1 Timothy 3.1-2-The Overseer And His Qualifications
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 17, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 3:1-2-The Overseer And His Qualifications
Lesson # 54
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 3:1.
The apostle Paul’s teaching in chapter 3 is a continuation of his teaching in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in which he prohibited Christian women from assuming a leadership role in the body of Christ and gave his reasons for this prohibition.
Now, in chapter 3 he continues his discussion regarding the qualifications for those in leadership positions in the body of Christ, namely those men with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher, which is referred to by the term “overseer” and leadership, which is referred to by the term “deacon.”
1 Timothy 3:1 contains the second of three trustworthy statements that appear in 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. (NASU)
“It is a trustworthy statement” is designed to reaffirm the value of the office of overseer and the spiritual authority delegated to the overseer by the Lord and expresses Paul’s Spirit inspired evaluation of this office.
“If any man aspires to the office of overseer” is the protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument and is used as a tool of persuasion with Paul’s audience who would respond to his protasis.
“Overseer” is the noun episkope and means “office of overseer” or “position of overseer” and emphasizes the pastor-teacher’s role as the protector of the souls of his congregation by teaching them sound doctrine and refuting false doctrine that originates from the cosmic system of Satan.
The Scriptures teach that the pastor-teacher, i.e. the overseer fulfills this office by fulfilling four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4). (4) Exemplify the Christian way of life (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:10).
“It is a fine work he desires to do” teaches that the office of overseer is of the utmost importance or the most important thing that a Christian man could do in life since the function of this office promotes spiritual growth of the body of Christ and glorifies God.
It is of the utmost importance because its function protects the flock of God from false doctrine.
Now, in 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul lists seven of fifteen qualifications for those men who aspire to the office of overseer.
1 Timothy 3:2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach. (NASU)
Paul feels the need to present these qualifications in order to help the church regain its credibility because certain pastors who he rebukes in chapter 1 were negligent in fulfilling their duties and teaching false doctrine and consequently their character and behavior was terrible and ungodly.
Therefore, Paul is calling these apostate pastors back to adhering to these godly standards and to remind those who weren’t apostate of the importance of maintaining their godly character and being an example to the flock of Christ-likeness.
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach” draws an inference from verse 1, which affirms the importance of the office of overseer to the body of Christ.
It emphasizes the connection between the list of qualifications in verses 2-7 with the office indicating these qualifications are commensurate with the importance of the office.
“Above reproach” describes a person who “afford nothing that an adversary could use as the basis for an accusation, one against whom it is impossible to bring any charge of wrong doing such as could stand impartial examination, one who cannot be laid hold of, irreproachable.”
The word does not imply sinless perfection on the part of the man who aspires to the gift of pastor-teacher.
The term refers to a man who has integrity of character so that no one can lay hold upon anything in his life, which would be of such a nature as to cast reproach upon the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Husband of one wife” indicates that the man who aspires to the office of overseer must be a one woman man and not a polygamist.
This phrase does not mean that if a man is not married he cannot assume this office since Paul and Timothy were both unmarried.
This phrase speaks of a life-long commitment to one woman and does not forbid remarriage after a death or divorce since Moses divorced and remarried.
This expression emphasizes the avoidance of any sexual immorality on the part of the overseer and denotes that if he is married he must be faithful to his wife.
“Temperate” indicates that the man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher who aspires to the office of overseer must be level-headed, temperate, shows moderation in all things, and is sober in his thinking.
Thus, he is one who employs doctrinal rationales to solve problems and whose soul is influenced by God the Holy Spirit, therefore, it is used here as a synonym for the filling of the Spirit.
It describes the man who is “sober and rational in their thinking, level-headed and temperate” because they are influenced by the Spirit.
“Prudent” refers to one who is of sound mind, one who has control over their emotions and desires and is wise from application of the Word of God.
It denotes one who uses discretion, and has self-control, and discipline, thus one who is wise because one is under the influence of the Spirit.
“Respectable” denotes a person who fulfills his duties incumbent on his place and order (operates in his spiritual gift) as a member of the royal family of God.
It speaks of the pastor as one who must be disciplined through enforced and genuine humility resulting from right priorities in life, thus one who has virtue.
“Hospitable” expresses the idea of meeting the needs of displaced members of the body of Christ through his own financial means or even opening his home to them.
It describes the man who has the gift of pastor-teacher who is willing to open his home to other members of the royal family of God in order to teach them.
In the first century, born-again believers met in homes and not in large buildings as they do today, therefore, the pastor-teacher had to be willing to open his home to strangers, who were unbelievers and needed the gospel, and to believers who needed the Word of God taught to them.
“Able to Teach” is the adjective didaktikos, which means “skillful in teaching, able and apt to teach or instruct.”
It suggests or implies that the man who with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher and aspires to the office of overseer must be willing and able to not only teach but also to refute errors or accurately answer questions (cf. Titus 1:9).
It indicates that only those with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher can hold the office of overseer because the word denotes one who is skillful in teaching, which only those with the gift of teaching can fulfill.
Thus, overseers were supposed to possess the gift of teaching so that they could be skillful in teaching others.