The Qualifications of the Office of Elder (5): Married, With Children? Not Necessarily
Kuiper examines whether marriage and children are necessary qualifications for the office of elder by analyzing 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6, arguing that the Reformed position correctly maintains that single or childless men may serve in this office. The article critiques the Roman Catholic requirement of celibacy for clergy and establishes that Scripture requires blamelessness and demonstrated character rather than marital status as the fundamental qualification for eldership.
Previous article in this series: March 1, 2014, p. 253. The fundamental qualification of the elder is that he be "blameless" (I Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:6). By giving further qualifications for the office, the inspired apostle indicates that the elder's blamelessness must be manifest in his personal life, as well as in his relationship to his wife and children: "A bishop then must be…the husband of one wife,…having his children in subjection with all gravity" (I Tim. 3:2, 4). These statements assume...
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