1 Timothy 3:1-13

1 Timothy 3:1-13

[1] This is a true  saying,  desire  the office of a bishop,  he desireth  a good  work.  [2] A bishop  then  must  blameless,  the husband  wife,  vigilant,  sober,  of good behaviour,  given to hospitality,  apt to teach;  [3] Not  given to wine,  no  striker,  not  but  patient,  not a brawler,  not covetous;  [4] One that ruleth  well  his own  house,  having  his children  in  subjection  with  all  gravity;  [5] (For  not  how  to rule  his own  house,  how  shall he take care of  the church  of God?)  [6] Not  a novice,  being lifted up with pride  he fall  into  the condemnation  of the devil.  [7] Moreover  must  have  a good  report  of  them which are without;  he fall  into  reproach  and  the snare  of the devil.  [8] Likewise  must the deacons  be grave,  not  doubletongued,  not  given  to much  wine,  not  greedy of filthy lucre;  [9] Holding  the mystery  of the faith  in  a pure  conscience.  [10] And  these  also  first  be proved;  then  let them use the office of a deacon,  found blameless.  [11] Even so  must their wives  be grave,  not  slanderers,  sober,  faithful  in  all things.  [12] the deacons  the husbands  wife,  ruling  their children  and  their own  houses  well.  [13] 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. 

What does 1 Timothy 3:1-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Paul proceeded from his instructions concerning worship in the church to lay out qualifications for leaders of the church. He did so to give Timothy guidance in selecting these important individuals. He discussed women and leadership in 1 Timothy 2:11-15, and now he turned to men and leadership, specifically, the personal qualities necessary for effective church leaders.
"The PE do not give institutional authority to the overseers and deacons. They describe the type of person who may serve the church in a certain role: one whose character is above reproach, who has illustrated management skills at home; who can teach (in the case of the overseers), etc. This person will teach what is true and will refute what is false. While some authority may be implicit in the title and the nature of the position, nowhere does the text explicitly say what is so often asserted by modern writers (e.g, Young, Theology, 22; cf120), that the author"s solution to the rise of heresy was to force a structure onto the house of God ... and appoint authoritative leaders who could combat the error because of their institutional position. There is no explicit institutional authority promoted in the PE." [1]
"The nature of the qualifications set out and the broad concern for the leaders" reputations suggest that respectability of the sort that would sustain or establish the church"s credibility in society was uppermost in mind." [2]