Church 101

Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone and finding them to be disagreeable in a variety of ways? Maybe they have a bad attitude or they have habits that make them out to just be the kind of person you don't want to hang around with. Now, imagine meeting that person and then after you've formed all your opinions you find out that they are a Christian or worse yet, a pastor. The effects can be catastrophic.

From the positive requirements of what the elder or pastor should be, Paul moves now to what we must not be.

"it is necessary therefore for the overseer (watcher of souls) to be above reproach, a one woman kind of man {idiom: faithful to his wife}, sober (self-controlled with alcohol with a broader reference to his serious handling of his life), self-controlled (in general), orderly, hospitable, skillful in teaching, ..."

What happens when you put a child in charge of their siblings? Sometimes nothing, but sometimes the evil comes out and as soon a the door clicks behind you the power goes to their head and they begin to rule over their siblings like an evil tyrant.

It is a sad statement of reality that such things have happened in the church through the ages. Men in positions of authority have abused their power. As much as it demonstrates the power of the sinful nature it demonstrates even more the overwhelming need for continued humility and intentional application of God's word.