1 Timothy 3-5

1 Timothy 3

Qualifications for Overseers

• Desiring the office of overseer/bishop is a noble task
• An overseer must be:
  • Above reproach
  • Faithful to his wife
  • Sober-minded
  • Self-controlled
  • Respectable
  • Hospitable
  • Able to teach
• Not drunkard, violent, quarrelsome, or greedy
• Must manage his household well
• Should not be a recent convert
• Must have a good reputation with outsiders

Qualifications for Deacons

• Deacons must be:
  • Dignified
  • Honest
  • Not addicted to much wine
  • Not greedy
• Hold the faith with a clear conscience
• Be tested first
• Wives should be
  • dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things
• Manage their families well
• Faithful service leads to spiritual confidence

The Mystery of Godliness

• The church is:
  • God’s household
  • Pillar and buttress of the truth
• Paul summarizes the gospel:
  • Christ was manifested in the flesh
  • Vindicated by the Spirit
  • Seen by angels
  • Proclaimed among the nations
  • Believed on in the world
  • Taken up in glory

1 Timothy 4

 Warning About False Teaching

• In later times some will depart from the faith
• False teachers follow deceitful spirits
  • They forbid marriage
  • They require abstinence from certain foods
• God’s creation is good when received with thanksgiving
  • Made holy by word of God and prayer

Timothy is to teach sound doctrine

• Avoid silly myths
• Physical training has some value
  • But Godliness has value for this life and the next
• Believers place their hope in the living God

Teach these truths confidently

• Do not let others despise your youth
• Set an example in:
  • Speech
  • Conduct
  • Love
  • Faith
  • Purity
• Devote yourself to:
  • Scripture reading
  • Exhortation
  • Teaching
• Use the gifts God has given
• Persist in faithful ministry

1 Timothy 5

Treat the Church as Family

• Do not rebuke older men harshly
• Treat:
  • Older men as fathers
  • Younger men as brothers
  • Older women as mothers
  • Younger women as sisters

Care for Widows

• Honor widows who are truly in need
• Families should care for their own relatives
  • The church assists those without family support
• Paul gives qualifications for widows receiving church care
• Younger widows are encouraged to remarry and manage households

Honor Elders

• Elders who lead well deserve honor
  • Especially those who preach and teach
• accusations require careful investigation
  • Persistent sin among leaders must be addressed publicly

 Impartial Leadership

• Show no favoritism
• Be careful in appointing leaders
• Keep yourself pure
• Some sins are obvious immediately, others show up later
  • Good works likewise eventually become visible

Application

Leaders in the church are called to be good examples, and held accountable. We are also called to treat believers as family and care for those in need.