1st Timothy Chapter 3

From The Open Bible Project

3:1 This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an [1] overseer [See 1st Timothy Footnotes 1], he desires a good work.

• (1) Having completed the treatise of doctrine and of the manner of handling of it, as well also of public prayer, he now in the third place comes to the persons themselves, speaking first of pastors, and afterwards of deacons. And he uses a preface, so that the church may know that these are certain and sure rules.
• (2) The office of bishop, or the ministry of the word is not an idle dignity, but a work, and that an excellent work: and therefore a bishop must be furnished with many virtues both at home and abroad. Therefore it is necessary before he is chosen to examine well his learning, his gifts, his abilities, and his life.
• (a) He does not speak here of ambitious seeking, of which there cannot be a worse fault in the Church, but generally of the mind and disposition of man, prepared and disposed to help and edify the Church of God, when and wherever it will please the Lord.

3:2 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;

• (b) Therefore he that shuts out married men from the office of bishops, only because they are married, is antichrist.

3:3 not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

• (c) A common drinker and one that will often partake of it.

3:4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

3:5 (but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?)

3:6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

• (d) Lest by reason that he is advanced to that position, he takes occasion to be proud, which will undo him, and so he fall into the same condemnation that the devil himself has fallen into.

3:7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

3:8 [2] Servants [See 1st Timothy Footnotes 2], in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money;

• (3) Likewise the deacons must first be proved, that there may be a good trial of their honesty, truth, sobriety, mind void of covetousness, that they are well instructed in the doctrine of faith, and to be short, of their good conscience and integrity.
• (e) These are those that had to look after the poor.

3:9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

• (f) The doctrine of the Gospel, which is indeed a mystery: for flesh and blood do not reveal it.

3:10 Let them also first be tested; then let them [3] serve [See 1st Timothy Footnotes 3] if they are blameless.

3:11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

• (4) Regard must also be had for the pastor’s and deacon’s wives.

3:12 Let [4] servants [See 1st Timothy Footnotes 4] be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

• (5) They that have than one wife, at one time, must neither by called to be ministers, nor to be deacons.

3:13 For those who have [5] served well [See 1st Timothy Footnotes 5] gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

• (g) Honour and estimation.
• (h) Bold and assured confidence without fear.

3:14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

• (6) Paul purposing to add many particular things pertaining to the daily office of a pastor, speaks first a word or two concerning his coming to Timothy, that he should be so much the more careful, lest at his coming he might be reproved of negligence.

3:15 but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

• (7) The pastor always has to consider how he carries out his duties in the house of the living God, in which the treasure of the truth is kept.
• (i) That is, with regard to man: for the Church rested upon that cornerstone, Christ, and is the preserver of the truth, but not the mother.

3:16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

• (8) There is nothing more excellent than this truth, of which the Church is the keeper and preserver here among men, the ministry of the word being appointed to that end and purpose: for it teaches us the greatest matters that may be thought, that is, that God has become visible in the person of Christ by taking our nature upon him, whose majesty, even though in such great weakness, was manifested in many ways, in so much that the sight of it pierced the very angels. And to conclude, he being preached to the Gentiles was received by them, and is now placed above in unspeakable glory.
• (k) The power of the Godhead showed itself so marvellously in the weak flesh of Christ, that even though he was a weak man, yet all the world knows he was and is God.