Qualifications for
ministry? I think there is only one: blameless. As I stated last week, we
aren't talking about sinless perfection. Paul meant that any accusations that
might be thrown at the pastor wouldn't stick. Yes, he might/will make mistakes,
but his character must be impeachable.
What followed in these
verses was a word picture of what this looks like. We dealt with the "husband
of one wife" issue, so I will not go back over that. But Paul then said
that a blameless man is temperate. A literal translation of this word could be
"wineless." Now understand, I wish that God had said that all of His
people should stay away from all alcoholic beverages, but He didn't. I think
that the only way that any person in our society can be sure never to become an
addict is to never take the first drink. Having said that, God did not command,
"Thou shalt not drink alcohol." But He did say, through Paul, that
the pastor should be wineless. Why? Because the pastor must be able to think
clearly at all times. He cannot afford to become inebriated and make poor or
rash decisions. He must be a man with complete self-control, so anything that
would decrease inhibitions would be prohibited. In essence, the pastor must never
allow himself to become controlled by any substances that could inhibit clear
thinking or cause him to act rashly. It really is a matter of self-restraint
because a man who cannot control his own drives and urges won't be able to
effectively lead the church. A leader in the church must have a sense of
self-mastery and accountability. So you see, the word includes more than a
caution against the use of alcohol and drugs.
In fact, it is the same
word picture Paul painted with the qualification of being sober-minded. The word literally means
disciplined. The minister must know how to properly order his priorities and be
serious about spiritual matters -- not acting like a drunken idiot with no self
control. With all that he has to do, the minister must be able to manage his
life so that he would be seen to be trustworthy. Too often, we allow ourselves
to become so busy that we cannot keep all of our commitments, and that must
never happen.
I will never forget the
time many years ago when I promised one of our senior adults that I would stop
by and visit with him. I got busy and forgot all about the promise. Later, he
told me that he had waited all day for me to come. My heart was broken when I
saw how disappointed he was in me.
With all of this in
mind, don't think that a pastor cannot have any fun. At this moment, I am
having the time of my life watching my precious Lucy (granddaughter) eat
Smarties with her Memama. Nothing could be better!
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