First Timothy - Chapter 3 Summary
FAITHFUL BEHAVIOR
1ST TIMOTHY 3:1-16
Application:
The student will understand the importance of choosing scripturally qualified leaders in the Lord's churches.
PASTOR & DEACON ARE THE TWO SCRIPTURAL OFFICES IN A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.
PAUL IN HIS LETTER TO TIMOTHY TO INSTRUCT HIM HOW TO BEST ARRANGE THESE OFFICES AT THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS HAS PROVIDED THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR BOTH OFFICES.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BOTH OF THESE OFFICES ARE CONSIDERED WORKS AND ARE NOT TO BE CONSIDERED A POSITION OF SPECIAL HONOR GRANTED BY PERSONALITY.
OUR STUDY BOOK IS VERY CLEAR IN ADVISING THAT NO MAN SHOULD BE ORDAINED TO EITHER OFFICE AS A WAY OF HONORING HIM.
BOTH OFFICES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED AS OFFICES OF SERVICE, FIRST TO GOD AND THEN TO THE CONGREGATION OF THE ASSEMBLY.
JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT IN MATTHEW 20:25-27 THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD NOT OPERATE ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF THE WORLD.
SO IF A MAN FEELS HE IS CALLED TO PREACH THE WORD, HE IS DESIRING TO BE IN A POSITION OF GOOD WORK.
WE SAW LAST WEEK IN THE PREVIOUS LESSON THAT PAUL WROTE STRONG RESTRAINTS UPON THE PROPER POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH.
JUST AS HE WROTE THAT WOMEN ARE NOT TO HOLD POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY WITHIN THE CHURCH, HE ALSO IS NOW WRITING THAT NOT JUST ANY MAN CAN HOLD THESE TWO OFFICES, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE HAPPENS TO BE A MAN.
THERE ARE IMPORTANT QUALIFICATIONS TO HOLD THESE TWO OFFICES AND THIS IS THE REASON FOR THIS PORTION OF PAUL'S WRITING.
PAUL USES FIRST THE WORD “BISHOP” TO DESCRIBE WHAT WE NOW REFER TO AS “PASTOR”.
THIS WORD ACTUALLY MEANS “OVER WATCHER” OR IN MORE MODERN USAGE “OVERSEER”.
SOME DENOMINATIONS REFER TO THIS POSITION AS “ELDER” OR EVEN “SHEPHERD” AS SEEN IN ACTS 20.
WE NOTICE THAT HERE IN THIS LETTER PAUL DOES NOT GRANT US INSTRUCTION AS TO HOW THESE TWO OFFICES ARE SUPPOSED TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.
BY HIS NOT WRITING ON SUCH MATTERS HERE, MUCH FLEXIBILITY IS ALLOWED IN ACTUAL ORGANIZATION WITHIN A CHURCH.
THE MAIN THOUGHT HERE BY PAUL IS THAT ONE WHO SEEKS TO BECOME A PASTOR, SEEKS THIS WORK WHICH IS GOOD & NOBLE & HONORABLE.
THEREFORE TIMOTHY SHOULD SEEK ONLY GOOD & NOBLE & HONORABLE MEN TO BE PLACED TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK NEEDED.
JOHN CALVIN SAID THAT THIS IS NO LIGHT MATTER FOR THIS PERSON REPRESENTS GOD'S SON IN THE GREAT TASK OF ERECTING & EXTENDING GOD'S KINGDOM HERE ON EARTH.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC & CLEAR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS WORK.
GOD NEVER TELLS HIS CHURCHES TO GO AND FIND THE MOST GIFTED MAN FOR THIS POSITION BUT RATHER TEACHES US IN 1ST COR 12:11 THAT THE GIFTS ARE GIVEN BY GOD THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO THIS SPECIAL PERSON.
THIS IS A WORK OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP.
IS IT NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED FOR A MAN TO HAVE SEMINARY TRAINING.
BEING A NATURALLY GOOD TALKER DOES NOT QUALIFY A MAN.
INITIAL ENTHUSIASM DOES NOT QUALIFY ONE FOR SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP.
WHAT QUALIFIES A MAN FOR THIS WORK IS GODLY CHARACTER.
THIS CHARACTER MUST BE THE INITIAL QUALIFICATION AND THEN VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS ARE ADDED BY PAUL AS FURTHER QUALIFICATIONS.
THESE LATER QUALIFICATIONS ARE NOT OPTIONAL.
PAUL TELLS US THE MAN WHO BECOMES A PASTOR MUST BE:
BLAMELESS HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE
TEMPERATE SOBER-MINDED
OF GOOD BEHAVIOR
HOSPITABLE ABLE TO TEACH
NOT GIVEN TO WINE
NOT VIOLENT NOT GREEDY
GENTLE NOT QUARRELSOME
NOT COVETOUS RULING OF HIS OWN HOUSE WELL
HAVING HIS OWN CHILDREN IN SUBMISSION & REVERENT
NOT A NOVICE
BEING OF GOOD TESTIMONY LEST HE FALL INTO REPROACH
ALMOST ALL OF THESE QUALIFICATIONS ARE CLEAR & SELF EVIDENT, EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
THE PHRASE “HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE” IS POSSIBLY A PHRASE THAT IS SUBJECT TO SOME OPINION.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE MUST BE MARRIED. IF THAT WERE SO, THEN JESUS WOULD NOT QUALIFY, AND SOME SAY NEITHER WOULD PAUL HIMSELF.
IN OUR CHURCH HERE, THIS IS UNDERSTOOD TO MEAN HE COULD BE A WIDOWER, OR EVEN HAVE BEEN DIVORCED, AS LONG AS HE IS NOT OR DOES NOT REMARRY.
IN RECENT TIMES THERE ARE SOME CHURCHES THAT SAY THAT THIS QUALIFICATION MEANS THAT HE CAN HAVE BEEN DIVORCED AND REMARRIED, AS LONG AS HIS LOVE AND AFFECTION IS ONLY GIVEN TO ONE WOMAN, WHICH WOULD BE HIS LAWFUL WEDDED WIFE.
MT. VERNON DOES NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THIS POINT OF VIEW.
AS WE ALL KNOW THERE WAS GREAT ARGUMENT ON THIS MATTER SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT 1ST BAPTIST ATLANTA WHEN THE DIVORCE OF CHARLES STANLEY WAS FINAL IN 2000.
THIS MATTER ACTUALLY BROUGHT SUCH DISCORD THAT ANDY STANLEY WROTE THAT HE SAW A DEACON STRIKE HIS FATHER OVER THE ISSUE.
THE MATTER WAS DECIDED IN A FULL CHURCH VOTE AND BY A MAJORITY THE RESIGNATION OF CHARLES STANLEY WAS NOT REQUESTED.
SO THE ISSUE IS COMPLEX PERHAPS AND IS INTERPRETED IN DIFFERENT WAYS BY DIFFERENT BAPTIST CHURCHES.
THE ORIGIN OF THE MATTER IN LEGAL TERMS STRETCHES ALL THE WAY BACK TO LEVITICUS 21:13 WHEN GOD COMMANDED THAT A SPIRITUAL LEADER, A HIGH PRIEST, MUST HAVE ONLY ONE WIFE AND SHE MUST BE A VIRGIN, AND CANNOT BE A WIDOW OR DIVORCED WOMAN.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING IDEAS ON THIS MATTER OF DIVORCE AMONG OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS IS THAT THE HEAVENLY FATHER ADMITTED HE HIMSELF IS DIVORCED.
THE CHOSEN PEOPLE WERE & ARE GOD'S BRIDE.
AFTER JESUS CAME, GENTILES ALSO ARE ALLOWED TO BE MEMBERS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST AFTER SALVATION.
WHEN ISRAEL SINNED SO TERRIBLY, GOD TOLD THEM THROUGH HIS HOLY PROPHET JEREMIAH THAT HE HAS DIVORCED THEM USING THAT EXACT LANGUAGE IN JEREMIAH 3:8.
AS WE KNOW, THERE WAS LARGE COMPLICATIONS WHEN BILLY GRAHAM'S DAUGHTER, ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, WAS ORDAINED TO PREACH.
IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AT LEAST ONE WOMAN ORDAINED TO PREACH HAS RECENTLY DONE SO AT 1ST BAPTIST GAINESVILLE.
NEXT PAUL ENTERS HIS INSTRUCTIONS INTO HIS LETTER TO TIMOTHY CONCERNING THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE WORK OF DEACON.
DEACONS ARE THE PRACTICAL SERVANTS OF THE CHURCH.
THESE WERE CREATED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS TO RELIEVE THE PASTORS FROM EVERYDAY CONCERNS AND TO FREE THE PASTORS UP TO PREACH & TEACH.
WE SEE THIS LESSON IN ACTS 6.
THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE OF PASTOR.
PAUL EVEN USES THE WORD “LIKEWISE” TO DESCRIBE THIS WORK AND THOSE WHO UNDERTAKE IT TO SHOW THEY MUST BE LIKEWISE TO THE GODLY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PASTOR.
THIS WORK IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS LOWER WORK BUT IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS DIFFERENT WORK, WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CALLING.
THEY ARE TO BE:
REVERENT NOT DOUBLE TONGUED
NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE (PASTORS TO NONE)
NOT GREEDY
HOLDING THE MYSTERY OF FAITH WITH A PURE CONSCIENCE
BEING FOUND BLAMELESS
HAVING REVERENT WIVES
NOT BEING OF SLANDER
TEMPERATE FAITHFUL
HUSBANDS OF ONE WIFE
LEADING HOMES AND CHILDREN WELL
WE SEE IN VERSE 13 THAT THERE IS A PROMISE FOR DEACONS.
GOD REMEMBERS THEIR FAITHFUL SERVICE, EVEN IN MENIAL TASKS WHICH WILL BRING GREAT REWARDS IN THE KINGDOM TO COME.
IN VERSES 14-15 PAUL ASSURES TIMOTHY THAT WHILE HE HIMSELF HAD INTENDED TO COME TO HIM SOON, HE IS DELAYED.
SO HE WRITES THAT TIMOTHY MAY UNDERSTAND SOME THINGS NOW.
HE IS TELLING TIMOTHY HOW HE SHOULD HIMSELF ACT IN THE CHURCH.
THE CHURCH IS WHERE GOD IS.
IT IS GOD'S HOUSE BECAUSE:
HE IS THE ARCHITECT
HE IS THE BUILDER
HE LIVES WITHIN IT IN HIS SPIRIT
HE PROVIDES FOR IT
HE IS HONORED THERE AND RULES THERE.
IT IS A PILLAR AND GROUND OF TRUTH.
THE CHURCH HOLDS UP TRUTH FOR THE WORLD TO SEE IT.
THE CHURCH'S BOLDNESS FOR GOD'S TRUTH IS WHAT UPHOLDS THE GOSPEL IN A DARKER WORLD.
SO TIMOTHY SHOULD UNDERSTAND THESE MATTERS AND WELL SERVE THE LORD AS HE ADMINISTERS THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.
AND IN VERSE 16 PAUL EXPLAINS HOW GREAT IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS SO THAT TIMOTHY SHOULD HAVE THESE THOUGHTS ALWAYS IN FRONT OF HIS MIND.
GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE LIKENESS OF OUR FLESH
HIS SPIRIT JUSTIFIES US
HE WAS SEEN BY ANGELS
HE PREACHED AMONG THE GENTILES
HE IS BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD
AND WAS RECEIVED UP IN GLORY.
JESUS IS THE PERFECT FULFILLMENT OF ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS PAUL PROVIDED FOR PASTOR AND DEACON AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IN THOSE WORKS ARE BEING CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE.
