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Training for Authority I Don't Have Yet

Training for Authority I Don't Have Yet

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 Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyerComment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/training-for-authority-i-dont-haveI’ve really appreciated the feedback I’ve received lately from people who are following along as I explore this “eldership” role in more detail, especially the critical comments that point out the gaps I’m missing in all this.I want to address one of the most common critiques because it was helpful for me to wrestle through, so hopefully it is for you, too.The critique is best theologically summarized by my friend, Sonny Silverton, who commented on an earlier post:Do you delineate between πρεσβύτερος and ἐπίσκοπος or ποιμήν? Have you considered that Paul might be talking about ordained overseers vs older dudes who are merely wise and righteous?The heart of the question is this: “Tim, you’re talking about eldership as if it’s something for every God-fearing man out there, but the Bible doesn’t seem to treat it that way. The Bible talks about elders as men who are specifically selected and ordained by the laying-on of hands.”The honest answer? I hadn’t worked through the details of it yet, so I’m glad he pushed me in that direction. I’ve been writing about city elders and elder qualifications more generally because I still believe they are noble qualifications and roles that every man can aspire to live by (1 Timothy 3:1).But Sonny’s question forced me to dig a bit deeper into what Scripture actually means when it uses these three terms for elders. What I discovered brings a lot of clarity to what we’re aspiring towards as God-fearing men.Three Words, But One TrajectoryVery briefly, scripture uses three primary Greek words that English translations render as elder, overseer, or shepherd.* Presbyteros refers to an older man, someone with age, maturity, and experience. The guy has authority simply because of accumulated years and demonstrated character. These are the men at the city gates in Proverbs 31:23, the respected voices in community decisions, the ones younger men seek out for counsel.* Episkopos means overseer or guardian. It’s someone who watches over others with authority. Paul uses this term interchangeably with presbyteros in passages like Titus 1, suggesting these aren’t separate offices but overlapping roles. The overseer holds responsibility for the welfare of those under his care.* Poimen is shepherd, the one who feeds, protects, and guides the flock. Peter uses this image when he tells elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Peter 5:2). The shepherd doesn’t just manage — he knows his sheep, understands their needs, leads them to good pasture.Scripture often blends these terms together. The ordained elder (presbyteros) serves as an overseer (episkopos) who shepherds (poimen) God’s people. An elder carries all three dimensions: maturity, authority, and care.Subscribe to join me and other Christian men in pursuing the noble task of eldership (1 Tim 3:1).The Office vs The CharacterYet scripture does create a distinction between the office and the qualifications of eldership. The office of elder (presbyteros) in the church requires ordination, the laying on of hands by apostles or those they appointed. Timothy himself was charged to appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5), establishing them with authority to teach, correct, and shepherd the congregation.Not every mature man holds this office. Paul is clear: these men must be appointed, recognized, set apart for this specific work.But the qualifications? Those belong to every God-fearing man who want to engage in this noble pursuit. Mature in the faith. Self-controlled. Hospitable. Able to teach. Managing his household well. Not a drunkard, not violent, not quarrelsome. Respected by outsiders.These aren’t requirements set aside solely for church government. They’re the portrait of biblical manhood at its fullest expression. They describe the kind of man who fathers well, works with integrity, speaks wisdom into difficult situations, and earns the trust of his community whether or not he ever holds an official church position.This is why Paul writes that aspiring to the office of overseer “is a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1). The nobility isn’t in the title. It’s in the character formation required to serve that way. It’s in becoming the kind of man whose life qualifies him for such responsibility.What this means practically: not every mature man will be ordained to church leadership. But every mature God-fearing man should be growing toward elder-level character. The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 aren’t just for those who might someday serve as church elders. They’re the target for masculine development for all of us.City Eldership in the Old Testament (and us today)So where does this leave city eldership, the idea ...
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.