1 Timothy 3
Overseers and Deacons
1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
8Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11In the same way, their wives[b] are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
14Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He[c] appeared in a body,[d]
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
Footnotes:
[a] 1 Timothy 3:1 Traditionally bishop; also in verse 2
[b] 1 Timothy 3:11 Or way, deaconesses
[c] 1 Timothy 3:16 Some manuscripts God
[d] 1 Timothy 3:16 Or in the flesh
4 comments:
For me, it's been fun to read these "instructions"...not just the ones in this verse, but throughout the last few books. On one hand, it convicts me. On the other hand, it is a blue print for how we should be living. It's also nice to arm myself with this info so that when others ask about subject X you can talk to them about it based on what the Bible says.
1 Tim 3
6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
We've touched on this one before, and it just points out to me, again, the slippery slope towards legalism, and the need for us to stay studying, reading, and sharing the Truth. The minute we take our eyes off the Prize, the Enemy is RIGHT THERE to snatch our attention and our focus. I know we all have time-consuming good things happening in our lives right now, new positions at work, new babies, engagements, etc, and all of these good things are from God. I know how easy it is to get caught up in work, planning, etc, but take the 5 minutes you take to eat to read today. "Crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2) Pop off a quick email so we know you're there, and keep it up guys. I'm so proud of us, I'm not letting busyness and God's fruits get in the way of our continual study of His word.
On another note, I've really been struggling with a buddy/brother of mine at work, and I've done a fantastic job of letting the Enemy in, and perpetuating the situation, finding fault with him, and generally a good old fashioned squabble about a few things. It's a situation I want to rise above, and I prayed about it tons yesterday, but certainly kept letting the Enemy back in, and not be Christ-like. I'm feeling much more "over it" today, but I would love a quick prayer that I could continue to be refined in my walk with the Lord.
Father, what bountiful blessings you have brought upon us all, out of your mind-blowing mercy, as none of us are deserving of even Your smile, much less Your love. But You have given it to us nonetheless. Thank You. Continue to watch over us, our various events, and help us fight off the Enemy's tactic of busyness that we may fellowship with You, Father. We pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus,
Amen
crb
Wake up. If you have not read crb's challenge, I suggest you do. Let's not fall i to the trap of complacency. Let's be strong for each other and read consistently.
1Tim3
Another one we should memorize wouldn't you say
16Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:
Christ appeared in the flesh
and was shown to be righteous by the Spirit.
He was seen by angels
and was announced to the nations.
He was believed on in the world
and was taken up into heaven
I agree timmcd, these things are great to read and learn and arm ourselves with. Get I the word boys. You have to eat to run.
In Christ,
cas
Hi fellas,
Everyone makes good points today. CRB, I personally needed your challenge because I do find myself engulf with work and not reading daily. I ask that you guys pray for me daily.
This whole passage really teaches us that we must first take care of home before we think about taking care of God's house. Interestingly, my pastor spoke on this a couple of Sundays ago. About how people join the church and instantly want to be in the pullpit or leadership roles without being "tested" and/or truly understand what it takes to be a man of God. I can speak from a personal experience that it is so easy to slip and let the devil in when you are young in faith.
Blessing all,
LT
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