New Testament Commentary - 1 Timothy 3

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 3 Qualifications set forth for bishops and deacons—Great is the mystery of godliness.
1 THIS is a true ^asaying, If a man desire the office of a ^bbishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be ^ablameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, ^bsober, of good behaviour, given to ^chospitality, apt to ^dteach; 3 Not given to ^awine, no ^bstriker, not greedy of ^cfilthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ^aruleth well his own ^bhouse, having his ^cchildren in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to ^arule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a ^anovice, lest being lifted up with ^bpride he fall into the ^ccondemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good ^areport of them which are ^bwithout; lest he fall into reproach and the ^csnare of the devil. 8 Likewise must the ^adeacons be ^bgrave, not ^cdoubletongued, not given to much wine^a, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure ^aconscience.	8^a not given to much wine In these early days in a civilized area the health question of the purity of water necessitated the drinking of wine which had a small amount of alcohol in it, in order to purify that which one would drink. Here it so further qualifies that is was not good, 'bad', for one to drink heavily, even of wine.
10 And let these also first be ^aproved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 ^aEven so must their ^bwives be ^cgrave, not ^dslanderers, ^esober, ^ffaithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well ^apurchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 ^aBut if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the ^bchurch of the living God, the pillar and ^cground of the ^dtruth. 16 And without controversy great is the ^amystery of godliness: ^bGod was ^cmanifest in the ^dflesh, ^ejustified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, ^freceived up into glory.