Qualifications

Minister Qualifications

The ministers of the people who gathered in the early Church were often elected by the people from the pool of natural Elders of families to serve the purpose and mission designated by Jesus Christ in his appointed Kingdom of God at hand. Jesus had commanded that his disciples make the men, heads of families, gather in tens. Each group of ten also organized themselves in ranks of one hundred by picking a representative who also gathered in a group of ten. This was the most common way of free societies to organize and protect themselves for thousands of years.

Everyone seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness was to love one another and strive to keep the commandments of Christ. Early Christians knew they could not apply to the Fathers of Rome for free bread and at Baptism they had been put out of the system of Corban created by the Pharisees so they had to tend to the weightier matters and the daily ministration of the Church.

Those natural Elders who gathered in congregations of tens were the heads of families who ministered to their families but also had a religious duty to care for their neighbor's families in free assemblies as much as they cared for their own family. They would choose someone they could trust to connect them with everyone else in the whole free assembly of the early Church but they would still have to meet the approval of the apostles or others they appointed in order to be appointed.

We see the same precept used by Peter to find men take care of tables needed to daily ministration for the Greeks when he told the people to "seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."

Titus 1:5 "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain^[1] elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:"

We see a list of Character qualification that should be looked for in choosing a minister of the Church in Titus 1.^[2] and Titus 2^[3]

There is a reference to "aged men" which is translated from the word presbutes ^[4] Which can also mean ambassador and is from the word presbuteros ^[5]

The word Senator in Rome meant old men before it became an office of the State. At first, they had little power because Rome was a Republic but later as the people became slothful in the ways of liberty the Senate like we see in the Sanhedrin became an office of power.

In the Church those Elders elected to the offices of the Church and or Ordained may not exercise authority over the people like the Benefactors of the World or they will cease to be His Church. The Corban of the Church must remain the result of Faith, Hope and Charity through the Perfect law of liberty.

While an Elder is first Father and Husband to his own family he does not usurp that role in the families he may serve when elected to an office of the Church. He is not a conscripted Father like the Fathers of the earth nor substitute Father or Husband to other families. He is a minister to the people of the offerings entrusted to him for the purposes of Christ.

According to Diocletian's second edict, it targeted "deacons, lectors, priests, and bishops" in 300 A.D. before the corruption of the church by the followers of Constantine. Deacons were ministers of tens.

While the people chose the elders who would be their minister those ministers were also appointed by the appointed disciples of Christ who were often called apostles. Jesus placed additional requirements upon His disciples concerning being in the world but not of the world, owning property, feeding His sheep and not exercising authority one over the other.

Priests in the kingdom did not rule over the people but they did rule over the votive offerings of the people. In the world, the priests force the contributions of the people because they do rule over others.

Bishops were merely overseers and servants of servants. But what were lectors? One simplistic definition was a reader of liturgy. A liturgical book was a book published by the authority of a church, that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.

(Titus 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:2).

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Footnotes

↑ 2525 ~καθίστημι~ kathistemi \@kath-is’-tay-mee\@ from 2596 and 2476; v AV-make 8, make ruler 6, ordain 3, be 2, appoint 1, conduct 1, set 1; 22
1) to set, place, put
1a) to set one over a thing (in charge of it)

1b) to appoint one to administer an office

1c) to set down as, constitute, to declare, show to be

1d) to constitute, to render, make, cause to be

1e) to conduct or bring to a certain place

1f) to show or exhibit one’s self
1f1) come forward as

Ordain#An_Appointment_Ex_Officio
↑ Titus 1:6 :If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
↑ Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
↑ 4246 ~πρεσβύτης~ presbutes \@pres-boo’-tace\@ from the same as 4245; n m AV-old man 1, aged man 1, aged 1; 3
1) an old man, an aged man

2) ambassador
↑ 4245 ~πρεσβύτερος~ presbuteros \@pres-boo’-ter-os\@ comparative of presbus (elderly); adj AV-elder 64, old man 1, eldest 1, elder woman 1; 67
1) elder, of age,
1a) the elder of two people

1b) advanced in life, an elder, a senior 1b1) forefathers

2) a term of rank or office
2a) among the Jews
2a1) members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men)

2a2) of those who in separate cities managed public affairs and administered justice

2b) among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies; (or churches) the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.}

2c) the twenty four members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne of God

[1] 2525 ~καθίστημι~ kathistemi \@kath-is’-tay-mee\@ from 2596 and 2476; v AV-make 8, make ruler 6, ordain 3, be 2, appoint 1, conduct 1, set 1; 22
1) to set, place, put
1a) to set one over a thing (in charge of it)

1b) to appoint one to administer an office

1c) to set down as, constitute, to declare, show to be

1d) to constitute, to render, make, cause to be

1e) to conduct or bring to a certain place

1f) to show or exhibit one’s self
1f1) come forward as

Ordain#An_Appointment_Ex_Officio

[2] Titus 1:6 :If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

[3] Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

[4] 4246 ~πρεσβύτης~ presbutes \@pres-boo’-tace\@ from the same as 4245; n m AV-old man 1, aged man 1, aged 1; 3
1) an old man, an aged man

2) ambassador

[5] 4245 ~πρεσβύτερος~ presbuteros \@pres-boo’-ter-os\@ comparative of presbus (elderly); adj AV-elder 64, old man 1, eldest 1, elder woman 1; 67
1) elder, of age,
1a) the elder of two people

1b) advanced in life, an elder, a senior 1b1) forefathers

2) a term of rank or office
2a) among the Jews
2a1) members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men)

2a2) of those who in separate cities managed public affairs and administered justice

2b) among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies; (or churches) the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.}

2c) the twenty four members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne of God

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Qualifications

Minister Qualifications

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