Drunkenness

1 Timothy 3:2-4 - Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.

Titus 1:6-7 - An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

1 Peter 5:2-3 - Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Conclusions:

• The use of elder and overseer in Titus indicates that the terms were used interchangeably
• Elder indicates maturity and experience, while overseer indicates watching over God’s flock
• Be shepherds of God’s flock is a metaphor that our Lord Himself had employed and that must have been etched in Peter’s mind
• Peter is fulfilling Christ’s command to feed His sheep as he writes 1 Peter
• What Peter writes to the elders is reminiscent of Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesians elders
• The term shepherd is an Old Testament metaphor as well
• It is clear from 1 Peter 5 that the three terms elder, overseer and shepherd all apply to one office
• Since elders, by definition, were chosen from among the older men of the congregation, Paul assumed they would already be married and have children
• A qualified unmarried man was not necessarily barred
• It is also improbable that the standard (husband of but one wife) forbids an elder to remarry if his wife dies
• The most likely meaning of husband of but one wife is simply that a faithful monogamous married life must be maintained.

Application:

• Are you quick-tempered?
• Are you a shepherd of God's flock?
• Are you blameless?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible