Carl Trueman recently wrote in a
blog entitled, Basic Decency. That’s All That’s Needed, “In one instance, while
debating whether a particular individual was qualified for office, a person
read to me the list of qualifications for eldership and declared, ‘If we apply those,
then nobody will ever be qualified.’”[1] Carl was discussing the lowering of
standards, particularly for elders. I
greatly appreciate his thoughts as I have seen Christians clamoring for pastors
who are “just like us.” This has led to
lowering educational standards, and now, moral standards. I heard of a man who was recently deposed for
drunkenness, pornography, and adultery (he had been having an affair for
years). Following the administration of
his censure, the gathered elders expressed hope of one day restoring him to
office. Why?
This lowering of standards is not
new. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about it
while he sat in a Nazi prison camp.
“Unless we have the courage to fight for a revival of wholesome reserve
between man and man, we shall perish in an anarchy of human values. The
impudent contempt for such reserve is the mark of the rabble, just as inward
uncertainty, haggling and cringing for the favour of insolent people, and
lowering oneself to the level of the rabble are the way of becoming no better
than the rabble oneself.” “Quality is
the greatest enemy of any kind of mass-leveling.”[2] Are we afraid of individuals with greater
ability, wisdom, or character than we possess, or are we inspired by them? The elders in the Church of Jesus Christ must
live lives of greater piety and integrity because we need them to inspire us to
trust Jesus enough that we too may live a more holy life.
