August 28, 2017
The overseer must be… able to teach. Deacons… must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 1 Timothy 3:2, 9 (NIV)
The Apostle is not saying that all elders should be preachers. He is saying that the elders must grasp the truth and be able to apply it to their own lives and to the lives of others.
This is important because the church is “the pillar of the truth” (3:15). The pillar holds up the roof. That’s what we are to do with the truth. We are to lift up the truth so that everyone can see it.
Elders must grasp true doctrine so that they can refute false doctrine (1:3). They must watch their life and doctrine closely (4:16). So a man who does not think that doctrine is important, or does not think it is for him, should not be an elder or a pastor.
It is the special calling of elders and pastors to make sure that the Word of Christ is central in the church. So, the Word of Christ must dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16). If you want to maximize your usefulness to Christ, deepen your grasp of the great doctrines of the Christian faith.
What is your attitude toward doctrine? How could you deepen your own grasp of the great doctrines of the Christian faith?