Standards for Christian Leaders

GOLDEN TEXT: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them: that thy profiting may appear to all.” —I Timothy 4:14,15

I TIMOTHY 4:7-16

THE true standards for Christian leaders, or teachers, is contained in the last verse of our lesson, which reads, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” First is the necessity for taking heed unto ourselves to see that we are living up to all the requirements of the divine Word in our own personal lives. The Christian whose own life does not conform to the Word of God will not be blessed in his ministering to others.

There is also the importance of taking heed unto the doctrines, or teachings of the Word, or plan of God. Some today would have us believe that this is unimportant, that if we take heed to ourselves and make sure that we are living a godly life, the doctrines we teach pertaining to the plan of God do not matter very much. But this was not Paul’s viewpoint.

Paul even went so far as to say that salvation was dependent upon taking heed to the doctrines, that by so doing Timothy would save himself as well as those to whom he ministered. Could he have said more to emphasize the importance of sound doctrine on the part of those who would be teachers of the Lord’s people?

And when we take a broader view of Christian responsibility we realize that the importance of taking heed to ourselves and to the doctrines of the divine plan carries through to all of the Lord’s consecrated followers; for all are commissioned to proclaim the truth, and therefore are ministers of reconciliation. Every disciple of Christ should let his light shine for the blessing of others. All are anointed by the Spirit of God to “preach good tidings to the meek; … to bind up the brokenhearted,” etc.—Isaiah 61:1-3

However, not all are commissioned to be teachers within the church of Christ. Timothy was thus appointed. Our Golden Text explains that this was clone by the “laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” Generally speaking, the teachers in the church were commissioned by a stretching forth of the hands of the congregation. (Acts 14:23) But in this instance, by virtue of Timothy’s knowledge and upbringing and his soundness in doctrine, Paul had the power as a special apostle (presbyter, elder) of the Lord to approve the ministry of Timothy by the imposition of his hands, thus affording him a particular gift of the Spirit. (II Tim. 1:5,6) This power of bestowing gifts upon others was invested soley in the twelve apostles of the Lord and ceased upon their death.

Paul admonished Timothy to give himself “wholly” to the ministry of the truth, and to meditate upon the things which made for sound doctrine, that his ministry might be a blessing to all who heard him. This wholehearted devotion to God and to his cause is especially important for teachers in the church, and it is also important for all who are consecrated to God and to the doing of his will.

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” wrote James. (James 1:8) No Christian can be faithful to his consecration vows if his sentiments are divided. We cannot be half for self and half for the Lord and be pleasing to him. We may not be able to devote all our time and attention directly to the Lord’s service, but if our hearts are fully devoted to the Lord we will be giving him as much of our time and strength as possible, to be used directly in his service, and all our other duties will be performed “as unto the Lord.”

“Refuse profane and old wives’ fables,” writes Paul. It is not too clear just what these “old wives’ fables” may have been. In any event, they had no direct bearing on the truth of God’s Word, the Gospel of the kingdom, so Timothy was exhorted to avoid them, not to permit himself to become entangled in arguments concerning them. There are many unprofitable speculations making the rounds of the Lord’s people today which teachers in the church would do well to avoid.

“Speculations” is a word which describes all sorts of fanciful notions based upon nothing more substantial than vain imaginations. These may be along the lines of prophecy, or other subjects related to the plan of God. But let us remember that “wishful thinking” is no proof of a theory, and if we come to believe that our “cunningly devised fables” are a part of the plan of God, our faith may well be severely tested when time and circumstances prove that we are wrong.—II Pet. 1:16

A teacher who is “approved unto God” is one who, in the spirit of full surrender and devotion to God, endeavors to “rightly divide the Word of truth.” It is thus that he proves himself a “workman” that needeth not to be “ashamed.”—II Tim. 2:15

QUESTIONS

What two qualifications for Christian teachers are set forth in our Golden Text?

How important does Paul make these qualifications?

Are appointed leaders in the church the only ones authorized to proclaim the truth?

Aside from the apostles, how were the teachers in the Early Church appointed?

Do speculations on the teachings of the Bible ever prove profitable?

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