Daily Writing

Monday, 11 December 2017

Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:7

“Moreover” is stated to show that this is a continuation of the previous thought which began in verse 3:1. Paul has been describing the qualifications for being an overseer. He just said in verse 6 that an overseer is not to be newly planted into the faith, but there is even more than that. He is also one who “must have a good testimony among those who are outside.”

In other words, there should be a full and complete understanding by the outside world that this is a person of good character, and fully capable of leading a church of people in righteousness. This, however, cannot mean that someone who was once lacking good character is not acceptable for the position. Such a view is held among many scholars, but it is contrary to the example of Paul, who is writing this very epistle. His words testify to this –

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:13

These words, among others from Paul’s own hand, show that he is speaking of a present condition of things at the time of ordination (and the Greek verb for “have” is in the present tense). A person who was on the wrong path, and who makes a sudden and noted change to the right path, and who continues in that walk, is going to be noted as such by those who see the change. In due time, they will know that the individual is a true and sound convert. This is noted of Paul in Galatians 1:23. Those who knew of Paul’s past, and then saw the change in him, were amazed at the change. As Paul says, “And they glorified God in me” (Galatians 1:24).

Although Paul’s words concerning himself are only describing him, and although his call was an exceptional one – especially for the apostolic ministry – the fact that he includes his details in the pastoral epistles is surely an indication that he is showing us the contrast between life before Christ, and life in Christ. One who desires to be an overseer then must have a good testimony among those who are outside, based on his character of who he is in Christ. As he is not to be a new convert, this then takes care of such a testimony being flawed by a quick, but not proper, change. Those who are outside, and who can testify of the high quality of a non-recent convert, are to be sought out for their confession of the integrity and right-standing of the person in question.

This is especially important, and Paul gives the exacting reason for it by saying, “lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” Paul presents two distinct ideas. The first is, “lest he fall into reproach.” This cannot simply mean as Matthew Poole states, “lest men reproach such persons for their former infamous life, and so prejudice others against the doctrine they bring.” As seen, Paul’s life was surely “infamous” as he went out to destroy the Christian faith. And yet, his teaching – based on his conversion – brought glory to God. And so the idea of falling into reproach must be a turning back to the old ways and bringing discredit upon the Lord. This is why the candidate must not be a new convert. He must have a proven record of a change that has taken hold, grown deep roots, and which demonstrates that he will not be swayed by the many challenges which come from holding the position of overseer.

The second thought is falling into “the snare of the devil.” This is tied into falling into reproach, but it is also the thing which causes it to be magnified. The devil lays traps to break believers. Each person has weaknesses which must guarded against. A snare does not reflect the result of a person’s failings, but rather the cause of them. When the devil lays a snare for an overseer, it is to entrap him and cause his destruction. In order to hopefully ensure that an overseer will not be so snared, his record is to be evaluated carefully. If he is prone to weakness before ordination, how much more so when he assumes the position and is pursued relentlessly by the devil. The devil then is portrayed as a patient hunter who sets his traps. When the devil sees an overseer’s falling into reproach, he will use that failing, which has led the pastor to disgrace in the eyes of others, to drag him further from the straight path. Instead of acknowledging his sin and stepping down from the position, he will be dragged into further apostasy because of the pride which takes over. The church which he leads will be one which goes off onto a completely misguided path.

Life application: How many times have leaders of churches fallen from favor because of past sins, but who then come back to leadership positions again. Quite often their doctrine ignores the failings which brought them to reproach in the first place, leaving a void in their ability to fully adhere to the word of God in regards to the lives of the congregants. As an example, a leader divorces and remarries, but stays in the leadership position. He now has a void in his own ability to counsel those in the church about this issue. The congregation’s idea is, “It was OK for Pastor Newpartner, and so it must be OK for me.” One such flaw can lead to a total turning from sound doctrine. Paul’s instructions are intended to stop this before it can occur.

Precious Lord God, we pray for those who are considering becoming leaders in the church, and we pray for the congregations who must choose whether to place them there or not. May the applicants, and those who ordain, abide by the instructions found in Scripture for making their determinations. You have laid out the guidelines for a reason and so, in following them, there is a greater chance of a sound person being ordained if they are followed. In this, there will be the hope of bringing glory to You as they live out their lives in their positions. We certainly pray for this. Amen.

Sunday, 10 December 2017

…not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 1 Timothy 3:6

Paul continues on with his requirements for an overseer. He says that such a person is not to be “a novice. The Greek word is neophutos. It is only used here in the New Testament, and it is where we get our modern word, neophyte, from. It is a compound word signifying “newly planted.” In other words, it is a recent convert to the faith. A young plant is unable to endure the full effects of the elements. Full sun, strong wind, fierce cold, etc., would easily destroy it. Until a plant has roots deep enough to reach down and hold it fast, it is always in danger of lacking water and withering up. A plant without enough leaves and branches is easily destroyed, it having nothing to spare when it is trampled upon.

Each of these is figurative of a new convert. They don’t have a grounding in the word, they are unable to withstand attacks which come at them, etc. But Paul focuses next on one particular aspect of being young in the faith as an excluding factor for being an overseer. He is not to hold such an office, “lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” The Greek words translated as “puffed up” is one which properly means, “to blow smoke,” or “to cloud up the air.” It would then be one which has a cloudy mindset, “meaning a moral blindness resulting from poor judgment which brings further loss of spiritual perception” (HELPS Word Studies).

In the end, the word looks to the sin of pride. A new convert will easily become conceited or arrogant. Here is this little plant with no roots wielding spiritual authority over those which have deep roots and are set in proper doctrine. This can only lead to disaster. This disaster is to fall under “condemnation.” The word “same” is not in the Greek, but is supplied – not wisely – by the translators. The word translated as “condemnation” is not signifying a loss of salvation. Salvation is not the question here. What is being relayed is condemnation in the passive sense. It is, according to the scholar Bengel, “the internal condition of the soul: reproach is opposed to ‘a good report from those that are without,’ and the devil may bring a reproach upon men, he cannot bring them into condemnation; for he does not judge, but is judged.”

In other words, it is the devil’s accusing judgment, and not the judgment which was rendered upon the devil. There is a world of difference between the two. The first is speaking of the devil standing and accusing the person, as he did towards Job. The second would be speaking of the end result of the devil, meaning being cast into the Lake of Fire. It is the former, not the latter, which is being brought to mind here. For the devil to bring accusation against such a person is to then bring disgrace upon the position. In this case, it then brings disgrace upon the Christian faith which stems from Christ. In order to not have this occur, new converts should never be ordained.

Life application: Let us ensure that those ordained within the church are well grounded in Scripture. A thorough examination of overseers must be made, and they must demonstrate that they not only know the principle tenets of the faith, but that they actually adhere to them. Head knowledge does not always signify life-application.

Lord God, help us not to look to those with great head knowledge of Your word, and yet who fail to apply that knowledge to their lives. Also, let us not look to leaders who live properly, but who are unfamiliar with the principle tenets of the Christian faith. To have one or the other, but not both, is a recipe for certain disaster. May we be extremely careful to ordain only men qualified in both ways so that our churches will be free from the many griefs which would otherwise come knocking at the door. Amen.

Saturday, 9 December 2017

(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 1 Timothy 3:5

Paul asks an obvious question. How could a church, of whatever number of people, and who are outside of the regular workings of a man’s household, be guided by that person if he can’t even run the operations of his own household? It is true that a man could have a very large household, including a wife, many children, and others who – by law – are considered as a part of that house. That household could be even larger than the church he has been selected to oversee.

However, regardless of its size, he is the one in charge. If that house is dysfunctional, and all in it are under him and aware of his character and traits, it would be unimaginable that he could be a proper steward of a church setting of people wholly unfamiliar with his character, idiosyncrasies, etc. Only dysfunction could be expected. This is especially true because people come and go in towns and cities, and between churches within those local areas, all the time. The constant change of a church is expected to be quite unlike the greater stability of a regular household, and so the demands are much higher.

And so the words, “…for if a man does not know how to rule his own house,” are to be a set standard of consideration for the leader of any congregation, regardless of its size. The reason is because it then begs the question, “How will he take care of the church of God?” The phrase, “will he take care of” is from a single compound word in the Greek. It means “to care for (physically or otherwise)” (HELPS Word Studies).

The responsibility of the pastor is the full care of those under him. If he is unable to tend to his own household in this way, then it is certain that he will be ineffective in doing so for those under his care, but not of his own household.

Life application: In modern churches, one person in charge may have a large staff under him. Therefore, they may take care of personal issues that the main pastor is unable to address. But this should not be the case. If the pastor cannot fill each pastoral role in the church, because he can’t do it in his own house, then he is not to be placed in such a position of authority. Full adherence to the word first, then the position can be filled.

Gracious heavenly Father, You have a household which is run perfectly from Your end, even if we are individually disobedient from our end at times. May our churches emulate Your example, and may they be first and foremost obedient to Your word which reflects Your will for us. Only then will we have the proper example for right conduct of each member in the church. Help us in this, O Lord. Amen.

Friday, 8 December 2017

…one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence… 1 Timothy 3:4

An overseer’s requirements continue from Paul’s hand here, beginning with the note that he shall be “one who rules his own house well.” Albert Barnes states, “This implies that a minister of the gospel would be, and ought to be, a married man.” That is a giant leap. Some obvious inferences can be made, such as an overseer being a male because it says that he is to be the husband of one wife. However, a single man can have a household as much as a married man. The word oikos means “a house” and is speaking of the material building. That extends to the idea of family which lives in such a building, if applicable. However, it does not necessarily do so.

A single overseer could have a house which is a pig-sty. Thus he would set a poor example of cleanliness and order. He could live with his aged parents, whom he neglects. That would set a poor example. Etc. There is no reason, except as a kick-back against the Roman Catholic policy of single priests, to make such an assumption. Despite this, whether married or single, he is to be one who rules his own house well. The idea of the household of verse 3:2 is returned to and further defined. If an overseer is incapable of guiding his own house well, he is certainly not going to make an acceptable example for others in the church.

Also, the word “rule” tends to make one think of issuing orders and the like. The Greek is a compound word which gives the idea of “standing before,” or better “pre-standing.” It signifies a “pre-set (well-established) character which provides the need model to direct others, i.e. to positively impact them by example” (HELPS Word Studies). For this reason, a word like “maintain” or “manage” may be more suited to what Paul is relaying.

Next, Paul says, “having his children in submission with all reverence.” Using the logic of Albert Barnes (above), this would imply that an overseer would be unqualified if he had no children. Rather, this is a statement of “if,” not “as.” In other words, “If he has children they should…,” not “As he has children, they should…” This is not something hinted at elsewhere in Scripture. As Paul was single, and as he said, “For I wish that all men were even as I myself” (1 Corinthians 7:7), it must mean that he is giving directions for “if” one is married or has children. If this is the case, then the overseer is to ensure he has them “in submission with all reverence.”

If an overseer has unruly children, or those which are irreverent, then how can he be expected to instill in others these same qualities. They will see the behavior of his family and think, “Well, it’s OK for Pastor Peter, he can’t say anything about our own defecto kid.” Eventually, the whole congregation will look at the children of others and realize that there is only dysfunction and a bad end for each of them when their own old age arrives. And as the church is to be the epitome of those in society, how much more will the greater society lean to accept a world full of spoiled miscreants from the example of those in the church.

Life application: Be sure to know how your church leaders live, what type of family members they are responsible for, etc., and then determine if they are meeting the qualifications which are set down here or not. If their homes resemble Animal House on Apostasy Avenue, then what kind of an example will they be to those who see them on a daily basis – both from within and without the church?

Lord, we thank You for leaders of the church who set a proper example in their own lives – as husbands, fathers, and neighbors. Help us to be sure that we know the character of men applying for leadership positions as regards their family and social lives, so that we don’t make the mistake of getting someone who can’t even run his own house! But for those who can, and who lead us in our churches, please send a blessing upon their families so that peace and happiness guides their lives. Amen.

Thursday, 7 December 2017

…not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 1 Timothy 3:3

Paul’s list of qualifications for those in a leadership position within the church continues now. He says that they are not to be “given to wine.” The single Greek word so translated is used just twice – in 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7. It signifies one addicted to wine; a drunk. It comes from two words indicating “near” and “wine.” Thus it is someone who is always consumed with drinking wine.

Next he says a leader should be “not violent.” This is again used only in 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7. It signifies a brawler or a contentious person. This person would be quarrelsome, and one who prefers using his fists to settle a disagreement. It would be wholly unsuited to the position of an overseer to come out of the pulpit and beat up everyone in the church who disagrees on doctrinal matters.

After this, Paul says he shouldn’t be “greedy for money.” These words are left out of many manuscripts, but whether it is an erroneous insert or mistakenly left out, it is something which is important for leaders in the church to be aware of and stay away from. Those greedy for money have their priorities in the wrong place from the start. Paul’s example of working with his hands is an important lesson for all, especially those who are called to lead in the church. There is to be more, not less, output from leaders. And the output should be because of a love of Christ, and a love of those who are pursuing Christ. If money is the objective, then this will never be the case. As Christ said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Instead of these things, Paul next says, “but.” A contrast is now made to those things. First in his contrasts is that the overseer is to be “gentle.” The word properly means “equitable.” It signifies “‘gentle’ in the sense of truly fair by relaxing overly strict standards in order to keep the ‘spirit of the law’” (HELPS Word Studies).

Along with that, he is to be “not quarrelsome.” It is a single word in the Greek which is again used only here and in Titus. It gives the sense of “peaceable.” He is to abstain from fighting and not be contentious.

Paul’s list for this verse finishes with “not covetous.” This is another single compound word with signifies “not fond of silver.” Silver is used in the sense of financial gain. Thus, the leader is to not be one who is materialistic or dominated by the thought of getting rich. If an overseer understands the heavenly rewards of his work, then earthly gain will have far less importance to him. The word is used just one more time in the Bible, in Hebrews 13:5. There it is applied to all believers, not just leaders. How much more then should leaders display this attitude.

Life application: Look at those who are in church leadership positions, and evaluate them based on the words of Paul. If you see a defect in the conduct of such a leader, it should be addressed and corrected. If the disobedient behavior continues, either he will have to go, or you should find a new place to worship.

Lord God, be with our church leaders, and help them to apply to their lives an attitude which is appropriate to their position. Keep them from harmful temptations which arise, and keep their hearts free from all things which could cause division or distraction. It is a tempting, frustrating, difficult world in which we live. And so how much more so for our leaders who face a daily onslaught of attacks by the devil. Protect them and defend them, O God. Amen.