Sunday School lecture - 3/14/04 Part I
1 Timothy 3
Paul continues his instructions to Timothy regarding the conduct of the church membership in chapter 3. In the face of the disorder threatened by the Judaizers, Paul makes two lists of ethical qualifications for the two offices of the church: overseer and deacon.
Before expositing this Passage, a few points should be noted. First of all, the term "overseer (KJV - bishop)" is a descriptive title of one of the functions of an officer in a church. We also see the terms "presbyter," "elder," "pastor," and at this point in the evolution of the church, "teacher" applied to functions of the same office. However, we see the terms used interchangeably in several portions of the New Testament.
Acts 20: 17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them,... 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers [bishops], to feed [pastor] the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Titus 1: 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
I Peter 5: 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed [pastor] the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [bishoping] thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
The KJV rendering of "
episkope (ep-is-kop-ay')" as "bishop" has sometimes led to confusion. There is nothing to indicate that this title is being applied to someone outside of the local congregation in fact, to the contrary, Paul is giving direction to Timothy concerning the local church at Ephesus. The modern connotations of the Catholic definition did not arise until the second century.
Thirdly, all the examples of elders in the New Testament show that they were members of a council fulfilling these various purposes within the church. The elder system we see reflected in the Epistles appears to have been inherited from the Jewish system of elders we see in the Old Testament. While these qualifications and the parallel list in Titus 1 do not completely describe the duties of the overseers, it does give us hints at what some of their functions may have been.
Qualifications for Overseers - 1Timothy 3:1-7
Paul begins with another quote saying it is a noble task to seek the office of overseer. The thrust of the word "aspire (KJV - desire)" for the office has the connotation of inward intent rather than manipulation to obtain an office.
The term "blameless" or "above reproach" comes out stronger in the translation than what is intended. The intent is that the man should have a good reputation and have good conduct.
The phrase "husband of one wife" has long been and will continue to be a topic of debate. There are five general lines of interpretation as to Paul's meaning here:
1. He must be faithful to his wife;
2. He must be married to only one woman at a time (monogamy),
3. He must have been married only once, that is to say, not remarried after divorce or widowhood;
4. He must never have been divorced;
5. He MUST be married.
The last view contradicts Paul's advice in 1Corinthians 7 in which he encourages people not to marry because of the times. The third view is quite frequently taken yet Paul's instructions to widows to seek remarriage would seemingly contradict it. The second view seems redundant for a New Testament teaching, as monogamy was already a well-established practice within the Christian body. However, reasoning does not solve the ambiguity here as the Passage is dedicated to a specific appointment of a specific office.
The next three terms, sober-minded, self-controlled and respectable (KJV - vigilant, sober, of good behavior), sum up the character of a Christian gentleman. "Vigilant or sober-minded" and "sober or self-controlled" refers not only to rejection of intoxicants but also in general attitude and conduct. "Respectable or of good behavior" imply someone with a cool head that can manage diversity within a church without falling into the disorder.
That he be "hospitable" and "able to teach" show two duties of the overseer. Hospitality would be required for those in need and for visitors or travelers. This was a mandate for all Christians as we see in Hebrews 13:2 and 1Peter 4:9. We also see a possible absorption of the theoretical office of "teacher" mentioned in James 3 into the pastorate.
It seems a bit strange that Paul would add the next characteristics: not a drunkard (KJV - not given to wine), not violent but gentle (KJV - not a striker), not quarrelsome (KJV - not a brawler). While these self-explanatory terms would seem to go without saying, they may be a commentary on the times in which Paul wrote. It is important to remember also that many of the early converts had been "the dregs of society." 1Corinthians 6:9-11
That he be "not a lover of money" may relate to the fact that certain elders within the church were responsible for collection and disbursement of funds. As much integrity would have been required at that time as in the present day for such a duty.
We see in verses 4-5 that the overseers were managers of God's household, the church. The analogy draws a picture of them being the spiritual parents of the congregation. This would include duties of rebuke and discipline. However, it must be remembered that the duties of parents in general as outlined by the New Testament require that this be done in a loving spirit, not provoking the children to wrath.
The next qualification is the one seeking the office of overseer not be a new convert. Paul warns Timothy again not to be hasty in ordination in 5:22. While this may seem like common sense in the modern day, remember that these early churches were planted rather hastily starting from scratch as it were. Accepting our supposed dating of this Epistle, the church at Ephesus was at least ten years old at the time of this writing, though in Acts 20 Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders as well. This instruction is not repeated in the list of qualifications in Titus 1 as Crete was a much newer mission.
Paul notes in this Passage, however, the danger of ordaining a neophyte. He may "fall into the condemnation of the devil." There are two major credible lines of interpretation for this phrase: Should he become conceited or prideful of his position,
1. He would fall under the same judgment as the devil, i.e. expulsion from Heaven.
2. He would be put into the hands of the devil like Job was.
The first interpretation is preferable in that nowhere else in his writing does Paul ascribe judgment to the devil.
The final qualification in Paul's list of virtues for elders is that they be well thought of by outsiders. This is a mandate given to all Christians throughout the New Testament. The success of a church s dependent upon the views and opinions of those who view us, especially the view taken of our leaders. A bad reputation would leave a pastor vulnerable to disgrace. A bad reputation is a snare for the devil to use to trap ministers. He becomes entangled in the suspicion of outsiders and his ministry is crippled if not completely destroyed.
Qualifications for Deacons 1Timothy 3:8-13
The word "deacon" as it applies to this Passage is a title given to an officer in a church. Unlike the office of elder, the diaconate has no parallel in Judaism. Instead it probably arose in response to the message of servitude Christ gave us for all of His followers. While it is commonly accepted that the choosing of the seven in Acts 6 represents the establishment of the diaconate, the word "deacon" is never used in that passage. It is, however, quite plausible to consider that the office evolved from that event.
There is a certain amount of redundancy in the list for deacons as it relates to the lists of qualifications for elders. Therefore, he will only be speaking of those qualities that are unique for this office. The repeated qualifications are that he must be: above reproach, husband of one wife, self-controlled, respectable, not given to much wine, a good manager, have obedient children, and not be covetous or greedy.
That the deacon must be dignified (KJV-grave) carries the connotation that they are of high principles. They are serious and composed, not given too excessive levity. The phrase "double-tongued" has two possible meanings. It could mean double-minded or it could refer to one who says one thing to one person and an entirely different thing to another. Both interpretations are credible and certainly make sense as applied to the office.
As in other Pauline writings, the word "mystery" in verse 9 refers to the eternal purpose of God that was once hidden but has been revealed in Jesus Christ (Romans 16:25-27). Faith has the formal connotation as in the truths of the Christian religion.
Paul also proposes a trial period for deacons. It is possible that this a redundancy of the instructions for appointing elders relating to "let them not be new converts." However, it may also refer to a probationary period that these early deacons may have had to undergo.
Since the Greek word for "wives' and "women" is the same, verse 11 is somewhat problematic and has given rise to 4 distinct interpretations of the Greek gune (goo-nay'):
1. Wives of deacons;
2. Female deacons;
3. Wives of bishops and deacons;
4. Women in General.
The last two interpretations have not received very strong support, however, the first two deserve examination. The support for the first option is that since verses 8 & 12 both address male deacons, it is unlikely that a reference to female deacons would be placed between them. Also, a more detailed word than just "women" would have been used and their duties more detailed. Further, in chapter 5 the ministry of women is specifically addressed concerning widows.
On the other hand, the arguments that support female deacons are that there is no feminine form of the Greek diakonos. Phoebe in Romans 16:1 is referred to as a "diakonos." The mention of wives in this verse would be a break in the train of thought. "Likewise" in verse 11 refers back to verse 2 in the qualifications for overseers. Further, if Paul had meant wives, he would have inserted the possessive pronoun "their" wives. Please note that in the KJV, the words "must their" are italicized meaning that they were inserted by the translators and can represent translator bias.
In either case, female deacon or wife, these women are required to be fully trustworthy and the instructions of verse 8 are repeated for them.
Verse 13 tells us that those that take this office of servitude advance themselves in office, dignity and influence. Through this commitment they would be fulfilling the instructions of Christ. Matthew 20:26-28
