book sales, prosperity doctrine, and being independent operation.
Rather, they hold fast to the faithful word. As the Word says, that they may be able to stand by sound doctrine. both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
And brothers, I have been in what you would call the Hebrew Roots, Messianic, Two-House, or Ephraimite Movement for more than 20 years now. And I have seen a lot of people who are seriously contradicting the Word and doing things that they know are not written in the Word, according to the Five-Fold Ministry. And they definitely are not helping to build the single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. They are doing their own thing. And whether some of them are taking home a great, big take-home pay or a more reasonable take-home pay, Yeshua and his disciples never did that. The apostolic priesthood is supposed to own nothing because we are supposed to be motivated not by worldly wealth, but for the reason that we want to do things the right way.
We do things according to Luke 14, verse thirty-three which says the priesthood owns nothing. You can be an elder and have possessions, but not in terms of the priesthood. You can be an elder, but you have to build Yeshua’s kingdom. You have to make your ministry support the right way and we are not supposed to bring the pay of a dog into the House of Elohim.
But sometimes people come back, and they say,
‘Well Norman, what about that passage in 1st Additions 6, verse sixty-six?’
First Additions 6:66
66 And [Yeshua] found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business with a big smile.
67 And when He had set up a Messianic Marketplace, He collected a tithe of all the proceeds to fund His ministry, and to help augment His income from His secular-style TV show.
‘Did not Yeshua have a great, big income?’
Hmm. Is that how it really reads, brothers? No, no, no. Let us look at how Yeshua really reacted and what He truly said about making His Father’s House into a house of merchandise.
Yochanan (John) 2:14-16
14 And [Yeshua] found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!“
How many ministers do we have out there who make our Father’s House a house of merchandise? Yeshua would not do it. Why should it be okay for us to do it if He is our example?
Then they come back and say, ‘Well, wait, wait, wait. You do not know what it takes to run a ministry. You do not know what it takes to have a TV show. Come on, what about that verse in Second Book Sales, chapter 29, verse ninety-five?’
Second Book Sales $29.95
95 “The best way to help build the Messiah’s unified, set-apart kingdom is to remain independent, avoid accountability, and sell a bunch of merchandise with a big smile!”
‘You know, where it says to avoid the Five-Fold Ministry and the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets. Because you do not need any congregational discipline. Just sell a big bunch of merchandise with a great big smile so that you can bring home some great big take-home pay!’
Is that really what it says brothers? Because that is what a lot of people are doing.
Well, let us talk about the requirement for elders to be the husband of just one wife. Now, it says that an elder should be the husband of only one wife. It is very easy to misunderstand this, but in order to understand this properly we need to understand about The Law of First Mention. The Law of First Mention tells us that the first time a principle or a concept is mentioned in Scripture, that then sets the standard for every other instance to come later. So the first time we see something, that is going to set the standard (or set the bar high) and then there can be deviations from that standard later.
The first time we see a man and his wife in Scripture is in Genesis.
B’reisheet (Genesis) 2:24
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Notice that it does not say ‘wives’, it says ‘wife’. It does not say ‘one fleshes’, it says ‘one flesh’.
Okay. So, what is The Law Of First Mention in this case? One flesh. Yeshua tells us plainly that what we are referring to here is a lifelong, committed, monogamous marriage. One wife for life, you might say. But in contrast to that, we have a lot of ministers preaching and practicing serial-marriage and divorce. That is not the example in Scripture. That is not what Scripture says and that is not the ideal for elders.
Now, if you are interested in this topic and the whole big picture, you can get that in The Torah Government, in Acts 15 Order, and also toward the middle of the Covenant Relationships collection, in “Yahweh’s Heart in Marriage”.
Okay, to explain this a little more. Many of us were raised in the Babylonian system. We were raised in the Babylonian Christian church, a lot of us have a blemished past and a lot of people have had bad marriages and bad divorces. Before we repent and receive Yeshua’s true Spirit and begin to walk according to it, we can make mistakes. Mistakes happen, most of us have blemished pasts. However, after we come to repentance, after we say we are walking in repentance, it is a different matter. After we have received Yeshua’s Spirit and we are attempting to submit, (firstly) to Yeshua’s Spirit and (secondly) to one another according to the written word, we should not have any more divorces beyond that point. Because Elohim is not in the business of breaking up kingdom relationships, He is in the business of building up kingdom relationships.
So a past divorce is definitely clearly not the ideal. But if someone was divorced before they received Yeshua’s Spirit and afterward became broken and began walking according to Yeshua’s Spirit, that does not necessarily prevent them from now serving as an example to Yeshua’s people. If we have truly repented, then our past is separated from us as far as the east is from the west. Though we are as scarlet, we become washed as white as snow, if we have truly repented, if we are truly broken, and if we are truly walking according to His Spirit and His word. But the evidence (fruit) of that is that there should be no further divorces.
There are all kinds of ministers with all kinds of ministries. You see them out there. This day they are married and the next day they are not married, and they never step down from ministry. Brothers, there is nothing you are going to gain here in this life that is worth paying for in the day of judgment with your eternal soul. That is something we need to think upon while it is still today.
If you are not helping Nazarene Israel build Yeshua’s one true, unified kingdom according to the Five-Fold Ministry and a single Foundation of Apostles and Prophets according to a clean doctrine, it is time to stop and pray.
Here is another thing that is very easy to misunderstand. So, please, do not misunderstand. I personally have met ministers who have left other cultures and religions. Other Abrahamic religions preach and teach polygyny (polygamy), or plural marriage with more than one wife. We need to be clear here and it is very easy to misunderstand as there are some exceptions. A man having multiple wives is not the Scriptural ideal.
However, for example, I met one man who used to belong to another Abrahamic faith that preached multiple wives. And he had three wives and children by each one of those wives. Elohim then called him to convert and begin preaching the truth to his own people.
He was talking with us, and he says, ‘Well, what do I do here? What am I supposed to do?’
We did not advise him to put away two of his three wives and children. We advised him to begin preaching the true standard of ‘one wife for life’, but to maintain his relationships and responsibilities that he had already taken on as a man. We felt that was the only correct and just thing to do.
Then a lot of people say ‘Oh, Nazarene Israel is teaching plural marriage’.
We are not preaching and teaching plural marriage. What we are teaching is that a man needs to be responsible. When you take a wife, she is now yours unless or until she remarries. And you have responsibilities toward her and any children you might have with her.
So if you want to know more about this I recommend two studies. One is called “Yahweh’s Heart in Marriage”, the other one is called “Polygyny Concubines and Kingship”. Both of those studies and more studies can be found in the Covenant Relationships collection. If you have questions please let us know, but the answers are found in those studies.
There are some really high standards for leaders, teachers, and congregational elders. What we need to bear in mind is this faithful saying.
TimaTheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:1
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop [elder], he desires a good work.
These are some very high standards and almost no one I know truly meets all of those standards. But some of us try as hard as we can because we know there is a big job to do. We have only one lifetime in which to do this job. So if you feel led to perform these functions then please let us know.
In the next chapter, we are going to talk about how elders in turn select their deacons (righteous congregational servants) in order to serve and lead the people in love. Please continue to the next chapter for “Selecting Deacons”.