(2) THE PRESBYTER-BISHOP IN THE PASTORAL EPISTLES – QUALIFICATIONS

This post sets out the eight characteristics of a presbyter-bishop that are listed in both 1 Timothy and Titus, the seven characteristics unique to 1 Timothy and the seven unique to Titus.

QUALIFICATIONS	IN 1 TIMOTHY	3: 2-7
KJV	NIV	GREEK WORD
Blameless	Above reproach	anepileptos
Husband of one wife	Faithful to his wife	un andra
Vigilant	Temperate	nephaleos
Sober	Self-controlled	sophron
Of good behaviour	Respectable	kosmios
Given to hospitality	Hospitable	philoxenos
Apt to teach	Able to teach	didactikos
Not given to wine	Not given to drunkenness	paroinos
No striker	Not violent	plektes
Not greedy of filthy lucre	n/a	aphilargyros
Patient	Gentle	epieikes
Not a brawler	Not quarrelsome	amachos
Not covetous	Not a lover of money	aphilargyros
Ruleth well his own house	Manage his own family well
Not a novice	Not a recent convert	neophitos
Have a good report	A good reputation	marturia

QUALIFICATIONS	IN TITUS 1: 6-9
KJV	NIV	GREEK WORD
Blameless v6 & v7	Above reproach	anegkletos
Husband of one wife	Faithful to his wife	un andra
Having faithful children	Whose children believe
Not selfwilled	Not overbearing	authades
Not soon angry	Not quick-tempered	orgilos
Not given to wine	Not given to drunkenness	paroinos
No striker	Not violent	plektes
Not given to filthy lucre	Not pursuing dishonest gain	aischrokerdes
A lover of hospitality	Hospitable	philoxenos
A lover of good men	One who loves what is good	philagathos
Sober	Self-controlled	sophron
Just	Upright	dikaios
Holy	Holy	hosios
Temperate	Disciplined	egkrate
Holding fast the faithful word	Hold firmly to the trustworthy message

EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS IN BOTH 1 TIMOTHY AND TITUS

1) ‘Above reproach’ (anepileptos) 1 Tim 3:2 ‘Blameless’ (anegketos) Titus 1:6

This is a general qualification meaning that the candidate has a good reputation because his character and conduct are free from moral or spiritual accusations. Most commentators describe this qualification as ‘overarching’ or ‘all-embracing’.

2) ‘Husband of one wife’ (un andra) 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6

In both 1 Timothy and Titus Paul places ‘husband of one wife’ second in the list of qualifications and uses the expression three other times in the Pastoral Epistles (once in reverse, ‘wife of one man’); 1 Tim 3:2, 12, 1Tim 5:9, Titus 1:6. Exactly what he meant by this is unclear but the four main interpretations of this requirement are as follows:

a) A presbyter-bishop must be married.

This interpretation would seem to contradict the teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 regarding the advantages of singleness in the service of the Lord and it therefore seems unlikely that the apostle is insisting that a presbyter-bishop must be a man who has a wife.

b) A presbyter-bishop must be a man who marries only once. Some have taught that it means that a widowed presbyter-bishop cannot remarry and others that he cannot be divorced and remarry. Towner, quoted by Strauch (1995 p192), says: ‘the point is not how often one can be married, nor precisely what constitutes a legitimate marriage … but rather how one conducts himself in his marriage.’

c) A presbyter-bishop must be monogamous.

Some have argued that Paul’s intention was to prohibit polygamy but according to Mounce (2000, p171) there is no evidence that polygamy was practised among Christians at this time and he points out that assuming that the same interpretation holds true in reverse (when applied to widows, ‘the wife of one man’ 1 Tim 5:9) then there is certainly no evidence of polyandry.

d) A presbyter-bishop must be faithful in the marital realm.

According to this interpretation the apostle Paul was dealing with moral purity and emphasizing faithful, monogamous marriage. This represents a positive statement that a man who has the reputation of being faithful to his wife can be trusted in other areas of life that require integrity and honesty. A presbyter-bishop who has an exclusive relationship with his wife is therefore seen as a suitable candidate for oversight and is deemed to be ‘above reproach.’

3) ‘Managing own family well’ 1 Tim 3:4-5 ‘Having faithful children’ Titus 1:6

The apostle Paul here saw a parallel between the family and the church. He reckoned that a man’s ability to lead and control his family was an accurate indication of his ability to relate to and lead others in the church. One might ask if, as a result of these requirements relating to the family situation, was it considered necessary for a candidate to have more than one child and also for those children to be professing believers?

Just as it is unlikely that a presbyter-bishop had to have a wife, so it follows that an overseer was not required to have a family. If an overseer was married, he was to be faithful to that one woman. If an overseer had a family, then the behaviour of the children was taken into account when assessing his ability to lead the church.

Regarding the question of the children being believers the discussion hinges on the translation of pistos in Titus 1:6 (‘having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly’) which, according to Strauch (1995, p229) ‘can be translated either actively as “believing” (1 Tim 6:2) or passively as “faithful,” “trustworthy,” or “dutiful” (2 Tim 2:2).’ Merkle (2008, p132-133) concedes that the meaning is ambiguous but favours its translation as “faithful” for the following reasons:

a) The words “not accused of riot or unruly” qualify the type of faithfulness that the writer had in mind. ‘Paul is referring to the behavior of the child (“faithful”), not to the status of the child (“believing”).’

b) In view of the fact that the church in Ephesus was longer established and more mature than the church in Crete would Paul have placed a ‘more restrictive burden on the less mature church?’ Is it likely that he would have required a presbyter-bishop in Crete to have children who believed but those in Ephesus to have children who were just to “be in subjection” (1 Tim 3:4)?

c) The view that all of an elder’s children must be professing believers raises more questions than it answers. What if a child is not old enough to understand the gospel and believe? Does the father have to wait? What if one child out of several does not believe? Does that disqualify the father from serving as a presbyter-bishop?

d) The general teaching of the Bible is that salvation is of the Lord and not by any human effort. For example: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is the responsibility of Christian parents to bring up children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) but there have been many good parents who have done so only to see their children reject their teaching and take a different direction. The apostle Paul would not have required of a father something over which he had no control.

Getz (2003, p169) understands this requirement, especially the words “not accused of riot or unruly”, to refer, not to small children or adolescents, but to grown-up older children who, even though they might have rejected Christianity, would not have embraced the pagan lifestyle but lived moral and upright lives as a result of the good upbringing and influence of their father. He bases this on the use of the word teknon (child) which elsewhere in the Pastoral Epistles refers to grown children. He quotes 1 Timothy 5:4, where the reference is to children who ought to be caring for a widowed mother. Knight (1992, p161) discusses this but concludes that the qualification ‘in subjection’ (1 Tim 3:4) ‘indicates that the “children” in view are those under authority and therefore those not yet of age’.

The arguments put forward by Merkle are very convincing but Getz’s interpretation is interesting and merits consideration.

4) “Self-controlled” (sophron) 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8

This word means “sound in mind” and can also be translated sober, sensible, prudent or discreet. As church leaders are sometimes called upon to make difficult decisions discretion is a vital attribute when handling people and problems.

5) “Hospitable” (philoxenos) 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8

The presbyter-bishop’s home must be open to believers so that he can more easily build relationships and minister to their spiritual needs.

6) “Not a drunkard” (paroinos) 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 1:7

This is a negative qualification which relates to the abuse of alcohol. It disqualifies from church oversight anyone addicted to alcohol (or, by extension, other substances) as that would indicate a lack of self-control. A presbyter-bishop with a “drink problem” would be a stumbling block to others and bring the assembly into disrepute.

7) “Not violent” (plektes) 1 Tim 3:3, Titus 1:7

A presbyter-bishop must not be prone to verbal or physical assault on other people but must be able to handle church tensions and interpersonal conflicts calmly.

8) “Not a lover of money” (aphilargyros) 1 Tim 3:3, “Not pursuing dishonest gain” (aischrokerdes) Titus 1:7

Someone who would be prepared to use his position for personal profit is unfit for oversight. Leaders would most likely have access to assembly funds and must therefore be trustworthy in financial matters.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS UNIQUE TO 1 TIMOTHY

1 ) “Temperate” (nephaleos) 3:2

This can refer to temperance in the use of alcoholic drinks but here it probably refers to mental sobriety. The presbyter-bishop must be clear in his thinking and alert to issues relating to spirituality and morality.

2) “Respectable” (kosmios) 3:2

This word suggests proper behaviour and orderliness.

3) “Able to teach” (didactikos) 3:2

This word is used only here and in 2 Timothy 2:24 in Paul’s writings. One who meets this requirement would not only know the scriptures but also have the ability to communicate them effectively.

4) “Gentle” (epieikes) 3:3

Mounce (2000, p176) quotes Hawthorne who says that ‘it is one of the truly great Greek words that is almost untranslatable.’ It suggests someone who is fair, reasonable and who does not always demand his full rights.

5 ) “Not quarrelsome” (amachos) 3:3

This describes someone who will not involve himself in heated arguments and petty disputes.

6) “Not a recent convert” (neophitos) 3:6

Christians need time to learn and mature before undertaking leadership responsibilities. Paul says that someone appointed prematurely to a leadership role is likely to succumb to the sin of pride, as did Satan.

7) “Having a good reputation” (marturia) 3:7

The list of requirements for bishops in 1 Timothy 3 began with the need for a good reputation among believers (above reproach) and it now ends with the need for a good reputation among unbelievers.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS UNIQUE TO TITUS

1) “Not overbearing” (authades) 1:7

The presbyter-bishop must not be arrogant. He must not push his personal agenda or advance his own views, preferences and policies.

2) “Not quick-tempered” (orgilos) 1:7

A quick-tempered man is likely to have problems with self-control.

3) “Loves what is good” (philagathos) 1:8

Marshall (1999, P163) translates this as ‘loving what is good’ or ‘loving good people’. A person’s friends and associates are a good indicator of his character and interests.

4) “Just” (dikaios) 1:8

This characteristic involves fairness in dealings with others.

5) “Holy” (hosios) 1:8

A presbyter-bishop must be devoted to the Lord and his work.

6) “Disciplined” (egkrate) 1:8

This word again emphasizes the necessity for self-control.

7) “Holding firmly to the trustworthy message” 1:9

This final requirement in Titus fits the candidate to carry out the two main functions of eldership which are stated in the same verse: ‘so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.’