The Qualifications of the Office of Elder (3): Adult Males: The Scriptural Defense

This article by Douglas Kuiper defends the Reformed position that only qualified men may serve as elders in the church, arguing this restriction is grounded in Scripture rather than arbitrary tradition. Through exegesis of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Kuiper demonstrates how the gender-specific language of these passages ("husband of one wife," leadership terminology) establishes male-only eldership as a biblical requirement. The resource provides a systematic scriptural defense of this aspect of Reformed church government and complementarian ecclesiology.