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3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a
bishop, he
desireth a good work.
3:2 A
bishop then must be
blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to
teach; 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 3:4 One that ruleth well his
own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity; 3:5
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the church of God?) 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up
with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without;
lest he fall into
reproach and the snare of the devil.
3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given
to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 3:9 Holding the mystery of
the faith in a pure conscience.
3:10 And let these also first be
proved; then let them use the office
of a deacon, being found blameless.
3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober,
faithful in all things.
3:12 Let the
deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their
children and their own houses well.
3:13 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.
3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to
behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into
glory.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 Timothy
Book: 1 Timothy
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The qualifications and behaviour of
Gospel bishops.
(1-7) And
of deacons and their wives.
(8-13) The reason of
Writing about
these, and other
Church affairs.
(14-16)
1-7 If a
Man desired the pastoral office, and from
Love to
Christ, and the souls of men, was ready to deny himself, and
undergo hardships
By devoting himself to that service, he sought
to be employed in a good work, and his desire should be
approved, provided he was qualified for the office. A
Minister
must give as little occasion for blame as can be, lest he bring
reproach upon his office. He must be sober, temperate, moderate
in all his actions, and in the use of all
Creature-comforts.
Sobriety and watchfulness are
Put together in
Scripture, they
assist one the other. The families of ministers ought to be
examples of good to all other families. We should take heed of
pride; it is a
Sin that turned angels into devils. He must be of
good repute among his neighbours, and under
No reproach from his
former
Life. To encourage all
Faithful ministers, we have
Christ's gracious
Word of promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the
End of the world, Mt 28:20. And he will fit his
ministers for their work, and carry them through difficulties
with comfort, and reward their faithfulness.
8-13 The deacons were at first appointed to distribute the
Charity of the
Church, and to manage its concerns, yet pastors
and evangelists were among them. The deacons had a great trust
reposed in them. They must be
Grave, serious, prudent men. It is
not fit that public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any,
till they are found fit for the business with which they are to
be trusted. All who are related to ministers, must take great
care to walk as becomes the
Gospel of
Christ.
14-16 The
Church is the
House of
God; he dwells there. The
Church holds forth the
Scripture and the doctrine of
Christ, as
a
Pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a
Church ceases to be
the
Pillar and ground of
Truth, we may and ought to forsake her;
for our regard to
Truth should be first and greatest. The
Mystery of
Godliness is
Christ. He is
God, who was made
Flesh,
and was manifest in the
Flesh.
God was pleased to manifest
himself to
Man,
By his own Son taking the nature of
Man. Though
reproached as a sinner, and
Put to
Death as a malefactor,
Christ
was raised again
By the
Spirit, and
So was justified from all
the false charges with which he was loaded. Angels ministered to
him, for he is the
Lord of angels. The
Gentiles welcomed the
Gospel which the Jews rejected. Let us remember that
God was
manifest in the
Flesh, to take away our sins, to redeem us from
all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a
Peculiar people,
zealous of good
Works. These doctrines must be shown forth
By
the fruits of the
Spirit in our lives.