Published: August 2, 2026 | Speaker: Tim Freitag | Series: The Law of Liberty 2 - Part 14 | Scripture: Titus 1:5-9
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0:12
I have left up the notes from last week. Um, we talked about some of this and I don't want to I don't want to belabor the point, but I think there's just one or two more things to discuss here in terms of the uh the office of the elder
0:23
and the qualifications there unto. And as is often the case with Paul, the thought here continues into the next uh paragraphs. And so um
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I'm going to read a little bit further down in in Titus. And uh Lord willing, we'll get a little further on in the the chapter this morning, but I don't want to leave this particular section until
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we've um examined these things properly. So, I'm going to read um Titus uh chapter 1 beginning in verse 5, and I'm going to go down through verse uh 16.
1:00
For this reason, I left you increet that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. Namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife,
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having children who are faithful, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine,
1:21
not pugnacious, not fond of sorted gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast to the faithful word, which
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is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able to both exhort in sound doctrine, and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty
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talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things that they should not teach for the sake of
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sorted gain. sorted gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretton are always liars, evil beasts, lazy glutton, and this testimony is true. For this reason, reprove them
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severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who
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are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being detestable and disobedient
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and worthless for any good deed. Certainly the contrast of the people he describes at the end with the people he describes at the beginning is to be
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noted. Um what he describes there the idea of being uh detestable, disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Uh I think you you can read that and assume
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uh the opposite is what he's looking for in an elder. Okay, there is a contrast drawn between those things. But before I jump down there, I want to talk about just a couple of the points here. We we covered
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a good bit of these and I think that was helpful. Um we talked a little bit about this idea of positive negative. Um some of the commentators look at these as virtues and vices. Um I put up there
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sword and shield. Well really yeah sword and shield this way. Um Paul takes the negative first and then the positive. I don't really make a theological point of that. Um I'm not trying to fill out a
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commentary. So, um I did put these a little bit out of the order that he had in order to lump together some of the things. Obviously, this he takes this first and this last.
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Um and we can we did talk about um 1 Timothy 3 where we see a very similar list. He does not have two of the items that are in this list, not because he didn't think they were important. He
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just didn't put them in that particular list to Timothy. So I want to talk about a few of the items in particular here um
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as we go forward unless there was a particular question or or thought from last time last time that I've missed. Yes.
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Yeah. So, the New American Standard, which is the Bible I normally use, and I probably should pick a different one soon, doesn't translate these as um as literally as I might hope in some
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places. Pugnatius is uh I think the one that's here is actually quick-tempered and not uh not the violent here because there's some interpretation to the Greek word wording there and it gets used in a
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number of places both in and out of the Old Testament. quicktempered here. It has a fuller orbed meaning. So, we'll talk about that, which is it's not just
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um fire or flying off the handle or firing off. It's really the idea of like getting into fights, which is what the word pugnacious means. It's the idea of of flying off the handle to the point that you're engaged in like reckoning
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with people, not just kind of the I yelled and now I'm, you know, the flash is over. It's it's really that sort of sustained combative temper is what that means. Um,
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so quick-tempered in that way. And so yes, some some translations I think my translation uses the word pugnacious. It's not terrible, but it's not maybe what I would have done. I don't think I've done that right, but whatever.
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Um, English is not my strongest part of the um, so yeah, as he goes through the items here, um, he lays out particular things that he wants them to be, uh,
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avoiding. So he says um not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not um oh actually sorry my my translation is actually doing pugnacious
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here um as opposed to violence. Um so I guess I should move that down. Really it's this is something we'll talk about
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here. What's the difference here? And why does he have two words for this if it's the same idea? Um,
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I think the idea of being quick-tempered is not necessarily physically violent. I do think the word here in the Greek that that is probably more correctly translated violent is is literally physically violent. Um,
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there is a sense in which the culture, the Greek culture and the and the ancient culture, physical violence was maybe a little more common than it is in our culture. um we have a lot more laws about putting your hands on people. Not
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that they didn't, but you were allowed to, for instance, beat your slaves, etc. Um physical violence was a little bit more uh inherent, I think, in the culture at the time. I think there is
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also the element though of just not they are related but different. The idea of being quick-tempered, the idea of of lashing out, but also violence in the idea of of violently lashing out.
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The first one is more
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who um I mean that I think at least one of the ones I was looking at said we could think of this one almost in in the idea of bullying um the idea of of going forward in a in a rough way. um both physically and and
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emotionally going going around like a bully in that way. Um and effectively intimidation if you like in that sense we tend to look at these things in terms
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of temperament but I think we need to remember further down the passage you read the elders are are called to severely
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are shepherds it's not it's not It's not a
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don't think personality traits more signs of spiritual maturity,
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Right. So, it's it's actually a very worthy point to consider while we're here with these particular words because um to your point, I mean, dad made made mention in the sermon last week uh you know, the idea of the shepherd carrying
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the staff as a weapon able to defend the sheep. Um we have of course the the very visible aspect of David being the shepherd who becomes king. his ability
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to sling stones and and kill Goliath is because he was defending the flock from wild beasts where you had to be able to take them on. Um we also have in in Acts
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where we're told that they need to be able to defend the sheep because fierce wolves are coming. That those ideas are
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offense especially against the person of Saul right shows that selfcontrol as opposed to he was the man's man warrior yet he was not quickteered or violent
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eager for blood or she chucking stones at him aish wants to go his head off. He's his answer is one of primary focus on the Lord rather
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than on the things of the flesh. Thank you for pointing that out. Yeah, because I guess it was just recently you read in uh in Samuel where he he dodges the spears and and flees instead of, you
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know, going handtoand when he well could have. So, I I was thinking about this because we we did just touch on this a little bit last week, but really um the
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list that he gives here, both in terms of things to avoid and things to to uh be upright, are not the things that your um your alpha male influencers on the
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internet these days are going to hand out to you as the way that a man ought to be. I'll put it that way. Um there's not a lot said here about, you know, strength, for example. the idea of
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self-controlled, the idea of being upright, those things are in there, but there's not a there's not a discussion here other than, as Chuck pointed out, where he
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says, they need to be able to reprove. They need to be able to hold fast. Okay? So, steadfastness in these things, not yielding on what is right is very
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important and requires a certain strength of character. But to the point I think that Aaron was the one who made last week, um, you know, the things that are that are habitual for a person
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doesn't necessarily have to be their personality trait, but if they're lacking in self-control and are unable to restrain things that are personality traits that ought not be that are
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contrary to these things that Paul hands out here, um, that is is something to be examined. I was thinking here in um 1
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Timothy, I can't remember if we read this last week down at the end of First Timothy chapter 5 um as he sort of returned to this idea of of elders having um
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discussed some other issues in the church. But he says down here um near the end he he actually is it's right after the bit where he tells Timothy to to drink a little wine. In verse 24 and
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25, he says of chapter 5, "The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment. Others their sins follow after. Likewise, deeds that are good are quite evident and those which
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are otherwise cannot be concealed." So, it's that examining of the character, that idea of of these things being
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evident um or obvious is the the crux of what we're getting at with these things. And so it's not that um the man is unable to
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be a fierce defender if needed to be, but it's it's against bullying or intimidating or going around leaning on people to get things done. It's that uh
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contrast. Um you know, in contrast to being self-willed. Um and I tried to put some of these across from each other, which is why I've reordered some of it in the way that I have. They don't all have
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perfect opposites here, but not being um quick-tempered is, I think, sort of related to the idea of self-control, that you have control of your temper, that you have control of
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yourself and and how you respond, frankly. Um the idea of being not arrogant or what does my translation say here is um
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you're not self-willed. Um is what the New American Standard has. And again, this is one of those ones where there's enough nuance in the Greek that either of those is probably okay.
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Arrogant, I think, maybe gets a little more. It's the idea of being self-satisfied or self-sufficient in these things as opposed to being spiritled, as opposed to being led by
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the word. It's the idea of like, well, I know I got it. Okay, I'm self-willed here because like just let me do it. Does that make sense to everybody? So, it's that's why I have
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this one contrasted to the idea of um my translation I think uses the word devout. Um I touched on this last week. I do think the word is better translated holy. Um it is used in a couple of other
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places and in the Septuagent as holy. There's a number of words in Greek that get translated that way, but I think um this one in particular, holy is probably the right way to look at that. It does
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have the idea of being pious. It does have the idea of devotion. It does have the idea of relying on God's power and God's will. Um, and so that as opposed to being arrogant or self-willed. Um,
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not being a drunkard. That one's fairly self-explanatory. Obviously, we have here where he tells Timothy that he ought to drink a little wine for his stomach. This doesn't mean that you're a tea totler. I know we're in a Baptist
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church, but we're not that kind of Baptist church. Okay. So, um, this one I hope is fairly self-explanatory. Again, the idea of being disciplined is not exclusively related to the idea of not being a drunkard, but certainly if
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you're a drunkard, you're not particularly disciplined. Um, you could also think of this phrase, and there is some discussion among the commentators in the Greek translations, um, because
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he uses in first Timothy 3, he uses two different phrases that seem to relate to this. And so, some actually go this way with this. And I don't strongly
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disagree, but I also can't prove it to you from the Greek. The idea of not is literally not being a drunkard here in Titus. In first Timothy, there's an element of soberness of mind. The idea
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of discipline relates to this. So yeah, you can't have a an alcoholic or a drunkard filling this office, but it goes beyond that to the whole mindset and order of
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what is it to be drunk is to lose control of your faculties, to surrender them to that influence. In the ancient culture,
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a drunker would be fairly well
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our culture. This is something
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over times the only people or the only person
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That's a real challenge. Alcoholism today is today is much more behind behind. It tends to be. Yeah, it does tend to be. You're you're right about that. It tends to be uh And then there are other abuses.
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Yeah. Substance abuses. Correct. change your ability to
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Right. And and yes, and I would agree with you there also that not not being a drunkard includes um all mindaltering substances, maybe with the exception of caffeine. Um [laughter]
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I have no I have no particular bent there. No. Um we're not going What is it? the Mormons who aren't allowed to drink caffeine and or any any substances of that sort at all. Um, so I yes uh not
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being a drunkard I think does include though you know I'm on camera so I'll be careful with my phraseiology here but various other substances that could be used and in our culture frankly are
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increasingly winked at or or accepted in that way. The challenge that I'm trying to bring up in our past church with the issue of
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even with things like quick temper it can be hidden. You know some some of these things are only evident
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and that raises the ethical challenge for a woman. You know, we're looking at putting someone in overseeing capacity church.
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This is her husband. I get really tricky. We've had we've had trauma in the past because
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known was put into the office of elder characteristics. everyone else would have said yes,
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right? Um yeah, I I can I can certainly understand that. I don't know um that I have from reading this or from from digging into this a particular answer to that challenge. Um other than the the
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necessity that the entire body, the wife of the man included, do these things in honesty and in integrity before the word. Um
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word. Um there is very much a sense in which we actually discussed this when we were talking about the book we were reading on on the pastoral office.
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There is a there is a challenge related to that I think which is that the scripture tends to demonstrate these things in a best case scenario. It talks about these things in a this is the
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expected high standard as we mentioned last week. Who is sufficient for these things? I mean we are human beings. The idea of being above reproach, the
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idea that he he highlights in 1 Timothy 5 where I just read the idea that by and large these things will be evident. Um
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we have to accept that at some level. uh it's hard to make a decision otherwise. Gabrielle, I think that's why hospitality is so important because yes,
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but as long as you're doing your service to others in and out of the home, that will probably become
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that's that's a reasonable point. I mean, the the elder is not meant to be a person unknown to the congregation or or for whom um the the congregation and and the community is unfamiliar. Chuck's point stands obviously because we have
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um in the history of this church had issues of people making it to the office of elder who would have been disqualified if it had been known. Like I said, I don't know that I have an
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answer to that specifically. I don't know if you have a thought that you want to share with that.
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Not really a thought except that a bad report from the wife probably has Yeah, I would I would guess so. Um yeah, a bad report from from the wife would be
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immediately disqualifying. immediately disqualifying. Um I would I can agree with that. So yes, Dad, go ahead. I wasn't looking this way.
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do not lay hands on anyone hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of Yeah, thank you. Yes, that that that is very relevant there. Um I do think that that is talking about um
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in 1 Timothy 5 there he is talking about specifically the elders um and appointing of elders. And so yes, he's saying don't don't be quick. Um, also
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this is sort of the flip side maybe if you like of of James is not let many of you become teachers. Um, don't don't go around appointing a lot of teachers. Make sure that this is thoroughly
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vetted, thoroughly done. This is this is a stewardship over the Lord's house. That's where Paul starts with here. The steward of God's house. So, it is serious and the and the consideration of
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these things are very serious. That's part of why I'm spending the time that we're spending on it. It's not irrelevant and it's not the sort of thing to be passed over as a close
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enough. We talked about this It's a very common idea today and that is that you use kind of the junior
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teaching offices Sunday school.
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ability before the commitment needs to be evident before we before we submit even our children. Yeah. No, I I agree with that 100%. You know,
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the idea that that we ought uh Stra makes this point. I think in his book um that that both the elders and the congregation really ought to be having their eyes open looking for these things
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throughout um whether that's specifically for the eldership. I mean these this list if we go back to 1 Timothy 3 this list is also spoken of for the deacons um pretty much
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identical. This would be a very similar list I would hazard. Although he doesn't actually give a list that I can remember anywhere except when he's talking to Timothy specifically doing the work of an evangelist. An evangelist needs to have good moral character and good
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reputation. Okay. So the idea that we're looking for these things I think the point was made a number of times last week. Ideally all of us are distinguished by these things. This is this is a we can find various good
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behavior enjoined on us in various parts of scripture. This is a context specifically where Paul is talking to Titus about the elders and those who lead and steward God's house. He says
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it's you can't be this and you got to be this. Aaron, you have your hand up.
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being as far as
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Yeah. I um I'm not remembering. I think it's back in First Timothy in one of these places. I think he's actually speaking of the the deacons, but he says, "Let them be tested." Um, he specifically uses that idea of let them let them be tested. Um, it doesn't
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really give a lot of qualifications, but I can agree with the idea that that some level of responsibility or commitment before fully before fully uh in endowing all of that on them is is
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prudent and and even has some scriptural basis to it. Um, as I think that's part of what Chuck was pointing out, the idea that they are committed to do these
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things before before we go all the way um is is important, but again, not strictly or only for the deacon or for the eldership or the deacons, but in all respects of
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of service in the church. So, um, before we completely run out of time, I do want to run through the rest of these. Um,
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I think we've talked about most of the knots. He says, "Not greedy for gain or sorted gain is the phrase I think that's used in a couple of places and it's also there in First Timothy." He points it
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out again here in this paragraph I read about the circumcision party coming in. He says, "They're doing these things in order to gain for themselves." Okay? And so, um, dad pointed out the the place I
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think last week it was in in first Peter, um, free from the love of money. Um, that the the the love of money is the root of all sorts of evils. Um, Matthew 6. Most of you are familiar
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probably with the King James translation that you cannot serve both mammon and God, frankly, meaning wealth. Um, you can't serve wealth or money and serve God. Jesus lays that out just that
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bluntly. So the idea of being free from from greed or desire to gain. Um and I actually think the desire of gain here is is the phrasing that's used by Paul.
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And given the way that he uses it down in this next paragraph, I think it's not exclusively money. I think actually you could you could extend this idea of
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greed for sorted gain to the idea of influence, the idea of power. Those are things that people often are greedy for, especially those who gravitate towards leadership roles. Um, most of you have
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been around in the world long enough to have seen this either in politics or at work or even in families, all sorts of places. So, sorted gain, I don't think, is exclusively to money.
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Certainly that's involved as Peter reminds us, but the idea of sorted gain uh wraps up all of these things. Did I miss? Okay, miss? Okay, so free of controlling passions. Um and
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this goes back I think Chuck pointed out the the idea of self-controlled and I lumped these together.
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the steward of God's house, the elder is is intended to be led by the spirit and guided by guided by um by God and by his word and by by the action of the spirit. And so these
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things are things that effectively would override or overrule the right order and function of function of the positive side. Does that make sense?
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So, um, as we turn our attention here to the positive side, I think we've talked about a number of these. I'm going to
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read the list here. Um, yes, go ahead.
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he's saying some are preaching Christ even from envy and strife. and later saying that the former proclaimed Christ out of selfish ambition rather than pure thinking stress
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discredit and obviously that falls under the a lot of those things right hand side that's the word of scripture that
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are just out of envy strike and selfish ambition rather than glory of
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Yeah. No, thank you for that. Um yeah, it is one of those um obviously if you've paid much attention or had much experience uh looking around at at people who have uh risen to
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notoriety in the church, unfortunately it seems like easily 50% of those who rise to notoriety in the church almost inevitably reach infamy in the church um
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as a whole. that that it comes out that this was done for selfish motives of various kinds. Um
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that is a warning that we have here. And frankly, you know, when I say those who rise to notoriety in the church, um obviously it's not everyone who has ever been a famous theologian or preacher,
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but man, a lot of our famous theologians and preachers, we find out later that as Paul says, their sins have followed after. Um, and so I think that's frankly
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um I go back to first Thessalonians. Make it your ambition to have no ambition. Make it your ambition to live quietly to preach the word and do this. That's enough. Okay. You don't need the
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elder needs no higher aim than to do this. Chuck, this. Chuck, the history of our country.
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Yeah. Yeah. Um well, and I would say actually, you know, that's that's an interesting point. Um we have a sort of joking reference sometimes to the idea of a cult leader as a charismatic
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personality. I think if you went through this list against any of the people that you found to be leaders of cults, you could probably knock them off uh off the list of consideration pretty quickly.
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Um, I do want to touch on some more of our um, positives here unless there's another thought here. So, in my translation I have here um, yes, sorry.
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Oh, Justin, I'm sorry. Go ahead.
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I mean by that goes on to say the way Christ is preached inj
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that's that's that's an excellent point. I appreciate that. Um because you're exactly right. Um and me talking about um the the notoriety of the larger frame. Obviously those are
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not our congregations. Um those our responsibility is here in the local body and it is the responsibility of of the elders but also the whole congregation to look out these things for the body
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for this body here. Um thank you. That that's a that's a good reminder of of where our context is.
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right it just seems like attitude is like either way preach
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yeah no that's exactly right that's exactly right um and and he does he does indicate here um as we follow on to this next paragraph that I think we're going to have to do more of next week but he talks about the idea as he's saying
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appoint these elders, have them have these qualifications, let them be ready to refute those who contradict because here are these unruly people in their spheres of influence in their bodies, in their cities. That's the point is it's
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not it's not that he's appointing more evangelists to go around itinerately like debating or or politicking. It's in their bodies. Abigail
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ourselves to the teaching of men and women as well. We don't actually know. So I think
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up. the right that that is a good reminder. Um that is a good reminder that this is the body that we've been given. This is the teaching that is that is set for us. Um and yeah, you do have to be careful
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about those other influences. Isabella, yeah, greedy for gain certainly could be related to self-willed. Um Paul Paul
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highlights them separately, but yes um being self-willed, your your self being driven by greed um would certainly qualify there. Yeah, that's that's a reasonable uh way to to look at that. Um
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so yeah, he he does he does highlight here and and I appreciate the reminder because it is for it is for the local congregation that these things are set and this is it is the localities that
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will have these responsibilities and these things to do. Um so as we look at the other items here um we have talked a bit
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about um being holy or devoted or self-controlled. Um self-controlled. Um his first one that he starts with and I've got it down here last um is
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hospitable. Um were there any particular questions about these about these ideas here? I mean we talked about them somewhat in contrast. Um, the idea of being upright is the is I think closely
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related. I believe it's this one and I can't remember which two it is that aren't in first Timothy. I think this is one of the ones that's not in First Timothy. Again, not because it's not
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necessary, but the idea of being upright, the idea of being visibly doing good works, I think is part of what that means. Not in a performative way, but that it is in your
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habit. It is in your intention because you are not self-willed. Because you are self-controlled and you are walking by the spirit the spirit that will be manifest
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Yeah. Proactively wrong. I was trying to figure out if I could make this list, you know, be across from each other. I I didn't feel like they all had a onetoone in that way. Yes, if that idea is going
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around being intimidating or or leaning on people, this is this is related to that in the sense of of marketkedly absent in that uh of of being it doesn't actually use the word
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here peaceable, but um I think the idea of of peaceable could be uh related to some of this. Um oh yeah, it's uh it's actually these two
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are not in First Timothy. I did leave myself a note.
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that's very biblical. It goes all the way back to Genesis 1. What God spoke into was chaos. opposite of chaos.
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as I hope we will be finding out on Thursday probably with your kingdom uh discussion. But yes, I appreciate that point because I don't want to lose the the point for the trees here. Um, it is very much two elements and I put
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sword and shield in the sense of we guard against these things. This is proactively or outwardly done in a way that is that is visible.
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if you're only concerned for yourself, you have to leave the body behind. And so it creates a chaos. So it really
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it could it could I I I'm certainly making a choice by putting it in blue under here. Um and and he doesn't phrase them in a not doing this is still proactively able to do this in a way
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that is defending the body. Uh, Abe
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looking for certain folks who are reach maturity is a is an excellent word to to draw out there and I will I will agree with you. However,
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this bracket here, I think, is what is distinguishing the elder, which is not to say to say able to encourage or exhort, holding
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fast to the true word, able to encourage or exhort and able to rebuke or reprove. I will say that all of the body should be able to, we read elsewhere, you have
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no, you should have no need of anyone to teach you. And yet, we are given teachers. we are given instructions that these men in particular should be able to reprove. He goes on to give an
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example of exactly the kind of people they need to be able to combat. It goes back to the idea of being the shepherd. It goes back to being able leading positively and leading offensively to to
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ward off those things. This is related specifically. I will hold not that this is impossible for a member of the congregation to be able to for example
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give a a defense for the hope that they
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So, yes and no. I'm going to take Ariel's comment and then I'm going to come back. We're we're getting down on time, but go ahead. I think a young struggle to do that.
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behaviors. Yes. And and and we did touch on this a little bit last week the idea that we go back to his his starting idea of being above reproach, having a good reputation. He talks about in other
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places the idea that some of you were drunkards, some of you were various things. I frankly think just to put it plainly that that would be disqualifying. Having that past, you are redeemed. You
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are able to do these things, but it is going to open you to reproach having that element behind you. And to your point, maturity in being able to do these things is critically important.
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Chuck, what separates an elder from the rest of ultimate responsibility
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gives the responsibility of equipping saints for the work of ministry to the pastor teacher. Right? So I agree with it, but it's it's the elers responsibility not to fight every
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single battle. Frankly, shows up and one of the sheep is a good kick of the jaw. Amen. Yeah. You know, I don't but the elders and
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this I think has been very typical in modern church. The elders don't equip the saints to do that and the saints or chief in turn look to the elders to do
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it all. Yeah. Mark and I and whoever come alongside us, we will be given account on how well we equipped
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we equipped the saints to do the work. This is the work of the ministry, right? I agree with this is everybody's responsibility. the elders are simply hopefully examples
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of maturity and those who equip. So yes, I again I agree with that and I agree with the idea and and I was
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thinking about that that that it is to equip the saints for the ministry. If the elders have raised a congregation such that all of them are distinguished by these things and able to do this,
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wonderful that is what they are meant to do. But as Chuck points out, it is a responsibility of the elder. The elder is responsible for it says steward over
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God's house. Uh he says elsewhere able to rule well. I think it's in 1 Timothy 5. The idea is that the elders have the responsibility over this local body in its behavior. Is it distinguished by
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these things? This is the responsibility of the elders by doing this and doing this is to equip all of the members of that body. The members of the body. We just came from 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
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The members of the body also have their responsibility to be active in these things. They do. That's not negated by the elders responsibility over the body. Does that make sense,
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I feel like not everybody should preach. Not everybody Not everybody and not everybody here is going to preach, but I would
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So yes, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
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Right. Not alliance.
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[cough] Every man is an overseer. Every man should be qualified. I hope that Yeah. And
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Yeah. And yeah, we're we're over time. Um, does that answer your question though? Because we talked about this when we very first started this section. The word elder is just the way we use the
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word elder in in English parliament. An older man or or someone who has an authority in that way. So to that sense I can ascent to the idea that every member has that option of being and and
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and and in this body frankly we rejoice because so many are yes but the office and there is an office and and it's
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clear here in Titus that he's talking about to hold the office this and when he says in Timothy he's he's using the word overseer those who have
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the respons responsibility over the body. Those who answer to God with responsibility for the body
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should think of these things. That's what I ought to do.
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Okay. I'm sorry if I misunderstood that. I'm I have no problem with the idea that that every member of the body aspires to be free of these controlling passions and to walk uprightly in these things.
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Yes. And and to Chuck's point, that is the work of the ministry is to have everyone ready to do those things. But not all are gifted to teach. Not all are G, you know those there are distinctions there. James, did you have a
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Yeah. Yeah. That's a that's a good way to think of that. Um that that the elders are are armorers uh preparing those things for for the soldiers. Um we could also extend that thought, you know, effectively like sergeants, right?
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They're not they're not necessarily more skilled warriors than the soldiers, but they're given charge to order and direct. Does that
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Does that Okay, we're we're quite a ways over time. So, let's close in a word of prayer and go upstairs. Father, we do thank you for your word. We ask that you would speak to our minds
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and our hearts that we would be able to walk uprightly, that we would be distinguished by these positive traits. We desire to see you glorified by our actions. Though we know we still wrestle
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with sin. We still struggle with the flesh. And yet we reckon that the spirit at work in us is well able to accomplish these things as you have promised. So
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father we cast ourselves on your promise. We ask your presence with us this morning. Be glorified among us. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. I'm sorry I didn't come back to you.
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You had a thought there and I pointed at somebody else and didn't come back.