For those who grew up in the 80s, you probably remember the tabloids in the magazine rack at the checkout counters of your local grocery store. Some of the headlines were outrageous such as Elvis Presley was an alien and did not die but returned to his home planet. It was not the headlines that made people buy the magazines; the articles inside were filled with the juicy gossip of people’s favourite celebrities that sold. It did not matter whether the article was true or if it had just enough bits of truth to sell. People love gossip, and sadly, it cannot be stopped. An old Korean proverb says it best "Words have no wings, but they can fly a thousand miles." That is true; our mouths, ears and hearts are to blame.
As Christians, we know we are not supposed to gossip, defame or slander. There are enough verses to rebuke the heart on this very issue. Paul tells us that no corrupt talk is to come out of our mouths, only that which is suitable for building up (Eph 4:29), and the Proverb reminds us there are six things the Lord hates, pride, lying, shedding innocent blood, a divisive heart, works of evil, false witness and the big one at the end, sowing discord among the brothers (Prov 6:16-19). However, this does not stop the professing believer from spreading gossip, attacking unity and sowing discord. Gossip starts because one has pride; they are divisive and, to save face, will sow discord among brethren. So, again, sadly, the Christian has learned to be like that of the tabloids.
Christian tabloids are the same as secular. It is information being distributed with a bit of truth, but it is spun in such a way that all it is, is juicy gossip. It is wrapped in words like, “Hey, I am not trying to cause problems,” or “I am concerned with,” or maybe even “Did you hear about…” Sadly, the truth is no longer desired when the words are out in the air because the Christian Tabloids have already been published. This should concern all believers. John Calvin stated, “It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to wound the good name of another when he has no opportunity to defend himself.” (Bold added)
A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, also had no place for the Christian Tabloids when he said,
I would rather play with forked lightning, or take in hand living wires with their fiery current, than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others, to the hurt of their own souls and bodies.
Now understanding the severity of the matter, we need to turn our attention to one of the most significant areas of gossip found within the Christian church: men attacking another minister over their qualifications for office. Do not get me wrong; there needs to be an examination; this is what ordination is all about. There needs to be accountability, but often, we see one man coming after another, and the first area that will be attacked is another's qualification for office. This is dangerous because it casts doubt into people's hearts. It strikes the very under-shepherd (s) God has called to serve. One or two (maybe more) individuals will claim they care and concern over another minister and argue that their examination (opinion) outweighs the ordination councils and the denominations. Another way of saying it, some feel their opinion, ideology or understanding of doctrine is correct - and everyone else is wrong. Remember what I said earlier: Christian Tabloids sell, so there is nothing wrong with examining, but the gossip and defamation of character are the problem. Since so many men attack the area of elder qualifications, let’s briefly look at them from various texts. Doing so will show clearly that no man can hit everyone with 100% accuracy. Some may do well and excel in all qualifications better than others, but there is always a weak spot. Any man to believe he is without sin and is fully qualified with no room to grow is nothing more than a hypocritical fool, and his pride is disqualifying. The first reference, 1 Timothy 3:1-4 NASB
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
Above Reproach.
ἀνεπίλημπτος, this means irreproachable. It has three uses within Paul’s pastoral first epistle to Timothy. It means one is meeting the moral requirement of the office. They are without rebuke or criticism. This is not about perfection but character. Is there something in the man’s life that can show a flaw in his character and lifestyle that will harm the flock?
Husband of One Wife
There are many articles written on this. It is a 50/50 split within Evangelicalism on can a divorced man be a pastor. The context of this qualification is evident in the Greek, is the man a one-woman man? However, this is not a clear-cut and dry matter, as the first qualification is without reproach. Why is the man divorced? Was he a believer when the divorce happened, and is he remarried? Was he arrogant? Quick Tempered? Was he cold and unloving? If a man has past marriage issues, can he tend to the bride of Christ?
Temperate
νηφάλιος. Not to be given to extremes in behaviour. More directly, alcohol. The issue is not whether the elder has a beer; it is about excessiveness. Can they control their behaviour? Do they quickly fire off emails or texts without thought and prayer? Are they gluttons? This can be examined in many areas.
Prudent
σώφρονα. Connected with temperate, are they able to show self-control?
Respectable
κόσμιος. They have a character that can be admired. This is NOT intellectual academia, nor is it to wow individuals because of theological knowledge, but when one examines the man's life, one can see nothing in his (Christian) past that raises alarms.
Hospitable
φιλόξενος. Men have a disposition to be warm and welcoming. They show generosity towards strangers.
Able to Teach
διδακτικός. Can man pass on teaching and skills so that another individual can live out the Christian faith? It needs to be noted that this is one area that often gets attacked. This is not about style or being a fantastic orator but about teaching with accurate content.
Addicted to wine
πάροινος. To be a drunkard. They are addicted and drink too much. How can an elder serve the flock of Christ, do hospital visits and funerals, and, most importantly, be spiritually minded if intoxicated? This qualification IS NOT abstaining proof text. It is wise to abstain but cannot be used to show if a man takes a sip of red wine once and awhile has disqualified himself.
Pugnacious
πλήκτης. He is not a cruel person or a bully. We see this often with legalistic theologians. They beat people down like Pharisees, often in their own hypocrisy. This qualification means the person is not cruel. Words and deeds are paramount here. Further, if a man slanders another in Christian Tabloids, is that not cruel?
Gentle
ἐπιεικής. Are they a person who shows mercy? Can they handle deviations of moral behaviour, in that when someone sins, will the man restore or destroy them? Is the man known for breaking the reed and snuffing out the smouldering wick?
Peaceable
ἄμαχος. He desires peace. Relationship building is his concern. Is he a man that is always right? Does he refuse to meet with others for the sake of peace? Is he more concerned about flexing his position on why he is right and not being accountable to the party he is offending? Or is it the opposite? The man has a reputation as a peacemaker at all costs.
The last verse to look at in Timothy is 3:4
He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
Sadly, this area is attacked the most in the Christian Tabloid world. Why? It is easy. It is easy to attack the family of the under-shepherd. For one, they are not there to defend themselves. Second, it strikes the minister so close that he may react unbiblical than the accuser can say, “Aha.” Third, it places doubt in people's minds because they do not usually see what is behind the doors of the minister's home.
Simply put, verse four is about - the man can manage their household affairs. Paul is writing this with the view of the Greco-Roman society. The husband is the head of the house. So, for this qualification, there would be no usurping or constant attempts to usurp authority from his spouse or children. The children are submissive. They are financially stable, meaning they are not in debt. He has a good reputation. Understanding the basics, let’s go back to the attack strategy.
Children and wives are not pastors. They are not called to be pastors, fill some ideological role in the church, or fulfill the opinions of others. It is safe to say the family is off-limits. This will not stop the attacks sadly. Even if the accuser has past examples of failure in their life and their children are wayward, many will hypocritically attack a minister in this area. What is interesting to note is that C.H. Spurgeon's wife, Susannah, was often absent from church over her illness which many believed was endometriosis. Who would dare attack Spurgeon - I do not know. I am not saying spouses do not need to be at church; they should be like everyone else. But the world is different. Some work, other times they serve in the nursery, while some suffer from illness. I will be direct here. Only cowards with no backbones who lack Christian charity and godly morals attack attendance for chronically ill people.
So taking all this in, such qualifications can undoubtedly be aimed for and excel in but cannot be fully mastered in the flesh. Once a person remembers that all are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone - even ministers, they can look into the mirror and see their faults. Unless one is riddled with pride – this should stop their mouths and rebuke their hearts.
Let’s remember the words of our Lord – “he who has no sins, may cast the first stone” (John 8:7). Hopefully, such a warning will be the catalyst to stop the Christian Tabloids aimed at selling gossip and defaming another person. The second verse I want to is straightforward,
1 Peter 5:1-5 NASB
Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
Elders are to shepherd the flocks among them according to the will of God. Those who choose to be Christian tabloid mouthpieces are not just attacking the man, but the church—lastly, motivation. You may have noticed that I did not cover the love of money in verse 3 of 1 Timothy. This is because it is also found here but expanded, not with greed or domineering. Often when others attack, it shows their personal agenda. Some men are so busy building their own kingdoms, making a name for themselves, and only serving to get paid, they will do everything in their power to silence people that will cut into the profits. Young men who attack show they do not understand the basics of godly submission and character. Why do I say it in such a short manner; conclusion.
For any person ( or pastor) to come after another man's qualifications simply out of spite, anger or personal gain shows by the very nature of his motives, he is also lacking in qualifications and, therefore, should be silent.
Perhaps you have been an instrument of Satan, and maybe you have either spoken (typed) tabloid communication or been on the receiving end, willing and ready to listen or read. You can turn it around. You can repent of your sins, reach out and confess to those you hurt, ask the Lord to restore a right spirit within you, and move forward, working overtime to protect your ears and guard your mouth to not fall into this trap again.
I hope this helps. We can disagree with many things (2nd and 3rd order of doctrine, liturgy style and so forth), but to charge another of disqualification is serious, and it needs to stop.
I am praying for you!
P/Steve
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* All Greek from Alexander Souter, A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917 and The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition (BDAG). Walter Bauer, Revised and Edited by Frederick William Danker.
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