The position of elder – or bishop, or overseer, or shepherd – is outlined pretty clearly in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, as he spells out the character and demeanor of men who are fit to serve as leaders of a local congregation of Christians. While Paul doesn’t give the exact same qualifications in the same exact words in each account, it becomes clear that Paul is describing the same type of character in slightly different – although mostly overlapping – phrases.
The question is not what those qualifications are; Paul makes those relatively clear, and most of the disagreements on definitions tend to be minor. The difficulty arises when we put those qualifications into practice. How do we use sound judgment in determining whether a man fits these qualifications sufficiently to lead God’s people? And are we more focused on someone who fits our image of an elder, or are we focused on appointing someone who will do the work effectively and in a godly manner, proving himself to be someone worthy of emulating and following in the Lord’s work?
We start by setting a common foundation of what Paul says – and what he does not say – in these verses, and then talk about some points that we need to bear in mind as we’re determining whether a man is qualified to fill the role and do the work of an overseer.