1 Timothy 3:2
2 A bishop [episkopos] then [oun] must [dei] be [einai] blameless, [anepileptos] the husband [aner] of one [mia] wife, [gune] vigilant, [nephaleos] sober, [sophron] of good behaviour, [kosmios] given to hospitality, [philoxenos] apt to teach; [didaktikos] KJV-Interlinear
2 An
overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate,
prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, NASB
Paul
lists some of the requirements of the overseer, pastor, teacher, etc.And
certainly all of these requirements apply in many respects, to everyone,
regardless of your position in this world.
Note quickly, that Paul,
before he was in the Christian ministry, was a self-righteous, lying, murdering
hypocrite.
So, you should note
that since you too are human, and you too have failed in life (we all have),
your former life, is not relevant, as you live your latter life.
In the Christian life,
it is how you live now, that matters, not how you lived some time ago. If we all had to live a perfect life from
birth, then all of our names would be Jesus. And of course none of us are that perfect.
The teacher at the very
least, must put into practice what he teaches.
He must be blameless,
which means he watches his own life and confesses regularly in order to remain
in fellowship. He studies from the position of fellowship. He teaches from the position of
fellowship.Therefore, all the help he will
get from the Holy Spirit (this is the same for every believer), will result in
sound teaching.
Remember, that none of
us have the ability to talk to God.We
do not hear voices and we do not talk to the air.
He must be the husband
(if married) of one wife.No fooling
around.No Mormon stuff. His focus must be on his studies and
teaching. Faithful to
one wife, faithful to one doctrine.
His wife has an additional obligation to take extra care of him, on
behalf of all of those he teaches, such that his teaching will be the best it
can be.This also applies to any helpers
who participate in the ministry.The
teaching of Bible doctrine has but one objective, and that is to help others in
their spiritual life.Its implications
are infinite, therefore it must be taken seriously.
If he works elsewhere
in addition to his spiritual obligations, then he is to approach that work
honorably as well.The instructor must
have the fewest possible distractions, if possible.
He must be vigilant or
temperate. He must not have any vices such as wine or drugs or gambling habits,
etc.No distractions. He must be alert and clear headed, so that he
can concentrate on the work at hand.
He must be prudent,
sober, which means to be self disciplined, having right priorities, organized
and poised in his thinking.He must lookat the world
through Gods eyes (we all should do that).
He must have good
behavior, be respectable, kosmios, meaning to live
an orderly life.The ministry is no
place for someone who is constantly looking for shortcuts or is chasing
rainbows, in life.The ministry is no
place for those who are in it for gimmicks or the sensationalism of prophecy or
some other popular topic.
He must be hospitable,
showing hospitality to others, showing politeness and courtesy. This does not mean that he must be a social
butterfly, but only that he is to be polite.
He must be able to
teach, didaktikos.
This word is found in only two verses in the Bible, 2 Tim. 2:24. It is the
key attribute of the overseer / bishop / teacher, which sets the person apart
from all other church positions, and serves to further identify specifically
this role as instructor or teacher of Bible doctrine.
The person must be a
skilled teacher or communicator, such that those who hear or read or see him, are actually able to learn with ease. He does not get bogged down in tedious details
or use confusing language, but approaches the teaching of Bible doctrine in
such a way that students can actually understand what is being taught, and
learn by means of a simple, systematic, and orderly fashion.
Now, wouldn t many of these
attributes apply to almost anyone, in many areas of life? Employers with employees,
perhaps?Moms
with children, perhaps?
If you
are a Facebook member, then please join the Bible Study Group that best suits
you:
Two subscription options to receive these daily studies everyday via e-mail, are available here.
Previous Page
|
Table of Contents
|
Next Page |
