1 Timothy 3:6 (ESV) — He must not be a recent convert, or he may become
puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
NOTE: This is
another tough verse to understand and explain, especially in today's
environment. Let me first of all say, that I am only applying this to spiritual
leadership since that is the context, elders and pastors. And the verse does
not say anything about age, only about recency of conversion, spiritual age in
Christ, or in today's politically correct terms, experience. Knowing a lot is
very different from experiencing a lot, especially in the church. A course in
counseling or conflict management, while useful, is not as useful as previous
experience, preferably multiple experiences, in handling interpersonal
conflict. Wisdom is gained by experience, not books or just an exposure to the
topic in a setting or two. And experience is highly correlated to time involved
in the activity, which is then highly correlated to age, at least in a
spiritual setting. Young elders and young pastors are a danger if they do not
have the experiences required for the role. They are a danger to themselves --
pride, and they are a danger to the body -- poor advice.
PRAYER: Father, give
us wisdom as a body and as leaders to choose men of wisdom and full of the Holy
Spirit. Protect our body from men who are not wise, who are immature, and who
are more filled with themselves than with the spirit.
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