1 Timothy Chapter 3

¹ This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

In order to serve as a bishop, which is a position of an Elder, the man must be truly serving God and understand his word. Paul is instructing Timothy on what qualities the bishops need to have.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

This is a list of the qualities a bishop is to have:

vigilant: keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.
The bishop needs to be watching over the flock, looking to see if anything threatens them. This means he has to be spiritually in a place where he humbly listens to the Lord and follows his instructions.
sober: While sober means not drunk, in this instance it means more. To be sober minded is to stay grounded in reality and to remain watchful. To me, this speaks of a man who takes life seriously.
good behaviour: Good behavior is a person who follows God, acts modestly, and controls his actions.
given to hospitality: hospitable, generous to guests.
apt to teach: He understands the word and walks in sound doctrine, and can instruct and teach others.

³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

This is a list of the qualities a bishop is NOT to have:

Not given to wine: He doesn’t drink and get drunk.
no striker: quarrelsome, ready for a fight.
not greedy of filthy lucre: strongly desiring money, in it for the pay-out.
not a brawler: doesn’t like to fight.
not covetous: not into money.

⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

His children and family are an example of his abilities to act as a bishop. His family will tell if the man is truly following God or if he is just going through the motions. Our families are our first ministries, if a bishop has failed at that, then we really can’t expect him to do better in the church leading the followers of Jesus. His family is his resume kind of.

⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

A bishop must be able to teach the word, pray for the sick, guide the members of the church in righteousness and settle issues between members. In order for a man to function in this position, they have to demonstrate that their lives are submitted to God.

⁶ Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Battles humble us. Through the course of many battles we learn that we are not powerful outside of God… that God is our strength, we stand because of his mercy and his grace. It’s important that the leadership in the church has this humility so they don’t fall. The tragic thing about leadership falling is that it can uproot people in the congregation and cause damage to them. The bishop has to be mature in their faith for their own sake.

⁷ Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The bishop, elder or overseer has to be a person of morals that are known within the church and outside of it as well. If they have a moral weakness, they could end up stumbling…. so this position is for the man of God who isn’t given to sinful behavior. I listened to a preacher last night give a message about pastors who are caught in adultery or who come forward and confess they have had an affair. This pastor stated that the cruelest thing to do in that situation is to allow them to remain in the position even if they repent. He said that once this pastor has stumbled this way he has already shown he has a weakness and can’t be trusted with the sheep of God (I’m paraphrasing). Putting a fallen pastor back in that position would open him up to an onslaught of temptations during any time of weakness, in addition to putting the congregation at risk.

⁸ Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

doubletongued: saying one thing to one person and another thing to another person. Today we say, “He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth.

The deacons need to have the same commitment to God as the bishops do.

⁹ Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

¹⁰ And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

Look into their lives and see what kind of person they are so only those who meet the qualifications laid out here are chosen so the man chosen is strong enough in the Lord to carry the position.

¹¹ Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

The same rules apply for a deacon as the rules that applied for a bishop. Also, having a wife who is obedient to her husband and the Lord is important because of the sway a woman has over her husband. Even being the wife of a deacon, pastor or bishop is a position of power and influence…. so the wives need to have Godly attributes. She must be serious, not a gossiper, sober and faithful in everything.

¹² Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

¹³ For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

¹⁵ But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.