Commentaries:
People's Commentary (NT)
1 Timothy 3:1
Bishops and Deacons
SUMMARY OF I TIMOTHY 3: The Qualifications of Bishops. Of Deacons.
Their Wives. The Reason for Writing to Timothy of These Matters.
They Mystery of Godliness.
If a man desireth the office of a bishop. Here, for the first time
in the New Testament, is there a delineation of the qualifications and
duties of bishops and deacons. Both offices have been alluded to in
Acts (elders, Acts 11:30 14:23 15:2 16:4 20:17; deacons, Acts 6:1-6),
and both are named in Philippians 1:1. To form a correct idea of the New
Testament bishop we must get away from modern episcopacy. The New
Testament bishop was not diocesan, but in charge of a single church.
Each church had a plurality. Elders or presbyters, and bishops were
only different designations for the same office. This arrangement was
not changed until after the close of the first century and the death of
the last of the apostles. Of these statements, admitted by the candid
learned even of episcopal bodies, the following proofs may be
submitted: (1) Paul summons the "elders" of the church at Ephesus
(Acts 20:17), and calls them "bishops" ("overseers") in Acts 20:28.
(2) In the church of Philippi the "bishops and deacons" are named as
the officers (Philippians 1:1). (3) Paul in this Epistle names bishops and
deacons as the officers (1 Timothy 3:1,12), but names "elders" as
officers entrusted with the same duties already named as those of the
bishops in 1 Timothy 5:17-22. (4) In the Epistle to Titus, Paul commands
to "ordain elders in every city" (Titus 1:5), but in turn describing
the qualifications of an elder he calls him a bishop (Titus 1:7).
(5) Peter addresses "elders" and commands them to exercise the office
of "bishops" over the flock (1 Peter 5:1). The Greek word "episkope",
as well as the word "bishop", etymologically means to act as an
overseer, or to take the oversight. (6) I might add that Clement of
Rome, who wrote to Corinthians about the beginning of the second
century, uses the terms interchangeably.
Desireth a good work. A very important duty.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
1 Timothy 3:1
Titus 1:5
Titus 1:6
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