- *elder: episkopos in the Greek - overseer or bishop.
- Acts 20:17,28: But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. ... So guard yourselves and God s people. Feed and shepherd God's flock - His church, purchased with his own blood over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
- Philippians 1:1: This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons.
- 1 Timothy 5:17: Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.
- 1 Peter 5:1: And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:
- episkopos literally means "over" (epi) "watcher" (skopos) - an overseer.
- Robert Cook: “There is no substitute for character. You can buy brains, but you can’t buy character.” When it comes to selecting leaders, nothing is more important than godly character. You can buy talent … or brains … or knowledge … but you can’t buy character. Either a person has it or he doesn’t.
(2) So an elder must be a man whose life is *above reproach. He must **faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to ***teach.
- *above reproach: The description "above reproach" (irreproachable, Greek anepilempton, v. 2; cf. 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6) means that he should possess no observable flaw in his character or conduct. That is, there should be no cause for justifiable criticism now or in his past (cf. v. 10) that anyone could use to discredit him and bring reproach on the name of Christ and the church. The Greek word means "not to be laid hold of." This is the main quality that the following ones make clearer or unpack. No one is perfect, but an elder should be a person that no one can legitimately criticize for the way he lives.
- **faithful to his wife: Or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; Greek literally reads one-woman-man; also in 3:12.
- ***teach:
- Notice that having the teaching gift is not a requirement in verses 12-13 for a deacon.
- The phrase able to teach translates one Greek word which means both having a teachable spirit and able to teach others. This presupposes:
- A teachable spirit eager to learn.
- A good working knowledge of the Bible.
- Willingness to share spiritual truth with others.
- Willingness to confront false teaching when necessary.
(3) He must not be a *heavy drinker or be **violent. He must be ***gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.
- *heavy drinker: Greek must not drink too much wine; similarly in 3:8.
- Most scholars have concluded that moderation rather than abstinence is what God commanded. However, some base a case for abstinence on the fact that in Bible times, the alcoholic content of wine was much less than it is in modern times. Modern alcoholic beverages fall into the category of strong drink that the Scriptures forbid.
- **violent: Not "pugnacious" or "violent" (Greek me plekten, literally a giver of blows) describes a striker. This is a person who resorts to physical or verbal violence to vent his anger and or to settle disputes. A wife beater would be included. The KJV renders it Not a striker. That says it all. A striker is a violent person who is easily angered. Such people tend to be assertive, manipulative, demanding, coercive and highly critical of others. They are quick to pick fights and slow to make up afterwards.
- ***gentle: (Gr. epieikes) means patient and forbearing. It describes a person who considers the whole picture before acting.
- Titus 3:2: They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
(4) **He must manage his own **family well, having children who respect and obey him.
- *He: Fathers, not mothers, are responsible for the behavior of their children.
- **family: The home is the proving ground of Christian character. Spiritual leadership begins in the home. Our first duty is to our wives and children. Additionally, the early churches met in homes.
(5) For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?
(6) An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the *devil would cause him to fall.
- *devil would cause him to fall: Or he might fall into the same judgment as the devil.
- Pride is the very sin which caused Lucifer to fall and become Satan, the devil (Isaiah 14:12-15 & Ezekiel 28).
(7) Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap.
(8) In the same way, *deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.
- *deacons: Greek - diakonos, which means one who serves.
- Acts 6:2-3: So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.
- Women could be deacons, but not elders:
- Romans 16:1: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea.
(9) They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.
(10) Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.
(11) In the same way, their *wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
- *wives: The Greek word can be translated women or wives. This may instead refer to deaconesses, such as Phoebe.
(12) A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.
(13) Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
(14) I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,
(15) so that if I am *delayed, **you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the ***church of the living God, which is the ****pillar and foundation of the truth.
- *delayed: So far as we know, Paul never made it back to Ephesus, being arrested and sent back to Rome before he had the chance.
- **you will know how people must conduct themselves - Here is the purpose of Paul writing to Timothy.
- ***church: Greek ekklesia (called out ones, assembly).
- Ephesians 2:19-22: So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
- 1 Peter 2:4-5: You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
- Hebrews 12:23: You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.
- ****pillar: Applied by the Jews to teachers of the law.
(16) Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:
- Christ was revealed in a human body
- and vindicated by the Spirit.
- He was seen by angels
- and announced to the nations.
- He was believed in throughout the world
- and taken to heaven in glory.
- It's curious that this ancient hymn had 6 parts, instead of 7 for completeness. But, His return would be the yet unfulfilled 7th.
- Verse 16 is probably a very concise doctrinal creed. It may have been a portion of an ancient hymn. It may have been written by someone else at an earlier date. But it is nonetheless a concise summary of Christian doctrine. It declares the incarnation of our Lord. It states that the claims of our Lord were vindicated by the miraculous works He accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel of salvation through faith in His atoning work was proclaimed to the Gentiles (something the Jewish extremists did not like at all (see Luke 4:16-30; Acts 22:21-22), and He was believed on in the world. He was raised from the dead, and He ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is
the New Living Translation.
NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://1timothy-study.blogspot.com/2010/12/1-timothy-references-and-sources.html
