Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 3:1-13
In 3:1-13 Paul speaks of overseers and deacons for the church’s administration. In verses 1 through 7 he covers the overseers, and in verses 8 through 13, the deacons.
In verse 1 Paul says, “Faithful is the word: If anyone aspires to oversight, he desires a good work.” Paul begins with the expression, “Faithful is the word.” This expression indicates that what he is about to say is very important.
In verse 1 Paul speaks of oversight, and in verse 2, of overseers. The Greek word rendered oversight is episkope, from epi meaning over and skope meaning sight; hence, oversight, denoting the function of an overseer. The Greek word translated overseer is episkopos from epi and skopos meaning seer; hence, overseer (bishop, from Latin episcopus). An overseer in a local church is an elder (Acts 20:17, 28). The two titles refer to the same person: elder, denoting a person of maturity; and overseer, denoting the function of an elder. It was Ignatius in the second century who taught that an overseer, a bishop, is higher than an elder. From this erroneous teaching came the hierarchy of bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope. This teaching is also the source of the episcopal system of ecclesiastical government. Both the hierarchy and the system are abominable in the eyes of God.
In verse 1 Paul tells us that if anyone aspires to oversight, he desires a good work. Aspiration with a pure motive differs from ambition with an impure motive. It is the Lord’s desire that many brothers have the aspiration spoken of here. For the Lord’s recovery and for the building up of the local churches, there is the need of the proper leading ones. Hence, aspiration for oversight is not only justifiable, but even admirable. On the one hand, we condemn ambition; on the other hand, we appreciate the fact that many brothers have the aspiration for oversight. A brother with this kind of aspiration truly desires a good work.
In verse 2 Paul says, “The overseer then must be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, of a sober mind, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach.” Paul first mentions the qualification of being without reproach. This does not denote perfection in the eyes of God, but an irreproachable condition in the eyes of man. An overseer must be one with a good reputation. There should be no ground for others to speak evil of him.
An overseer should be the husband of one wife. This implies the restraint of the flesh, which is necessary for an elder. It keeps an elder in a simple and pure married life, free from the tangle of a complicated and confused marriage.
An overseer should be temperate. Temperate here means self-controlled, moderate.
To be of a sober mind is not only to be sensible, but also to be discreet in understanding. In 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus Paul uses the words sober and sobriety a number of times. All the saints in the church life need to be sober in their understanding. All must have the virtue of sobriety. If we have the Christian virtue of sobriety, we shall be very discerning and full of insight. However, we shall be quiet, not talkative. A talkative person is not a sober person. One who is sober is keen in his understanding, but slow to speak.
In our fellowship as Christians, it is very important that we understand others. Should someone come to you for fellowship, you should not say very much. Instead, listen while the other party does the talking. However, many have the habit of interrupting the other party and speaking too quickly. If we are to have the proper fellowship with others, we need to be inwardly like a calm lake. Talkativeness, however, stirs up the water and causes the lake to become muddy.
The elders should take the lead in all positive aspects of the church life. They should take the lead in prayer and in exhibiting the virtue of sobriety. If a brother is able to be silent for fifteen minutes while someone is having fellowship with him, he is able to meet this qualification to be an elder. When anyone is speaking to him, the elder should be a calm, tranquil lake, clear and transparent. This is one of the qualifications of an overseer. Talkativeness disqualifies a brother from being an elder. A proper elder is one who is quiet, calm, keen in understanding, and very discerning.
The Greek word rendered orderly in 3:2 also means decorous. To be orderly, decorous, is to have behavior that always fits the situation. It is to be neither too fast nor too slow, neither too bold nor too timid. A decorous person is one who always does what is fitting. One who is decorous talks when talk is necessary and is silent when silence is required. He can also laugh when laughter is appropriate.
This one qualification shows how difficult it is to be an elder. It is not too much to say that being an elder is the most difficult task on earth. How difficult it is to meet even the one qualification of being orderly or decorous! Even in the way he uses the telephone an elder should be decorous. On the one hand, he should not talk too long; on the other hand, if his conversation is too brief, he may offend others. It is possible to go to an extreme even in the matter of the way we use the telephone. One extreme is that a brother takes the telephone off the hook, refusing to talk to anyone. Another extreme is that his telephone conversations are too long. Neither is orderly.
Elders should also be orderly in the way they speak to others. Sometimes they need to speak loudly; at other times, they should speak softly.
Furthermore, they should be orderly in the way they have their hair cut. To have hair that is either too long or too short is not orderly. By these few examples we can see that the requirements of eldership are virtually without limit.
Because the requirements of an elder are so many and so difficult, it is surely vain for anyone to be ambitious for eldership. Those who have this ambition simply do not know how difficult it is to be an elder. If a brother does not have a genuine aspiration with a pure motive for the Lord’s recovery, he should not desire to be an elder. He should seek to fulfill his ambition outside the church, not in pursuing the eldership. The church is not an arena for a brother to satisfy his ambition.
The eldership is very demanding, and the requirements are extremely high. For this reason, I sympathize with the elders. From experience I know that they will receive telephone calls even in the middle of the night. They have no choice but to answer the telephone and take care of the situation of the one who calls.
At this point I would like to speak a word of comfort and encouragement to those who are children of elders. An elder’s children may be troubled by the fact that their father gives so much of his time to the church. If an elder fails to give adequate time to the church life, he cannot fulfill his responsibility properly. However, because the church takes so much of his time, he has relatively little time to devote to his children. I would encourage the children of elders to realize that for their father to give his time to the church is very acceptable to God. Temporarily the children may have some hardship. But the Lord will reward them. Instead of being disappointed by their situation, they should be glad that their father has consecrated his life and time to the Lord’s recovery. Eventually, the children of an elder will enjoy the Lord’s reward.
To be an elder is a great blessing to one’s family and to the church. It is surely worthwhile for a brother to aspire to oversight. Although being an elder is a most difficult job, it is a great blessing.
Those who are elders in the churches in the Lord’s recovery are burdened by the Lord and chosen according to the insight, oversight, and foresight of the spiritual eyes of the church. They are not elected, and they are very different from those who may be called elders in different denominations.
Another qualification of an overseer is that he must be hospitable. Hospitality requires love, care for people, and endurance. All these virtues are required if one is to qualify to be an elder.
Nothing is more bothersome than giving hospitality. Hospitality tests the qualifications of elders. The principle of hospitality is giving without receiving; it is suffering without requiring anything in return. Hospitality means sacrifice with joy, but without recompense. An elder must have a heart and a spirit for such hospitality.
In verse 2 Paul says that an elder should be apt to teach. To teach here is similar to parents teaching their children. An elder must be apt to render this kind of home teaching to the members of the local church.
If a parent has not received a proper education, it will be difficult for him to teach his children. Likewise, if the elders would be apt to teach, they need to be knowledgeable. For example, an elder should be able to explain what the mystery of Christ is. If a brother is not knowledgeable concerning the truth, he is disqualified from the eldership. An elder should be able to teach the saints like a parent helps a child with his homework. However, this does not mean that every elder should be a teacher. It is not necessary for parents to be teachers in order to help their children with homework. Similarly, not all elders are teachers, but they all should be apt to teach.
In verse 3 Paul lists other qualifications: “Not an excessive drinker, not a striker, but forbearing, not contentious, not fond of money.” When Paul says that an elder should not be an excessive drinker, he, of course, has in mind not an excessive drinker of wine. However, the principle here is that an elder should not be excessive in anything. This requires strong self-control. In the matters of food and clothing, for example, an elder should not be excessive. This tests his ability to exercise self-control.
The next requirement, “not a striker,” is related to the control of one’s temper. This implies a strong restraint of the temper. An elder should be one who does not lose his temper.
To be forbearing is to be yielding, gentle, mild, reasonable, and considerate in dealing with others. It is to deal with people without strictness.
An elder should not be contentious. He should not be quarrelsome; rather, he should be peaceable and not debate with others or contend with them. Even if someone comes to fight with him, he should not fight back, but should learn not to be contentious.
An elder should not be fond of money. Money is a test to all men. An elder must be pure in money matters, especially since the church fund is under the elders’ management (Acts 11:30). An elder must realize that the money which passes through his hands is not for his personal gain. He should not have even the thought of monetary gain.
In verses 4 and 5 Paul goes on to say, “One who manages well his own household, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (but if anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)” Managing well his own household is a proof that one is qualified to take the oversight of a local church. An elder should exercise to manage his household well and maintain it in good order. It is clear that anyone who does not know how to manage his own household cannot take care of the church of God.
Verse 6 says, “Not a new convert, lest being blinded with pride he fall into the judgment of the Devil.” The Greek word rendered blinded literally means beclouded with smoke. Pride here is likened to smoke that beclouds the mind, making it blind, besotted with the self-conceit of pride. One who is blinded with pride may fall into the judgment of the Devil. This judgment refers to that to which Satan was sentenced due to his pride in his high position (Ezek. 28:13-17). The Devil was judged because of his rebellion which came from pride. The Devil was proud, blind, and rebellious. For this, he received God’s judgment.
In verse 7 Paul concludes, “And he also must have a good testimony from those outside, that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil.” An elder must be right with himself, with his family, with the church, and with those outside — the society. And, according to the context, an elder must be right in intention, in motive, in character, in attitude, in words, and in deeds.
To fall into the judgment of the Devil is due to the pride of the elder himself; to fall into the snare of the Devil is occasioned by the reproach of outsiders. An elder should be alert not to be proud on the one hand, and not to be reproachable on the other, that he may avoid the Devil’s entanglement.
In verse 8 Paul says, “Deacons must similarly be grave, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not seeking gain by base means.” Deacons are serving ones. The overseers take care of the church; the deacons serve the church under the direction of the elders. These are the only two offices in a local church.
Deacons are to be grave. This virtue inspires and invites honor and respect. A person who is grave is neither loose nor light.
A serpent is double-tongued. A deacon in a local church rendering service to all the saints may easily be double-tongued in contacting them. In that case, he practices the nature of the Devil and brings death into the church life.
Today we often use the expression two-faced instead of double-tongued. A two-faced person is hypocritical. He may speak one way to a brother in his presence and another way about the brother in his absence. Deacons should be neither double-tongued nor two-faced. If you do not have the Lord’s leading to speak frankly to a brother about his situation, simply be quiet. Do not say anything to please him. Furthermore, you should not speak negatively about him behind his back.
The deacons should fulfill their duty without talking too much. However, there is a great temptation to talk excessively. In their contact with the elders, the deacons may acquire information about certain matters. It is tempting to pass on this information. When a deacon behaves in this way, he becomes the information center of the church. The deacons should not be informers. Restricting the circulation of needless information will kill the germs of death in the church life.
Deacons should not be addicted to much wine. Being addicted to much wine is a sign of being unable to control oneself. A deacon in the service of a local church must exercise self-control in a full way.
A deacon also should not seek gain by base means. He should not seek gain from rendering service to the saints. This is seeking gain by base means (see 6:5b). A deacon, therefore, should not be fond of money.
Verse 9 says, “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” The faith here, as in 1:19 and 2 Timothy 4:7, is objective. It refers to the things we believe in, the things which constitute the gospel. The mystery of the faith is mainly Christ as the mystery of God (Col. 2:2) and the church as the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4). A deacon in a local church should hold this mystery with full understanding in a pure conscience for the Lord’s testimony.
If the deacons know the mystery of the faith, the standard of their service will be uplifted. Whenever the deacons are asked by the elders to do a certain thing or to help others in a particular way, they should realize that they are serving the saints in the mystery of the faith. This will uplift their service. It makes a tremendous difference if the deacons’ contact with others is based on God’s New Testament economy.
Years ago, I visited the royal palace in London. I noticed that every aspect of the service of the palace, from the changing of the guard to the work of the janitors, was done with a high standard and with dignity. Even the janitors conducted themselves with dignity and gravity, in a way which invited others’ respect. How much more true this should be of the service of the deacons in a local church! Even the cleaning of the rest rooms should be done with gravity. Those who serve in this way should realize that they are not cleaning in a worldly place. Rather, they are serving the church, the house of God.
In verse 9 Paul speaks of a pure conscience. A pure conscience is a conscience purified from any mixture. To hold the mystery of the faith for the Lord’s testimony, we need such a purified conscience.
In order to have a pure conscience, the deacons need to behave according to their knowledge of the mystery of the faith. We may know this mystery, but not live according to it. As a result, instead of having a pure conscience, we have a conscience that condemns us. A deacon should consider how he deals with his wife, his children, and the other saints. He then may realize his shortage, that he does not live according to the mystery of the faith. A deacon must be justified in the first place by his own conscience. He should have a conscience which testifies even to the demons that he lives according to the standard of the mystery of God’s New Testament economy. Then he will truly hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
In verse 10 Paul continues, “And let these also first be proved; then let them minister, being Unreprovable.” Unreprovable here means blameless. The word that the deacons should first be proved may imply a period of apprenticeship. The word minister in this verse means to serve. This is the function of a deacon.
Verse 12 says, “Let deacons be husbands of one wife.” The requirement here is the same as that of the overseers, as mentioned in verse 2.
In verse 12 Paul also says that deacons should manage “their children and their own households well.” Managing the children and the household well proves the capability of a brother to serve the church.
In verse 13 Paul mentions the blessing on a good deacon: “For those who have ministered well obtain for themselves a good standing and much boldness in faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The word ministered here means served. The expression “a good standing” refers to a firm and steadfast standing as a believer and a saint before God and man. To serve the church well as a deacon strengthens one’s Christian standing.
By serving well, a deacon will also be blessed with much boldness in faith which is in Christ Jesus. The word boldness also means confidence. To serve the church well strengthens the boldness, the confidence, of the Christian faith. Faith here is subjective and refers to our act of believing.
Verse 11 says, “Women similarly must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.” The word women in this verse refers to deaconesses (Rom. 16:1), not to the wives of the deacons. Sisters who are serving ones in the church are deaconesses. Such ones must be grave. Furthermore, they should not be slanderers. This corresponds to “not double-tongued” in verse 8. The Devil is a slanderer (Rev. 12:10). To slander is to practice the nature of the evil slanderer. A sister who is a deaconess, a serving one in a local church among many other sisters, should flee slander, the evil act of the Devil.
Deaconesses must also be temperate and faithful in all things. We have pointed out that to be temperate is to be self-controlled, moderate. The charge to be “faithful in all things” corresponds to “not seeking gain by base means” in verse 8. A sister as a deaconess needs to be faithful, trustworthy in all things, especially in things concerning gain.
