Most of the qualifications (characteristics) that all elders must possess are also the same that all Christians should possess. That is because these characteristics deal with the character or morality of the individual. It is true there are a few qualifications that are unique to the elder. He must be the husband of one wife, have believing children, be apt to teach, and not a novice. It is not necessary that every Christian possess these characteristics. One can be a faithful Christian even while not possessing these characteristics and still be pleasing to God (such as sisters in Christ and new Christians). My purpose in this study is to examine the qualification “not self-willed,” which not only the elder must have but all Christians as well. Paul says, “For the bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money” (Tit. 1:7). Hopefully, we will be able to see why this characteristic is so important for all.

Thayer defines the expression “self-willed” (authades) as “self-pleasing, self-willed, arrogant” (pg. 82). The term is composed of two parts: autos, which means “self,” and hedomai, which means “to enjoy oneself.” Combining the two, we literally have “one who pleases himself” (Oberst, 170). Thus, it describes a self-centered, obstinate, arrogant person. We only find the word used in Titus 1:7 and 2 Peter 2:10. Peter uses the term to describe the false teachers who will trouble the church as: “…those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries.” Someone described this false teacher as an obstinate fellow who is determined to please himself at all costs. No Christian should possess this destructive characteristic; leaders of the church should obviously avoid it.

The Self-Willed Man is Blind

There are three dangers inherent in being self-willed. First, this condition blinds one to his own weaknesses and sins. One of the cardinal truths of Christianity is that we must deny self before we can come to Christ. Somewhere in my Christian pilgrimage I heard the story that within each person’s heart a throne and a cross exist. We must place Christ on one and self on the other. Our success or failure in Christianity depends upon where we place each. If we place Christ on the throne that rules our heart, then we must place self on the cross. That simply means that we must deny self as Jesus taught (Mt. 16:24). We must recognize Jesus as our Lord and King. On the other hand, some place self on the throne and elevate their self-worth above Christ. They have made self the lord and king of their lives. When that happens, these self-willed individuals have placed Jesus back on the cross (Heb. 6:6). The self-willed person blinds himself to the fact that he has elevated himself over Christ.

When one blinds himself to the truth, he cannot see his own weaknesses and sins. He can obviously see these weaknesses in others, but it never crosses his mind that he, too, may be guilty of these same wrongs. Jesus describes this blinded individual with these words: “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your own eye’; and look a plank is in your own eye?” (Mt. 7:3-4). Here Jesus associates those who blind themselves to the truth with hypocrisy. The Lord has never been pleased with the hypocrite. Hypocrites injure the reputation of the church within the local community, and in fact, can do more long-term damage to the church than false teachers. False teachers eventually go public and can be exposed, while the hypocrite may continue his damage behind the scenes for a long time.

Simply put, the self-willed individual has blinded himself as to his own importance. It is difficult for such an individual to be an elder because he sees himself as the expert and not the servant.

The Self-Willed Man Does Not Work Well with Others

The second danger of being self-willed is that it makes it difficult to work with others. Pardon the mixed metaphor, but the elder must be a team player and not a lone wolf. Elders within a congregation work together and not as individuals. A casual glance at the Scriptures reveals a plurality of men working together for a congregation and not just as an individual. Paul and Barnabas “appointed elders in every church” (Acts 14:23). Paul called for “the elders of the church” at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus (Acts 20:17). He also wrote to the “bishops” of the Philippian congregation (Phil.. 1:1). Elders must make decisions as to the direction that a work should go. When one is self-willed, he pushes his own agenda regardless of what the other elders may think. He wants his own way, thinking that he knows best. The self-willed man thus causes friction within the eldership. He is not willing to listen to the views of others. He may fiercely defend his position, while at the same time fiercely attack an alternative view from another elder. H. E. Phillips states:

When one man is found among the elders who is self-willed it is next to impossible to accomplish much unless all others surrender to him, which amounts to a one-man dictatorship. The wisdom and authority is in the ELDERSHIP (all the elders) and not in any one man. It is no trouble to detect who is self-willed and who is not. Just watch the man in his dealings with others and you can know whether or not he has this ugly trait. (183)

The self-willed man needs to be reminded that the church belongs to Christ and He is the chief shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4). Being a successful elder requires great humility and a desire to work hand-in-hand with others.

We see the danger of being self-willed in the story of Rehoboam’s ascension to Israel’s throne. Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the rightful heir to Israel’s throne. Solomon had been hard on Israel, and with his death, the people looked forward to a new day. They expressed their wishes to Rehoboam with these words: “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you” (1 Kgs. 12:4). Rehoboam then dismissed the people with the promise that within three days he would have an answer for them. He first sought counsel among older and wiser men of the kingdom who told him to listen to the requests of the people, and they would gladly serve him. Rehoboam then sought advice from the younger men with whom he had been raised. They reminded him that he was king and kings don’t yield to the wishes of their people. Unfortunately for Israel, Rehoboam listened to the younger men. Rehoboam was self-willed in that he chose to do his will rather than the will of the people. The result of his being self-willed was catastrophic. Ten of the tribes rejected him and the united kingdom of Israel divided into two smaller, rival nations of Israel and Judah. A leader’s self-will contributed to the downfall of a powerful, united kingdom.

The Self-Willed Man Endangers His Soul

The third danger in being self-willed is that it can cause one to lose his soul. Humbling one’s self is essential in becoming a Christian. The self-willed person will not see the need for repentance. Jesus told the story of two men going into the temple to pray. One was so full of himself that he had the nerve to say to God, “I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (Lk. 18:11-12). This man was self-willed and basically told God that He was fortunate to have him on His side. In essence, he was saying “where would You be without me!” The second man was so humble that he wouldn’t even look to heaven, but meekly said, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Lk. 18:13). He had removed self from that throne in his heart and allowed Jesus to sit upon it.

Jesus said that only one of these two men was justified. Both men went to the same temple, both men prayed to the same God, but only one was saved. Concerning the humble man, Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 18:14). Jesus specifically tells us that the self-willed man was not justified.

It is important to see that the prohibition against being self-willed applies to matters of judgment and preference. Paul was not saying that man could not stand firm for the truth. The same apostle, who condemned being self-willed, also said,

…holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain (Tit. 1:9-11).

Paul wants elders to be firm on doctrinal matters and not self-willed on matters of judgment. It goes without saying that God wants the same for all Christians.

Article by: Doug Edwards | doug.deb.edwards@gmail.com

Works Cited

Oberst, Bruce. Letters from Peter. Joplin: College Press, 1962.

Thayer, Joseph Henry. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977.

Wilkins, H. E. Scriptural Elders and Deacons. Bowling Green: Foundation Publications, 1959.