I Timothy
Chapter
3
{Leadership
Qualifications - Chapter 3}
{Qualification
for Pastors Verses 1-7}
{Paul's
favorite Hymn quoted again}
1~~FAITHFUL
IS THE WORD --
If,
and it is true,
anyone
aspires to the office of guardian of the local church {episkopos} .
. .
he
has desired an HONORABLE office.
{Note: 'Episkopos' which is sometimes translated 'bishop' was the Greek word used for an overseer of a plantation or a factory. It means 'guardian' and is another word for pastor-teacher . . . only it emphasizes the additional 'responsibility' of the pastor teacher as the policy maker of the local church.}
{Qualifications
for the Pastor of a Local Church- verses 2-7}
2-3~~The
guardian of a local church {pastor} therefore {absolutely} MUST be:
above reproach {anepileptos},
the man/husband of one woman {no polygamy for the pastor},
temperate {may drink but not one who gets habitually drunk},
of sound mind {good common sense},
honorable/well disciplined {consistent teaching thereby
establishing his authority},
hospitable {concern for his congregation and their privacy rights
- live and let live}, and
skillful in teaching, 3~~
not {'me'} abusive/quarrelsome inebriation {drinking is not a sin,
but drunkenness is a sin},
not {'me'} a bully {no mental coercion or physical violence},
but fair and reasonable,
not contentious {doesn't pick fights or let his prejudices enter
into things},
not {'me'}avaricious/'a lover of money' {not greedy or
covetous}.
{Note:
Anepileptos is a leadership word not morality word.
It
means 'not arrested', blameless, and unrebukeable. So it is
conservatism . . . pro-establishment . . . pro-doctrine . . .
pro-military
. . . staying out of all evil and 'humanistic' social reforms.}
{Note: 'Me' again is the qualified negative - door is not closed here interestingly enough!}
4~~
He {a qualified pastor} should be
ruling
his own household in the right way . . .
holding
children in subordination . . .
associated
with all respectfulness.
5~~
In fact, if anyone {category - pastors}
does
not know how to rule his own household,
how
can he take care of the church of God? Answer - He can not!
6~~
Not a neophyte {spiritually immature} . . .
lest
having received blind arrogance,
he
might fall into the condemnation of the devil {divine discipline}.
7~~
And, he must also be having an honorable reputation
from
those outside {of the local church} . . .
in
order that he NOT fall into disgrace {under influence of evil}
and
a snare of the devil {reversionism}.
{Note: Reinforces that pastor should be respected in the community. A supporter of the local police and other establishment authorities.}
{Qualifications
for deacons verses 8-13}
8~~In
a similar manner {adverb of similarity},
deacons
{deputies/administrative assistants - plurality, male and of good
quality} must:
be worthy of respect {honorable - operating under Grace
Apparatus for Perception,
not be given to double-talk {hypocritical in speech},
be guarding against much wine {can not be drunk and lead},
not be having a fondness for dishonorable profit/gain, 9~~
with
a pure {katharos} conscience,
be
having and holding the mystery {church age doctrine} . . .
even
doctrine.
{Note: Katharos is the Greek word from which we get catheter. It means to be pure by flushing out of your 'conscience' or system of norms and standards the standards of the Cosmic System replacing 'human viewpoint' with 'divine viewpoint'.}
{Deacons
must pass an Adversity Test}
10~~Moreover,
these {deacons} also
must
be tested {dokimazo} first {before serving} . . .
then
afterwards let them serve as a deacon . . .
provided
that they are blameless under the laws of establishment.
{Note: Dokimazo is the assayer's term to test ore to see if it is valuable (gold) or not!}
11~~In
the same manner, wives of deacons must:
be worthy of respect/honorable {some advanced level of