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1Timothy Chapter Three Overseers and Deacons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, what does he desire, what should an overseer be, what must an overseer manage, whom must he manage well, how must his children obey him, why should he not be a recent convert, and why should he have a good reputation with outsiders?
________________________________________________________________________________ To be a church leader ("overseer") is a heavy
responsibility because the church belongs to the living God. Church leaders
should not be allowed to push their way to the top. Instead they should be
chosen by the church because of their respect for the truth, both in what they
believe and in how they live. 2) What are deacons to be, what must they keep hold of, what must first be done before becoming a deacon, if nothing is found against them, what can they serve as, what should their wives be, what should a deacon be a husband of, and what must he manage well?
________________________________________________________________________________ Deacon means "one who serves." This
position was possibly begun by the apostles in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-6)
to care for the physical needs of the congregation, especially the needs of the
Greek-speaking widows. Deacons were leaders in the church, and their
qualifications resemble those of the overseers. In some churches today, the
office of deacon has lost its importance. New Christians are often asked to
serve in this position, but that is not the New Testament pattern. Paul says
that potential deacons should first be tested before they are asked to serve.
3) What does those who serve well gain, although Paul hoped to come to the church soon, why did he write them these instructions, and what are the people in God's household?
________________________________________________________________________________ Those who serve well in their assigned duties
in the church gain for themselves "an excellent standing." They should be able
to maintain great respect in the eyes of the church as well as in God's sight.
Likewise, "great assurance" relates to confidence both before God and before
other people. 4) Beyond all question, what does Paul say is great, how did Jesus appear, who was he vindicated by, who was he seen by, where was he preaching, where was he believed on, and were was he taken up to?
________________________________________________________________________________ In this short hymn, Paul affirms the humanity and divinity of Christ. By so doing he reveals the heart of the gospel, "the mystery of godliness" (the secret of how we become godly). "Appeared in a body"-Jesus was a man; Jesus' incarnation is the basis of our being right with God. "Was vindicated by the Spirit"-Jesus' resurrection showed that the Holy Spirit's power was in him (Romans 8:11). "Was seen by angels" and "was taken up in glory"-Jesus is divine. We can't please God on our own; we must depend on Christ. As a man, Jesus lived a perfect life, and so he is a perfect example of how to live. As God, Jesus gives us the power to do what is right. It is possible to live a godly life-through following Christ. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers 1Timothy Chapter Three ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) a noble task...above reproach, the husband of
but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a
lover of money...his family...with proper respect...he may become conceited and
fall under the same judgment as the devil...so that he will not fall into
disgrace and into the devil's trap ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from The NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |