作教会领袖的资格
提摩太前书三章1至13节
1“人若想要得监督的职分，就是羡慕善工。”这话是可信的。
2作监督的，必须无可指责，只作一个妇人的丈夫，有节制，自守、端正，乐意接待远人，善于教导；
3不因酒滋事，不打人，只要温和，不争竞、不贪财；
4好好管理自己的家，使儿女凡事端庄、顺服（注：或作“端端庄庄地使儿女顺服”）。
5人若不知道管理自己的家，焉能照管神的教会呢？
6初入教的不可作监督，恐怕他自高自大，就落在魔鬼所受的刑罚里。
7监督也必须在教外有好名声，恐怕被人毁谤，落在魔鬼的网罗里。
8作执事的也是如此：必须端庄，不一口两舌，不好喝酒，不贪不义之财；
9要存清洁的良心，固守真道的奥秘。
10这等人也要先受试验，若没有可责之处，然后叫他们作执事。
11女执事（注：原文作“女人”）也是如此：必须端庄，不说谗言，有节制，凡事忠心。
12执事只要作一个妇人的丈夫，好好管理儿女和自己的家。
13因为善作执事的，自己就得到美好的地步，并且在基督耶稣里的真道上大有胆量。
信息分享
作教会领袖的首要资格，是必须无可指责，有美好的名声。任何人都公认这是最重要的资格。作领袖的人如果有罪，他的行为若有偏差，又怎能领导教会踏上蒙福之途？不用说，他与配偶也必然有美好的婚姻关系。
保罗还列出其他一些有趣的重要资格。作领袖的人必须谨言慎行，好好控制自己的脾气；他要亲善好客、善于教导，而非初信者；甚至连教会外的人也对他尊敬有加。我们的教会若有这样的人，我们必须敬重他们。
作执事的人，也必须符合同样的资格，而且，他们的妻子也必须为人可靠。因为基督徒丈夫喜欢与妻子分享自己的想法，而做妻子的必须保守这些想法和评论不在教会内或其他地方传播，她若口无遮拦，必然对教会造成严重的伤害。
要找到符合这些资格的合适人选，有时很不容易，尤其是在一些小的会堂，会众较少，就更难了。然而，我们仍当宁缺勿滥，宁愿忍受同工较少的不便，也切勿因为只有某人可用就随便把人放在这样的位置。
第13节的应许，为作领袖的信徒带来积极的鼓励。有些弟兄姊妹年复一年地在教会忠心事奉，却很少获得别人的赞许。但神却清楚看见他们所做的一切，因此，祂必坚固他们的信心。而且，将来在整个教会群体面前，他必在基督的审判台前得着赏赐和称赞。何等的应许﹗何等的盼望﹗将来何等的喜乐﹗努力事奉吧！神必察看和看顾。
QUALIFICATIONS FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP
1 Timothy 3: 1-13
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Message
The first qualification is the leader must be above reproach, having a blameless reputation. Everyone will recognise this as being of utmost importance. If there is sin in a man’s life, if there is wrong behaviour how could he ever lead a church into blessing? Needless to say his marriage relationship must be all that could be desired.
There are a number of other very interesting qualifications which Paul lists. A leader needs to be well in control of his words and his temper! Hospitable, a good teacher, not a new convert and did you notice - well respected outside the church. There are men like that in our churches and we should honour them for it.
Deacons must have the same high standard and their wives must be “trustworthy.” A Christian husband loves to share his thoughts with his wife but she must keep those thoughts and comments to herself and not spread them around the church and elsewhere. If he or she does, it can be devastating to the church.
It is not always easy to find men of such high standards, especially in smaller churches where there may be only a few members. But it is better to struggle along with fewer officers than to put people in simply because they are the only ones available.
There is a beautifully encouraging promise in verse 13. There are men (and women too) who have served faithfully in our churches year after year without much human recognition. But God has seen everything they have ever done for Him. First it can strengthen their faith and at Christ’s judgment seat they will be rewarded and praised in front of the whole united church of Christ. What a promise, what a hope, what joy that will be. Keep serving. God sees and knows it all.