Paul's Fourth Charge to Timothy
Part I
I Timothy 3:1,2
Please note: these are qualifications
for a pastor - an ideal pastor. It is amazing to me that in most
'Baptistical' churches, when a man breaks a certain one or two of these
'qualifications', he is removed from the pulpit - however, when others
are broken, there is no action. God is the one who wrote these qualifications
- He does the hiring and He does the firing. Such hypocritical heresy
and jealousy takes place in churches today. If Satan can't take a
man out of the pulpit, then the congregation most certainly will.
Fathers, the same thing. These
are great characteristics of a Godly man overseeing the family. If
you break one of these, does your family dump you? (Well, some may,
amen - maintain that authority and you will maintain your family!)
1.
This is a true saying, If
a man desire the office of a bishop,
he desireth a good work.
A
bishop (also called pastor / elder)
is called an overseer in Acts 20:28.
The 'assignor' here is the Holy Ghost, not a committee, etc. The
job here is to 'feed' the flock - the church of God. A huge price
was paid for this church - God's own blood.
In the case of this series, we will
apply this chapter to men. We need to be the overseer of our family.
The pastor oversees the family spiritually - a father oversees the family
physically.
The overseer is told here to watch
for grievous wolves entering and already in place. From without and
from within, a father must watch out. So problems will attack at
our family and there will be problems within our family - both must be
dealt with.
Paul is concerned enough to warn
us that he has shed his tears. Acts
20:31 A pastor sheds his tears (and
a congregation doesn't think he cares) and a father sheds his tears (and
the family doesn't think he cares).
The job here is to 'feed the flock'
(Acts 20:28)
- not for control - not by force - not for the money - but to be the example
and then 'watch it happen'. Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not
by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the
flock. I
Peter 5:2-3
But this thou hast, that thou
hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Revelation 2:6
So hast thou also them
that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Revelation 2:15
(Nikao - conquer; Laos - common ordinary
people) Nicolaitans wanted to 'conquer' the ordinary common man.
There is no difference between clergy and the layman in the Bible.
The doctrine of the Nicolaitans means the doctrine of how to conquer the
common people.
In the word of God, every Christian
is in the Body of Christ; every Christian is 'anointed'. God is no
respecter of persons. The only difference between clergy and laity
in the Bible is that the ordinary, common everyday Christian has not been
set apart for a full-time official position in the Body of Christ as a
leader in some capacity. EVERY Christian has been called to preach,
called to witness, and called to work for the Lord Jesus Christ.
God knows nothing about a ruling class of people who rule the common people.
The only power that a bishop, elder or deacon has in the NT to rule is
in spiritual power and local organization.
To give up that 'power' to a book is beyond
the pastors today - even the KJV ones!
Such a great reward is coming for
doing it right, pastor!
And when the chief Shepherd
shall appear,
ye shall receive a crown
of glory that fadeth not away.
I Peter 5:4
And for a man...
III John 1:4 I
have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
The overseer, then, is the official
position in the local church. Women never hold such positions.
All of the elders are male - all of the bishops are male - all of the apostles
are male - all of the deacons are male.
The application to the family
is having the man as the overseer of the entire family.
22: Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23: For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church:
and he is the saviour of
the body.
24: Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing.
25: Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it;
26: That
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27: That
he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing;
but that it should be holy
and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:22-27
A man wants to have a clean family!
A pastor wants to have a clean
family!
Heb 13:9 - Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember them which
have the rule over you,
who have spoken unto you
the word of God:
whose faith follow, considering
the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:7
Pastors/Men - be the example, right?
Obey them that have the rule
over you, and submit yourselves:
for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account,
that they may do it with
joy, and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable
for you.
Hebrews 13:17
We all will be accountable!
Romans 14:12 So
then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
The pastor is accountable for having
told ya, so!
You will be accountable for having
done it or not!
Men will be accountable as men,
husbands, fathers!
Women, will be accountable as women,
wives, mothers!
Children will be accountable, too...Ecc
11:9,10
2a
A bishop then must be blameless,
Blameless - righteous before God (Luke
1:6; Philippians 3:6). No one could
rightly accuse him of misconduct. Of course, a faithful man WILL
be accused of misconduct and the more Biblically he conducts himself, the
more accusations and criticisms he is going to receive, but the idea here
matches I Peter 5:1-4.
Make sure the 'blame' is without cause.
11: If
any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
if any man minister, let
him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
that God in all things may
be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and dominion
for ever and ever. Amen.
12:
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you,
as though some strange thing
happened unto you:
13: But
rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that,
when his glory shall be revealed,
ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14: If
ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye;
for the spirit of glory and
of God resteth upon you:
on their part he is evil
spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15: But
let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief,
or as an evildoer, or as
a busybody in other men's matters.
16: Yet
if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;
but let him glorify God on
this behalf.
I Peter 4:11-16
Remember - they are looking for
you to fall - and will make up stuff...
27: Only
let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:
that whether I come and see
you, or else be absent,
I may hear of your affairs,
that ye stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind striving together
for the faith of the gospel;
28: And
in nothing terrified by your adversaries:
which is to them an evident
token of perdition,
but to you of salvation,
and that of God.
29: For
unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for his sake;
Philippians 1:27-29
Then said they, Come,
and let us devise devices against Jeremiah;...
...Come, and let us smite
him with the tongue,
and let us not give heed
to any of his words.
Jeremiah 18:18
We are to love in deed and in truth
- I John 3:18
My little children, let us
not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
You are to speak
the truth in love - Eph 4:15
People will reject their own salvation
- II Thess 2:10
because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
You will be called their enemy
- Gal 4:16
And I will very gladly spend
and be spent for you;
though the more abundantly
I love you, the less I be loved.
II Cor 12:15
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