I’m throwing these final two passages of scripture together because they work similarly. Both are pointed to by complementarians as a reason that the role of “elder” in the church ought to be reserved strictly for men. The primary reason for such an interpretation is the gendered language Paul employs in these sections, saying things like ‘an elder must be “faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe...’ “he must not be a recent convert...” and so on.
EXEGESIS
Having worked through all the other passages, I think it becomes rapidly clear what is going on here; Paul is once again addressing actual people in an actual context. As we’ve already seen, Paul has temporarily put on the brakes for women leaders in the churches he oversees, not because of their gender, but because of the cultural challenges women must first overcome to be considered ready and qualified. To recap, women in 1st Century Rome/Judaism would not have had access to Biblical education nor greco-roman philosophical schooling, thus women were scarcely given leadership roles in any sector of their day.
So for Paul, though he clearly sees women as equally gifted by the Spirit and has no sort of gendered-based barrier for them to engage in any aspect of Church life, he would not yet be addressing women as overseers in his letters, because there would not be any to address.
We know that this is correct based on the nature of his arguments in these sections. You notice that, in neither passage does Paul make any gender-based theological argument whatsoever. Paul doesn’t turn to Genesis or make any claim that a man is more fitted for leadership in the Church. So what does he argue?
In both passages Paul is making a case for the character of a Church leader. We know this is the case because in both sections he illustrates two kinds of people; one whose character is fitted for leadership in the church versus the kind of characteristics that ought to disqualify someone from leadership.
We again know that this is correct because of the logical turning phrases/words employed. For instance, Titus 1:6-9 describes the character of a godly leader. Then verse 10 hinges with the word “for” and goes on to describe the context surrounding the Cretan church that would require such an upright character for the elders: the surrounding culture is full of people who would lead the Church astray because of their lack of character.
The same is true in 1 Timothy only with a different structure. Titus is set up as two pictures drawn out in large chunks and set next to one another. 1 Timothy is giving the “why” after almost every character quality; ‘a leader must manage his home well, why? Because if one can’t manage their home, how can they be trusted to manage the church?’ ‘They must not be a recent convert, why? Because they might otherwise become conceited.’
AUTHOR’S AIM BASED ON EXEGESIS
In both passages, Paul is clearly focused on the character of leaders, not their gender. So his aim is to guide Timothy and Titus in appointing leaders who are full of godly character and contrast the ungodly characteristics of the culture around them in such a way that Christ would be seen as good and worthy of praise, because of the Church’s upstanding reputation.
THEOLOGY AND GOSPEL PREACHING
We don’t have to look far to find the theology that motivates Paul in these instructions. In Titus he opens the letter like this, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…” and closes the chapter of 1 Timothy 3 like this “know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
So in both cases the godliness of Church leaders is driven by the truth, by faith, and a hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ; a gospel that was promised by God from the beginning of time and takes residence in the heart of the believer by the Spirit, producing godliness.
So for Paul, having one’s hope set on the truth (that being the gospel which he penned so poetically at the end of 1 Timothy 3) and resting in the promise of eternal life leads to a spring of godliness in the believer. This is a critical theological posture. It is often believed that the gospel is what “saves” a person and then that person moves away from the gospel and into a life of behavior correction. For Paul, that is not the case. For Paul, the truth of the gospel and the hope it produces by the power of the Spirit is what saves and sanctifies.
And it makes sense, if our hope is truly set on the resurrection of Jesus, our lives will be oriented from ones defined by our mortal strivings and instead aimed toward the eternal glory of Jesus. Apart from a hope in the truth of the gospel, immorality is the only result because there is no sense of eternal consequence, eternal glory, or eternality of the soul of our neighbors. So we mistreat, we take moral shortcuts, we live for mundane pleasures. But with eyes set on the glory of Jesus we’re humbled by holiness into reverent obedience, driven by the Spirit to work in building His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, and pleased to see our Father’s name made famous.
HOMILETICS
Such an interpretation is vital for the Church elder and pastor. The instruction that practically comes out of such a theology is this: never stop preaching the gospel. Do you want to see the salvific work of Christ in your church? Preach the gospel. Do you want to see your church spring up with an abundance of godliness? Preach the gospel.
You don’t just need Jesus to save you from the wages of sin, you need Him in every day, and in every breath, to raise you up into His eternal life. Or as Jesus said it himself, “now this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” John 17:3.
So what’s the application? It’s back to the basics. Turn back to the gospel in humble prayer, turn back to scripture and ask the Spirit to spring up hope and knowledge of the truth; that you might know the Father’s love for you and so live to His glory
Do you wish to be a leader in the Church? That’s good, but it takes a godly person, and godliness is produced in those who love and long for Jesus alone.
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