Can Elders of a church be young?
score:10
From Paul's own writing to Timothy, specifically verse 12:
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
So no, there is no "age requirement", but one must at least fulfill the prerequisites listed in Titus 1 & 1 Timothy 3.
As a sidebar, Jesus did not start His ministry until he was about 30 - the typical age for a rabbi to be able to have his own disciples. Whether or not 30 should be normative in the church, all of His disciples would've been at least adults of taxable age (over 20) when He called them. Paul was most certainly over 30 when he was called, since he was already a well-established pharisee. I cannot speak with dogmatism on this, but I personally think that it's a good ballpark age :)
Upvote:13
This all kind of depends on what you mean by "young".
Titus 1:5 - 9 has a more detailed description of what an elder should be:
Titus 1:5 - 9
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7 For an elder must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.
9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
As you can see while this description does not explicitly give an age requirement, it gives the expectation that this person is established, and that they have a proven track record of being Godly.
More post
- 📝 Where did Aquinas find this gloss?
- 📝 How can we understand Jesus's omniscience?
- 📝 In what way does the author of Hebrews argue that every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution?
- 📝 How do Catholics believe God is eternal if Jesus died on the cross?
- 📝 In Genesis, how did the first language come to be?
- 📝 Is there a Catholic ceremony for virgins who are not nuns or sisters?
- 📝 Why is foot washing so uncommon nowadays
- 📝 According LDS theology the Universal Church "apostatize." Please reconcile this with Matthew 16:18, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
- 📝 Why and when did allegorical interpretations of Scripture lose their appeal?
- 📝 What are the consequences of suicide according to the Roman Catholic church?
- 📝 The unicorn as a Christological figure
- 📝 How would a Catholic explain the absence of the mass in the Epistle to the Hebrews?
- 📝 Who is Lillith?
- 📝 How did Brigham Young become the most well-known Mormon leader (after Joseph Smith left the scene)?
- 📝 What does the Bible have to say about dinosaurs?
- 📝 Why do most Bible translations bowdlerize the Tetragrammaton?
- 📝 What in Christian faith lies behind subject of science?
- 📝 Is suffering a proof against intelligent design?
- 📝 Angelology: Can Archangels Have More Than 1 Set of Wings?
- 📝 Are politicians who are integral to passing pro-abortion laws automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Has any prominent theologian ever explained why Jesus let a thief be in charge of the money?
- 📝 Is there a special significance attached to a Latin Mass?
- 📝 What original text is the King James Version (KJV) translation of the Old Testament based on?
- 📝 Can the Pope speak ex cathedra about the return of Christ?
- 📝 What is stopping Christians from having just one doctrine/interpretation?
- 📝 Is Genesis 18 regarded as a Theophany of the Trinity by any denomination?
- 📝 Why did God create the idea of opposites?
- 📝 From where did the Book of Abraham come and how did it become part of LDS Scripture?
- 📝 Christian response(s) to disaster survival, or Christian self-defense
- 📝 Which, if any, of the seven Church Councils viewed as "Ecumenical" by Eastern Orthodox Christians are rejected by the Roman Catholic Church?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Can Elders of a church be young?
- 📝 Why can the Catholic Church declare one person a saint but has never declared another damned?
- 📝 Can different levels of the Church hierarchy provide different types of blessings?
- 📝 Can I go to church on the internet?
- 📝 Can a Catholic priest be tied to a single parish or other physical church his entire life?
- 📝 How can common believers in the Eastern Orthodox Church be sure that the Church's decisions are correct and not erroneous?
- 📝 How can it be said that Paul taught a pre-tribulational rapture of the Church given 2 Thessalonians chapter 2?
- 📝 Can a church pastor prohibit sacraments to people for any reason, other than mortal sin?
- 📝 Can you give air-kisses to icons in the Eastern Orthodox church instead of physical kisses?
- 📝 Can you re-enter the catholic church after leaving?
- 📝 Can a practicing Catholic be an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church Monastery?
- 📝 Can a practicing Catholic who joined a Protestant church still receive communion in the Catholic church?
- 📝 In the Church of England, can one accept communion without being confimed?
- 📝 Can a baby be baptized in a Catholic Church if the mother does not have papers proving she was baptized?
- 📝 Can Orthodox Church members be extraordinary ministers in the Roman Catholic rite?
- 📝 Can Prince Harry marry his fiancée by the Church of England's precepts?
- 📝 How can apologists argue that if Jesus did not rise again then Christianity and the Church would not have lasted, when other religions have?
- 📝 Can a novel interpretation of John 15 be supported by art in church history?
- 📝 How can common believers in the Roman Catholic Church be sure that the Church's decisions are correct and not erroneous?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholic Church is it only via Jesus you can come in Heaven?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach that we can choose when to use an indulgence?
- 📝 How long can the Catholic Church be without a pope?
- 📝 Are the apostles the final authority on interpreting the scriptures in the LDS church and how can I get their interpretations of specific passages?
- 📝 Can a Catholic married to an Orthodox in an Orthodox church re-celebrate her wedding in a Catholic church?
- 📝 According to the Greek Orthodox Church can one marry a Maronite Catholic?
- 📝 What does the Catholic Church think about God being defined as "that than which nothing greater can be conceived"?
- 📝 Why was Descartes' interpretation of the Catholic transubstantiation not approved by Church and how can it be improved?
- 📝 How much of the text of the Gospel of John can be substantiated by early copies and quotes from early Church Fathers?
- 📝 Can a non virgin have a church wedding?
- 📝 How, according to the Catholic Church, can God order genocide even though the Church has declared such a situation impossible?