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Dave Burnette's Commentary

1 Timothy Chapter 3

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Paul
Date Penned: (64 AD)
Overview: Instructions for the Early Church (c 1-3)
Theme: Instructions for the Church (c 2-3)
Message: Standards for Church Leaders (v 1-16)

1 Timothy 3 Commentary

(3:1-13) Leaders in the Church -  The list of qualifications for church office, which is similar to other lists in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world, is not a rigid judgment list for disqualifying certain people. Rather, it serves as a barometer for spiritual maturity. Those who aspire to a church office must realize that living a blameless and pure life requires effort and self-discipline. All believers, even if they never plan to be church leaders, should strive to follow these guidelines because they are consistent with what God says is true and right. The strength to live according to God’s will comes from Christ.

(3:14-16) The Truths of our Faith - Paul hoped to arrive in Ephesus and see Timothy within a short time of this letter’s arrival. In case Paul arrived later than planned, he wrote these instructions to Timothy and the Ephesian church. This letter most likely confirmed instructions about governing the church already given to Timothy by Paul. This letter’s arrival, prior to Paul’s appearance, would have bolstered Timothy’s authority in the church to continue to guide the church according to these instructions and to counteract the false teachers.

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Church Leadership

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of 1st Timothy with Chapter 3 and in our text we see Paul outlining the standards of church leaders as he says that those who desire these offices desire a good thing. In making application we see that leaders in the Church are to have a higher standard but that we should all strive to work in and through the Church. How about you? Are you apart of the local Church? Let us learn from our text today and the reminder of Paul to see that the leaders to our Churches are held to high standards but we are all to work within the Body of Christ doing the will of the Father. 

 

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1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3

 1This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

 3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

 4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

 5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

 6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

 7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

 8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

 9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

 10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

 11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

 12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

 13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

 15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.