“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (I Timothy 3:1).

The qualifications for spiritual leaders are given in I Timothy 3:1–9. But today Americans select governmental leaders. These elected officials will in turn appoint many others, with the cumulative effect reaching every American. Scripture does not say that governmental leaders should be subject to the same qualifications as spiritual leaders, but what if they did? And shouldn’t Christian voters at least compare the various candidates to this standard, choosing the one who would be most apt to make decisions as if he or she were a mature spiritual leader? In that light, the qualifications for spiritual leaders are recited below:

Blameless: above reproach; Husband of one wife: totally devoted to his spouse; Vigilant: temperate, of balanced judgment; Sober: of a serious nature, mature; Of good behavior: disciplined in all areas of life; Given to hospitality: personally generous and caring; Apt to teach: able to impart wisdom and knowledge; Not given to wine: not addicted to anything harmful; No striker: not prone to strike back when offended; Not greedy of filthy lucre: not a lover of money; Patient: particularly considerate of others; Not a brawler: doesn’t pick fights; Not covetous: satisfied with what God has given him; Ruleth well his own house: children in subjection; Not a novice: a time-tested Christian; Have a good report: not a hypocrite.

Surely by now we recognize that the character of most politicians falls far short of this standard. Since Christians comprise the greatest potential voting block, let’s do what we can to change things. JDM