Answer: Anyone who sets his heart on being an overseer
(elder/shepherd/bishop/pastor) desires a noble task, (verse
1).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
"Sets" ("sets his heart on being an
overseer") is from the Greek word orego. It
means "to reach, stretch out, is here used metaphorically in
the sense of aspiring to." It does not convey the bad
sense of grasping, but that if simple aspiration.
The word translated "noble" ("good"
in the KJV) is the Greek word kalos. It means
something that is "well" done, or "finely"
done, or done in a "seemly" manner, implying in its
meaning an action, task or work. Here it is exactly as
stated, "a noble task, or, work." The mention of
"task" rather than "thing" suggests labor
and toil.
Some of the noble tasks of overseers are:
Watch over (themselves and the flock) and shepherd (feed and
guide) the flock: Acts 20:28: "Keep
watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God
["feed the church of God" -- KJV], which He bought
with His Own blood."
Help the weak: Acts 20:35:
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard
work we must help the weak, remembering the Words the Lord Jesus
Himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
Hold firmly to God's Word, encourage others by
God's Word and refute those who oppose God's
Word: Titus 1:7a, 9: "Since an
overseer is entrusted with God's work...He must hold firmly to
the trustworthy Message as it has been taught, so that he can
encourage others by Sound Doctrine and refute those who oppose
it."
Be examples to the flock: 1 Peter
5:2-3: "Be shepherds of God's flock that is
under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must,
but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for
money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to
you, but being examples to the flock."
Visit the sick: James 5:14a:
"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the
church to pray over him..."
Watch in behalf of the souls of the members:
Hebrews 13:17: "Obey your leaders and
submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must
give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a
burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."
These duties have been imposed on the elders by the Lord and
when not faithfully performed, the church suffers. When an
elder or elders no longer desire(s) to, nor faithfully carries out
his duties, he is walking contrary to the Lord and is therefore
displeasing to Him and should willfully step aside and not pull the
church down with him. There is a vast difference in an elder
who cannot fulfill his duties because of legitimate reasons and one
who will not carry out his duties.
(Also see b below.)
