Perhaps one of the most common questions concerning prophecy is concerning the identity of the two witnesses. So, let's learn what Scripture reveals about these two this evening. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to go into go as deep as we would like if we look at all these verses, so we'll just focus on vv. 3-6 tonight. We'll see the personages of the two witnesses -vv. 3a, 4-, portion of the two witnesses -v. 3b-, and power of the two witnesses -vv. 5-6-.

The primary qualification of a pastor must be that he is above reproach. With v. 3 here, Paul continues to define what that means. We can sum it up as such- a pastor must be in control of himself, must be mild in his demeanor, and must be content.

From our Sunday morning Bible readings.

We finish our overview of the Book of Ruth.

To put it simply, you need to look for a pastor who models Christian behavior. So, he must be above reproach. What does this mean- Today, we begin looking at the qualifications of a pastor.

One of the more debated points in this prophecy concerns the identity of the two witnesses. Still, the backdrop to their ministry is the temple, and we need to understand the nature of this structure. If we read this literally, then it appears a temple will be rebuilt at some point in the future. Is this what Scripture says-

From our Sunday morning Bible readings.

We quickly introduce the writings and then move into the Book of Ruth.

Let's step back and consider what catholic actually means. Our bulletins always include a footnote which reads -'catholic' means 'universal' church, the true church in all times and places.- This simple definition includes our church as well as any other congregation following Scripture throughout time. The true church is both universal and local, a -communion of the saints,- and that's what we're examining this evening.

When we talk about church leadership, two roles typically come to mind - pastors and deacons. In fact, these are the two offices that we read about in this passage. They are the only two Scripture authorizes for the church, though many others have been invented over the years.--Yet, these offices are not just for anyone to fulfill. These qualifications will protect these offices, if we take them seriously. So, over the next several weeks, we're going to look in detail at these qualifications. Today, we look at the one called -overseer,- beginning to consider just what to look for there. To do this, we're going to devote our time to just verse one. We're going to look at the definition, desire, and defense of the office.