March 11, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Joshua and Timothy? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Timothy 3 (NIV)
Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.……Continue Reading
The qualifications for elders (the overseers of the church) and the deacons (the practical servants in the church) are laid out. God takes spiritual leadership very serious and does expect people in those positions to pursue Him and righteous behavior. I heard this past Saturday from Jamie Winship that you can’t give away what you don’t have and since these leadership roles are helping to disciple the church they need to have the qualities they are encouraging others to develop.
The end of this chapter is a beautiful summary of our Christian truth…
“He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
AMEN!
Shouldn’t we all strive to reach what is mentioned in this chapter. Consider it a tremendous blessing to be where I am today in God’s economy. Can’t help but think after reading this chapter. More is learned through living then through lectures. Listening to Pastor Peter’s message and those that went to fearless seminar. That is awesome knowledge to gain. You still have to apply it as life comes at you. Time after time you learn to apply the mature attitude of a leader. To be courageous and push through. 70 years of life. I wouldn’t change one minute as wisdom has come my way so to help my family and others to have a Godly fearless attitude in this lifetime
Yes! Not just those who aspire to be leaders in the church should take heed to this. As Christians we should all strive to be and fulfill what is mentioned in this chapter!!!
1TIMOTHY 3
1 Timothy 3
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
Paul outlines the general character and practices of elders/bishop and deacons.
”but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.“
I Timothy 3:15 NKJV
Steve, I agree with your translation. I am no Greek scholar, but I can read and understand arguments from different positions. I have done my study on I Tomothy 3:16. Thank you, gy
God has high standards for the elders and deacons in the church. A whole list is given for both of these positions. Even their wives are to be of a very good character. They are to be the examples to the rest of the believers in the church. We all have Jesus Christ and our leaders as our example to follow in the Lord. We all should be striving to be like Christ. Col. 2:6,7. {As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.} May the Lord bless you all.
I very much appreciate all those who have served in leadership at Living Hope affectively making us who we are today. God cares very much about the kind of people we are, so rather than focusing on what these leaders do, He focuses on the character qualities they should have. Their lives should be about God, the Word, not subject to the things of the flesh and about others. How different the church would be if the standards the world thinks are important defined it’s leaders. So these requirements mean a lot about what a church should be and become as in the kind of people it would develop. And what a privilege and a responsibility to be the pillar and foundation of the truth! May we continue to do that well. Because all that Jesus is, what He did and what He makes available to us is awesome! We certainly would be nothing without Him!
1 Timothy 3