A fact that everyone can agree upon is that life, in general, is difficult. It is full of growing pains, trials, losses, and unexpected situations that always appear. Life, however, is also precious and beautiful, full of victories, achievements, milestones, and rewarding surprises. Perhaps what makes our lives so interesting is our ability to exercise free will. Everyday we open our eyes we are welcomed by a choice. When the alarm goes off do we get out of bed and get ready for our day, or do we hit the snooze button and delay our preparation? Whatever choice we make, it is only possible because we have the Divine blessing of free will. Truthfully, having the privilege of the freedom to choose is arguably the most powerful aspect of human life. However, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Accepting that God has given man the privilege to freely choose his own path under the sun is also acknowledging that He has trusted man with great power. We know this to be true because “for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Free will becomes essential to our future because we set it up from the decisions we have made in our past. The apostle’s warning to the Galatians is the same concept of cause and effect. It is an undeniable reality that what are considered as “life altering” decisions always affect the outcome of that person’s future. It is unwise, however, to ignore that there are several decisions we must make that are not exclusive to our personal lives. Many of the options we are given heavily depend on how much we are able to rely on others; especially when it relates to leadership. For example, in this country, this year is what is known as an Election Year. It is a year when the American people are asked to choose who their next leader will be. Undoubtedly it is a decision of great importance that must be made responsibly. Having the privilege to vote about these important offices of leadership brings pride to all who exercise this power; it also obligates he who does so to ponder about the candidates he is to choose from carefully. Knowing the impact a selection of this caliber has in our secular affairs, it should encourage us to be even more cautious when dealing with the spiritual decisions within the kingdom of God. In his instructions to Timothy regarding these spiritual affairs, Paul advises his son in the faith “do not lay hands on anyone hastily…keep yourself pure” (1st Timothy 5:22). During the times of the apostles, the action of the imposition of hands, represented the official appointment of a man to a specific ministry as selected by the Holy Spirit. It was customary for the apostles, or in the case of Timothy, for the evangelist to lay his hands upon the shoulders of a brother before the entire congregation so that they would be witnesses of him receiving the sacred office of elder or deacon. Therefore, it is dire to observe that the apostle instructs Timothy to “keep yourself pure” when it related to naming these men to office. In the context prior to his warning, Paul teaches his pupil that he must not show any favoritism when selecting from amongst the brethren for this ministry (1st Timothy 5:21). Doing so would expose him and the congregation to an attack from Satan upon their unity. If we recall, this was the same accusation made by the Hellenist Greeks of the Hebrews in respects to the daily distribution (Acts 6:1). The solution found by the twelve was that the congregation choose “out from among you,” meaning both Hellenist and Hebrew, men with the capability to put at ease the mind of those who believed there was favoritism in this service (Acts 6:2-3). Notice how the twelve apostles diverted the selection of these 7 men to the congregation and did not take this selection upon themselves. Instead, to insure that this election was made with a pure heart, they challenge the crowd to choose wisely from amongst themselves. Like Paul’s instructions to Timothy, the apostles were teaching the congregation how to not make a hasty decision based on a premise of popularity. Following the guidelines set before them, the congregation was able to elect 7 men based their spiritual character and not by their ethnicity. It is in this same mindset that a church must elect their elders and deacons. The Holy Spirit has inspired the apostle Paul to leave behind guidelines to follow when selecting holy men for these sacred ministries. Like in Acts 6 and 1st Timothy 5, the purpose for doing so is to eliminate the threat of defiling our reasoned judgment by emotion. In detailing what it means to be an elder and deacon, our God amplifies the importance of making a wise, sound selection. He illuminates the reality that these spiritual talents are not meant for everyone, but for those who have been chosen by Him. A similar election to that of the office of eldership is noted by Luke at the beginning of Acts. Peter and the 10 apostles discovered that in order to fulfill their apostolic ministry in accordance to Holy Scripture, they were required to fill the void left by Judas Iscariot. (Acts 1:15-26). After having established the prerequisites for the eligibility of being an apostle, the choice came down to two men: Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias. In an attempt to emphasize the purity of this selection, before revealing who was chosen for this office, Luke informs his readers that Joseph was given the nickname “Justus.” Perhaps it may have an appearance of little importance, but for a Jew this was not an insignificant detail because in Jewish culture a nickname was a sign of popularity. In giving us this detail, Luke is emphasizing on the popularity this man had amongst those present during the election. The fact that Luke states that he was given this surname, shows that he was better known than Mathias. However, when these two men are proven to have all the qualities required to serve as an apostle, the eleven disciples turn to the Father in prayer so that He may reveal which one He had chosen for this ministry. Even though there were two qualified men to fill in Judas’ position, the apostles wisely turned away from making it a popular vote. They were able to keep their hands clean from making a biased selection, by turning to God for guidance. To explain the reason behind this decision, Luke writes that in their prayer they said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen” (Acts 1:24). It is with this same spirit that a church must elect its governing body. Notice that Joseph called Barsabas possessed all the qualities needed to be an apostle, and yet God had not chosen him for this important ministry. Therefore, in selecting men for these sacred offices let us emulate the apostles and turn to the Master for guidance to enlighten our minds and direct us toward those brothers whom He has chosen for this purpose. Because having free will to make this wonderful selection is a privilege, let us be responsible and make a spiritual selection absent of prejudice.
