On Overseers (Pastors) and Deacons
- Audrey Simmons
- Oct 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 5
The quality of men leading the church is absolutely vital. They are called to a very high standard of conduct, and only the work of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) can help them achieve that standard.
The Apostle Paul noted in the book of 1 Timothy the qualifications of overseers (whom we call 'pastors' today) and deacons who are to lead the Bride of Christ (the Church):
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise(1) must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3: 1-13 (ESV)
According to Apostle Paul, what/whom must a pastor or deacon be?
Qualifications of Pastors
Above Reproach: You shouldn't be able to accuse a pastor of wrongdoing. The pastor is to be above wrongdoing. The Apostle Paul writes of himself and other ministers in 1 Thessalonians 2: 1- 16 - calling God as a witness - that they were gentle, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children; that they were holy and righteous and blameless in their conduct towards the believers in Thessalonica. In 2 Thessalonians 3: 7-10, Apostle Paul continues, saying that he and his fellow ministers toiled and laboured to set an example for the believers to follow, and that they did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it. It is paramount that the pastor be just as the Apostle Paul and his colleagues were, in being above reproach, both publicly and privately. Unfortunately, what we have in church today as pastors who are within reproach; many of them are abusive, using ministry funds for their personal expenses, cruel to the sheep of Christ, dishonest etc.
Faithful to his wife (this means that he must be a faithful MAN): In today's feminism-stricken world, this sounds like slander. You mean pastors can ONLY be men? Yes. The Apostle Paul also mentions this in 1 Titus 1:6. In addition, the pastor must not be just any man, but a man who is faithful to his wife (i.e.: a one-woman man); a man who is devoted to his wife, as John MacArthur puts it in his commentary.
Temperate: Temperate means moderate and restrained; that is, not overly emotional or out of control.
Self-Controlled
Respectable
Hospitable: Approachable and warm.
Able to teach: See our previous article "The Lord's servant must be... able to teach..." for more details.
Not a drunkard: Not only should he not be addicted to alcohol, but he should also not be addicted to illicit drugs (see the John MacArthur Study Bible's notes on 1 Timothy 3).
Not violent but gentle: This doesn't mean that he is a push-over; it means that his natural disposition is gentleness and that he resorts to violence only if it is necessary.
Not quarrelsome
Not a lover of money: Many pastors go into ministry today with the aim of "becoming rich"; such people are disqualified from ministry.
Must manage his own household well (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
Must not be a new convert: This disqualifies those who got "saved in their shower"(2) and are suddenly leading thousands of people in this new found faith. This is unwise. Such people should be sitting down in pews weekly, being taught by those who are equipped and able to teach.
Must be well thought of by outsiders: Beyond the walls of the church, people in the pastor’s community must also hold him in high esteem. As John MacArthur’s Commentary says regarding Titus 2:10, “Paul stresses that the supreme purpose of a virtuous life is to make attractive the teaching that God saves sinners.”
Qualifications of Deacons
Must be dignified
Not double-tongued: What does it mean to be double tongued? According to Got Questions: “To be double-tongued is to say one thing at one time to someone and... another thing another time to someone else. Having a double tongue can also refer to hypocritically saying one thing and doing another.”
Not addicted to much wine
Not greedy for dishonest gain
Must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
Be tested first
Be dignified wives/women (not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things) (1)
Husband of one wife
Managing their children and their households well
It is clear that Scripture holds pastors and deacons to a high standard. It is why the Apostle James warns us not to be quick to become teachers:
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James 3:1 (ESV)
(1) Or Wives likewise, Or Women likewise - meaning that women are permitted to be deacons (deaconesses).
(2) A reference to Tiphani Montgomery (a “prophetess” who says that she got saved in her shower in 2015 and was, within months, leading Christian conferences and conducting prayer and fasting programs).
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