Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

The famous orator and infamous agnostic Robert Ingersoll (1833-99) lectured on “The Mistakes of Moses.” It seems that Moses was an ignoramus, the Bible a fraud, and Ingersoll capable of writing a better book than the Bible anytime. A book answering him was entitled, appropriately, The Mistakes of Ingersoll (Chicago: Rhodes and McClure Publ.-, 1889). Ingersoll wounded himself more than he wounded Moses. The Bible still stands as reliable historical evidence that Moses lived, led the Jews out of Egyptian bondage, received the Law, and wrote the Pentateuch. Moses will not be remembered for mistakes falsely attributed to him, but will always be remembered for his faithful decisions in serving God. Ingersoll the agnostic is fading from view, while Moses the faithful child of God is still an inspiration to godly people.

Hebrews 11:23-29 focuses on crucial decisions in the life of Moses. Each decision was made by faith, that is, by confidence in God and in the promises of His Word. Each decision was made because of “things hoped for” but “not seen” at the time of decision (Heb. 11: 1). “By faith” does not mean by fanciful wishing or by a blind leap in the dark. “By faith” means by assurance that God will continue to keep His Word as He has always done! Reliable testimony to God’s past deeds is the ground and evidence for faith that God will keep His present promises. That very faith becomes the ground upon which men proceed to do His will and persevere in doing it.

Moses Made Five Decisions By Faith

What decisions in the life of Moses were made by faith? The first one illustrates parental influences upon his life because it was a decision made by them on his behalf. His parents risked their own lives to disobey the king’s order to destroy newborn males (Ex. 1:22). They did this not only because of normal parental love, but also “by faith” (Heb. 11:23). They confidently “hoped for” the life of Moses to be spent in God’s service. They embraced the seed promise, knowing it could not be fulfilled if Hebrew male children were destroyed. Also, they may have received a direct promise that this child was to deliver the Jews from Egyptian bondage. Moses learned of this destiny before he was forty years old, from either his parents or a direct revelation (cf. Acts 7:25; Gen. 15:13-14). Moses’ mother was his nursemaid (Ex. 2:5-10). Thus, by providence, was laid the foundation for her to train Moses in the Word and promises of God.

The second decision was made by Moses when he was 44grown,” or forty years old (Ex. 2:11; Acts 7:23). This decision was his own, not his parents’. He was high in station among the Egyptians. What great learning, eloquence, and other accomplishments are sketched in the few words of Acts 7:22 – “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of’ the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” Some modern scholars think Moses was in line to sit on the throne of Egypt, to reign as Pharaoh! To say the least, he had in the palm of his hand every favor and advantage which the ruling class of Egypt could offer. Not only was every legitimate opportunity for success his own, but also the license of the elite “to enjoy the pleasures of sin.”

But Moses consciously identified himself as a child of God and a brother to every suffering Hebrew. “Seeing one of them suffer wrong,” he defended this his brother and slew the oppressive taskmaster (Ex. 2:11-12; Acts 7:24; Heb. 11: 24-26). Moses decided to suffer for the right at all costs and to strike a blow for the defense of God’s people. Moses was willing to share the burden and stigma of all who serve God in the face of evil. Moses shared that shame and reproach which all the righteous endure and which culminated in the sufferings of Christ, because Moses by faith looked for the Savior to come.

Thus, Moses refused his heritage in Egypt’s royal courts and chose rather to suffer with the people of God. This he did, emphatically by faith! He was looking away to the future, to “things hoped for,” to “things not seen,” to “the recompence of the reward” of God (Heb. 1: 1, 26). He fully embraced the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph (Heb. 11:8-22). God had promised a blessing to men of all nations through Abraham’s seed – through a prepared people in a prepared land (Gen. 12:1-3). Toward that end, God had promised that His people would suffer in Egypt only for a temporary time. Then they would go to possess Canaan so that the eternal purpose of man’s salvation might continue to unfold. Moses believed it!

The third decision was to flee Egypt (Heb. 11:27). Moses’ own people misunderstood his motive in killing the Egyptian. When Moses tried to settle a dispute between two Jews, the one in the wrong answered him with contempt as though he were an intruder into other men’s business and a usurper of power over men. “Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? wilt thou kill me, as thou didest the Egyptian yesterday?” (Acts 7:27-28; Ex. 2:13-14). The Pharaoh learned about the taskmaster , s death and sought to slay Moses.

Moses fled to Midian, but not as a criminal in search of plunder nor as a coward who forsakes his divine mission in life. Moses did not know why he had been unable to effect the deliverance of God’s people, but he patiently endured this setback with confident assurance that God would somehow deliver His people. Moses fled not in humiliating terror of the king, but. “by faith” in God – even though he could not see God, nor as yet the things God promised. This is the same faith by which his parents had acted in sparing his life.

A fourth decision is described in Hebrews 11:28. When the Lord prepared the tenth plague, to destroy the firstborn in each Egyptian family, He told Moses to instruct the Jews to kill a lamb and to strike its blood around the door facing (Ex. 11-12). “By faith” Moses kept this appointment and thus the Lord protected the families of Israel. Moses could not see how God would destroy the firstborn; but based on God’s past faithfulness in keeping

His Word, Moses believed God would destroy them. Nor could Moses see how a lamb’s blood would protect Israel, but he put his hope in God’s promise. Moses decided by faith to keep the passover.

The fifth decision was to cross the Red Sea (Heb. 11:29). This crossing was made possible by a miracle which caused the waters to part and to stand as walls on either side of a dry pathway (Ex. 14). At God’s command, Moses lifted up his rod and the waters parted. Moses obeyed by faith. He with Israel crossed over on dry land, by faith. At the Lord’s bidding, Moses on the other side stretched out his hand again and the waters drowned the Pharaoh’s army which had attempted to follow. Moses acted in full assurance that Israel would escape Egypt’s army, though the way of escape was not immediately seen. Moses could not see the way, but he had God’s Word for it.

The chart below shows that each of the decisions in the life of Moses, summarized in Hebrews 11, was made “by faith.” “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Moses had faith, confidence, or assurance concerning God’s promises in spite of all contrary appearances. The decisions of Moses were based upon God’s promises of future blessings not as yet seen at the time of decision.

DECISIONS OF MOSES IN HEBREWS 11
By Faith	Decisions Made	Things Promised, Hoped For
V. 23, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.	To Save Moses’ Life	Moses’ Life of Service to God
Vv. 24-26. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.	To Suffer for Right, Rather Than to Enjoy Sin	The Blessings Promised to God’s People and Handed Down Through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
V. 27. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.	To Patiently Endure in the Face of Setbacks	Deliverance of God’s People From Egypt
V. 28. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.	To Keep God’s Appointments in the Passover	Protect Children From Death
V. 29. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dray land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.	Crossed Red Sea Under Supernatural Circumstances	Escape Egyptian Army

We Must Make Decisions Today

If we have the faith of Moses, we will make decisions in life upon the same basis as he did. We will look beyond appearances to the promises of God. We will live by faith -by firm assurance in God’s Word. We will stand upon the promises of God in taking our stand with His people, sharing with them the reproach of the world. We will fulfill the task God sets before us, in the face of every obstacle. The key is faith – faith in the invisible God and in the rewards not as yet seen but promised by God.

Suffer For Right Rather Than Enjoy Sin

Moses decided to count himself with the people of God, to share their suffering and their hope, rather than to share the wealth, the power, and the pleasures of sin offered to him in the royal courts of Egypt. Today, God is calling the sinner to forsake the temporary pleasures of sin, to stand for the right even in the face of suffering, and to share the blessings of His people. We must make decisions which are hard, even wrenching. To give up the advantages of the court may be like plucking out our right eye or cutting off our right hand, but better this than for the whole body to be “cast into hell” (Matt. 5:29-30). The decision can be made by faith!

By faith in the gospel, sinners can repent, confess Christ, and be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10). They will wear the stigma of belonging to “that narrow-minded little sect.” Doors of opportunity in business will close to them because they will not social drink, go to night clubs, laugh at filthy jokes, use profane language, make deals under the table, give kickbacks, or lie to promote a product. Educational doors will shut against some young people who do not want to attend prestigious Sodom and Gomorrah University, where there are no Christians with whom to associate. Other Christians will suffer the consequences of refusing to parrot evolutionary theories and other vain philosophies in the classroom, either as teacher or as student. At times children of God may turn down lucrative promotions rather than to take a position where ungodliness is demanded or to live in a place where their children cannot have the support of godly friends.

Patiently Endure In Face of Setbacks

By faith Moses decided to fulfill the mission God had assigned him. Moses by faith left Egypt, not knowing how God would deliver Israel just as Abraham hoped against hope for a child (Rom. 4:18). Like Abraham, Moses endured every discouragement, obstacle, apparent failure, and challenge in order to serve God and to receive the promised blessing.

A major lesson in the book of Hebrews is the necessity of patient endurance or perseverance in serving the Lord. We are to “hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end” (3:14), “hold fast our profession” (4:14), “go on unto perfection” (6:1), “through faith and patience inherit the promise” (6:12), “believe to the saving of the soul” (10:39), and “run with patience the race that is set before us” (12:1). Moses left Egypt but not his faith, “for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” (11:27). He was steadfast, strong, devoted, unremitting, and constant in faith.

Besides bearing up under the king’s anger, he suffered the taunts of his own weak and erring brethren (Ex. 3:13-14; Acts 7:25-29). This latter trial he was to bear again and again while leading Israel in the wilderness. Moses’ conduct under this pressure gave rise to the following remark: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). This is to say, the faith of Moses included gentleness under provocation; by self-restraint, he put strength under control. Moses and Aaron broke down under the weight of this trial upon one important occasion and thereby forfeited the right to enter Canaan (Num. 20:7-13).

Today, men of endurance in God’s service are desperately needed! To serve God, we must go forward, growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ, never looking back. There will be trials, troubles, sorrows, and temptations, but we must keep on keeping on. Obstacles will arise, but we must overcome them by faith. The world around us is trying to seduce us away from spiritual interests with the desire for more and more material things. Some brethren are so deep in business, social, recreational, or political affairs that they have almost no time for prayer, personal Bible study, reading religious journals, soul winning, Bible classes, gospel meetings, or even the regular appointments for worship. Indifference abounds and the love of many is growing cold. We need to make some hard decisions about our priorities, put God first, give Him one hundred percent, and run with patience the race set before us.

Elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, evangelists, and other Christians are falling victim to immorality. Endurance in moral purity is needed so badly at this very hour! Some brethren who have fought battles for truth in the past are compromising the principles they once defended. They are apologizing to those in sinful error for what God has wrought in separating His people from the ranks of digression (1 Cor. 11:19). Others are retiring from the fight and stepping to the sidelines, tiring of the constant need to press forward in the heat of battle. The Lord is looking for those who will determine to be steadfast and constant – “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10).

As Moses was tried by the taunts of his own weak and erring people, we must resolve to endure murmuring, complaining, carping criticism, and backbiting among those who ought to encourage, strengthen, and comfort us. When this happens, it will not help to lick our wounds in self-pity, to trade boldness and plainness of speech for timidity in hope of relief from our critics. Jesus Himself suffered at the hands of His own people. But, he came to do the Father’s will and did not stop until it was done’ Jesus was consumed with zeal for God’s house and for God’s work Qn. 2:7; 4:32). Let us pray for the meekness of Moses and of Jesus Himself, “who did no sin, neither was ,guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Pet. 2:21-23).

If we can enjoy the encouragement of brethren we respect and love as we go forward, thank God for it. If we must suffer instead their taunts, let us count it all joy to suffer with Christ and go forward anyway! If we stumble like Moses under the provocation of taunting brethren, let us pray for pardon, pray for our weak brethren, and pray for strength to press forward yet again.

Look To The Lord and The Reward

The decisions of Moses were made by faith. Moses “had respect,” or literally, “was looking way,” unto the recompense of the reward. He fastened his eyes upon the promised blessing in making each decision. He “endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” His gaze was fastened not upon fallible men or earthly obstacles, but upon God Himself. That is the secret to making decisions by faith.

We must, like Moses, turn our eyes away from other things and fix them upon the Lord. Who will make the decisions and sacrifices which help to raise up a Moses? Who, today, will suffer for the right rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin? Who will patiently endure in the face of setbacks? Who will keep God’s appointments? Who will go forward by faith, taking the way of escape when the enemy of our soul pursues? The decision is mine! And yours!

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 17, pp. 513, 536-538
September 1, 1983

By Raymond E. Harris

Everyone coming into this world has to learn that no one can do “just as I please.” Some learn that lesson younger than others. However, it is to everyone’s benefit if they learn to respect laws, rules and authority as young as possible. It is such a sad thing to see young people who do not honor, respect or obey their parents. Often disrespect for authority in the home is further manifest in rebellion at school, law breaking in the community, and rejection of God’s laws.

I suggest that we have been so busy impressing parents with their responsibilities that we have neglected to inform and impress young people with their responsibility.

Responsibilities for young people are seen in the following verses:

Ephesians 6.-1-2: “Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother. . . .”

Proverbs 23:22: “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.”

Proverbs 19.-26.- “He who assaults his father and drives his mother away is a shameful and disgraceful son.”

Proverbs 15.20.- “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.”

Proverbs 15:15: “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction . . . .”

Exodus 21:15: “And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.”

Matthew 15:4: “. . . he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”

Colossians 3:20.- “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”

Luke 2:51-52: Here we have the example of Jesus: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them” (His parents, REH).

Then in Romans 1:30 and 2 Timothy 3:2, those who are “disobedient to parents” arc listed among such terrible sinners as blasphemers, traitors, murderers and haters of God.

Truly, it is the will of God that everyone (young and old, alike) respect authority and submit to it. We are all under law and we will all have to face the consequences of disobedience, whether it be disobedience of the home, the laws of government or the laws of God.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 16, p. 504
August 18, 1983

By Daniel H. King

Like the brethren at Corinth, we sometimes place too much of the wrong kind of emphasis upon preachers. We also tend to forget what the scriptural work of preachers is. Often enough, preachers remind the church of this. But still another problem that we sometimes have is facing up to the biblical measure of great preaching.

God meant for us to have preachers in the church; they have a valid place and a marvelously important work to do (Eph. 4:11). But one can miss the point of what and who preachers are today just as the Corinthians did in the first century. They had to be reminded with a number of strategically-placed questions that preachers are just people with a tough job to do, not little gods to be placed on a pedestal and idolized: “What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:5-7). In the final analysis, preachers have to- “die to self” and so lose themselves in the work that they do, or else they cannot be successful in carrying out their mission. As the apostles put it: “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

No text more fully says this than Paul’s own testimonial offered in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. In this tiny piece of his heart he shares with us his own feelings about preaching, and in so doing sets the spiritual agenda for all of us who preach: “And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of bod. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” We would all grant that Paul was a great man and a great preacher. Here the apostle powerfully refutes many assumptions often made about great preaching. He does so in quiet, simple reflections upon his own message and its humble but earnest delivery.

Education

Jesus chose his men from among the common people. They were not particularly impressive to any except those whose souls hungered for eternal life and the truth that led to it. They were fishermen and tax collectors,laboreis and tradesmen. They heralded from tiny towns and villages and would have attracted little attention from those of the large cities of the time. Peter and John were regarded as “uneducated and untrained” (Acts 4:13) by the sophisticated and well-heeled members of the Sanhedrin. And though Paul was himself learned and trained with the elite of his age, yet he would not allow his acquired wisdom to “get in the way” of proclaiming the unsearchable wisdom of Christ. He did not preach “with wisdom of words.”

It is common for us today to ask a man, “Where did you go to school?” That is harmless if it is merely a question asked for sake of one’s own curiosity. But if it implies what it sometimes does, namely that one is unqualified to preach unless he has a degree from some accredited institution, then we may be robbing the church of some of her most zealous and ardent workers. If a man is faithful and able to teach others also, then he is qualified to preach the gospel (2 Tim. 2:2). If he is not, then he should not be allowed to enter the pulpit of any meeting-house of the saints. Some of our best men have been extremely capable but have had little formal instruction. Some of those who have caused the church much heartache have been among the best trained of our number. The reverse of both is also true. Educational background is thus no accurate measure of great preaching.

Eloquence

His own, apparent lack of eloquence was one of the things with which Paul had to contend. For some people then it was of supreme importance, given the Greek and Roman concern with rhetoric. He admitted his own lack of skill in this area (2 Cor. 11:6) but did not apologize for if. Paul instead confided to them that he made not the slightest effort at gaining proficiency as a rhetorician in order to proclaim Christ; neither “excellency of speech” nor “persuasive words of wisdom” were the drawing power of the gospel. It was rather “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” That message, contained in simple but dedicated “earthen vessels,” was sufficient to accomplish the task of saving the lost.

Dedicated, truth-loving men make the best preachers. In some cases they may be “rude in speech” but so long as they are not in knowledge they can do the work well. I was surprised on several occasions when I first started preaching and heard for the first time men whose labors had made of them giants in the church. My disappointment ran deep. Few of them were what I expected them to be. I suppose I had presumed them to be great orators. I think I at first would have been disappointed with Paul for the same reason. As the years have passed I have come to see it differently, more in line with the Scriptures I hope. Most of us likely would have been. A part of growing to maturity in Christ is coming to appreciate the priceless gift inside more than the fancy packaging that covers the outside. After all, that part gets thrown away and is forgotten. What abides is love for the truth and dedication to Jesus Christ and his church. What is remembered is faithful service. That is recorded in the Lamb’s book of life and will be preserved in the loving memories of God’s people.

Personal Dynamism

“Is he a good mixer? Does he have a good personality?” These are the measures of great preaching and of great preachers for some of us. One would be glad to grant that the man who preaches the gospel must be able to talk to others and possess the tact and diplomacy necessary to communicate the truth. But where does the Bible make it a qualification of the minister of the Word that he be a star in society, the life of every party? In fact, I have often observed such a man fall by the wayside early in his preaching life while others less flambouyant but deeper spiritually “hoe their row to the end,” right through the heat of the day. A bubbling personality, personal dynamism, and popularity with the young people is no measure of great preaching. Neither are fancy clothes, gold chains and rings and cuff-links. The Bible does not reflect this trend among us toward what a preacher of an earlier era called “cock of the walk preachers.” That is not to say that preachers cannot wear nice “threads” and such, but don’t let us measure the preaching of the gospel by worldly standards of this sort (cf. 1 Tim. 2:9-10).

Promotional Ability

Many churches today want a promoter. It is usually a dead church that needs such a man, being that God set men in the church as bishops and overseers to plan and supervise the worship and work of his people. If the church is not dead then it is off on some tangent, having left the way of truth. That is why it needs a promoter. Promoters don’t have to be good Bible scholars or sacrificial men of faith. They just have to be good at getting numbers on the board. The man who teaches God’s will in truth must “provoke unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24), “reprove, rebuke and exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2), and generally encourage the church in word and deed (Rom. 12:8). But where brethren are faithful and sound there is no need for a promoter.

A Family

“Is he married? Does he have a family?” We often hear this issue brought up in regard to hiring a preacher. Most men among us are family men, and have the right to “lead about a wife … as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas” (1 Cor. 9:5). We would all defend that right. But there is another right that I would like to bring up here. This is the right to be single. Did you know that many of us would not hire Jesus as our local preacher? Many of us would not hire the apostle Paul either. Why? Because they were not married. They didn’t have a family.

The truth is that in some ways a man may conceivably do a better job in the gospel by being single. “He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and is divided” (I Cor. 7:32-34). Paul said of the unmarried state, “I would that all men were even as I myself” (1 Cor. 7:7). Unmarried men are therefore no less qualified to preach the gospel than are family men.

Conclusion

These are a few of the false measures of great preaching often heard among us. We need to be extremely careful that we do not set up qualifications for preachers other than those outlined in the Word. For preaching to be right, the right men are needed and the wrong men need to be weeded out. Bible qualifications are what we require, not ones that we have invented and imposed upon others (Matt. 15:9).

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 16, pp. 500-502
August 18, 1983

By Jady W. Copeland

I write on the subject with “fear and trembling” as I know it is very controversial. Yet it is a needed subject. I am afraid harm has been done to the work of the Lord by elders resigning for no good or scriptural reason. Likewise much harm comes when elders refuse to resign when”they should. It seems paradoxical that the men who should be the -wisest men among us sometimes cause trouble in the church they oversee.

I believe that elders should neither be “appointed for life” nor temporary duty. Neither do I believe that just because one is “older” that he is an elder in the scriptural sense. True, elders are older men but they must be appointed (Acts 14:23). If not, the word appoint is meaningless. If they are to be “appointed” to what are they to be appointed? To being older? They are already that. They are appointed to do a work – to do a service for God.

Why Did God Want Elders In Every Church?

Let us lay a foundation before answering the question above. While not writing on qualifications and work of elders, we need to say that God wanted them to do a work and carry out certain duties that every member of the body is not capable of doing. These duties may be summarized in a word: oversight. In Acts 20:17-28 we note four terms applied to these men. In verse 17 they are called elders, (American Standard Version) but the footnote renders it presbyters. Verse 28 calls them bishops while the footnote indicates overseers. From these we learn that older men must oversee. Hebrews 13:17 tells us to obey them for they have the rule. They are spiritual guides. They watch for souls – a work to be done, and one that requires wisdom and knowledge. This is a work not an “office” in the commonly-accepted definition of that word. They are not figureheads or potentates. They are workers and have the job of oversight, looking out for souls, holding fast the faithful word, etc. Any worker with so important a job must be qualified to do the work and God laid down qualifications because He knew it would be only certain men who could do this work.

If a company needed an engineer they would advertise for a men or woman with so much experience and so much education. Why? Because, in their judgment, the job they wanted done must have a person who had qualified himself, and they believed that the education and experience would prove to them that the person could do the work. God knew what work needed to be done by elders, and he knew what would qualify them. He knew what kind of men were needed to be leaders, overseers, shepherds or bishops. In order for the church to know who could fill the bill, he laid down certain qualifications for us to follow.

Now, by inspired writings, we can know what type of man is needed to do the work which is assigned them. Even though God could (if he chose) look down and know who could do the work, he laid down qualifications so that the flock could know what type men were needed. Of course, there may be error in human judgment, and often men are picked because they are “good business men” or even they may be picked out of prejudice. That is the reason extreme care should be used in selecting men for the eldership. Pick qualified men – not those who are popular with men. God wants godly, capable men to work – to oversee the flock. So He laid down qualifications so that men could know who had qualified themselves. Their influence must be without reproach – from within and without. Their capability must be recognized. They must be men that the congregation is willing to follow (because they are good men) and they must be men capable of convicting the gainsayer. There are some good men who may not be able to do the work needed (1 Tim. 3:4-5; Titus 1:9).

When Should An Elder Resign?

I believe that when men are qualified they should be appointed as elders. Does it not follow that when they become disqualified they should resign? If their influence is of such nature the congregation cannot follow their example should they not resign? If for some reason (health or otherwise) they are no longer capable of overseeing should they not step down? The same is true of preachers. All who can preach should preach. Whether or not they want to be “full-time” preachers supported by brethren is their choice, but if they can help people know the Bible, they must preach. But suppose they are no longer capable — should they continue to present themselves as preachers? If they become physically or mentally sick, should not they quit? The shame of this is (either of elders or preachers) that some don’t know when they are not qualified. If elders are for some reason not able any longer to meet the qualification should not they step down? I know sickness is a relative thing, and often a man is not completely disabled so he can still render a valuable service in the eldership even though he cannot do as much physically as before. But there may come a point when he is so sick that he cannot serve. When this happens, he can no longer oversee, and, therefore, should resign.

I knew of a deacon who resigned after the police had caught him stealing money from the bank where he worked. Suppose the elders had found out before the police did that he was a sinner. Should he have been asked to quit? Elders can also sin, and when they are thus disqualified, of course they should no longer serve.

When Should An Elder Not Resign?

Should an elder resign when his wife dies? While I do not try to press my belief on other, I personally do not believe he must resign. Of course if he believes he should, then I would not try to get him to offend his conscience. But is he less capable of doing the service? He has proven over the years that he has ability to rule the flock. Is this diminished when she died? I do not believe so. In earlier years he has proven in rearing the family that he has the ability to rule the flock, and once his wife dies this does not take away his ability to guide the flock. But does not the Bible say he must be the “husband of one wife”? Yes, but as we have shown, the family qualifications were in the context of showing by these that he had the ability to oversee. It seems from 1 Timothy 3:5 that ruling the family qualifies him to do the work God knew needed doing. Paul said, “. . . but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” His ability to take care of his family has shown that he can rule the house of God. This is not taken away when his wife dies. Each one must make up his own mind in this area.

Should elders resign if all of their children are not Christians? Again, I do not believe so in every case. Each case, of course, must be judged on its own merits. And whether we admit it or not, there is a judgment call here. I knew of a man who had about ten children, all of which were faithful Christians except one, and he was early born in life. Must he resign when (in adulthood) one of the ten fell away? I do not think so, because he had proven his influence over his children in life, and while an outside influence had caused one to fall later, this was no reflection on the elder’s life or ability to rule. Again, we must be careful here, for it is impossible to draw an exact line. If a man had five children and only one was ever a Christian, then I would certainly question his qualifications. But just because one of several never obeyed the gospel would not prove he was disqualified. Common sense and reason must be exercised here, and if the congregation did not want such a man, perhaps it would be unwise to appoint him.

There is another instance when elders must not resign. Sometimes troublemakers decide they want their way, and ‘ therefore, ask for an elders resignation. Often it is an ulterior motive that prompts such actions. In this event ‘ the elder must make sure he is still qualified and that he is standing on truth. During the controversy on institutionalism this happened. If one or more elders did not want to support the human institutions and some in the church did, often petitions were gathered asking for his resignation. But an elder need not resign if he is sure he is on scriptural grounds just to appease such men.

I illustrate the above with four cases I have known. When a young preacher, I had a man come to me thinking of resigning. I discouraged it because, even though he had no children of his own, I believed he had qualified himself by helping to rear his nieces and nephews. The congregation wanted him to stay. I called in an experienced preacher to talk with him. It turned out the older man discouraged him from resigning. In all cases where a man had no children, I would not do as I did, but under the circumstances I believed it was the scriptural position.

In the second case I probably made a mistake. After a short stay in an East Texas town an elder mentioned he probably should resign. I discouraged it, only to learn late he was in the middle (if not a major cause) of problems in the church. (I learned there that sometimes it pays to keep your mouth shut.) In the third instance a man mentioned resigning in the middle of problems on the institutional issues. I discouraged him from doing so, because I believed he was upholding the truth and trying to do what was right. While many asked for his resignation, Uthought he was still qualified and trying to lead the congregation in truth and not error. In the fourth case a man who had four children wanted to resign because one in his teens had not obeyed the gospel. But as explained earlier, I understood that in that particular case, since the other three were faithful, the man was qualified because he had guided them all in the right direction, and through no fault of his (so far as I knew) the child had never obeyed the gospel. I did not then, nor do I now believe he should have resigned.

Brethren, make sure men are qualified before appointment and these problems may never come. There is one thing worse than not having elders and that is having unqualified and self-willed elders. Let us give some prayerful thought to these matters and do all we can to cause men to want to qualify themselves for the eldership.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 16, pp. 499-500
August 18, 1983