1 Timothy 3:1 - Meaning and Application

The two letters to Timothy, and the one to Titus, give a scriptural pattern for church government and guidance for ministers. Timothy was likely an evangelist left at Ephesus to care for those whom the Holy Spirit had made bishops there, that is, the elders or presbyters, as appears in (Acts 20:28), where the care of the church was given to the presbyters and they were also called bishops. It seems they were reluctant to part with Paul, especially because he told them they would see his face no more (Acts 20:38). Their church had only recently been planted, and they feared taking on its care, so Paul left Timothy with them to help set things in order.

Here we see the character of a gospel minister, whose office, as a bishop, is to oversee a local congregation of Christians. If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work (1 Timothy 3:1). The ministry is a work. Even if the office of bishop is now often thought of as a position of honor, it was then seen as a good work. The office of a scriptural bishop is appointed by God, not invented by people. The ministry is not a creation of the state, and it is a pity if ministers ever become tools of the state. This office existed in the church before rulers gave public support to Christianity, because Christ gave this gift to the church (Ephesians 4:8-11).

This office is also a work, which means it requires diligence and steady effort. The apostle speaks of it as a work, not as a place of honor or gain, because ministers should look more to their labor than to the benefits of their position. It is a good work because it is of the greatest importance and aims at the greatest good. The ministry deals with nothing less than the life and happiness of immortal souls. It is good because it is meant to show God’s greatness in bringing many sons to glory. It is appointed to open people’s eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from Satan’s power to God (Acts 26:18).

There should also be a sincere desire for this office in those who seek it. If a man desires it, he should desire it earnestly because he hopes to bring greater glory to God and greater good to people’s souls through it. This is why, in the Church of England, those seeking ministry are asked, “Do you think you are moved by the Holy Spirit to take on this office?”

To carry out this work, the worker must be qualified. A minister must be blameless, meaning he must not live under any shameful charge. He should give as little cause for blame as possible, because scandal harms his ministry and dishonors the office. He must be the husband of one wife, not one who has divorced and remarried, or who has more than one wife at the same time, which was then too common among Jews and Gentiles, especially among Gentiles.

He must be watchful and alert against Satan, that crafty enemy. He must watch over himself and over the souls entrusted to him, and since he has taken the oversight of them, he must use every chance to do them good. A minister must be vigilant, because our enemy the devil goes around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He must be sober, temperate, and moderate in all he does and in his use of earthly comforts. Scripture often joins sobriety and watchfulness, because they support one another: “Be sober, be vigilant.”

He must also be of good behavior, calm and solid, not light, vain, or shallow. He must be given to hospitality, ready to welcome strangers and entertain them as he is able. This shows that he does not cling to worldly wealth and that he truly loves his brothers and sisters. He must be apt to teach. So this is a preaching bishop Paul describes, one who is able and willing to pass on the knowledge God has given him, ready to teach whenever he has the chance, well instructed in the things of the kingdom of heaven, and generous in sharing what he knows.

He must not be given to wine. The priests were not to drink wine when they entered the tent of meeting to minister (Leviticus 10:8-9), lest they drink and then distort the law. He must not be a striker, meaning he must not be quarrelsome or quick to use force, but should do all things with gentleness, love, and mildness. “The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24). He must not be greedy for dishonest gain, meaning he must not let his ministry serve worldly interests or use shameful means to get money. He should be dead to the wealth of this world, living above it, and making that clear.

He must be patient and not a brawler, with a mild spirit. Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, is like that. He should not be quick to anger or argument. As he must not strike with his hands, so he must not fight with his tongue. How can men teach others to control their tongues if they do not keep their own tongues under good rule? He must not be covetous. Greed is bad in anyone, but it is especially harmful in a minister, whose calling leads him to think so much about the world to come.

He must keep his own family in good order. He must rule his own house well so that he can set a good example to other heads of families and show that he is able to care for the church of God. “If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he care for God’s church?” The households of ministers should be examples of good to other households. Ministers must keep their children under control, and their children should submit to the instruction they receive. This should be done with all dignity. The best way to keep those under authority in order is to govern them with gravity. It should not be with harshness, but with seriousness and dignity.

He must not be a novice, that is, not someone newly brought into the Christian faith, or someone still poorly taught who knows only the surface of religion. Such a person is likely to be puffed up with pride, because the less people know, the more proud they often are. “Lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” The devil fell through pride, which is a strong reason for us to guard against it, since it turned angels into devils. He must also have a good reputation among outsiders and no stain from his former life, because the devil may use that to trap others and create dislike for the teaching of Christ when it is preached by someone with a bad name.

On the whole, having briefly gone through the qualifications of a gospel bishop, we may infer:

What a strong reason we have to cry out, as Paul does, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16). This is real labor, real work. It calls for deep reverence, wisdom, zeal, courage, faithfulness, and careful watchfulness over ourselves, our desires, our appetites, and our passions, as well as over those entrusted to us. It takes holy alertness to serve in this way.

Even the best prepared, most faithful, and most conscientious ministers have good reason to humble themselves. So much is required to be fit for this work, and so much labor is needed to do it well. In truth, the best ministers still fall far short of what they ought to be and what they ought to do.

Yet those whom the Lord has enabled and counted faithful should bless God and give him thanks, since he has placed them in the ministry. If God is pleased to make any of his servants in some measure able and faithful, then he should receive all the praise and glory for it.

For the encouragement of every faithful minister, we have Christ’s gracious promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). If he is with us, he will, in some measure, fit us for our work, carry us through its difficulties with comfort, kindly forgive our failures, and reward our faithfulness with “a crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).