Who Qualifies?
namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. Titus 1:6 NASB
Man – Can women be elders? The Church in general struggled with this. It read the indefinite, masculine pronoun, tis, in the context of “husband of one wife,” as though Paul automatically excluded any woman from holding the office of elder. But we just learned that presbyteros is not an office. It is a function within the community that is attributed to someone according to that person’s godly behavior and the community’s need. When Paul speaks of any man, the correct translation should be anyone, without gender distinction.
“Good. But what about the ‘husband of one wife’ clause”? Now we need a bit of cultural perspective. In the ancient world of the first century, it was still possible that a man could have more than one wife. Obviously, there was a biblical precedent for this despite later cultural prohibitions. But if a man had enough wealth and status, he could have more than one wife, provided (unofficially) that he could adequately care for both. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he makes it clear that this option disqualifies a man as an elder. Of course, Paul has good grounds for his advice. All one has to do is look at the results of multiple wives in the lives of the men in Torah. But Paul might even be more practical here. Paul wants men of godly character. He could be thinking of the Genesis 2 passage and the halacha of the Messiah. And he also might be looking for men who do not have to balance intimate relationships at home. If this is so, then “the husband of one wife” does not automatically exclude women. It excludes men who have more than one wife. Nothing is said about women at all. By the way, polyandry was not practiced in the first century Mediterranean world, so there was no need for Paul to even mention that possibility.
What qualifications does an “elder” need to have? Gender is not one of them. What matters is singular commitment in relationships, children who follow in the faith (if there are children, of course), and recognition by the community that this person is a peacemaker. In other words, an elder demonstrates personal accountability in all family relationships and communal accountability in dealing with everyone else. That’s enough. And it’s probably more than enough for most of us.
Since “elder” is not an office, it follows that no one can be elected to this role. It is something that grows naturally with spiritual development. The only real difference between an elder and the other mature members of the community is that this person is acknowledged as one who works for the good of others and of the community as a whole. An elder is one of the unofficial recognized leaders; the ones we go to when it matters most, the ones who always seem to have an insight into the Master’s methods, the ones who provide advice when needed and compassion when we didn’t listen.
Topical Index: elder, presbyteros, Titus 1:6
Good start.. Skip
I trust I’m not going out of sequence, but could this also include Pastor in the same meaning?
People are asking this question today.
Knowing the history of the 1st century church brings a whole new refreshing perspective.
Paradigm shift. This is what happens when one comes to the realization that one’s beliefs have been shaped not so much by the text, but by the long-held orthodoxy of one’s upbringing or training. It is getting the proverbial rug pulled out from underneath one’s life. For me, women in positions of church leadership was akin to questioning the inerrancy of the KJV. I would never have considered myself one who could possibly manipulate the text of Scripture to fit my own version of the truth. It was what my seminary professors continually warned us about [of course they themselves were speaking in code language for “watch out for replacement/covenant theology in the books you read”]. At 40 years old, I thought I had heard it all and had a good grasp of theology. I was comfortably and blissfully ignorant. Then, BOOM! God literally kicked me out of the “Church” and onto my fleshly a**. It’s apparent now that the biggest thing God had to deal with was my pride! Maybe that’s the real meaning of paradigm shift.
Glad to see some basic foundations and explanations on this very divisive subject.
What a sensitive subject–the role of women in spiritual leadership! This post, with its cultural and translation approach, is a fresh look. It makes a lot of sense. Who could possibly find fault with it? I think this viewpoint would go a long way toward providing some common ground for the opposing sides on this subject.
I sense some dogmatic gymnastics around the table.
What would Moses and Yashua have commented on this.
One day “there will be no man and no woman” but it is not today.
YHWH is an Elohim of the day… and not the night; of order and not of chaos.
I wonder if this is not a case of us getting it wrong again.Are we not trying to read current values and current social roles into scripture.
In genesis we read that Father gave man a help:woman.This is a womans primary function.It is to this end that her brain is wired.The ideal pattern in scripture is for a man to be at the head of a community and for him to have a single wife to support him.(His ezer kenegdo)
These two people form an indestructable leading unit and by mere beiing they display the ideal pattern since creation.
Whenever one deviates from this pattern in community leadership(which often in todays world is neccesary and is still blessed by God)problems tend to arise.
The problem with your reply is that you don’t understand the role of the ezer kenegdo in the Genesis passage. You have been influenced by the culture of the Church, reading the Hebrew term as if it meant “helper.” It does not mean this, as Jewish rabbis are quick to point out. I have written a lot about this, and a book, Guardian Angel, that examines the original Hebrew text and the subsequent Church distortion of the concept. I think you need to read it before you continue on this path. You might be surprised about what God packed into the design of the woman. It is not about being hard wired to support the man.