The grace which saved, sanctified, and qualified us is the same grace that enables us and keeps us qualified. Others should be able to testify to its presence in our lives as well.

The entirety of the Pastoral Epistles is really an extended discussion of the qualifications of elders and their duties toward God’s people. Limiting our understanding of the qualifications to simply the exact words given in the representative lists of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is not sufficient. We began to consider this broader understanding of the qualification in a previous article, The Power of the Gospel on Display Through Spiritual Leaders.

If we don’t limit ourselves to just the representative lists, we see themes about the required character of spiritual leaders in the Pastoral Epistles. Here are a few of those themes.

Love

In 1 Timothy, we see that elders are to be “examples in love” (4:12) and are to “pursue love” (6:11).

Second Timothy emphasizes love. God has given to us “the spirit of love” (1:7). We are to follow the pattern taught by Paul, which is “faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1:13). Instead of following youthful lusts, elders are to “pursue love” (2:22). Again, Paul appeals to his own example as he discipled Timothy and tells him he must “follow his pattern of love” (3:10).

Missionaries, elders, and pastors must ask, “Am I known as someone who has the love of Jesus?” Or are we known for our stubbornness, strict perfectionism, and self-centeredness? Do the people we serve know without hesitation that we love them? Is the same true of our neighbors?

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). We must be examples of the love of God.

Gentleness

As we begin again with 1 Timothy, we see Paul naming gentleness in the list of qualifications (3:3). He also told Timothy to “pursue gentleness” (6:11). In 2 Timothy 2:25, Paul says that elders must be governed by a spirit of gentleness even when correcting opponents.

Consider another key passage about qualifications, 1 Peter 5:1–3. Gentleness is central to being Christ’s undershepherd:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

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