There can be few things in life more painful than an unbelieving
child. And when the child is the son or daughter of an elder, the
questions take on a public dimension in the life of the church. Doesn't
the apostle Paul say something about elders needing to have children who
are believers?
The verses under consideration are 1 Timothy 3:4-5 and Titus 1:6.
We'll look at them in more detail below, but at this point it's helpful
to look at the two different conclusions that faithful interpreters
have reached.
Douglas Wilson holds to the first option: "[I]f a man's children fall
away from the faith (either doctrinally or morally), he is at that
point disqualified from formal ministry in the church" (Douglas Wilson, "The Pastor's Kid" in Credenda/Agenda, vol. 2, no. 3).
Alexander Strauch holds to the second view: "The contrast is made not
between believing and unbelieving children, but between obedient,
respectful children and lawless, uncontrolled children." In other words,
Paul is talking about "the children's behavior, not their eternal
state" (Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership, 229). Keep Reading >>>
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