The Word Made Fresh
1Of course, anyone who wants to become a bishop has a noble goal. 2A bishop must be honorable and have only one wife. He must be temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, a gifted teacher 3who is not given to strong drink or violence, but is gentle, and is not quarrelsome, and does not love money. 4He must manage his own household well and teach his children to be obedient and respectful in every way. 5After all, if he can’t manage his own household, how can he manage God’s church? 6He must not be a recent convert, or he might become conceited and fall into the devil’s traps. 7And he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he might succumb to the devil’s snare and be disgraced.
8Deacons must also be serious. They can’t be two-faced, or wine-bibbers, or money hungry. 9They must keep a clear conscience, and hold tightly to the mystery of our faith. 10So you should test them first. If they are indeed blameless let them serve as deacons. 11Also, women who are deaconesses must be serious. They can’t lord it over others. They must be gentle and faithful in every way. 12A deacon must have but one spouse, and must manage their children and their families well. 13If they serve their office well, they will develop a good reputation and be known for the boldness of their faith in Christ Jesus.
14I do hope to be able to visit you soon, but I’m giving you these instructions 15so that if I am delayed you might know how the people in God’s household should behave, for they are in the church of the living God who is the very foundation of truth. 16There is no doubt that this is a great mystery:
He was seen in the flesh.
He was confirmed by the Spirit,
witnessed by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
and taken up in glory.
Commentary
1-7: In this growing movement an organizational structure has become necessary. Who is in charge? Who has the authority to make decisions? We can see that by the time of this letter the church has established the offices of bishop and deacons. There is much discussion among scholarly circles about whether this arrangement is more reflective of Jewish or Greek community organization. The titles used are Greek. The bishop, or overseer, must be blameless, monogamous, and respectable among other things. It is interesting that Paul, who never married, should picture bishops as married men with children. As such, their family is the church in microcosm, and their ability to manage the family is a good measure of their ability to manage a congregation. Some mellowing in the faith is a good thing, too, recognizing that rapid advancement contributes to vanity.
8-13: Deacons were given special duties in the congregation. An example is Stephen and the other 7 Greeks who were given responsibilities for the distribution of food to the widows in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:3-6). They, too, must lead exemplary lives. In verse 11 we see that women are allowed to serve in this office.
14-16: The reason Paul is giving these instructions is so that Timothy can keep things running in proper order until Paul is able to return to Ephesus. In verse 16 he quotes from another early hymn or creed.
Takeaway
Care in choosing leadership is just as important in the church as it is in the business world. Indeed, it is even more important in the church where souls are being prepared for eternal life.