Leaders in the Church

¹If any of you aspires to be an overseer in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true![#3:1 Some translations have “men,” however, the Greek word is not gender specific.; #3:1 There are a number of terms that are synonymous for elder, such as: pastor, shepherd, presbyter, bishop, overseer, or guardian. These all describe the one office of pastor mentioned in Eph. 4:11.]

²Yet an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others.

He should be one whose heart is for his wife alone and not another woman . He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching, and is known for his hospitality.

³He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness.[#3:3 The Aramaic can be translated “not swift to strike.”; #3:3 The Aramaic can be translated “merciful to money.” Some see in this the concept of not showing favoritism because of someone’s economic status.]

⁴His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity.[#3:4 Literally “beautifully.”]

⁵For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household?

⁶He should not be a new disciple who would be vulnerable to living in the clouds of conceit and fall into pride, making him easy prey for Satan.[#3:6 The Aramaic can be translated “a new plant,” which implies shallow roots.; #3:6 The Greek literally means “fall into Satan’s court of law.”]

⁷He should be respected by those who are unbelievers, having a beautiful testimony among them so that he will not fall into the traps of Satan and be disgraced.[#3:7 As translated from the Greek. The Aramaic uses a metaphor, “a beautiful testimony from the wilderness.” This means he has passed through his wilderness journey and is now seen as tested and proven.]

⁸And in the same way the deacons must be those who are pure and true to their word, not addicted to wine, or with greedy eyes on the contributions.[#3:8 The Aramaic can be translated “ministers.”; #3:8 Or “corrupt profits.”]

⁹Instead, they must faithfully embrace the mysteries of faith while keeping a clean conscience.

¹⁰And each of them must be found trustworthy according to these standards before they are given the responsibility to minister as servant-leaders without blame.

¹¹And the women also who serve the church should be dignified, faithful in all things, having their thoughts set on truth, and not known as those who gossip.[#3:11 The word used here can mean “women” or “wives.” This may refer to women deacons. Phoebe is called a deacon in Rom. 16:1.; #3:11 As translated from the Greek, the Aramaic can be translated “modest.”; #3:11 Or “temperate.”]

¹²A deacon’s heart must be toward his wife alone, leading his children and household with excellence.

¹³For those who serve in this way will obtain an honorable reputation for themselves and a greater right to speak boldly in the faith that comes from Jesus Christ![#3:13 Or “a good rank.”]

¹⁴I’m writing all this with the expectation of seeing you soon.

¹⁵But if I’m delayed in coming, you’ll already have these instructions on how to conduct the affairs of the church of the living God, his very household and the supporting pillar and firm foundation of the truth.

The Mystery of Righteousness

¹⁶For the mystery of righteousness is beyond all question![#3:16 This is the only place where this phrase occurs in the New Testament. The “mystery of righteousness” (godliness) is Jesus Christ living within the believer. The word mystery (secret) is found twenty-seven times in the New Testament. We “must faithfully embrace the mysteries of our faith while keeping a clean conscience” (v. 9). Although Paul did speak Greek, his native language was Aramaic, which is difficult to translate into Greek. The Aramaic word used here for mysteries is ‘arza . This is the Aramaic word for a cedar tree. A cedar tree has deep, firm roots. So must our faith be rooted inside these mysteries.]

He was revealed as a human being,

and as our great High Priest in the Spirit!

Angels gazed upon him as a man

and the glorious message of his kingly rulership

is being preached to the nations!

Many have believed in him

and he has been taken back to heaven,

and has ascended into the place of exalted glory

in the heavenly realm .

Yes, great is this mystery of righteousness!