One of the definitive signs of maturity in the local congregations of the New Testament church was the establishment of elderships who functioned as overseers and shepherds for God\'s people. Although Paul served as an apostle and spent much of his energy preaching the gospel, training leadership and founding new congregations, he spent about three years in Ephesus and upon his departure expected that the Ephesian elders would follow his personal example in both leadership ethics and the work of the local ministry.

You know how I lived the whole time I was with you... I served the Lord with great humility and tears... I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house... I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus... Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears... Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified... In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: \It is more blessed to give than to receive.\ (Acts 20:18-21,31,32,35)

According to Paul\'s words, these elders had been fully entrusted with the well being of the Ephesian church -- the Holy Spirit had made them \'overseers\' and they were \'to shepherd the church of God\' (Acts 20:28).
The Qualifications of \'Elder-Overseer\'
The fact that the ultimate role of leadership in the local congregations of God\'s people would be called \'elders\' or \'overseers\' illustrates that God\'s plan for the church on earth was to be a fully functional community -- truly \'a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God\' (1 Peter 2:9). Throughout the narrative of the Bible we see elders as the natural leaders of large families and clans, who were respected and honored because of their embodiment of their society\'s ethical code and value system. Although the Old Testament never mentions the criteria for eldership or the selection process, it is safe to assume that these men were to be respected and men of integrity because of God\'s stated expectations of how they should fulfill their role in society. They were very specifically charged by God to instruct the people (Deuteronomy 31:9-13), assist God\'s chosen leadership (i.e., prophets, kings, judges, etc. -- Numbers 11:16-30), represent the people (Leviticus 4:15) and judge community issues at local levels (Deuteronomy 21:19-21). God held the elders of Israel responsible for fulfilling these duties and whenever the leaders of Israel were brought into account before God for their leadership, the performance of the elders in these areas was often included in that judgment.

In strong contrast to the Old Testament\'s silence on the criteria and selection process to become an elder, the New Testament gives a very clear picture of both the character and abilities necessary for fulfilling such a role -- Paul\'s detailed instructions to Titus and Timothy are the main source of instruction regarding these character requirements. Although some scholars have tried to put these lists in opposition to each other in an effort to demonstrate that elder qualifications were not the same in every congregation (contrary to Paul\'s statement that he teaches the same things \'everywhere in every church\' -- 1 Corinthians 4:17), the more reasonable explanation is that Paul was simply describing the \'type of person\' through these lists and therefore did not feel obligated to make them exactly identical in every detail:

An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God\'s work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:6-9)

Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God\'s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil\'s trap. (1 Timothy 3:2-7)

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on you guard! (Acts 20:29-31)

Parallel to the elder in general society at large representing the ethics and values of his community, the elder-overseer of the church must be an exemplary citizen of God\'s kingdom undeniably displaying the character of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

The preceding passages could be summarized by the following qualities of the elder-overseer:

1) Respectable & Proven. The church (and even outsiders) should know him as a trustworthy person of character. This reputation should be well established and not simply the opinion of a few, so that he will not be tempted to pretend to be more righteous than he really is.
2) Spiritual. He should be disciplined and uncontrolled by chemical addictions, materialism or his own emotions. His disposition should be encouraging, patient, upright, and holy.
3) Successful Family Man. He must manage his household well and be visibly generous and hospitable. He must be the \'husband of one wife\'  and manage his children in such a way that they are both believing and obedient. (The present tense of this verb seems to indicate that they were quite possibly still in his home -- it was a description of the process, not just the result).
4) Capable Teacher & Leader. He must be able to teach and have a full understanding of sound doctrine, being able to answer questions and stand up to opposition with a gentle spirit and nurturing attitude. He must also guard the flock (church) as a shepherd and forcefully deal with wolves (false leaders) that will inevitably come and try to draw away disciples after them.

The elder-overseer must possess such good character that respect and admiration would come naturally to those both inside the church and outside the church. With so much emphasis on possessing tremendous Christian character, Paul\'s opening statement about being an overseer is almost an understatement:

It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. (1 Timothy 3:1, NASB)

Surely any family man wanting to be his best for God would agree that fulfilling the qualifications necessary to be an overseer would be an encouraging acknowledgement of his devotion to Christ and life as a disciple.
The Ministry of \'Elder-Overseer\'
Paul further explained to Timothy that \'I am writing you these instructions [in the context of congregational ministry roles] so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God\'s household, which is the church of the living God\' (1 Timothy 3:14-15). This emphasis on the nature of the church being God\'s household logically explains why elder-overseers must be excellent managers of their own families -- \'if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God\'s church?\' (1 Timothy 3:5). God does not see the church as an organization or an institution -- it is his family and those in leadership had better take care of it!

The universality of the qualifications and role of being \'elder-overseers\' is also shown by the parallels given in Paul\'s admonition to the elders in Ephesus in Acts 20 [58 AD] and Peter\'s admonition to the elders throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia in 1 Peter [64 AD]:

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood... I have not coveted anyone\'s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. (Acts 20:28,33,34)

Be shepherds of God\'s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money but eager to serve... (1 Peter 5:2,3)

The elder-overseers were to shepherd God\'s flock, which ties into powerful imagery found in Old Testament prophetic writings. The shepherds of God\'s people were to take care of the weak, the sick and the injured, as well as search for the lost and bring back the strays. They were to imitate God\'s heart and be willing to serve as overseers -- it was a service that needed to come from the heart. They were absolutely not to be like the hired hands that Jesus spoke about in John 10 -- serving for financial gain.

Another connection of serving as an elder-overseer and the teaching of Jesus about leadership is made by Peter\'s words in 1 Peter 5:3-4:

Be shepherds of God flock... not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. For when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Jesus challenged his disciples to not be like \'the rulers of the Gentiles [who] lord it over them and their high officials [who] exercise authority over them\' (Matthew 20:25, Mark 10:42). Instead, he told them \'whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave\' (Matthew 20:26,27, Mark 10:43,44). In other words, if you want to be first then go first -- set the example. If an elder-overseer demands people to do things that they themselves are not doing, not only are they hypocrites but they are also \'lording it over those entrusted to them\'. Paul admonished both Titus and Timothy to be examples in their character and conduct for the disciples around them (Titus 2:7, 1 Timothy 4:12) and often used himself as an example that he called others to imitate (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:7,9). In this way, the ministry of an elder-overseer was no different than that of an apostle or evangelist since he was to lead by example and not simply by words. Leadership roles in the church were never meant to confer privileges on any one individual but instead were given to men to provide opportunities for service for the edification of the whole church.

Although Jesus was never called an \'elder\', his sovereignty alone established his role of oversight and he would always be the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep:

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25)

God\'s plan for the church was that it should be a spiritual community of his people and men of godly character were to shepherd and lead that community according to his will -- after the pattern of Jesus. As Paul wrote to Titus \'the overseer is entrusted with God\'s work\' (Titus 1:7).