How should the church be led, and by whom? The third chapter of 1 Timothy lists the qualities required of those who oversee the church and those who serve as deacons, and nearly every one of them is about character, not talent. Then Paul explains why it matters so much: the church is the household of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And at the center of that truth stands a mystery beyond all argument: God was manifest in the flesh.
A study in 1 Timothy 3 · Arthur Baldwin · StandUp4Jesus.Org · 17 min read
The Office Of A Bishop
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;”
1 Timothy 3:1-3
“Bishop” translates episkopos, an “overseer.” In the New Testament it is not a high church official ruling over many congregations; it is the same office as “elder” (compare Titus 1:5, 7, and Acts 20:17, 28, where the elders of Ephesus are called overseers). These were the spiritual leaders of the local church.
Paul says wanting this work is good. But look at his list. Only one item is a skill: “apt to teach.” Everything else is character. The overseer must be “blameless” — not sinless, but with no open charge that could be laid against him. “The husband of one wife” — faithful in marriage, a one-woman man. Self-controlled, sensible, orderly, welcoming to strangers. Not a drinker, not violent, not quarrelsome, not in it for money. The church’s first question about a leader is not “Can he preach?” but “Is he like Christ?”
“Not given to wine” deserves notice. The phrase describes someone who lingers over wine, and deacons too must not be “given to much wine” (verse 8). In a culture where wine was everywhere, Paul will not have the church led by anyone under its influence. The priests of Israel were forbidden wine and strong drink when they ministered in the sanctuary (Leviticus 10:9), and the leaders of the church stand in a similar place. Seventh-day Adventists, taking that counsel together with the rest of Scripture’s warnings (Proverbs 20:1; 23:31-32), abstain from alcohol altogether.
One That Ruleth Well His Own House
“One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
1 Timothy 3:4-7
The home is the proving ground for leadership. A man’s family shows what kind of leader he really is. If he cannot lead his own household with love and firmness, he will not lead the family of God well either.
“It takes time for character to be developed; there must be time to learn what men really are. The family of the one suggested for office should be considered. Are they in subjection? Can the man rule his own house with honor? What character have his children? Will they do honor to the father’s influence? If he has no tact, wisdom, or power of godliness at home in managing his own family, it is safe to conclude that the same defects will be carried into the church, and the same unsanctified management will be seen there.”
Ellen G. White · Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 618
The Old Testament gives a sobering example. Eli was both high priest and judge in Israel, but he would not restrain his sons, and their wickedness brought disaster on the nation and on his house.
“Eli was priest and judge in Israel. He held the highest and most responsible positions among the people of God. … But although he had been appointed to govern the people, he did not rule his own household. Eli was an indulgent father.”
Ellen G. White · Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 575
“Not a novice.” A brand-new believer placed quickly into leadership is in danger of pride — and pride was the devil’s own downfall. And the leader must have a good reputation even with outsiders. The community watches the church’s leaders; a scandal there brings reproach on Christ.
Likewise Must The Deacons
“Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 3:8-13
“Deacon” means “servant.” The first deacons were chosen in Acts 6 to care for the practical needs of the church so that the apostles could give themselves to prayer and the word (see the study of Acts 6). Their work was practical, but their qualifications were spiritual. They must be serious and honest, “not doubletongued” — not saying one thing to one person and another thing to the next. They must hold “the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience”: sound belief joined with a clean life. And they must “first be proved,” tested over time before being trusted with the office.
Verse 11 speaks of “their wives,” though the Greek word simply means “women” and could refer either to deacons’ wives or to women who served as deaconesses, like Phebe (Romans 16:1). Either way, the standard is the same as for the men: dignified, not slanderers, self-controlled, and trustworthy in everything.
The Pillar And Ground Of The Truth
“These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:14-15
Here is the reason for everything in the chapter. The church is not a club or a building. It is “the house of God” — His household, His family — and “the church of the living God.” Ephesus was home to the great temple of Diana, one of the wonders of the ancient world, whose huge columns held up a lie (see the study of Acts 19). God’s temple is His people, and they are to be “the pillar and ground” — the column and foundation — that holds the truth up where the world can see it.
That is a high calling, and it can be betrayed. When the church stops holding up the truth, it becomes something else.
“The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 36
Those words were written about the religious leaders of Israel in Christ’s day, but they stand as a warning to every generation of the church. The character of those who lead, and the purity of what they teach, are not side issues. The truth itself rests on them.
God Was Manifest In The Flesh
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
1 Timothy 3:16
What is the truth that the church holds up? Paul answers with what appears to be an early Christian hymn, six short lines about Christ. The people of Ephesus cried “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” for two hours in their theater (Acts 19:34). Paul’s answer is, “Great is the mystery of godliness.” And its center is not an idea but a Person.
“God was manifest in the flesh.” The eternal God became a human being. “Justified in the Spirit” — vindicated by the Spirit, above all in the resurrection. “Seen of angels” — watched with wonder by the heavenly beings. “Preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world” — carried to the nations and received by faith. “Received up into glory” — ascended to the Father, where He now ministers for us as the one Mediator of chapter 2.
“It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses saying, ‘I AM THAT I AM. … Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’ Exodus 3:14. This was the pledge of Israel’s deliverance. So when He came ‘in the likeness of men,’ He declared Himself the I AM. The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Saviour, is God ‘manifest in the flesh.’ 1 Timothy 3:16.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 24
And in Christ we see what God is like. The compassion of Jesus toward sinners, the sick and the outcast is the heart of God made visible (see the study of John 1).
“Such is the character of Christ as revealed in His life. This is the character of God. It is from the Father’s heart that the streams of divine compassion, manifest in Christ, flow out to the children of men. Jesus, the tender, pitying Saviour, was God ‘manifest in the flesh.’ 1 Timothy 3:16.”
Ellen G. White · Steps to Christ, p. 12
“The study of the incarnation of Christ, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, will employ the mind of the diligent student as long as time shall last; and looking to heaven with its unnumbered years, he will exclaim, ‘Great is the mystery of godliness!’”
Ellen G. White · Gospel Workers, p. 251
So the chapter moves from church offices to the greatest mystery in the universe, and the connection is deliberate. The church needs leaders of Christlike character because it exists to hold up Christ Himself. The standards for elders and deacons are not arbitrary rules. They are what it looks like when the God who was manifest in the flesh is made visible again in the lives of those who serve His people.
