“In Chinese house churches a man is examined for the pastorate by investigating the theology, devotion, & life of those he’s discipled.”

I find this to be a very helpful summary of what qualifies a man for the office of pastor/elder, or even of a deacon in the local church.

First we have an examination of a man’s theology. There is nothing so important in the Christian life than what it is we believe. For all of our actions are undergirded and ultimately determined by what it is we believe, particularly in what we believe about the scriptures, the nature of God, and the nature of man.

Secondly, we examine a man’s devotion, that is, his way of living. Does how he live comport with what he professes? Does he walk in the fear of God, obediently? If his theology is sound, then his life will most certainly be sound –otherwise his theology errs, or he is immature in the faith (thus more time/patience is needed until his life comports with his theology).

Lastly, we look at the theology and devotion of those under his charge. Whether it be his wife, children, or those in the local church he teaches/disciples, we examine all of those he has an influence and authority over. Their theology will reveal to us ultimately what his theology is. Their devotion and obedience will demonstrate to us what his devotion and obedience will ultimately look like.

In the book, The Art of Manfishing, the Puritan Thomas Boston gives a brief outline of ’shepherding’. Though this list is mostly aimed towards ministers and preachers of the gospel, I found it very helpful, and would recommend it to all, particularly the 3rd, 4th, and 5th points.

According to Thomas Boston, Shepherding the Flock of God consists of,

1) Faithfulness, even when it runs the risk of upsetting people and turning them against us. We must renounce the ‘carnal policy’ of trimmers and time-servers who tone God’s message down, and must present the realities of sin and grace forthrightly, rebuking where necessary, pulling no punches, and leaving the outcome to God.

2) Evangelistic purpose. ‘Christ had the good of souls in his eye… When you preach, let this be your design, to seek to recover lost sheep…to get some converted, and brought in to your Master.’

3) Prayerfulness. Christ spent time and energy in prayer both before and after his preaching of the word, and we need to do the same.

4) Single-mindedness, free from any form of the personal profit motive.

5) Enterprise in usefulness. Jesus took every opportunity to ‘instruct, rebuke, etc., from such things as offered,’ both one to one and in larger companies. So must we: so ‘learn the heavenly chemistry of extracting some spiritual things out of earthly things,’ and ‘do not refuse any occasion of preaching when God calls you to it.’

For our text, we have been using Tom Ascol’s excellent little book, Truth & Grace Memory Book #1. It contains a great little children’s baptist catechism, along with scripture and hymn memory plans for ages 2 and up. We’ve been working on the first two questions, ‘Who made you?‘ – ‘God made me‘, and ‘What else did God make?‘ – ‘God made all things‘. So far, we’ve gotten her to repeat the answers to us (which was wonderful to hear), but she has yet to memorize them word for word.

From my own experience, I can’t think of anything more ‘devotional’ than reading through the catechism or parts of it a couple of times a week. I absolutely love the WESTMINSTER SHORTER and LARGER CATECHISM. Another catechism that I am really starting to enjoy is the Heidelberg Catechism. This material, mark my words, is profound! –And profoundly simple!

As the great CH Spurgeon once said regarding his flock,

“Our children who have learned ‘the Westminster Assembly’s Confession of Faith” [referring to the Catechism, modified on the point of baptism only], know more about the doctrines of grace and the Bible than hundreds of grown-up people who attend a ministry which very eloquently teaches nothing.” – quoted from Spurgeon V. Hyper-Calvinism, P14

True indeed, how many adults attend churches now days that very eloquently teach nothing? It has been rightly said that the American Church is a thousand miles wide and an inch deep.

May we not hide these truths from our children, but tell them to the coming generation! I encourage you to go through these catechism’s yourself, no matter where you are spiritually or doctrinally, and drink deep from the wells of knowledge that are to be found in each and every question/answer.

In fact, not only do we like instant results, our culture demands instant results, and unfortunately, spiritual things are no exception to this (40 days of purpose, anyone?).

So when we come to the topic of Shepherding, i.e., the topic of teaching, leading, mentoring, serving, and making disciples, how has this ‘instant’ mindset affected the church?

12 step programs
Of course, I shouldn’t have to convince you how the American church is addicted to spiritual self-help programs that promise big results. Just take a trip to the local Christian bookstore. There you’ll find all sorts of ‘keys’ and ’steps’: the key to a successful marriage, 3 steps to better relationships, the path to living a fulfilled life, etc. These fads come and go by the dozens, and most of them miss the gospel almost completely (and rather teach a false gospel). But the reason I mention them is to point out how addicted to ‘instant’ our society is, even the professing Christian society, as these massive book sales evidence.

Our Temptation to Instant Results
But just because some of us see right through these Christian fads in no way means that we are absent from this ‘instant’ way of thinking. I’ll be the first to admit that I often expect instant results when it comes to the Christian life. Not only do I catch myself expecting instant results in my life, but I sometimes expect instant results in the lives of others as well. Here are two quick examples of this:

1) When I teach/preach/shepherd others, I find myself expecting those under me to immediately ‘get it’. That is, I personally see the truth and application of the message, and I expect others to see it as clear and plain as I do. But that’s not all: not only do I expect them to embrace the truth I’m teaching, but I expect it to change them, sometimes instantly, sometimes dramatically. Ah, the folly and arrogance of such thinking! May I/we resist such thinking and lay our trust in our Sovereign God!

2) When I sit under teaching/preaching, when I’m being shepherded, I sometimes find myself expecting to glean amazing truths, life-changing revelations, and principles that will fix all my sins, weaknesses, and struggles! Again, how foolish is such thinking! I’ve caught myself so many times leaving a sermon or other teaching time with a sense of frustration because I ‘didn’t get anything out of it’. This kind of attitude is sad, and I believe it is ignorant of how the Spirit works in our lives. (Side note: How often do we hear the ‘I’m not being fed’ complaint now days? Especially in the age of digital media and superstar preachers, where each layperson expects every sermon to be as powerful as the men on their iPod!).

The Reality
Although the majority of this Christian culture believes that life-changing experiences happen overnight, that salvation is some kind of instant decision similar to ‘what am I going to have for dinner tonight?’, that 4 steps or 40 days of whatever is all it takes to get on the right track, the truth is that real, deep, gospel-centered/spiritual change takes time, lots of time. Habits may be kicked externally, but inward change (which is the real change) is a painfully slow process.

The word of God and the gospel do indeed cut to the heart like a two-edged sword, and they do often bring instant repentance. But instant repentance is a long way from life-changing, no matter what testimonies people give you of their experiences. Furthermore, when we’re talking about sanctification instead of justification, that is, when we’re considering spiritual growth in an already-regenerated heart rather than spiritual life in a dead heart, the change is even slower, and even more unnoticeable.

Guard Yourself
The Lord has ordered our growth and sanctification so that He receives the utmost glory for it all, so do not stress when you –or those under you, do not grow as quickly as hoped for. Here are a few things I strive to remember in this regard:

• The Lord will often hide our growth and the growth others under us in order to keep us low, humble, and dependent upon His grace.

• Any change/improvement/growth (if it be a real growth instead of an emotional manipulation or fad), is to be rejoiced over. The question should never be ‘How fast are we growing?’, but rather, ‘Are we growing at all?’. And when there is growth, even tiny almost unnoticeable growth, then there is cause to rejoice, especially when you see this in others (this is a long way from the unrealistic expectations of many pastors of this day).

• When teaching/preaching and shepherding, do not waste your time striving to word things just right (in order to have that perfect effect on your hearers); don’t strive tirelessly to pull out that jewel of truth that you think will change lives and have the most impact. Instead, teach the simple truths clearly and forcibly, just as scripture lays them out; teach the plain truths from a variety of different angles, and trust the Lord that the simple truths, truths as simple as the gospel itself, will spring forth fruit when watered by the Spirit of our God.

• When sitting under your pastor or teacher, do not expect to hear that jewel of truth that will supposedly change you life; do not be discouraged if you hear nothing new or profound; do not worry when you feel as if you’ve heard it all before. Instead, take notes of the simple truths, the truths that you already know in your head, the truths that you’ve heard a thousand times. It is these simple truths, repeated, re-repeated, and burned into your very soul that ultimately lead to change. It is the Spirit taking the facts of the gospel and the simple truths of scripture, presenting them to your heart in slightly different manners, convicting you slowly and surely (and sometimes without much notice), that ultimately ends up transforming our lives into Christ-likeness.

My friends, expecting instant results will only lead to anger, disappointment, arrogance, and ultimately, bitterness. Instead of being angry that those under you don’t grow as fast as you liked, instead of being disappointed at your own spiritual growth, instead of being bitter over the poor preaching you think you are under, be patient, be longsuffering, and be confident that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation…and sanctification. Embrace the simple truths, and embrace them fully, and as you do and teach others likewise, these simple truths will yield profound results.

From it I received some encouraging feedback, despite the fact that it was but a brief blurb, containing few of the many scriptures on the subject of perseverance. Certainly, the issue could be fleshed out in much greater detail.

But along the same lines as this previous post, I recently read John Piper quoting Jonathan Edwards on this very issue, and his words are definitely worth repeating here:

“There is as much need of persons exercising care and diligence to persevere in order to their salvation, as there is of their attention and care to repent and be converted.” – Edwards, Miscellaneous Remarks Concerning Perseverance of the Saints, quoted by John Piper is The Supremacy of God in Preaching

I must admit, as much as I agree with Edwards, reading this comment somewhat shocked me. It is blunt and straight to the point. Did you get what he just said?? He said that persevering in the faith is *just* as important as our initial conversion and faith in Christ! Now there is a message that you don’t hear every day!

I’m afraid that many of the presuppositions within today’s church completely undermine this all important truth. You see, so many are convinced that scripture speaks of conversion as a one-time decision that one makes for Christ. Salvation (conversion) is treated as a decision, as an act of the human will, as an ‘accepting Jesus’, ’saying yes to Jesus’, as ‘asking Him into your heart’, etc. Once this decision is made, so the teaching goes, you are to *never* doubt that decision, because it is impossible to lose salvation!

How awful is this type of teaching! How contrary to scripture! Oh, how many are lost and deceived week in and week out by this kind of teaching! Of course, it goes without saying that it is impossible to fall away from the faith once a person has true faith in Christ, but the apostle John makes it clear that apostasy is the indicator that true faith never existed:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” – 1 John 2:19

Conclusion:
Thus, if we are to confirm our faith, if we are to ‘make our calling and election sure’, as scripture warns us to do, then we are to place just as much emphasis on persevering in the faith, week in and week out, as we did the moment the terrors of hell entered our hearts and we realized that we were under the judgment of God and needed to be redeemed. Oh, how this should transform our worship, our prayer life, our listening, our attention, and our application of the preached word! We live under an ever-dangerous cloud of apostasy, but for the grace, mercy, and sustaining power of God! Let us look to Christ for our salvation –whether we’ve been saved 5 minutes or 50 years!

The ‘best’ day of your life, the day that you placed initial faith in Christ, will certainly turn into the worst day of your existence if you ever abandon the faith, as it will prove to be the initial, outward acceptance of Christ before the apostasy, which will drastically increase your condemnation on the Final Day. Pay attention to God’s means of grace! Do not neglect them! Let us ever seek His presence in prayer, in the Word, under the preaching of the Word, partaking of the Bread and Wine, singing of songs to the Lord, and the communing with the saints! These are gracious gifts the Lord has given us to assist in our persevering until the end.

“…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” – Heb 2

(For more on Perseverance of the Saints, see this article by my friend Steve Camp)

I certainly understand that we live in the age of the ‘decision’ for Christ, the ‘asking Him into our hearts’, the ’saying yes’ to Jesus, the ‘personal relationship with Christ’ type of Christianity –all of this is clear to me, and it certainly provides an answer to the question above.

But why have so many, many of those have rejected the shallowness and emptiness of the popular gospel; why have so many stopped short of proclaiming a salvation that endures until the end?

Jesus said here and said it repeatedly: he who endures until THE END shall be saved.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Matt 10:22

And the apostles echo this truth:

…but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. – Heb 3:6

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. – Heb 4:11

So what is it? Are we afraid of abandoning ‘once saved – always saved’? Are we fearful of preaching a works salvation? Do we shy away from offending those who made a profession of faith, appeared to live for Christ for 10 years or so, and then all but abandoned the faith later in life? Are we scared of shaking assurance? Do we think it is unloving, unkind, uncharitable?

I rarely get told that my faith –as strong as it may be right now– means absolutely nothing if it doesn’t endure until the end. I need to hear that message. The Church needs to hear that message.

Lord’s Day Exhortation

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” – Heb 3:12

I encourage my readers to take head to the instruction above. Tomorrow, on the Lord’s Day, make a point to stop someone and remind them/encourage them/exhort them/or even rebuke them by sincerely reminding them of their responsibility to endure until the end. No matter who that person may be, they certainly need to hear it, and hear it often.

“The greatest need in this country today…is preachers, and they’re hard to find…

…I walk into a church and here a preacher say stand up and say ‘I’m going to share from my heart today’, I’ll walk out. I care less what’s in his heart; I don’t want to know what’s in his heart, I want to hear a word from God. I don’t want to know the way he feels; I don’t want to know stories about his life. I don’t really want to learn from him. I want someone to open up this book and say ‘thus sayeth God’! And I don’t want anything other than their work in interpreting the thing correctly. I want to hear from God; I need to hear from God! I’m desperately weak; without a word from God, I perish!” – Paul Washer

The question which heads this post should be very simple: Do large churches fulfill what God has outlined the church to do?

We live in an age where the mega-church is an increasingly new phenomenon. People are flocking to large churches as never before. But isn’t the size of churches that I have in mind with this question. Rather, it is a two-fold concern of:

• How the churches became large in the first place.

• How the large churches are doing in following the biblical model for a local congregation.

Regarding the first question, I must say that almost all of the large churches I have examined have become large through some troubling means (by scriptural standards, not my own opinions); means such as:

• Compromising the gospel to properly fit and appeal to a wider audience (easy to believe, no-offense gospel-lite, tailored to produce the largest acceptance possible, etc).

• Compromising or refusing to practice church discipline (some large churches will practice it with scandalous sins, but refuse to in other sins).

• Comprising biblical discipleship and teaching in favor of entertainment. The entertainment can be of a variety of forms: music, programs, social clubs for youth and singles, etc.

• Building their congregation around their pastor’s personality.

There are certainly many more reasons we could add to this list, but these are some of the main ones that are most evident and foundational.

The second concern I have is how large churches fulfill the shepherding role God has clearly outlined in His word.

In the extremely popular book, The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter says to pastors:

“When we are commanded to take heed to all the flock [Acts 20:28], it is plainly implied, that flocks must ordinarily be no greater than we are capable of overseeing, or ‘taking heed’ to….is not government of great concernment to the good of souls, as well as preaching?…if it be, then they that nullify it by undertaking impossibilities, do go about to ruin the churches and themselves…[you] may as well say to them [your congregation], ‘Let them perish’.”

Baxter makes the point again and again that the role of pastor/elder is a very serious one, according to scripture, and those that undertake to shepherd more than they can deal with on a personal basis are actually doing more damage than good to God’s kingdom.

There is nothing that concerns me more about large churches than the fact that there are so many people who don’t even personally know the man who preaches to them week in and week out. Common sense should tell us that this type of teacher-student relationship is inadequate, and how much more so with spiritual matters?

So, what if a church grows up to the point where the pastor cannot undertake all the responsibilities to the flock? Of course, the biblical model for church leadership (Titus 1 and1 Tim 3: which teaches that instead of one head-honcho pastor who runs the show, there should always be a plurality of elders who rule and shepherd with equal authority), deals with this ‘problem’ quite nicely.

Shepherding is a serious undertaking with serious consequences. I shutter to think of the pastors who are content with ‘ruling’ over and teaching a flock where they cannot personally get to know, mentor, teach, counsel, pray with, and influence every single person in their congregation. As James said, ‘let not many of you be teachers, for they have the stricter judgment’.

If Jesus had 12 disciples whom He shepherded, and even one of them was an unbeliever, how much more so are large congregations now days filled to the brim with unbelievers? Who is going to recognize the fact that they are deceived and thus attempt to ‘pull them out of the fire’?

If pastors are not intimately acquainted with their flock, no matter what he is doing in other areas, more souls will be hurt and lost than nourished and saved. Is this not true?

Catechizing
–verb (used with object), -chized, -chiz·ing.
1. to instruct orally by means of questions and answers, esp. in Christian doctrine.
2. to question with reference to belief.
3. to question closely.

In private studies with my wife, I have recently begun catechizing her, partly to prepare for doing the same with our children in the future, and partly to firm up in her the foundations of our Christian faith. We have been using Thomas Watson’s Body of Divinity for this task, and it has proved to be an enormous blessing to us. What an amazing, amazing work.

Catechizing sometimes gets a bad rap because of how the Roman Catholic Church has abused it, and probably because people sometimes perceive cold, dead, theology as coming from this particular method of teaching. But let me just tell you, catechizing, when properly done, is anything but dead theology, as it has the potential to bring solid, spiritual substance to many areas of faith and practice which are often casually overlooked. From my personal experience, just in the few weeks we have been at it consistently, catechizing has greatly increased our thoughts of God, our worship, both private and public, our prayer lives, our meditation, our communion, etc. Really, I am beginning to wonder how I ever did without it.

Catechizing is very simple on the surface, as it is basically a system of question and answers which give succinct, biblical responses to issues of the faith. Sadly, as I read through the old catechisms, I am amazed at how deep the teaching is, especially considering how they were written mainly for children! If even half of professing Christians today knew half of the baptist catechism, for example, then this country would be turned upside down! I am amazed at the depth of the old catechisms, while utterly ashamed at what passes for Christianity now days, because it is obvious these basic doctrines are largely unknown.

But viewing the catechism as a simple question and answer game, as if memorizing a fact is the end goal, just completely misses the point. As I said above, the catechism has great power to sanctify, even though it is most assuredly not the infallible word of God. Take the questions in, ponder them, meditate on them, let them sink in deeply as you pray, strive to take them to heart, and I assure you that greater sanctification and growth in grace will come of it.

Over the next year or so, I’m going to randomly note what part of the catechism we are learning that week, maybe even sharing a few thoughts along the way. In this post, I’ll go ahead and share one of the first ones that has greatly benefited us.

Q: What is it to glorify God?

A: Glorifying God consists of four things: Appreciation, Adoration, Affection, Subjection.

Appreciation:

• To glorify God is to set God highest in our thoughts, and, to have a venerable esteem of Him.
• We glorify God when we are God-admirers.
• To glorify God is to have God-admiring thoughts; to esteem Him most excellent, and search for diamonds in this Rock only.

Adoration:

• Worship.
• “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord on the beauty of holiness.”
• This Divine worship God is very jealous of; Divine worship must be such as God Himself has appointed, else it is offering strange fire (Lev 10).

Affection:

• Loving and delighting in Him.
• Giving Him the best of our love, as He is the chief of our happiness.

Subjection:

• Being vigorous in pursing obedience.
• Devoted completely to His service, His commands, statues, and laws.

As I contemplated Mark Driscoll and the pros and cons of his ministry, I was brought back to the scriptures, specifically 1 Tim chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1, and thus I considered the biblical qualifications for the office of an elder. (As I list under ‘Beliefs‘, the scriptures clearly teach that the local church is to be governed by a plurality of biblically qualified elders, instead of the typical ‘CEO’ figurehead or congregational rule that is predominant in most protestant churches today. Thus I move forward in the article below with these presuppositions).

Upon a study of 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1, the question that must stand out in our minds above all else is: What does it mean to be blameless and above reproach? Consider this question with me, even in relation to Mark Driscoll and others like him, as I welcome your feedback as well.

First, let us note just a few of the character-traits scripture lists under elder qualifications (ESV):

1 Tim 3: Above reproach; sober-minded; self-controlled; respectable; hospitable; gentle; not quarrelsome; not a recent convert; well thought of by outsiders, etc.
Titus 1: Above reproach; not arrogant; not quick tempered; self controlled; upright; holy; disciplined.

By observing this list, we can clearly see that the qualifications for an elder are centered on personal character, reputation, faithfulness, and sanctification, as just a basic summary.

Interesting that the scriptures do not mention a man’s:

• Educational level, as if a seminary degree is somehow a necessary asset to enter the ministry (it does mention that an elder must be ‘able to teach’ and ‘refute those who contradict’.)
• Popularity, as if a man’s ability to attract large crowds, demand a large hearing, or ‘change a lot of lives’ has anything to do with the holy office.
• Results (pragmatism), as if we are to look at the response to his message and determine if he is qualified. (Example: “Lot’s of people are getting saved, and God is moving, thus this man must be anointed!”)
• Likability, rhetorical skills, ability to be culturally-relevant or creative in presentation, etc.

Instead, the Holy Spirit through Paul focuses on a man’s steadfast obedience, his faithfulness to practical obedience, his integrity, his reputation, and basically, his level of sanctification. Elders are to be the very best examples of Godliness, the very holiest of men, and they are to be held to the very highest of standards.

Driscoll and Elder Qualifications
It is specifically in relation to these qualifications that I have concerns about Mark Driscoll and others like him. In this post, I am not out to discuss the tired argument of whether his methods/preaching/ministry is God-honoring. But what I am out to discuss is whether Driscoll being in the office of an elder is a good thing or a bad thing for the Church.

Regarding Driscoll specifically, I believe that an element of his success is undoubtedly his ‘rebellious’ streak. He isn’t afraid to say exactly what he is thinking, no matter how crude, shocking, or offensive it might be. I’m not sure why, but people tend to see this as somehow more honest, or more humble, when in reality it seems to be exactly the opposite. Driscoll specifically goes after the ’shock effect’, ever-so-trying to appeal to the pop-culture, and he successfully captures the approval of those who rebelliously hate what they see as rigid, legalistic, or boring Christianity in other circles.

But this issue does not stop with Driscoll alone. Even in what we would generally consider to be the most ‘doctrinally sound’ of circles (Reformed), we have men who are lauded and praised for their passionate messages, their cultural relevance, their success rate, and yes, even their rebellion, all while many turn a deaf ear to a ’strict’ interpretation of the qualifications of being an elder. However, it’s not all bad, as unlike many of his contemporaries, Driscoll at least preaches a sound gospel, for the most part, and he does at times seem passionate about that.

Specific concerns with the popular standards for eldership
I must be honest, I am deeply concerned that so many are so quickly embracing Driscoll and his message. Again, his message and methods are not the main concern of this post, but rather, his office and the popular (Reformed) church’s response to his ministry is a big concern. Regardless of whether we love him or hate him, his reputation is anything but blameless. His personal history is anything but steadfast, faithful, and self-controlled. Even if you wish to argue that he meets all the qualifications at the current time, what of a few years ago? What of his old material that is still out there and impacting people? What of the plethora of Godly leaders who object to many things in his ministry that are happening right now, based upon his character as an individual?

Reputation, faithfulness, character, and holiness
I fear that we have redefined ‘blameless’ because we like a personality –and this didn’t start with just Driscoll. Driscoll doesn’t have some new glorious truth of the gospel; he is just edgy and honest, which makes those who have a low view of sanctification feel good about themselves.

But a blameless man is one who is well thought of both in the church and in the world. A blameless man is almost the picture-perfect man of integrity, character, and humility. A blameless man is one who both the saved and lost point to as a man of God.

I don’t hear objections to John Piper’s character, or John MacArthur’s reputation, or RC Sproul’s integrity as an individual or in the pulpit. The offence of the gospel aside, these men are indeed ‘blameless’, and can be an example to all Christians and unbelievers alike in the arena of personal integrity, character, humility, and excellence. Indeed, these men are anything but sinless, but they are proof (along with many others) that God can and does raise up men that fit these qualifications to a ‘T’, with absolute 100% certainty.

Conclusion
Driscoll has come a long way from where he once was, no doubt. But he clearly isn’t ‘there’ yet, even if reputation and character are the only area we consider. Why isn’t there more of a loving approach of correction aimed in his direction? Why are so many content with a casual glance at his character/reputation issues in order to pat him on the back for what they like about him?

Do we really want to emulate his example as we look to follow the biblical mandate for electing elders to lead? Should we look at him and say, “Driscoll is the prototypical leader, a man of God, and an example of a good leader to the Church.”? I look out at the Church and the typical ‘elder’ process that goes on, and I shudder for God’s people, and the Reformed crowd’s response to this man’s ministry raises my concerns even more. When will we realize that Paul meant business when he gave these qualifications, and that any compromise with them is putting God’s people at a serious, serious risk?

Let’s encourage Mark to keep reforming himself and his beliefs, and that his reputation and character are not acceptable for a man who the scriptures call to be blameless and above reproach. And let’s also strive with every fiber of our being to honor God in the area of elder qualifications, refusing to compromise in the event of popularity, personality, likability, successfulness, etc.

Think over the passages of 1 Tim 3 and Titus 2, and may the Spirit of the Holy and Sovereign God guide your thinking as you seek to fully honor Him and His word to us.