What's your view?
A good friend of mine was made an elder at his church recently. I am happy for him. But .....he is 33.
So, I was looking through scripture on qualifications for elders mentioning / suggesting age and found nothing (apart from the elders = elders)
It's a joke imho. It should be a clear-cut rule in Christianity that elders cannot be younger then 45 / 50. Elders = elders = older people = 45 plus. I guess the question is what respected church would appoint young elders?
Youth = youth = inevitable mistakes / naivety. Elder > 50 > evangelist / apostle.
Some applicable verses so you don't need to hunt them.
1 Tim 3:1-7 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
Titus 1:5-9 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
1 Tim 4:12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity
1 Tim 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,
A good friend of mine was made an elder at his church recently. I am happy for him. But .....he is 33.
So, I was looking through scripture on qualifications for elders mentioning / suggesting age and found nothing (apart from the elders = elders)
It's a joke imho. It should be a clear-cut rule in Christianity that elders cannot be younger then 45 / 50. Elders = elders = older people = 45 plus. I guess the question is what respected church would appoint young elders?
Youth = youth = inevitable mistakes / naivety. Elder > 50 > evangelist / apostle.
Some applicable verses so you don't need to hunt them.
1 Tim 3:1-7 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
Titus 1:5-9 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
1 Tim 4:12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity
1 Tim 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,
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