…not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
1 Timothy 3:3 (emphasis mine)
An elder must be one who strives for unity in the body of Christ. He understands the dangers associated with being quarrelsome and he does not want to be a participant in creating any kind of unbiblical division in the church.
As a Christian virtue to be cultivated (cf. Rom 12:18; Matt 5:9), this irenic, constructive demeanor would heal rifts caused by bitter argument, aid in uniting the congregation, and positively contribute to the leader’s public reputation.1
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Romans 12:18
This is a reminder that the best efforts of a Christian may not actually bring peace. We are responsible for our own decisions and cannot control the choices other people make.
The Bible is clear that all Christians are instructed to be peaceable:
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.
Titus 3:1–2
Our Lord places a very high value on maintaining unity in the body of Christ. A person must be peaceable if this is to be attained.
Consider the words of Jesus in His High Priestly Prayer:
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”
John 17:20–23
1 Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (p. 253). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
