Jump directly to the Content

Biblical Requirements of Leaders

Four must-have traits.
Biblical Requirements of Leaders
Image: Gozha Net

Can you think of any greater privilege than to be called to be a leader in the church of Jesus Christ? The church is his Body, his Bride, the Temple of his Spirit, his Flock, his Army, and his Family.

Can you think of any greater responsibility than leading his church?

This is why God's Word has laid before us such challenging requirements for Christian leadership. The standards are rightly high, not only for the sake of the church's vitality but also for the sake of the leader's vitality.

Four Qualifications

The chief biblical texts that develop the requirements of leaders are: 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 2 Timothy 2:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, Acts 6:1-6, and Exodus 18:21-22. The qualifications spelled out in these passages can be summarized in four words: commitment, conviction, competency, and character.

  1. Commitment. Are the would-be leaders clearly committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Is there a passion to know him in all his fullness? While different personality types express passion differently, there must be evidence of a fire inside to know and obey the Crucified and Risen One.
March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Can I Trust You?
Can I Trust You?
Pastoral teams are still trying to bridge the generation gap.
From the Magazine
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
While reporting in Israel, photographer Michael Winters captures an unusually vacant experience at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close