Qualified elders in local churches are good men.  What do I mean by good?  The apostles put it best when looking for men who could serve tables while they committed themselves to preaching the word.  They said, “Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3).  While they were not referring to elders at the time, their words do describe men who serve in that capacity.

Qualified elders are men full of the Spirit.  What does that mean?  It means that they have the characteristics produced by the Spirit, or what Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Several of the characteristics called the fruit of the Spirit are specific qualifications for elders (self-control, gentleness, good behavior, and not a brawler).

Take a look at all the qualifications of an elder.  Most of them are not limited to elders but are characteristics that all true Christians possess.  The point I want you to see here, though, is that the men who serve us as elders have these traits, making them good and godly men who live faithful lives before God.

Are elders perfect?  Of course not.  They are striving to grow like the rest of us.  We all sin and that includes those who serve as elders.  The reason some churches do not have elders is because they think they have to be perfect.  If a man ever showed some kind of flaw in his life in times past, some are quick to say that he does not qualify to be an elder.  That is ridiculous.  Are there any sinless people walking around today?  Paul says no.

Romans 3:23 (ESV)
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

When men are being considered as elders, our job is not to try to dig up dirt from their past but to look at whether they meet the qualifications in the present.  This does not mean that we completely ignore their previous behavior.  If there is a pattern of bad behavior and no fruit of repentance, that would disqualify a man.  For example, an elder must not be quick-tempered (Titus 1:7).  Is a man disqualified from being an elder because he has lost his temper a time or two in the past?  No, but what if he has a reputation for being short-tempered, and he has had it for years with no indication of correcting it?  If that is the case, that man would not qualify to be an elder.  So, perpetual bad behavior is not to be overlooked, but perfection is not necessary.

Again, the point is that we must not expect elders to be sinless, but, instead, we should recognize that since they have the characteristics of the Spirit and the proper qualifications God demands of them, they are good men.  We should treat them as such.  If you disagree with a decision that they make, or even a series of decisions, it does not change who and what they are—they are still good men who are full of the Spirit and wisdom and who serve God honorably.  We must respect that.

Elders are godly men doing the Lord’s work.  We should value them as such.  Be careful about criticizing elders, especially publicly, and do not be quick to listen to others who do.

1 Timothy 5:19 (ESV)
¹⁹ Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.