The Church and Its Leaders

Though the church is an organism, a living and growing body united to Christ, the church is also an organization. In fact, every organism has to be organized or it will die. The human body is a living organism, but it is also a highly organized machine. If the local church is to do its task effectively, it must have leadership, and this implies organization.

1 Timothy 3:1-16

1 Timothy 3:1–16 (NLT)

1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.”

2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.

3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.

4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.

5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.

7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.

9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.

10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.

13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,

15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

I. The New Testament Pastor (1 Timothy 3:1–7)

A- His personal work

1- Overseer [ἐπίσκοπον](1 Timothy 3:1-2)

1 Timothy 3:1–2 (NLT)

1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.”

2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.

a- This term emphasizes the role of watching-over and leading the church.

2- Elder [πρεσβυτέρου] (Acts 20:17, 20:28; Titus 1:5,7)

Acts 20:17 (NLT)

17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.

Acts 20:28 (NLT)

28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.

Titus 1:5 (NLT)

5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.

Titus 1:7 (NLT)

7 A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.

a- Emphasizes the maturity of the man, as being one who possesses the maturity to lead the church and teach others.

3- Pastor-teachers [τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους] (Ephesians 4:11)

Ephesians 4:11 (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

(καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,)

a- This term emphasizes his role of shepherding and teaching.

b- The terms “pastor,” “elder,” and “bishop” refer to the same office.

c- The local pastor, then, was an elder in terms of spiritual maturity, and an overseer in terms of ministry.

d- Philippians 1:1 gives the makeup of the NT church: saints, bishops, deacons. It was usual for the churches to have more than one elder or pastor.

Philippians 1:1 (NLT)

1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.

B. His personal qualifications .(1 Timothy 3:2–3).

1 Timothy 3:2–3 (NLT)

2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.

3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.

2 δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν,

3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πάροινον, ἀλλὰ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον,

1- “a man whose life is above reproach” [ἀνεπίλημπτον] = ‘above criticism, beyond reproach.’ Literally, the word means “that cannot be laid hold of”; that is, there is nothing in his life that the enemy can lay hold of to hinder the work or ruin the witness.

2- “faithful to his wife” [μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα] = a one-woman-man - having one wife.

a- Since moral laxness was a serious problem in those days, the pastor was required to have but one wife; that is, there had to be no question as to his marriage standards.

3- “exercise self-control” [νηφάλιον] = self-controlled, and orderly’ 1 Tm 3:2. In a number of languages νηφάλιος may be idiomatically rendered as ‘one who holds himself in’ or ‘one who always has a halter on himself.’ 4- “Lives wisely” [σώφρονα] pertaining to being sensible and moderate in one’s behavior—‘sensible, sensibly, moderate, moderately.’

5- “have a good reputation” [κόσμιον,] = “orderly, modest, of good behavior.”

6- “enjoy having guests in his home” [φιλόξενον] = “pertaining to showing hospitality to strangers, to be hospitable.”

7- “be able to teach” [διδακτικόν] = pertaining to being able to teach—‘able to teach, can teach.’

8- “must not be a heavy drinker” [μὴ πάροινον] = a person who habitually drinks too much and thus becomes a drunkard—‘drunkard, heavy drinker

9- “must not be violent” [μὴ πάροινον] = a person who is pugnacious and demanding—‘bully, violent person.’

10- “Must be gentle” [ἐπιεικῆ] = pertaining to being gracious and forbearing—‘gentle, gracious, forbearing.

11- “not quarrelsome” [ἄμαχον] = pertaining to a lack of conflict and contention—‘not contentious, peaceful.’

12- “Not a lover of money” [ἀφιλάργυρον] = pertaining to not being desirous or greedy for money—‘not loving wealth, one who does not love money.’

C. His family qualifications. (1 Timothy 3:4–5).

1 Timothy 3:4–5 (NLT)

4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.

5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?

4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος·

5 (εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται;)

1- The pastor should be the head of the household, and he should have his children under control.

D. His church qualifications (1 Timothy 3:6–7).

1 Timothy 3:6–7 (NLT)

6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.

7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.

6 μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου.

7 δεῖ δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου.

1- He must not be a new convert (μὴ νεόφυτον).

a- if he is, Satan may puff him up with pride and he will fall into sin. (μὴ τυφωθεὶς )

b- It is dangerous to thrust new converts into Christian leadership.

2- The pastor must have good testimony even among the unsaved (“those who are outside,” v. 7), lest his bad reputation tear down the witness of the church.

II. The New Testament Deacon (1 Timothy 3:8–13)

1 Timothy 3:8–13 (NLT)

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.

9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.

10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.

13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

A- His Personal Work (1 Timothy 3:8; Acts 6:1-7)

1 Timothy 3:8 (NLT)

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.

8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς,

Acts 6:1–7 (NLT)

1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.

3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.

4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).

6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

1- The term “Deacon” [Διακόνους] = “one who serves as a deacon, with responsibility to care for the needs of believers—‘deacon, one who helps the believers”

2- The first deacons were focused on helping to care for the needy people in the church, (Acts 6:1-7)

3- The first deacons were also active in sharing the good news of Christ.

a- Example: Stephen (Acts 6:8- 7:60)

b- Example: Philip (Acts 8:4-40)

B- His Personal Qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-10)

1 Timothy 3:8–10 (NLT)

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money.

9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.

10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.

8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς,

9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει.

10 καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες.

1- “Well -respected.” [σεμνούς] = “‘honorable, worthy of respect, of good character.”

2- “have integrity” [μὴ διλόγους] = not ‘double-tongued, two-faced, hypocritical.’

3- “not be heavy drinkers” [μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας]

4- “or dishonest with money” [μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς]= “shamefully greedy for material gain or profit—‘shamefully greedy.”

5- “committed to the mystery of the faith.” [ ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως]

6- “live with a clear conscience” [καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει]

7- Tested before being assigned. (Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.)

B- His Family Qualifications (1 Timothy 3:11-12)

1 Timothy 3:11–12 (NLT)

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.

11 γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.

12 διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων·

1- “faithful to his wife” [μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες,] = a one-woman-man - having one wife.

2- “manage his children and household well” [τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων]

3- Faithful wives (1 Timothy 3:11)

a- Respected - [ σεμνάς ]= ‘honorable, worthy of respect, of good character

b- not gossips [μὴ διαβόλους] = one who engages in slander—‘slanderer.’

c- self-controlled [νηφαλίους] = behaving in a sober, restrained manner—sober, restrained.

d- faithful in actions [πιστὰς (ἐν πᾶσιν)] = ‘faithful, trustworthy, dependable, reliable.’ (in everything)

C- His Rewards for Faithful Service (1 Timothy 3:13)

1 Timothy 3:13 (NLT)

13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

13 οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες περιποιοῦνται καὶ πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

1- Those who do well as deacons [οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες = those who serve well ] will be rewarded [περιποιοῦνται] by God.

2- The rewards are:

a- respect [περιποιοῦνται]

b- Confidence (boldness) in the faith [πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ].

3- Note that both pastors and deacons are to be proved before given the office, that is, allowed to exercise their gifts in other ministries before being made leaders.

4- The deacon’s office is to be used, not just filled.

5- Church officers who are faithful will acquire a good standing (degree) before God and men, and thus are able to further the work of Christ.

III. The New Testament Church (1 Timothy 3:14–16)

1 Timothy 3:14–16 (NLT)

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,

15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

Much has been written about the “true church” or the “invisible church.” Certainly there is such a concept in the Bible, in that all believers belong to Christ and are one in Him. But the primary NT emphasis is on the local church, and the local church is just as much the “true church” as the “mystical body of Christ” that we hear so much about. In the NT, Christians were expected to unite with local assemblies and go to work for God.

In these verses, Paul shows the importance of the local church and its proclamation:

A. The house of God.(1 Timothy 3:14- 15)

1 Timothy 3:14–15 (NLT)

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,

15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σὲ ἐν τάχει,

15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας·

1. The church is the family or household of God on earth. [ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ]= the family consisting of those related by blood and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house or homestead—‘family, household.’

a. All believers are children of God, and the church is His family.

See Gal. 6:10 and Eph. 2:19.

Galatians 6:10 (NLT)

10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Ephesians 2:19 (NLT)

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

2. Paul wrote this letter to teach people how to behave [ ἀναστρέφεσθαι] as members of God’s family.

a. If the church is God’s family, then certainly it is more important than any other organization on earth.

B. The pillar and foundation of truth. (1 Timothy 3:15 b)

1 Timothy 3:15 (NLT)

15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1- “the pillar and foundation of the truth” [ στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας·]

a. [στῦλος ] =an upright shaft or structure used as a building support—‘pillar, column.’

b. [ἑδραίωμα ] = that which provides the basis or foundation for belief or practice—‘support, foundation, basis.

2- This is architectural language. The church is what holds up God’s truth in this world.

a. As the local church is faithful to preserve, preach, and practice the truth, God’s work prospers on earth.

b. The unfaithful Christian is weakening the very foundation of God’s truth in the world.

C. The Proclamation of the church. (1 Timothy 3:16)

1 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

16 καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον· Ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ.

1- Verse 16 is perhaps an early Christian hymn, memorized by the saints for their worship services. The mystery of godliness is God’s hidden program to bring godliness into the world.

2- Of course, Christ is God’s great Mystery, and this song exalts Him: His birth; His death and resurrection; His earthly ministry. This is a summary of the Person and work of Christ, and the idea is that the local church now continues the work which He began. The church on earth is the body of Christ on earth (see 1 Cor. 12:12, where Paul is speaking of a local church, not the church universal).

1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT)

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

3- The church is important to God and should be important to us.