My barbershop quartet competes on Saturday in a regional contest that will pit us against quartets from all over northwestern California. My colleagues and I don’t expect to win — several of the veteran quartets are certain to score much higher than we will — but we’re looking forward to the experience.

In addition to the overall contest, we’ll be vying for our region’s title of best novice quartet. We’re considered a “novice” quartet under contest rules because, although all of our quartet’s members have sung barbershop music for many years, none of the four of us has any competitive quartet background. For that reason, we’re qualified to be judged in a special novice subcategory against the other quartets in the contest with similarly limited experience.

The word “novice” appears only once in the New Testament, in 1 Timothy 3:5. In this passage, the apostle Paul is describing for Timothy the necessary qualifications of a man who would be appointed a bishop — in other passages called elder or overseer — in the local church. Of the prospective bishop, Paul says the individual must be “not a novice.” The word translated “novice” in the New King James text is the Greek neophutos, which literally means “newly planted.” It is this word from which the English neophyte, meaning “new convert, novice, or beginner,” is derived.

Why, do you suppose, would Paul specify that an elder not be a novice? Let the apostle himself answer that question: “lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” The spiritual oversight of others can be a heady responsibility. A man given such responsibility must be sufficiently mature that he doesn’t acquire an inflated ego as a result of it. Where a less seasoned Christian might see the eldership as a means of self-advancement, the mature brother understands the gravity of the work, and realizes that the honor is due God and not himself.

Another reason for not appointing a novice to the eldership is the breadth of experience the work demands. As Paul told Titus, an elder must be found “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” (Titus 1:9). An elder must therefore have been in the faith long enough to not only develop a deep understanding of the Scriptures, but to have heard and overcome many of the arguments against its teachings. One who has not yet been challenged in his knowledge of God’s word will be ill-equipped to defend it.

In writing to both Timothy and Titus, Paul lists a number of individual characteristics an elder must possess — blamelessness, temperance, hospitality, holiness, gentleness, self-control. Taken together, these qualities form a picture of a man of mature faith, as these attributes develop over time. While a newer Christian may already begin to evidence some of these, he cannot yet possess them in full measure until he has been “tried by fire”: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

How long does it take for one to no longer be a novice? The answer is different for every man, just as the age of accountability is different for every child. People grow and mature spiritually at different rates. However, using the criteria the inspired apostle provides, we can certainly recognize by his conduct a man who has achieved the level of growth that will enable him to be considered for the “good work” of shepherding the disciples of Jesus. We should all strive toward such maturity, that we can be effective servants in whatever capacity the Lord would use us in His kingdom.