First Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching.” Here Paul indicates that it is good for the elders to teach. Peter says that the elders are shepherds (1 Pet. 5:2). According to Ephesians 4:11, shepherds and teachers are one category of gifted persons. In order to shepherd people, we must know how to teach and instruct them. Teaching is the main way to practically shepherd the saints.
The teaching mentioned in 1 Timothy 5 and Titus 1 is not the teaching of the gifted teachers but the teaching of elders in the local churches. The elders’ teaching is like the teaching of mothers and fathers in their homes. The elders are the leading ones; they take the lead in everything—the meetings, the business affairs of the church, seeking the Lord, studying the Word, prayer, preaching the gospel, and helping the saints. According to 1 Timothy 5:17, the elders should take the lead, especially to “labor in word and teaching.” Titus 1:9 similarly says that the elders must hold to the faithful word so that they “may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose.” Therefore, the main responsibility of the elders is teaching.
The eldership is weakened by two main things: a shortage of life and a lack of teaching. If the elders are rich in life and in teaching, the situation in the churches will be wonderful. We need to see our shortages and seek after life and the truth in order to be qualified and edified as elders. In order to function properly in the eldership, a brother must not only have adequate growth in life but also spend much time learning the basic truths.
We need to encourage the young saints, especially the young brothers, to study the Word diligently so that they will be prepared to take care of the churches in the future. As the Lord’s recovery spreads, the need for elders increases. We cannot pray, fellowship, and labor for the spread of the churches without considering this need. The young ones should spend much time studying the Word in order to be built up in the full knowledge of the truth. We must also encourage them to seek the Lord for their growth in life. If the young saints grow in a balanced way in life and truth, they will be well prepared to take care of the churches.
In 1 Timothy 5:17 Paul says that the elders should labor “in word and teaching.” Word here denotes the general speaking of doctrines, and teaching denotes special instruction concerning particular things. Thus, the elders should be able to teach the saints concerning the practical family life, daily life, and church life. The main function of the elders is teaching. The way for the elders to carry out anything or solve any problem is teaching. Therefore, if the elders are unable to teach, the eldership will be weak. If there are four elders in a locality, at least three of them must be able to teach. If none of the elders in a locality can teach, even if they all have much life, the eldership will be weak. As elders, we need to pay our full attention to the matter of teaching. To take care of other things, such as the business affairs in the church, is necessary but not as important as laboring in word and teaching. The elders should be occupied by ministering the word and in teaching the saints concerning the practical matters of the daily Christian life and church life.
The elders are the local shepherds, and to be a shepherd is to be a teacher. Therefore, the elders should continually teach the saints. In order to do this, they must dedicate much time to studying the truth. The elders should know all the basic truths, such as the difference between the soul and the spirit, the ground of the church, the genuine oneness, and the definition of the church. An elder may be invited to visit the home of some saints to speak to them concerning some point of the truth or a practical matter. The saints’ relatives or neighbors may also come to listen to the speaking. This kind of home teaching is often more effective than giving messages in large meetings. The elders should be able to answer all the saints’ questions concerning the truth. The elders’ teaching should saturate the saints with the word of the truth.
Describing the qualifications of an overseer, Titus 1:9-11 says, “Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles, that he may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose. For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped.” In the early days of the church the elders had to know how to deal first with the Judaizers and then with Gnostics and others influenced by Greek philosophy. We must know the truth in order to stop the mouths of the deceivers. We may not confront opposers directly, but when the family of a new brother or sister hears a false report concerning the local churches, the elders must be able to teach in order to expose such lies. This requires some skill. For instance, it may be best to begin by asking the new brother or sister, “According to your experience and observation in the church, what would you say to your family?” Eventually, the opposers’ activities will only help us. The devil’s goal is to destroy what the Lord loves, but the Bible shows that whatever the devil does eventually helps the Lord. We do not need to worry about the opposers, but we must learn the truth and how to teach. The strength of the eldership depends on life and teaching.
Like the qualifications of the elders, the qualifications of the deacons given by Paul are mainly matters of life and truth. First Timothy 3:8-13 says,
Deacons must similarly be grave, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for base gain; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And these also must first be proved; then let them minister if they are unreprovable. Women similarly must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own houses well. For those who have ministered well obtain for themselves a good standing and much boldness in faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
In certain situations in the church life it is wise to say nothing, but whenever we speak, we must speak with one tongue. If we speak differently to two people concerning the same thing, we are being double-tongued, like a serpent. The devil always lies, which is a matter of being double-tongued (John 8:44). The elders and deacons should exercise to control their speaking. They should not speak lies, idle words, or any unnecessary word.
The faith in 1 Timothy 3:9 is the objective faith, referring not to our believing action but to the things in which we believe. The mystery of the faith is the entire revelation of the New Testament, which includes Christ’s incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and descension as the life-giving Spirit. All these are items of Christ, who is the mystery of God (Col. 2:2). After Christ passed through these processes, the church was produced, and the church is spreading this mystery. The mystery of God is Christ, and the mystery of Christ is the church (Eph. 3:4). The mystery of the faith comprises these two great mysteries.
First Timothy 3:10 says, “These also must first be proved; then let them minister.” This may indicate that there should be an apprenticeship in the deacons’ service. Before an elder or deacon is appointed, there is the need of a period of proving and testing. Like the elders, the deacons must study the Bible and the ministry books in order to learn the mystery of the faith. They must hold this mystery, the contents of the New Testament, in a pure conscience, which implies a regenerated spirit, because the conscience is the first part of the spirit. If the elders and the deacons meet the high requirements mentioned in these Epistles, the church will certainly be strong.