Here Paul gives us the God ordained qualifications for a pastor and it is one who is to be a man whose character is without reproach. This is the main qualification, does he have character that cannot be a discredit to the name of Christ and the Church. He also needs to have demonstrated leadership and management skills at home which show he can teach and lead a congregation of people. The point is that this man will be one who has demonstrated that he has the skills to be in charge of leading a group of people which is a significant task. He needs to be one who is able to stand against opposition when people oppose the clear teaching of the bible. In being a leader it is often not how old a person is, but what kind of spiritual maturity does he have? Many Christians are mature in age, but not in spirituality. So it doesn’t matter so much how old a person is, but is he mature and able to stand up for truth when needed?
1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
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