The true fitness for Church offices.
Much interest properly attaches to the first instance of election to Church office, and according to educational or ecclesiastical bias prominence is given to one or other of the leading features narrated. It may be going too far to assert that here is given an absolute model of all Church elections. The details of Church management may well be left to the guidance of Christian wisdom and prudence, and need not be made matters of faith. The apostles acted upon their best judgment in the difficult circumstances that arose, but in later times we find that their experience led them to adopt other modes in filling Church offices. In this case the multitude exercise the right of selection, and the apostles retain the right of ratifying the choice. The democratical element prevailed, but from the first it was put under wise limitations and restraints. "So long as the Christian spirit continued to display itself vigorously in the Church, the public voice might well be consulted; but when this spirit afterwards disappeared, it would have been ruinous to the Church if the plurality of voices had been allowed to decide. A glance at the rudeness of the masses in the Middle Ages may convince us of the necessity of their being guided by those above them" (Olshausen). We turn from the controversial aspect of the subject to observe what the apostles regarded as constituting true fitness for any place of service in Christ's Church. Here we may find principles that will be of permanent application and interest.
I. PERSONAL CHARACTER. The men selected must be of "honest report;" "good report;" "good repute;" held in general esteem; attested; well reported of. Their private character must be such as to win confidence and respect. Their integrity must be unquestioned. The importance of personal character may be urged in view of the trusts that would be committed to them—trusts of money, trusts of impartial dealing, trusts of just decisions in cases of difficulty, etc. Christian officials must be beyond suspicion of interested motives, unfaithfulness, or time-serving. Guarantee of fair and honorable dealing is found in established and acknowledged integrity. This is still the first requirement for all who would serve Christ in the lesser and material, as well as in the higher and spiritual, offices of the Church. In public esteem they must be blameless.
II. ACTIVE PIETY. The persons selected are to be" full of the Holy Ghost," or "full of the Spirit." The Church, to be enabled to judge who had such a baptism, must observe some things which were recognized signs of a fullness of the Divine indwelling and sealing. They would be two:
1. A high fervor of religious feeling, seen in rapidly developed Christian experience, advanced Christian knowledge, and unusual prayerfulness.
2. Active and energetic and self-denying labors for the welfare of the fellow-Christians and for the spread of the gospel. Men of the self-indulgent type are mischievous in Church offices; men of the retiring and monastic type are unfitted for Church offices; men of characteristic energy and business activity, if these are combined with warmth and fervor of devotion, are the men "full of the Holy Ghost," who still may nobly serve the Church and the Master.
III. PRACTICAL FITNESS. The persons selected are also to be "full of wisdom;" i.e. of practical sagacity and skill for the management of the particular work to which they are called. The Church must seek fitness. Each man must be set in his right place, and given his right work. Each can serve best in the sphere for which natural disposition and Divine endowment have fitted him. Such men have always been provided in the Church, but they usually need to be sought out. The best men are very seldom found forward to press themselves into office, but when their fitness is made plain to others, and leads to their selection and appointment, it is no true humility on their part to refuse the service. Impress that counted worthy to serve is the Christian's supreme honor.—R.T.