If the Head of the church guides his people to discern whom he has chosen for church office, then how does he do it?

Remember what the apostle Paul said to the elders at Ephesus: “The Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28). The true vicar of Christ, the Holy Spirit, guides the church. How? By using the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

We see an example of the Holy Spirit guiding the church to the officers of the Lord’s choice in Acts 6. Like-wise today the Holy Spirit, speaking through God’s Word, guides the people of the church to recognize and choose the officers of Christ’s choice.

So, in light of God’s mercies in Christ, in light of your faith in God acting for you by the work of Jesus and your faith in God acting in you by the work of the Holy Spirit, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” and “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1–2).

As God’s people seek their Lord in faith, following him in submission to his Word, he gives them discernment concerning his will. He does so by enabling the people in the congregation to recognize the gifts and qualifications that he gives to certain men.

He guides his people by specifying what those who bear office are to be like. For one thing, he says that these leaders are to be male (1 Tim. 2:8–15; 1 Cor. 11:2–16; 14:33b–38). He spells out the qualifications for overseers (elders) in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 (compare Titus 1:5–9) and deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8–13 (compare Acts 6:3).

God’s Word teaches the assembly of God’s people prayerfully to examine the qualifications of men for office, looking especially for mature, godly character, gifts, and ability to lead. In this way, our Lord himself guides his people to select the leaders of his choice.