Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
The verse forbids placing a novice in the office of bishop and in God's work generally, where a novice is a new convert or a new and inexperienced believer. Elevation to office brings trust, honor, praise and confidence that can lift an immature man up with pride until he falls into the condemnation belonging to the devil. Fitness for such leadership is first proved in right government of the home, with a well-disciplined family under the control of father and mother who are themselves under the control of God, for neglect here unfits a man to set the church in order. An overseer must also be an intelligent, mature and capable student of Scripture with deep and living experience in the things of God, able to teach others, meet error and defend the truth while remaining meek and lowly in heart. Therefore men are not to be hurried into the eldership or the pulpit while unqualified, but elders and ministers must be proved and tested before trust is laid upon them.
Novice and Pride Warning
The verse forbids putting a novice into the office of bishop, and into God's work generally, where a novice means a new convert and a new and inexperienced believer. The same bar applies to the eldership, for an elder must not be a novice, and the qualifications required of deacons are essential for elders as well.
A novice in the sense of the verse also includes one who is new to the faith or whose past life and work are unknown, in whom too much confidence is not to be placed. It includes a self-sufficient young man who has nearly everything to learn and is not fitted for the most responsible work ever given to mortals. In God's sight those who lack the maturity, ability and tact needed for a trust, yet seek to grasp it, are novices.
The reason is that elevation to office can lift an immature leader up with pride through the trust, honor, praise and confidence placed in him, so that he falls into the condemnation associated with the devil. Undue praise and confidence can confuse a new believer placed in position before he is ready, making it difficult for him to recover his proper perspective and position. This was seen when Hiram Rich became exalted as his brethren began to confide in him, showing the danger of giving an unrepentant person confidence and an elevated position.
The same danger was seen when taking credit for the church's spiritual work and claiming special leadership from God led Waggoner into self-reliance and error through being lifted up with pride. Seeking to exalt self and to grasp responsibilities that cannot be properly carried reflects the pride and spiritual failure warned against, and self-exaltation and ambition over a trust without ability or tact to carry it puts one on an unrighteous course. By contrast, what is needed is a capable, experienced man who recognizes what needs doing and does it, rather than one who is weak, feeble and ineffective.
Proven Character Required
The first seven verses of the chapter are God's positive declaration of the conduct required of church leaders, setting the standard of qualifications for candidates for the ministry. Those qualifications are to be studied and put into daily practice as the conduct expected of overseers. They require careful examination of those who would teach God's Word, with Christian experience, knowledge of Scripture, and understanding of present truth known, and no one accepted as a worker until a real, living experience in the things of God is evident. More regard must be paid to those requirements when granting ministerial license, and ministers placed only after competence, good repute, and ability to explain Bible truth clearly are seen, while those not ready to teach continue learning.
Fitness for leadership is shown first in right government of the home, beginning with training in ruling house and children well through a careful process of education and proving for grave responsibilities. The household must be well disciplined, with children under control of father and mother and father and mother under control of God, requiring obedience and order in eating, dressing, and working. Neglect of these home duties eclipses light in daily life and unfits a man to set the church in order, and refusal to see the necessity of this home work blinds to the necessity of obedience in other lines. These qualities matter even for a local elder, for a leader carries defects in family governance into his work.
A man's fitness to oversee must be judged by whether his conduct recommends him, with proper government over himself, a good influence, and sound character, because when the leader is defective the church is in continual trouble. His integrity and character should make him an honor to Christ's cause, with good reputation, faith, patience, and meekness. He must have a good report from those without, meaning those not of the faith, alongside faithfulness in less responsible duties, fear of God, constant humility and love of truth, and willingness to be counseled before trust with larger office. A man whose actions are frantic and who is not controlled by God's Spirit is to be refused influence as preacher or overseer until he changes.
An overseer must not be a novice but an intelligent, mature, and capable student of Scripture, with experience in faith and patience, able to teach others and to instruct opponents with meekness. Those who accept responsibility as teachers, licentiates, and ministers must not be novices in understanding Scripture or in piety and devotion, but have a sacred sense of truth themselves and be able by precept and example to teach its principles as they should be taught. No novice in the Scriptures is to begin to preach, for great injury is done when the faith is presented in public without sufficient knowledge to do it intelligently, without competence and efficiency, and without ability to read correctly without hesitating, mispronouncing, and jumbling words. Ministry requires maturity and preparation to reason from Scripture even with people of high standing, to meet false doctrines and defend the truth, while remaining meek and lowly in heart and growing in grace and knowledge.
No one is to be placed in leadership without deep experience and having been tried and proved, lest the flock be entrusted to people unfit for the work. Responsible religious work is not to be entrusted to novices, for young workers need religious experience, thorough education and training under experienced teachers, time to be proved, and firm and conscientious principles before representing God's cause. Cultivated intellects are needed to unfold acceptably the hidden treasure that enriches the soul, so schools should develop workers for Christ and schools or institutes educate ministers to meet opposition of every sort in a more decided manner than ever before. Those not ready to teach should keep learning and keep developing abilities through exercise so they are ready for greater responsibilities as the work grows.
The work of a minister of Christ is the most responsible work ever given to mortal man, and a novice self-sufficient young man who has nearly everything to learn is not fitted for it. No one whose character is defective, who assumes to know more than he really does, who has not been educated to be a caretaker, laborer, and burden-bearer, and who has not seen and felt the work to be done for himself and therefore cannot appreciate the work for others, may enter it. All young ministers must be learners before they become teachers and must become acquainted with the burdens and duties of practical life to attain fitness, even while young men are encouraged to enter the ministry. When thoroughly consecrated by the Spirit of God and fully realizing the solemnity and responsibility of the work, a man will feel himself entirely insufficient for the task, and until then his deficiencies will be reproduced in others and give the world an unfavorable impression of the character of the work and of its ministers.
Applying the Standard
Men are not to be hurried into the responsible office of elder when unqualified, for to place defective men in office is to lay hands too suddenly upon them and to entrust the flock to those unfit for the work. An elder must have proper government over himself, a good influence, and sound character, because when the leader is defective the church is in continual trouble. The standard that forbids the novice forbids the same for deacons and elders alike, since the essential qualifications are the same for both. Local elders must be proved and tested for fitness, and men unfitted for the pulpit must not occupy it as ministers lest they bring inferiority into the work, while ministers sent to labor as evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to be respected and received in their position as superiors, not held as subordinates who work only by permission of the elders or keep silent unless invited to speak.
No undue confidence is to be placed in those new to the faith or whose past life and work are unknown. Those who have only recently accepted present truth may have much to learn and much to put right before guiding others. People caught in fanaticism and error must first be freed from those errors before leading, or they will mix error with truth and harm the flock.
At the beginning of the sanitarium work in Southern California, at an important place in its history, no mistake was to be made in choosing bearers of responsibility. Only tested and tried men and women who understand the will of the Lord are to be chosen, workers who can discern what needs to be done and prayerfully do it, and men untested and untried are not to be placed in positions of trust lest self-confidence and cultivated and hereditary tendencies to wrong that ought to have been overcome gain the victory and the mistakes and errors of the past be repeated. The one placed as business manager occupies a very important place and must daily be managed by the Lord, possessing dignity and knowledge with a clear sense of how to use authority. Christ must be revealed in his life as one able to give religious instruction and exert spiritual influence, knowing how to deal with minds while his own mind is controlled by the Spirit, with wisdom coming from his lips in words of encouragement. He must know how to discern and correct mistakes, harmonize with fellow workers, possess adaptability, speak of the different points of faith as occasion requires, and reveal in word and act justice, judgment, and the love of God.
No one need remain inexperienced or immature in religious life, for growth comes through faithful participation including bearing testimony and praying. Youth should be steadfast and not let ridicule or labels such as deacon or old man turn them aside. To be not a novice means for everyone who has the truth to come into line and act intelligently and do an individual part in religious work instead of folding the hands and doing nothing while letting ministers and responsible men plan everything, think out everything, do all the work, and even be called upon in all business perplexities. Such interested taking hold of the work is of highest value to the one who does it and lets the work of the ministry go forward with greater success.
The verse forbids placing a novice in the office of bishop and in God's work generally, where a novice is a new convert or a new and inexperienced believer. Elevation to office brings trust, honor, praise and confidence that can lift an immature man up with pride until he falls into the condemnation belonging to the devil. Fitness for such leadership is first proved in right government of the home, with a well-disciplined family under the control of father and mother who are themselves under the control of God, for neglect here unfits a man to set the church in order. An overseer must also be an intelligent, mature and capable student of Scripture with deep and living experience in the things of God, able to teach others, meet error and defend the truth while remaining meek and lowly in heart. Therefore men are not to be hurried into the eldership or the pulpit while unqualified, but elders and ministers must be proved and tested before trust is laid upon them.
Novice and Pride Warning
The verse forbids putting a novice into the office of bishop, and into God's work generally, where a novice means a new convert and a new and inexperienced believer. The same bar applies to the eldership, for an elder must not be a novice, and the qualifications required of deacons are essential for elders as well.
A novice in the sense of the verse also includes one who is new to the faith or whose past life and work are unknown, in whom too much confidence is not to be placed. It includes a self-sufficient young man who has nearly everything to learn and is not fitted for the most responsible work ever given to mortals. In God's sight those who lack the maturity, ability and tact needed for a trust, yet seek to grasp it, are novices.
The reason is that elevation to office can lift an immature leader up with pride through the trust, honor, praise and confidence placed in him, so that he falls into the condemnation associated with the devil. Undue praise and confidence can confuse a new believer placed in position before he is ready, making it difficult for him to recover his proper perspective and position. This was seen when Hiram Rich became exalted as his brethren began to confide in him, showing the danger of giving an unrepentant person confidence and an elevated position.
The same danger was seen when taking credit for the church's spiritual work and claiming special leadership from God led Waggoner into self-reliance and error through being lifted up with pride. Seeking to exalt self and to grasp responsibilities that cannot be properly carried reflects the pride and spiritual failure warned against, and self-exaltation and ambition over a trust without ability or tact to carry it puts one on an unrighteous course. By contrast, what is needed is a capable, experienced man who recognizes what needs doing and does it, rather than one who is weak, feeble and ineffective.
Proven Character Required
The first seven verses of the chapter are God's positive declaration of the conduct required of church leaders, setting the standard of qualifications for candidates for the ministry. Those qualifications are to be studied and put into daily practice as the conduct expected of overseers. They require careful examination of those who would teach God's Word, with Christian experience, knowledge of Scripture, and understanding of present truth known, and no one accepted as a worker until a real, living experience in the things of God is evident. More regard must be paid to those requirements when granting ministerial license, and ministers placed only after competence, good repute, and ability to explain Bible truth clearly are seen, while those not ready to teach continue learning.
Fitness for leadership is shown first in right government of the home, beginning with training in ruling house and children well through a careful process of education and proving for grave responsibilities. The household must be well disciplined, with children under control of father and mother and father and mother under control of God, requiring obedience and order in eating, dressing, and working. Neglect of these home duties eclipses light in daily life and unfits a man to set the church in order, and refusal to see the necessity of this home work blinds to the necessity of obedience in other lines. These qualities matter even for a local elder, for a leader carries defects in family governance into his work.
A man's fitness to oversee must be judged by whether his conduct recommends him, with proper government over himself, a good influence, and sound character, because when the leader is defective the church is in continual trouble. His integrity and character should make him an honor to Christ's cause, with good reputation, faith, patience, and meekness. He must have a good report from those without, meaning those not of the faith, alongside faithfulness in less responsible duties, fear of God, constant humility and love of truth, and willingness to be counseled before trust with larger office. A man whose actions are frantic and who is not controlled by God's Spirit is to be refused influence as preacher or overseer until he changes.
An overseer must not be a novice but an intelligent, mature, and capable student of Scripture, with experience in faith and patience, able to teach others and to instruct opponents with meekness. Those who accept responsibility as teachers, licentiates, and ministers must not be novices in understanding Scripture or in piety and devotion, but have a sacred sense of truth themselves and be able by precept and example to teach its principles as they should be taught. No novice in the Scriptures is to begin to preach, for great injury is done when the faith is presented in public without sufficient knowledge to do it intelligently, without competence and efficiency, and without ability to read correctly without hesitating, mispronouncing, and jumbling words. Ministry requires maturity and preparation to reason from Scripture even with people of high standing, to meet false doctrines and defend the truth, while remaining meek and lowly in heart and growing in grace and knowledge.
No one is to be placed in leadership without deep experience and having been tried and proved, lest the flock be entrusted to people unfit for the work. Responsible religious work is not to be entrusted to novices, for young workers need religious experience, thorough education and training under experienced teachers, time to be proved, and firm and conscientious principles before representing God's cause. Cultivated intellects are needed to unfold acceptably the hidden treasure that enriches the soul, so schools should develop workers for Christ and schools or institutes educate ministers to meet opposition of every sort in a more decided manner than ever before. Those not ready to teach should keep learning and keep developing abilities through exercise so they are ready for greater responsibilities as the work grows.
The work of a minister of Christ is the most responsible work ever given to mortal man, and a novice self-sufficient young man who has nearly everything to learn is not fitted for it. No one whose character is defective, who assumes to know more than he really does, who has not been educated to be a caretaker, laborer, and burden-bearer, and who has not seen and felt the work to be done for himself and therefore cannot appreciate the work for others, may enter it. All young ministers must be learners before they become teachers and must become acquainted with the burdens and duties of practical life to attain fitness, even while young men are encouraged to enter the ministry. When thoroughly consecrated by the Spirit of God and fully realizing the solemnity and responsibility of the work, a man will feel himself entirely insufficient for the task, and until then his deficiencies will be reproduced in others and give the world an unfavorable impression of the character of the work and of its ministers.
Applying the Standard
Men are not to be hurried into the responsible office of elder when unqualified, for to place defective men in office is to lay hands too suddenly upon them and to entrust the flock to those unfit for the work. An elder must have proper government over himself, a good influence, and sound character, because when the leader is defective the church is in continual trouble. The standard that forbids the novice forbids the same for deacons and elders alike, since the essential qualifications are the same for both. Local elders must be proved and tested for fitness, and men unfitted for the pulpit must not occupy it as ministers lest they bring inferiority into the work, while ministers sent to labor as evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to be respected and received in their position as superiors, not held as subordinates who work only by permission of the elders or keep silent unless invited to speak.
No undue confidence is to be placed in those new to the faith or whose past life and work are unknown. Those who have only recently accepted present truth may have much to learn and much to put right before guiding others. People caught in fanaticism and error must first be freed from those errors before leading, or they will mix error with truth and harm the flock.
At the beginning of the sanitarium work in Southern California, at an important place in its history, no mistake was to be made in choosing bearers of responsibility. Only tested and tried men and women who understand the will of the Lord are to be chosen, workers who can discern what needs to be done and prayerfully do it, and men untested and untried are not to be placed in positions of trust lest self-confidence and cultivated and hereditary tendencies to wrong that ought to have been overcome gain the victory and the mistakes and errors of the past be repeated. The one placed as business manager occupies a very important place and must daily be managed by the Lord, possessing dignity and knowledge with a clear sense of how to use authority. Christ must be revealed in his life as one able to give religious instruction and exert spiritual influence, knowing how to deal with minds while his own mind is controlled by the Spirit, with wisdom coming from his lips in words of encouragement. He must know how to discern and correct mistakes, harmonize with fellow workers, possess adaptability, speak of the different points of faith as occasion requires, and reveal in word and act justice, judgment, and the love of God.
No one need remain inexperienced or immature in religious life, for growth comes through faithful participation including bearing testimony and praying. Youth should be steadfast and not let ridicule or labels such as deacon or old man turn them aside. To be not a novice means for everyone who has the truth to come into line and act intelligently and do an individual part in religious work instead of folding the hands and doing nothing while letting ministers and responsible men plan everything, think out everything, do all the work, and even be called upon in all business perplexities. Such interested taking hold of the work is of highest value to the one who does it and lets the work of the ministry go forward with greater success.