"Moral Qualifications"
Notes
Transcript
A Church will only go as far as its leadership -
As we continue in our study of 1 Timothy 3 this morning we are going to focus in on verses 2 and 3 where will be learning about the “moral qualifications” of biblical leadership. (specifically as it relates to his “personal life”)
Interrogative question - What does your personal life portray? (turn to the person on your right and ask what three words describe me?, then your wife, then your kids, grand kids, ect.)
Qualifications pinpoints 4 areas of his life -
Personal Life - vs. 2-3
Family Life - vs. 4-5
Church Life - vs. 6
Community Life - vs. 7
In 3:2–7, Paul lists four areas in which a man aspiring to church leadership may be evaluated as to whether he is above reproach. These have to do with his moral character, home life, spiritual maturity, and public reputation.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 104). Moody Press.
Moral Qualities Part 1 - 1 Timothy 3:2-3
1 Timothy 3:2 “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”
“Must be” - the sense of the word “be” means to have the quality of being -
Above Reproach - this is the overarching qualification -
NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NIV - “Above Reproach”
KJV - “Blameless”
This word is an adjective describing the noun overseer -
If you asked your spouse asked you to describe you what would they say? What about your children? What your church family? Community? Sales calls?
amomos (ἄμωμος, 299), “without blemish”; is always so rendered in the RV, Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Phil. 2:15; Col. 1:22; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Jude 24; Rev. 14:5.
Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love”
Philippians 2:15 “so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”
Colossians 1:20-23 “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
Sense - Irreproachable - not deserving or worthy of rebuke or criticism -
1 Timothy 3:2 “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”
1 Timothy 5:7 “Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach.”
1 Timothy 6:14 “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
MacArthur - “Pastors must take great care to remain above reproach for several reasons.
First, they are the special targets of Satan, and he will assault them with more severe temptation than others. Those on the front lines of the spiritual battle will bear the brunt of satanic opposition.
Second, their fall has a greater potential for harm. Satan knows that when a shepherd falls, the effect on the sheep is devastating.
Third, leaders’ greater knowledge of the truth, and accountability to live it, brings greater chastening when they sin.
Fourth, elders’ sins are more hypocritical than others’ because they preach against the very sins they commit.
Leaders need an abundance of God’s grace and power because of their greater responsibility and visibility.
To protect themselves leaders must spend in-depth time in the study of God’s Word. They must be “constantly nourished on the words of the faith [Scripture] and of the sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:6).
1 timothy 1:6 “For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,”
The psalmist wrote, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (Ps. 119:11). A leader must continuously expose his life to the light of the Word of God. He must also be a man of prayer, and be accountable to others in spiritual fellowship.”
Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:97-104 “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”
Husband of one Wife -
NASB, ESV, KJV, and HCSB - “Husband of one wife”
NIV - “Faithful to his wife”
Five views on this matter -
Excluding those who have never married -
Excludes polygamists -
Excluding those who have divorced and remarried -
Excluding those who are widowed and remarried -
Excluding all those guilty of married unfaithfulness -
The sense of the word “one” means (single unit) - used of a single unit or thing; not two or more -
The Greek text literally reads “a one-woman man.” Paul is not referring to a leader’s marital status, as the absence of the definite article in the original indicates. Rather, the issue is his moral, sexual behavior. Many men married only once are not one-woman men. Many with one wife are unfaithful to that wife. While remaining married to one woman is commendable, it is no indication or guarantee of moral purity.
Some may wonder why Paul begins his list with this quality. He does so because it is in this area, above all others, where leaders seem most prone to fall. The failure to be a one-woman man has put more men out of the ministry than any other sin. It is thus a matter of grave concern.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 104). Moody Press.
Paul’s list of qualifications for an overseer are mostly understandable even in our twenty-first-century context. The two points that should be noted are (1) that the overseer should be able to teach and (2) that the overseer is the husband of one wife. The debate revolves around this second criterion. Is this one wife at a time (in opposition to polygamy) or related to remarriage (for one who is divorced)? The text does not specify, but marital faithfulness (in opposition to adultery) is certainly implied in either case.
Mangum, D., ed. (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (1 Ti 3:1–7). Lexham Press.
Temperate -
NASB, and NIV - “Temperate”
ESV - “Sober-minded”
KJV - “Vigilant”
HCSB - “Self-controlled”
Sense: “temperate” - not given to any extremes in behavior; perhaps especially in terms of alcohol
enkrateia (ἐγκράτεια, 1466), from kratos, “strength,” occurs in Acts 24:25; Gal. 5:23; 2 Pet. 1:6 (twice), in all of which it is rendered “temperance”; the RV marg., “self-control” is the preferable rendering, as “temperance” is now limited to one form of self-control; the various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God; in Acts 24:25 the word follows “righteousness,” which represents God’s claims, self-control being man’s response thereto; in 2 Pet. 1:6, it follows “knowledge,” suggesting that what is learned requires to be put into practice.¶
In a metaphorical sense, nēphalios means “alert,” “watchful,” “vigilant,” or “clear-headed.” That may be its primary sense in this passage. A leader must be one who thinks clearly. He must possess the inner strength to refrain from any excess that would dull his alertness.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 106). Moody Press.
How does someone (believer) be and remain alert?
1 Peter 2:1-2 “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,”
1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Colossians 3:1-3 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Prudent -
NASB - “Prudent”
ESV, and NIV - “Self-Controlled”
KJV - “Sober”
HCSB - “Sensible”
Sense: “Moderate” - wisely keeping self-control over one’s passions and desires.
I want you to notice progression of the word “sensible” in Titus -
Titus 1:7-8 “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,”
Titus 2:2-6 “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;”
Respectable -
NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NIV - “Respectable”
KJV - “Of Good Behavior”
Sense: “becoming (proper)” - befitting admirable propriety or moderation.
we find the same word in 1 Timothy 2:9 “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,”
Hospitable -
NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NIV - “Hospitable”
KJV - “Given to hospitality”
Sense: hospitable - disposed to treat guest and strangers with cordiality and generosity.
We see in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 that this is quality of those who are Elders. But notice what Peter says -
1 Peter 4:7-10 “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Able to teach -
NASB, ESV, and NIV - “Able to teach”
KJV - “Apt to teach”
HCSB - “An able teacher”
Sense: “Didactic” - of or characterized by teaching (imparting skills or knowledge to someone), especially the ability to do it well
2 Timothy 2:22-26 “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
The ministry is no nine-to-five occupation that one can walk away from and forget each evening. Its work is neverending and dependent on maximum effort and the power of Christ at work in the man.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 1 Timothy (p. 100). Moody Press.
The question is why does Paul add this qualification right here?
Some may wonder why Paul includes this qualification in the midst of a list of moral qualities. He does so because effective teaching is woven into the moral character of the teacher. What a man is cannot be divorced from what he says.
1 Timothy 3:3 “not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”
Not addicted to wine -
NASB, and HCSB - “Not addicted to wine”
ESV - “Not a drunkard”
KJV - “Not given to wine”
NIV - “Not given to drunkenness”
Sense - “wine drunkard” - a drunkard who especially drinks wine.
It is only used in scripture when speaker of qualifications of church leadership. In 1 Timothy and Titus.
Ephesians 5:15-21 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
Illustration when we took a group to Appalachian Bible College - we stop at Southern Seminary
Not pugnacious -
NASB - “Or pugnacious”
ESV, and NIV - “Not violent”
KJV - “No striker, not greedy of filthy lucre”
HCSB - “Not a bully”
Sense - “bully” - a cruel and brutal person
Gentle -
NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NIV - “But Gentle”
KJV - “Patient”
Sense - “lenient” - merciful or tolerant of slight deviations from moral or legal rectitude.
Philippians 4:4-5 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”
Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”
Peaceable -
NASB - “Peaceable”
ESV, HCSB, and NIV - “Not quarrelsome”
KJV - “Not a brawler”
Sense - “unhostile” - inclined or disposed to peace (whether in war or in personal relations)
Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”
Free from the love of money - (not a money lover)
NASB - “Free from the love of money”
ESV - “Not a lover of money”
KJV - “Not covetous”
HCSB - “Not greedy”
NIV - Not a lover of money”
Sense - “not loving money” - not characterized by an immoderate desire for acquiring wealth
Hebrews 13:1-5 “Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,””
MacArthur - “The ministry, effectiveness, and testimony of any church is largely a reflection of its leaders”
So What?
Interrogative question - What does your personal life portray? (turn to the person on your right and ask what three words describe me?, then your wife, then your kids, grand kids, ect.)
Believers -
Above Reproach
Husband of one Wife
Temperate
Prudent
Respectable
Hospitable
Not addict to wine
Not pugnacious
Gentle
Peaceable
Free from the Love of money
Unbeliever - Repent and Come to Christ!