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“The 'WORK' of the Elder”
Categories: KBWe have often looked at the qualifications of the office of an Elder. Less or seldom have we taken a look at the work they are to do. The accounts of their qualifications are found in Titus 1:5 -16, and 1st Timothy 3:1-10. These passages includes to some degree their work also. More is scattered through-out the epistles. But lets look at some of their work!
Note that 1 timothy 3:1 states “if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do”.
So the one who fills the “office” of overseer has “a fine work to do”. The greek word is {kalos}.
Mounce defines this word this way [“(MED) beautiful; good, of good quality or disposition; fertile, rich, Mt. 13:8, 23; useful, profitable, Lk. 14:34; καλόν ἐστι(ν), it is profitable, it is well, Mt. 18:8, 9; excellent, choice, select, goodly, Mt. 7:17, 19; καλόν ἐστι(ν), it is pleasant, delightful, Mt. 17:4; just, full measure, Lk. 6:38; honorable, distinguished, Jas. 2:7; good, possessing moral excellence, worthy, upright, virtuous, Jn. 10:11, 14; 1 Tim. 4:6; τὸ καλόν, and τὸ καλόν ἔργον, what is good and right, a good deed, rectitude, virtue, Mt. 5:16; Rom. 7:18, 21; right, duty, propriety, Mt. 15:26; benefit, favor, Jn. 10:32, 33.]
One could conclude that if the work is defined as Mounce does then the men who fill this office should be of like quality. And this seems to be the point of all these qualifications that the apostle lists in these verses. They can be broken down into character traits of the man in his relationship to others, to his family, & to God. These traits would then show what kind of overseer he would be to the church.
Next we will look at some scriptures that speak to the ‘work he is to do.’
