SSL 3 - 1 Tim. 3:1-13
LAST WEEK: In 1 Tim. 2:1-15, we covered two topics: (1) the importance and role of prayer in worship and (2) how women should conduct themselves in church worship. The main point Paul made regarding prayer was that, that during worship, we should pray for all people because God desires all people to be saved. The way Paul laid it out tells us that our prayers during worship should be well organized and intentional every step of the way. On the conduct of women during public worship, as well as dressing modestly, Paul's instruction that women should receive Christian teaching peaceably with self-control and not teach or exercise authority over men is based on the concept of order laid down by God in Gen. 1 and 2. We need to understand that God's order in relation to public worship is not based on competence or ability but design.
THIS WEEK: Moving on to 1 Tim. 3:1-13, we will hear Paul give Timothy requirements for two different levels of church leadership. First, "elders," "overseers," or "bishops," depending on translation of the same Greek word, are to be experienced Christians, respectable, capable teachers, have good reputation inside and outside the church, and have well-ordered families. The second group, "deacons" or "servants," share many of the same requirements, but aren't necessarily called on to teach and are expected to be "tested" prior to taking on their role.
Read 1 Tim. 3:1-7 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR OVERSEERS
1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
v. 1: "It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do" - Paul's use of the idiom "It is a trustworthy statement," is similar to Jesus', "truly, truly I say to you," as the introduction to an important pronouncement. While in the previous chapter, Paul said women shouldn't serve in primary church leadership positions, he certainly didn't intend to leave the impression that just any man is qualified. No man is qualified to be a spiritual leader in the church just because of his gender.
▪ The term "overseer" (Gk. episkopos) literally means over-watcher and can translate to elder, bishop, or pastor. Regardless of the title used, they are men with leadership authority in the church.
▪ The phrase, "it is a fine work he desires to do," implies that it's not just a title but a position that involves a lot of hard work. Spurgeon said, "What is the use of a lazy minister? He is no good either to the world, to the church, or to himself. He is a dishonor to the noblest profession that can be bestowed on the sons of men."
v. 2: "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach" - The imperative "must be" reflects that God has specific qualifications for leaders in the church. Leaders aren't chosen at random, or because they volunteer, or seem to be "natural" leaders. In fact, the qualifications for leadership have very little to do with giftedness; instead, they are chosen based on how close they match the qualifications listed here that pertain to godly character and lifestyle, such as:
▪ "above reproach": This is a key qualification. The word literally means "nothing to take hold of." This is an overall statement of good character, not a specific trait. He is a man who is of good repu-tation in both the believing and non-believing community. He's not perfect-nobody is-but displays a noticeable track record of godly living-one in which no one can charge him with any grave sins.
▪ "husband of one wife": This one is somewhat ambiguous. First, it doesn't require an overseer to be married. The generally accepted interpretation (re Utley, DTS) is (1) one wife (i.e., polygamy forbidden and (2) no previous divorce(s) (except Biblical divorce in case of adultery or abandonment), and a widower may remarry a widow or a woman never married. By extension this means he's a "one woman man" who isn't an adulterer or one who shows romantic interest in other woman.
▪ "temperate": The word (Gk. enkrateia) literally means being "sober," both in regard to substance or alcohol abuse and also in terms of being level-headed and sensible.
▪ "prudent": (Gk. sōphrōn) describes a man not given to extremes, someone who doesn't exhibit wide mood swings and other types of inconsistent behavior.
▪ "respectable": (Gk. kosmikos) means one who displays good manners, self-restraint, and correct-ness both in the church and in the local society where he lives. He acts with discretion and modesty.
▪ "hospitable": Not as important today with all the hotels and motels available but still a man willing to open his home both to friends and strangers when the need arises.
▪ "able to teach": Not necessarily a regular teacher, but a man who is skilled enough in the Bible to explain it in a group setting or one-on-one.
v. 3: "not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money" - This doesn't require complete abstinence but strongly discourages any excessive drinking. "Not pugnacious" (Gk. eristikós = lit. not a striker) describes a man not prone to violence either in public or private. A "gentle" man displays kindness and is prepared to give-in to others, and "peaceable" describes a good-humored man who doesn't stir-up controversies and avoids gossip. "Free from love of money" variously means financially responsible and living within your means while being generous and unselfish towards others.
vv. 4-5: "He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)" - A man's leadership (or lack thereof) can be seen in the home. How well a man rules at home certainly reflects on his qualifications to lead the church. Related to this is the idea that his home life shouldn't bring criticism of him from people outside the church.
v. 6: "and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil" - The term for "new convert" literally means "young plant." This would be important in a new church (like Ephesus) having many new believers who really weren't prepared to lead other believers. Too much authority early on can result in an arrogant and a self-righteous attitude that has the net effect of driving people away and impairing the witness of the church.
v. 7: "And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" - As Christians, we need to be conscious of the fact that the outside world is always watching us-- closely. The leadership in our church must be viewed as honest and upstanding with the unbelieving people of the community whom we are trying to bring to faith. Paul's mention of the "snare of the devil" refers to spiritual warfare and our need to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:10-18).
TRUTH 1: The qualifications required for men to be eligible for church leadership positions have very little to do with giftedness but set very high standards that relate to godly character and lifestyle. No candidate is ever perfect-all men have strengths and weakness-but he should be a man who strives toward these godly standards with his whole heart in the church, at home, at work, and in his community.
Comment: Church leadership is most commonly divided between ordained pastors and pastoral staff and laymen who are elected or appointed (and who may be likewise ordained into their office). Some churches have both elders and deacons whose leadership roles differ, however, in other churches that solely have either elders or deacons, the responsibilities are very similar. In either case they are laymen formed into a board or council who have delineated leadership and spiritual responsibilities. In the case of MHBC, we have a deacon body whose responsibilities are defined in our Constitution and Bylaws, which is a relatively common form of organization seen in many churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The structure of leadership is often influenced by the size of a church, whether large, small, or somewhere in between.
Read 1 Tim. 3:8-13 - QUALIFICATION OF DEACONS
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
v. 8: "Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain" - The Greek word for "deacon" (diakonos) literally translates to one who serves. The duties of the office aren't clearly defined in the NT, but their first mention in Acts 6 suggests that it's a task-oriented job. Deacons typically have a "flock" of church members for whom they are responsible. Starting with the "must be" imperative, deacon qualifications are similar in character to those previously outlined for "overseers."
▪ "not double-tongued": Refers to a person who says different things to different groups with the intent to deceive-a clear form of falsehood. Jacob and Laban wouldn't qualify!
▪ "or addicted to much wine": Like v. 3, not complete abstinence but forbids excessive drinking.
▪ "or fond of sordid gain": Refers to honesty and integrity in business and absence of selfish greed.
v. 9: "but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience" - The "mystery' refers to both Jew and Gentiles being included in the family of God; "the faith" refers to the body of Christian doc-trine; and "with a clear conscience" means adherence to sound doctrine out of a sincere conviction.
v. 10: "These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach" - This is unique to deacons. It most likely refers to a trial period where a candidate was given some leadership responsibility under supervision of a pastor or senior deacon.
v. 11: "Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things" - Another confusing verse. Some commentators contend it doesn't refer to deacon wives (re Utley, DTS, on 1 Tim. 3) but to women in servant roles in the church (i.e., deaconesses, as with Phoebe in Rom. 16:1). These women would normally serve in situations that would be inappropriate for men, such as caring for sick women and regular visits to older women, especially widows. Other commentators argue (re ESV footnote) that the placement of this verse in the midst of all the other deacon qualification means it refers to deacon wives rather than deaconesses. I lean toward the first interpretation but read it yourself and decide. Either way, this verse essentially reiterates all the deacon qualifications of v. 8.
v. 12: "Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households" - This mirrors the requirements for overseers in vv. 2, 4, and 5.
v. 13: "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus" - This explains why the qualifications are so high: the spiritual rewards in heaven for those who serve faithfully in this role. For many, their service was menial and unrecognized, but God remembers all of it. All of the dedicated work of these servant-leaders points to "great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." AMEN?
Observation on Overseer/Deacon Qualifications: As these verses show, the criterion for spiritual leadership sets a very high standard of godly character. At the same time, however, it has not been applied as a rigid list that demands perfection in all areas, for if it did, no one-pastors, elders, or deacons-would ever qualify; they serve both as goals to strive for and general criteria for selection.
TRUTH 2: Faithful service in the church, whether a pastor, elder, deacon, or other position, can often be menial and go unnoticed, but God sees all and "will repay each person according to what they have done" (Rom. 2:6). This, of course, refers to rewards in heaven, which are not perishing and temporary like all fame, fortune, and recognition of this world but eternal and everlasting.
