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.]

Verses 8-13:

^.8Likewise ministers (to be) reverential, not two-worded, not having-attention to much wine, not shameful-gain, ^.9having the mystery of the belief in a clean conscience, ^.10but even these-people must firstly be approved, then they must minister being not-arraigned. ^.11Likewise wives (to be) reverential, not devilish, sober, in all belief. ^.12Ministers must be husbands of one wife beautifully standing-before (their) children and (their) own houses, ^.13for the (people) having beautifully ministered acquire a beautiful step for themselves and much boldness in belief, the (belief) in Christ Jesus.

A “minister” is a person who serves to benefit others, not 'being-subject' to them but doing work to bring others profit, one who carries-out his day-by-day ministerial duties, his duties of service pertaining to God and the things of God.

In the same manner it is necessary for ministers to be…

reverential (having deference to God and all the things of God and thus are deserving of reverence and respect from others towards themselves; in the state of behaving reverentially),
not two-worded (not speaking two different accounts about the same matter contradicting themselves and consequently contradicting God’s Word),
not having-attention to much wine (not holding or turning their minds, thoughts and attention towards/for the purpose of having a lot of alcohol),
not shameful-gain (not for gain that is shameful, indecent profit, ugly benefit, deformed advantage),
having the mystery of the belief in a clean conscience (holding the secret pertaining-to the faith, the belief/faith that God has given us to believe, in a conscience that is free from any bad foreign-mixture),….

The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” A mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it. The word “conscience” refers to all of a person’s knowing-awareness, the perception of what is right which a person has put together for himself in his mind as a result of all that he has already been taught and learned in relation to the one whom he recognizes as his ruler, the one who has authority, ultimately this authority should be the only true God. Here Paul talks about having/holding the mystery of the belief in a clean conscience.

Paul continues: …but even these people, who would be ministers, must firstly be approved (they must in the first place have been proved by testing or examination and thereby approved)…. This is similar to the person who may be placed into an overseership position within the church. And again, this is not one of the gifts referred to in Ephesians chapter 4, but a minister may have none, or one, or more of those gifts, having already received the free-gift of holy spirit.

These people must firstly be approved…

then they must minister being not-arraigned (afterwards in sequence they must serve to benefit others, do work to bring others profit, carry-out their day-by-day ministerial duties, their duties of service pertaining to God and the things of God, while being in the state of having no charge or accusation to be called or brought against them during the everyday living of their lives awaiting Christ’s coming to gather all holy-people together with him).

In the same manner it is necessary for their wives (women) to be…

reverential (as verse 8 above),
not devilish (not behaving in a manner that is on a par with the devil, as verse 6 above),
sober (as verse 2 above),
in all belief (within the sphere of action of all faith, what God has given us to believe, as verse 9 above).

Ministers must be husbands of one wife beautifully standing-before their children and their own houses (as verses 2 and 4 above), for in truth the people having beautifully ministered acquire (those who have carried out their day-by-day ministerial duties in a decorous, harmonious and acceptably good manner, make around/about themselves)…

a beautiful step for themselves (a step going in a beautiful direction, a beautiful level of behavior to/for themselves) and
much boldness in belief (a lot of freedom, frankness and openness of speech within the sphere of action of faith),
- the belief in Christ Jesus (emphatically and specifically the belief/faith within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus).

This is Paul’s third reference to “belief” in a short passage and writes exactly what belief he’s referring to – the belief in Christ Jesus.

[Reference: Deuteronomy 29:29; Acts 20:28; Romans 16:1; I Corinthians 2:1 and 6-16; Galatians 3:22-29; Philippians 1:1; II Timothy 1:3, and 3:3; Titus 1:7,and 2:3; Hebrews 9:14.]

Verses 14-16:

^.14These-things I write to you, hoping to go towards you in quickness ^.15but if-ever I may be-slow, in order that you may know how it is necessary to behave in (the) house of God which is (the) church of (the) living God, (the) pillar and seat of the truth, ^.16and agreeably great is the mystery of the reverence which was manifested in flesh, was made-righteous in spirit, was seen by angels, was heralded among Gentiles, was believed in (the) world, was taken-up in glory.

Paul explains to Timothy: I am writing these things to you – hoping (expecting at a future time) to go/come towards you in quickness (with speed, swiftly) but even if it should happen that I would be slow (delay) to come to you – for the purpose and result that you would know (perceive, see, as verse 5 above) how it is necessary to behave (how it is binding, how holy-people ought to have our mode of living, way of turning-up, manner of moving-about during everyday living)…

within the house of God (God’s dwelling, among His household)
which is the church of the living God (she/this is the assembly of God Who is presently and actively being alive – the living God’s church),
- the pillar and seating of the truth (it is the column, firm-support, and it is the settlement, stationary location of the essential reality, the inherent verity – this is the spiritual state and standing of God’s house, the church where God Who is alive lives),
and agreeably great is the mystery of the reverence (the secret pertaining-to the good service, service that is well; the reverential service towards God agreeably is large in magnitude, importance, etc; the adverb “agreeably” means saying the same thing, speaking the same words, being in agreement with, assenting to what God says – agreeably great is the mystery of being respectfully reverential of/towards God)
which (mystery, secret of the reverence [some Greek texts read "who" referring to Christ])…
- was manifested in flesh (it has already been caused to be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth within/among the sphere of flesh – via Christ Jesus),
- was made-righteous in spirit (it has already been justified within/among the sphere or realm of spirit – via Christ Jesus),
- was seen by angels (it has already been presented to be perceived and known by the spirit-beings whose office and character is one of a messenger in official service via words and/or actions, but in this instance the message was not first told to them to tell to others – via Christ Jesus),
- was heralded among Gentiles (it has already been proclaimed in, within, among people belonging to nations other-than Israel, the other ethnic groups – via Christ Jesus),
- was believed in the world (it has already been trusted within/among the ordered-arrangement that God created, those within the world have already had faith in it – via Christ Jesus),
- was taken-up in glory (it has already been received upwards within/among importance, splendor, renown – via Christ Jesus).

The mystery of the belief (verse 9) and the mystery of the reverence join together – how? – in Christ Jesus.

We can see that what God says comes to pass, and He has made known what He has made known. It has been understood and still can be understood by us who live today being limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ which is the church. We holy-people have the spirit of Christ in us and all that he has accomplished we have accomplished in the spirit category. Presently we can believe as Christ Jesus believes, and we can behave in reverence as he behaves in reverence of/towards God Who is his Father and our Father. All of us are in God's house, we are the church of the living God, and we are waiting to be taken-up in glory by our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes to gather us all together with him in the air.

Also we see from what Paul has written so far in this letter that – yes – a Christian’s behavior is extremely important to God!

[Reference: Deuteronomy 29:29; Matthew 13:11; Mark 16:19; John 1:14; Acts 1:2, 11, and 3:12 and 13; Romans 1:3 and 4, 2:10, 5:2, 6:4, 8:9, 17-23 and 30, 11:25, 16:25 and 26; I Corinthians 2:1 and 6-16, 3:16, 4:1, 13:2, and 15:51-58; II Corinthians 3:18, and 5:14-17; Galatians 2:2; Ephesians 1:9, and 18-23, chapter 3, and 5:32; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:12-2:15, 3:4, and 4:3; I Thessalonians 2:12, 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 2:7 and 14; I Timothy 2:2-7; II Timothy 1:8-11, 3:12, 4:18; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 1:8, 3:18-22; II Peter 1:3; I John 4:2, 5:6-12; II John 1:7. 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.]

I Timothy Chapter 4