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According to the apostle Paul there is a second "spiritual" requirement for leaders (overseers, elders) in the church. They must not only be experienced Christians (not recent converts - 1 Timothy 3: 6), but also have a strong grasp of the apostolic truth and be able to teach it.
It is in his letter to Titus that Paul emphasises the need for elders to have a firm grasp of the truth. An elder, he says, "must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:6). Paul probably found it necessary to emphasize this requirement when writing to Titus because of the many "rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers" (1:10) on the island of Crete. It can be easily shown, however, that the requirement is applicable in every church situation.
For one thing, it is necessary if overseers are to encourage and instruct those they have charge over. Elders, Paul says, must hold tenaciously to the apostolic gospel so that they can encourage others by sound doctrine (Titus 1:6). The pastoral ministry is at heart a teaching ministry. People are introduced to Christ through the word of truth, and led to maturity in him through further instruction in that truth. It is impossible for an elder to perform these vital functions without a clear, settled, and substantial grasp of the faith.
Then again, a strong grip on the apostolic gospel is essential if overseers are to refute those who oppose it. Shepherding people is not simply a matter of feeding them truth. It also involves correcting their wrong ideas, and protecting them from the false ideas of others. The apostle Peter warned that just as there were false prophets in Old Testament times, so there will be false teachers in the Christian church today (2 Peter 2:1ff). That's because error is one of the main tools Satan uses to disable the church and lead people astray. It takes a clear grasp of the faith to discern error and to resist its appeal.
We have already mentioned earlier in this series that in our day it is not popular to talk about (much less practice) exposing and refuting error. To do so is to invite the criticism of being negative, judgmental, and destructive. Yet as unpleasant as it may be to tear down and overthrow false arguments, it must be done if the church is to stand strong and be - as it is meant to be - "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). John Stott quotes Calvin as saying "A pastor needs two voices, one for gathering the sheep and the other for driving away wolves and thieves" (p. 179). Stott himself comments that, "widespread failure to do it [refute error] may be a major cause of the doctrinal confusion which prevails in so many churches today" (p. 178).
To perform these functions it is essential that an elder not only know and hold firmly to the truth, but that he be able to teach it effectively. That lies behind Paul's stipulation that an overseer must also be "able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2). That is to say, he must have the spiritual gift of being able to communicate truth in a compelling and helpful way. It doesn't necessarily mean that he must be particularly eloquent in public speaking, but he must nevertheless be able to express truth clearly and convincingly, even if it is through stumbling lips and in simple words.
The church today needs able teachers as much as it ever has. It is through the truth that people are set free (John 8:32) and through the truth that they are sanctified (John 17:17). To sacrifice solid instruction and careful correction for popularity and entertainment is short-sighted and perilous.