Church of God (COG) Exhorter History and Polity Practice Test

The main idea is identifying where Scripture directly lists the qualities expected of a church overseer to be considered for ordination. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 provides the clearest, most explicit roster of requirements for a bishop. It states that a bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, and able to teach, among other criteria. It also includes practical expectations, such as managing his own household well, having a good reputation with outsiders, and not being a recent convert. This combination of moral character, family leadership, and doctrinal ability makes it the primary scriptural basis used to assess readiness for the office of bishop.

Titus 1:6-9 is a closely related set of qualifications for elders/bishops, offering a parallel standard, but the Timothy passage is the most direct and commonly cited checklist for ordination decisions. The other cited passages address related aspects of elder leadership (such as duties or the seriousness of teaching) without providing the same focused ordination criteria.