First Timothy 3:1-16

I Timothy 3:1(b)-7:

^3:1(b)If someone reaches-for overseership he intensely-yearns a beautiful work, ^.2therefore it is necessary (for) the overseer to be irreproachable, husband of one wife, sober, sound-thinking, orderly-arranged, loving-strangers, apt-to-teach, ^.3not wine-oriented, not quick-to-stroke but considerate, without-fighting, without-loving-silver, ^.4beautifully standing-before (his) own house having (his) children in subjection with all reverential(-behavior) ^.5(but if someone did not know² to stand-before (his) own house, how will he be-concerned-for God’s church!), ^.6not newly-planted in order that having been conceited he may not fall-in into judgment of the devil, ^.7but it is necessary also to have a beautiful witness from the (people) from-outside in order that he may not fall-in into reproach and trap of the devil.

Paul continues: If some holy-person reaches for overseership (stretches himself out to attain, reaches at/after an overseeing function, the work of watching, scoping, the duty or function to have watchful-care and guardianship pertaining to other holy-people) he intensely-yearns a beautiful work (he lusts, in the good sense, he fixes or attaches strong-desire upon a deed, an activity expending his energy producing an effect that has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness). Notice it says “work” and it does not say “gift”.

Following-on logically from what I have just written, it is necessary for the overseer (it is binding for him, the overseer must, ought) to presently and actively be in the following state in the walk/behavior category:

• irreproachable (cannot be taken hold on, can’t be caught by someone wrestling against him, in other words, he’s alert and prepared no matter who/what may come to catch him in his words or actions),
• husband of one wife (an adult-male, a grown man of one woman, not having a woman in every location he may visit),
• sober (free from intoxicants, figuratively: be in control of his mind and body so that he is receptive to what God wants to make known to him and he is not in a stupor),
• sound-thinking (having thoughts in his mind that are sound, safe in God’s viewpoint, with prudence, thoughts in alignment with his salvation),
• orderly-arranged (orderly and arranged, ornamented, adorned),
• loving-strangers (a lover of strangers, hospitable towards guests, those who are not immediate family members),
• apt-to-teach (skillful in teaching, didactic),
• not wine-oriented (not beside wine always having it alongside him with the corresponding conduct),
• not quick-to-stroke (not ready to hit with strikes or stripes, smite with blows or words), - but on the contrary,
  • considerate (disposed to yielding appropriately with fitting-suitableness considering the rights of others in a righteous/just manner, which is according to what God and the Lord Jesus Christ indicate),
• without-fighting (not a brawler, not contentious),
• without-loving-silver (not a lover of silver coins, not a person who loves money with the brotherly or friendly kind of love),
• beautifully standing-before his own house (presently standing in-front-of those living in his own house, all the household, as the leader presiding over them in a manner that has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness),
  • having his children in subjection with all reverential-behavior (holding his children in submission to him, arranging them underneath in subordination with all/every behavior that is in a manner having deference to God and all the things of God which is deserving of reverence and respect from himself and others towards his children)
  • but if someone did not know and continues not to know to stand-before his own house (if anyone doesn’t perceive, whereby what is known is known because it has come within the knower's sphere of perception or circle of vision, if he doesn’t see to the end of perceiving and knowing with his mind to preside over those people within his own house), how will he be concerned for God’s church (how will he have an object of thought for/to God’s assembly of holy-people, how will he have care for and take care of the church of God)!,  
• not newly-planted (literally: not a plant that only lately originated; figuratively referring to someone who has very recently become a holy-person and beginning to learn all that is involved in being a son of God)
  • in order that having been conceited he may not fall-in into judgment of the devil (for the purpose and result that he would not fall down into the pronounced-decision pertaining-to the devil, not fall resulting-in being in the state of the sentence passed on the devil – why would that happen? – because the neophyte who would be placed into the position of overseership may become conceited, beclouded, wrapped-up in his own importance, etc, as being engulfed in smoke in his mind and activities refusing to see, etc, what is outside of himself, just as the devil became this way but God arrived at His decision and pronounced it on the devil),
• but it is necessary also to have a beautiful witness from the people from-outside (it is binding in addition for him to hold a beautiful attestation from those who do not belong to the church of God regarding him, he ought also to have unsaved people witnessing about him, giving their decorous, harmonious and acceptably good declaration confirming it as being authentic information or knowledge about him – why?)
  • in order that he may not fall-in into reproach and trap of the devil (for the purpose and result that he would not fall down into the defamation, the insult issuing-from the devil, and the snare, that-which would hold him fast so that he would be entangled, set for him by the devil working through those outside-of the church).

The word translated "devil" comes from the words: "through" and "throw" or "cast" – the devil throws/casts things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, etc. "Satan" is the name that emphasizes the devil's opposing and adversarial attributes being in total opposition to the only true God. There are many names used in the Bible to describe his characteristics, qualities, etc. The devil is the chief of the devil-spirits (demons), which are the other evil spirits in subordination to the devil. These spirits are evil because they willingly, actively, and malignantly went against and continue to go against what the only true God says and does. God has judged them and the complete fulfillment of His judgment will come to pass at a future time. See Genesis 3:14 and 15, Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:11-19, I Peter 3:19 and 20, and Revelation chapters 12, 19 and 20, which are some of the prophecies that include information about the devil’s past, present, and future.

We should understand reading this passage that a holy-person (a Christian, one in whom the spirit of Christ lives, a son of God) cannot lose his holy spirit-life. Therefore if a newly-planted Christian was given the position of overseership within the church and he would fall down into the judgment and reproach and trap of the devil – it would only be in the behavior and flesh category; this would have no affect on his holy spirit and he would remain a son of God but he would be behaving badly.

An overseership is not one of the gifts that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to the church as described in Ephesians chapter 4 (please see my study on Ephesians chapter 4 for details; also Acts 20:28). An overseer may have received none, or one, or more of the gifts referred to in Ephesians chapter 4, but of course all holy-people have already received the initial free-gift of holy spirit, for our holy spirit is what makes us holy-people.

[Reference: Luke 10:34 and 35; Acts 1:20, 20:28, and 24:4; Romans 11:9, 12:8 and 13, and 15:3; II Corinthians 10:1; Philippians 4:5; I Timothy 2:9, and 6:4 and 10; II Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 1:6-9, and 3:2; Hebrews 13:2, 5, and 11:16. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

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