JOS JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

This paper examines the office and character requirements of an overseer (elder/bishop) through an exegetical study of 1 Timothy 3:1–7, situating the passage within its historical and literary context in early Christianity and drawing out its ecclesiological relevance for the contemporary church. It argues that the qualifications outlined by Paul are not merely administrative criteria but deeply theological markers of spiritual maturity, moral integrity, and communal responsibility, intended to safeguard sound doctrine and promote effective church leadership. By analysing key Greek terms and the broader New Testament usage of leadership titles, the study demonstrates the functional interchangeability of roles such as bishop, elder, pastor, and overseer, while emphasizing the primacy of character over charisma or institutional authority. The paper further contends that many modern challenges in church leadership stem from a neglect or misapplication of these biblical standards, and it calls for a renewed commitment to scripturally grounded leadership formation in the twenty-first-century church.

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