Read or listen First Epistle to Timothy Chapter 3 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

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The Qualities of a Church Overseer - 3:1-7

Above, in the second chapter, Paul spoke about who cannot serve as a church leader, a shepherd. Now he lists fifteen qualities that are required of church overseers. We can divide them into ten groups:

1. A husband of one wife (verse 2)

This characteristic has been explained in five ways. Paul opposes:

a. The appointment of unmarried men as pastors
In the Orthodox Church, a priest must be married. The Roman Catholic Church has taken the other - unbiblical - extreme: priests must live in celibacy, unmarried. Both Jesus (Matthew 19:10-11) and Paul (1 Corinthians 7:7) considered marriage to be the most natural option for Christians.

b. Polygamy
Roman law permitted polygamy. It is not known that polygamy existed among Christians during the early church. However, today this phenomenon is encountered in missionary work, for example in many African countries.

c. The appointment of remarried people as church elders
In Judaism, there was “consecutive polygamy” - a man could divorce his wife for almost any reason (Matthew 19:3-9, Romans 2:22). Paul considered that a divorced person was not allowed to remarry while the ex-spouse was still alive (Romans 7:2-3, 1 Cor 7:39).

d. Remarriage of Widows
Levitic priests were not allowed to marry widows (Lev. 21:14, Ezek. 44:22). The church father Tertullian interpreted this passage to mean that Christian priests could not marry widows either. This interpretation would seem strange, since Paul was fighting against the Gnostic prohibition of marriage; if he meant this, why didn't he say it more clearly?

e. Unfaithfulness
This interpretation has been opposed because loyalty is indeed required of all Christians, not just leaders. But if we look at Paul’s list of requirements, really only “able to teach” is a “professional requirement,” all the other requirements are such that they are required of all Christians. Isn’t it too easy to become a church leader, shouldn’t more be required of them than of other Christians?

2. Self-control (verse 2)

Leaders have no leaders, no observers or overseers of their actions. They must control themselves.

3. Hospitality (v. 2)

In ancient times, inns had a bad reputation. Churches provided safe places for the night for traveling preachers (Titus 1:8, Philemon 22, Hebrews 13:2, 3 John 5-8).

4. Skillful in teaching (verse 2)

This is the only “professional requirement.” God also gives gifts and skills to fulfill the office, but on the other hand, he already prepares certain people in advance to be servants of his church.

5. Not to be a drunkard (verse 3)

Paul did not demand absolutism, a complete refusal of alcohol (1 Tim 3:8, 5:23, compare John 2:1-12, the wedding at Cana). Alcohol impairs judgment, which is one of the most important qualities of a leader. Proverbs warns kings about the dangers of wine (Proverbs 31:4, see also Proverbs 20:1, 23:29-35, Isaiah 5:22-23, 28:7-10).

6. Right character traits (verse 3)

A shepherd must be gentle (Phil 4:5) and kind, not violent (Titus 1:7) or quarrelsome (Titus 3:2).

7. Right attitude toward money (verse 3)

A shepherd must not be greedy (1 Tim 6:5,10, 2 Tim 3:2, 1 Pet 5:2, see also John 12:6). For many American television preachers, the gospel has become a side issue when they have noticed how easy it is to make money by making a Christian television program. Samuel (1 Sam 12:1-5: "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.”) and Paul (Acts 20:33-35: "I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.") did not seek to take advantage of people, but the secular and spiritual leaders of Micah’s time proved to be greedy (Micah 3:1-5).

8. To take care of his family (verses 4 and 5)

Eli (1 Sam 3:12-14) is a warning example: he could not control his sons. Your own family is “the most difficult mission field,” but at the same time the most important (see Titus 1:6). The support of family is very important in spiritual work.

9. Spiritual Maturity (verse 6)

A person who has just converted to Christianity might be proud of becoming a leader. Fighting heresy requires sufficient spiritual maturity and doctrinal solidity. Faith grows, but it takes time.

10. The overseer must be respected by those outside (verse 10)

The leader represents the entire church. He has a great influence on how the church is viewed by the people. (1 Cor. 10:32: "Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God...", Col. 4:5: "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.", 1 Thess. 4:12: "...so that you may walk properly before outsiders").

All of this calls us to pray for spiritual leaders (see Rom. 15:30-31: "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf..."; Eph. 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 5:25).

From the beginning there have been positions in churches (Acts 14:23, 20:28). The term “overseer” (verse 1, Greek “episkopos”) was originally the title of a secular official: an inspector or supervisor. The word has become the word for bishop in many languages ​​(biskop, bishop, etc.), but in Paul’s time “elder” and “overseer” meant the same thing; the leader of the church (compare Acts 20:17,28, Tit 1:5-7, 1 Pet 5:1-2). The word “elder” (presbyteros) became the word for priest in many languages ​​(präst, priest, etc.). The pastor's job was to lead the church and teach and preach (1 Tim 3:2, 5:17, see also Acts 20:28). The pastor was to defend the church against heresies (Acts 20:28-31).

When you read the list of requirements in verses 2 and 3, you will notice that the first churches were not ideal communities. Bo Giertz has aptly said: the church members were “half-burnt coals just rescued from the fire, many of which still had a fair amount of smoke in them.” The requirement for leaders was that the old pagan life had been overcome.

It is worth noting that Paul does not require certain self-evident things, such as faith and the ability to testify about faith, only teaching is mentioned (verse 2, 2 Tim 2:24).

The Qualities of Deacons – 3:8-13

The Greek word for "deacon" was "table servant." The position of deacon originated in the events of the sixth chapter of Acts. The early church in Jerusalem, like the Jewish synagogues, had collected alms to be distributed to its poor members. The Greek-speaking congregation accused the Hebrew-speaking congregation of discriminating against Greek-speaking widows in the distribution of alms. At that time, the apostles appointed seven deacons, the most famous of whom was Stephen.

The requirements of the deacons are very similar to those of the overseers.

The deacons had ample opportunity to pursue their own interests (verse 8), so their sin could not be greed. In the same verse, "not double-tongued" means not to speak in two ways. In homes, deacons hear many things, and they could therefore be gossipers if they did not know how to control their tongues (compare verse 11).

The mystery of faith (verse 9) is the gospel, Christ (see verse 16, Col 2:2: "...to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ...", see also Matt 13:11, 1 Cor 2:6-10, 4:1, 15:51).

Verse 10 says that deacons must also be tested, that is, pastors were also tested before being appointed.

Verse 11 can be interpreted in two ways: either it refers to the wives of the ministers or to female deacons. The original Greek text speaks only of “women.” It has been pointed out that the beginning of the chapter does not mention the wives of the ministers, so why would it now refer to the wives of the ministers? Paul sends greetings to Phoebe, a female deacon of the church in Cenchreae, at the end of Romans (Romans 16:1), so there were women among the deacons.

Those who believe that this refers to the wives of deacons believe that 1 Timothy 5:1-16 refers to female deacons, or widows. In addition, verse 12 speaks of “a husband of one wife” (although at that time the idea of ​​one woman having more than one husband would have been very strange, so one could think that verse 12 is addressed only to some of the deacons, or men). The problem has not been definitively answered.

Slanderer (verse 11) is the same word as the Devil in verses 6 and 7. The word originally means accuser, complainer, informer. Such is the adversary of God: he accuses us before God and tries to separate us from God’s love.

Verse 13 shows that faith grows by use. Faith is meant to be exercised in practical life.

The honored position (verse 13) does not mean rising in a hierarchy of positions, but that they reach a position where they are increasingly valued spiritually.

The Mystery of Godliness – 3:14-16

Ancient letters almost always contained a hope of coming soon to the recipient (verse 14). Paul has not yet given up hope of reaching Ephesus (compare 1 Tim 4:13), although he sees that the journey may remain only a dream or at least be delayed from the desired schedule (verse 15).

Verse 15 is the key verse and mission statement of the pastoral letters:

..."you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth."
(ESV)

Household of God (verse 15) in Greek is simply a room, “oikos,” which can also mean a family living in a room (=house). Paul calls the church the temple of God. Its building blocks are Christians (1 Cor 6:19-20, Eph 2:19-22). It is worth remembering that the church is not a secular organization, but a work of God.

The opposite of the living God (verse 15) is a dead god, an idol. Isaiah mocked the makers of idols: their works neither heard nor saw (Isa. 44:9-20). The God of the Bible is a living God, he hears and answers us (Joshua 3:10, Acts 14:15, 2 Cor. 6:16, 1 Thess. 1:9). Pillar (verse 15) reminded the Ephesians of the one hundred 60-foot pillars of the temple of Artemis.

Church is built in on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and Jesus Christ himself is it´s cornerstone:

..."the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
(Eph 2:20, ESV)

But the church can also be considered a foundation / buttress / ground / base of the truth: God placed it on earth as a place where His truth can be found. The church does not define truth, it proclaims what it has received from God.

Christ is both the mystery of faith (v. 16) and its revealer:

..."according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations..."
(Romans 16:25-26)

Mystery (v. 16) is a term Paul often uses of the Christian faith: Rom. 11:25, 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7, 4:1, 13:2, 14:2, 15:51, Eph. 1:9, 3:3-4,9, 5:32, 6:19, Col. 1:26-27, 2:2, 4:3, 1 Tim. 3:9, 2 Thess. 2:7 (the mystery of iniquity).

The end of verse 16 is a hymn that Paul quotes. Perhaps it was sung in church services. Note the pre-existence of Christ in verse 16: “was manifested” Compare Phil 2:6-7:

..."Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

The hymn has three verses, each with two lines, phrases. If we consider that the hymn proceeds in chronological order, the exaltation at the end would refer to the second coming of Jesus, but that does not seem like a natural interpretation. Rather, the issue is that the central issues of faith are presented from the perspectives of heaven and earth.

"Vindicated by the Spirit" means that the Spirit reveals that Christ is righteous. Man and his reason sees Jesus as just an ordinary mortal man, but the Spirit reveals that he is the righteous Son of God who justifies those who believe (Romans 1:2-5, see also Romans 4:25, 1 Peter 3:18).

"Vindicated by the Spirit": The point is that the Spirit reveals that Christ is righteous. Man and his reason sees in Jesus only an ordinary mortal man, but the Spirit reveals that he is the righteous Son of God, who justifies believers (Romans 1:2-5; see also Romans 4:25, 1 Peter 3:18):

"...his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations..."
(Romans 1:3-5)

Angels (verse 16) witnessed both Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 28:2) and his ascension (Acts 1:10). The gospel has been given to be preached to all nations.