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1 Timothy 3

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Qualifications for Overseers (Bishops) 1–7

1
Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ​
2
The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ​
3
no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; ​
4
one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ​
5
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ​
6
not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ​
7
Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. ​

Qualifications for Deacons 8–13

8
Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; ​
9
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ​
10
And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.
11
Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ​
12
Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ​
13
For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. ​

The Church and the Mystery of Godliness 14–16

14
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly;
15
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ​
16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Timothy 3

Verse 1

a true saying — 'True' is pistos, trustworthy, the word rendered 'faithful' in 'This is a faithful saying' (1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8). 'Office of a bishop' is episkope, oversight, and the man 'desireth' (oregomai) it. The same men are called elders and 'a bishop' in Titus 1:5, 7, and elders and 'overseers' in Acts 20:17, 28.

Verse 2

the husband of one wife — Literally 'a man of one woman' (mias gunaikos aner), repeated in v.12 and Titus 1:6; the widow's counterpart is 'the wife of one man' (1 Tim 5:9). 'Blameless' (anepileptos) heads the list and returns in 5:7 and 6:14. 'Apt to teach' (didaktikos) occurs only here and in 2 Tim 2:24.

Verse 3

no striker — Plektes, one ready with blows, and 'given to wine' (paroinos) stand together here and in Titus 1:7, and nowhere else in the New Testament. 'Brawler' (amachos) is the word of Titus 3:2, and 'covetous' (aphilarguros) of Heb 13:5, 'Let your conversation be without covetousness'. 'Patient' is the opposite temper.

Verse 4

ruleth well his own house — Proistemi, to stand before, so to preside over and care for; it is used of the elders 'that rule well' (1 Tim 5:17) and again in vv.5 and 12. 'Gravity' (semnotes, dignity) is the household's order; Titus 1:6 asks for 'faithful children not accused of riot or unruly'.

Verse 5

take care of the church of God — Epimeleomai, the verb of the Samaritan who 'took care of him' (Luke 10:34–35); it occurs only there and here. The argument runs from the house to 'the church of God', which Paul calls 'the house of God' in v.15 and which the Holy Ghost has given to overseers to feed (Acts 20:28).

Verse 6

a novice — Neophutos, literally 'newly planted', a recent convert; the word occurs only here. 'Lifted up with pride' is tuphoo, to be puffed up, the verb also of 1 Tim 6:4 ('He is proud, knowing nothing') and 2 Tim 3:4 ('highminded'). The verse names pride as the danger of putting a new believer in charge.

Verse 7

them which are without — Those outside the church, as in Col 4:5 and 1 Thess 4:12. 'Good report' is marturia, testimony, here borne by outsiders. 'Reproach' (oneidismos) and 'the snare of the devil' (pagis) are what a poor name opens the door to; 2 Tim 2:26 speaks of recovering 'out of the snare of the devil'.

Verse 8

the deacons — Diakonos, servant, the title that stands beside 'the bishops' in Phil 1:1 and is given to Phebe, 'a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea' (Rom 16:1). 'Doubletongued' (dilogos) is found only here. 'Grave' (semnos, worthy of respect) is repeated of the women in v.11.

Verse 9

the mystery of the faith — 'Mystery' (musterion) is what was hidden and is now revealed, as in Col 1:26, 'hath been hid from ages… but now is made manifest to his saints'. It is held 'in a pure conscience', as at 1 Tim 1:19, 'Holding faith, and a good conscience'; the content of the mystery is given in v.16.

Verse 11

their wives — The Greek has only gunaikas, 'women', and the KJV supplies 'their', so the verse may speak of the deacons' wives or of women who serve, as Phebe is 'a servant' (diakonos) of the church (Rom 16:1). Believers have read it both ways. 'Slanderers' is diabolous, the word translated 'the devil' in vv.6–7.

Verse 12

the husbands of one wife — The test set for the bishop in v.2 is repeated for the deacon, with 'ruling' (proistemi) 'their children and their own houses well', the verb of vv.4–5. Both offices, named together in Phil 1:1, are judged first at home.

Verse 13

a good degree — Bathmos, a step or standing, found only here. 'Purchase' (peripoieomai, to acquire for oneself) occurs elsewhere only at Acts 20:28, of the church 'which he hath purchased with his own blood'. The 'boldness' (parrhesia) is 'in the faith which is in Christ Jesus'.

Verse 15

the pillar and ground of the truth — 'Pillar' is stulos, the word for James, Cephas and John, 'who seemed to be pillars' (Gal 2:9), and for the overcomer made 'a pillar in the temple of my God' (Rev 3:12). 'Ground' (hedraioma), a support, occurs only here. The church is 'the house of God' (cf. Heb 3:6, 'whose house are we').

Verse 16

God was manifest in the flesh — Phaneroo, to make plainly visible, is the verb of 'the life was manifested' (1 John 1:2). The 'mystery of godliness' (eusebeia) is a person, and its six clauses end with him 'received up into glory' (cf. Acts 1:9–11). 'Without controversy' (homologoumenos) occurs only here.