I Timothy Chapter 3 established the qualifications for church authorities (Elders, aka Bishops, aka Overseers, aka Presbyteros). Church workers, (Deacons and Deaconesses) are similarly qualified. The reference to women, in verse 11, is to the deaconess and not the wife of a Deacon. It seems that what passes for the “church” has a real problem with properly using words given in the Bible. Very few accept and abide by God’s titles. Seemingly, it is such a small thing to always adhere to such strict word use, but to do otherwise is to lie.
In Acts 14:22,23, Paul and Barnabus, after first confirming the people were believers and exhorting them to continue in the faith, ordained Elders in each place after a period of corporate prayer and fasting. They didn’t call a vote, make speeches, politic or follow any worldly procedure. They petitioned God and the Holy Spirit made the selections. It was not by coincidence that the ones chosen matched the qualifications, for a second witness of authenticity. Until God, being petitioned with corporate prayer and fasting, made His choices for Elders, there were no churches among the true believers.
There are still no churches among true believers unless God, through corporate prayer and fasting, sets His men in place. Unbelievers and pretenders can have anything they want and call it what they like, but they have no Church. If God Himself establishes the authority in a place, He will enforce that authority and there will be no “church politics.”
In addition to meeting the other qualifications, God will not select young Elders. As there are no tall midgets, there are no young Elders. Not even if there are no older men and it seems necessary to install young men. If there exists a doubt in any mind about this, call a corporate fast of at least one week and seek the Lord in prayer for His will and His way.
Nowhere does the Bible say that Deacons were persons of authority. In Acts 6:2, Peter, who declared himself an Elder in I Pet. 5:1, was one of the twelve who “called the multitude of disciples unto them” for the purpose of assigning the business of feeding the Greek widows. Those seven men, the first Deacons, were chosen by the church members to take care of things other than “prayer and…the ministry of the word.”
As working in the church is non-spiritual and without authority, there can be no prohibition against women who meet the other requirements. It can be a real problem when scriptural titles are not adhered to, as in a group that refers to de facto Elders as Deacons. Though they have the authority of Elders, the title Deacon includes women who are Biblically excluded from having authority over men and creates festering divisions that debilitate the church. Refusing to do it God’s way leaves us with man’s way, leading to death and destruction.
Those who will deny God His choices of Elders are not brothers in the faith but empty clouds without water at best and angels of light at worst. These are the ones who become proprietors of churches and Pharisaic, holier-than-thou givers of the law they themselves cannot keep. They are gentile benefactors ruling over, not lifting up their congregations. You will find them spiritually and financially unaccountable and rarely under the authority of other men. Easy to spot, they live higher than their congregations and will not submit to financial audit or real spiritual correction. Also, God’s Elders are locally situated in order to be available as servants. Though they may be called for special missions, their Eldership remains local. In other words, Elders do not function from afar.
Brothers and sisters, these things are being written because “I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (II Cor. 11:3) Beloved, we must never forget our absolute dependence on the man Jesus Christ and our moment-by-moment walk with Him to bring us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Unless we seek first THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and His righteousness, our doctrine will never be correct. Apart from Jesus Christ our hearts devise evil. (Jer. 17:9) Whatever we learn and know, we “know in part” or “see in a mirror dimly.” (I Cor. 13:12) With such a lack of breadth and clarity, how can we be so certain of our own correctness? Only LOVE as Jesus loves through us is true and pure and worthy of being our doctrine. Our hope is in knowing Jesus and Him crucified. Do not return to the original sin of choosing knowledge of good and evil (they are inseparable) over LIFE, but just love one another, fear God and seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Do not involve yourselves with the world and go after fleshly lusts but choose instead to yield your members to the will of God that He may, in His power, for His glory, present you to His Son as the pure, unspotted Bride of Christ. Jesus is coming ……… soon!