1 Timothy 3:1
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
(a) If any man. Over the next seven verses Paul outlines the desirable qualities of an overseer or elder. This list contains ten gender-specific words (man, he, his, etc.) which are not in the original text. They have been added by translators. The addition of these masculine words has led some to conclude that women cannot be elders. This conclusion cannot be supported by this text.
When talking about who can be an overseer, Paul deliberately used gender-neutral language. A more accurate translation of his words would be, “if any one aspires to the office of overseer.” Paul was not opposed to women in leadership, and he named and praised several women who led churches.
Further reading: “Is the King James Bible sexist?”
(b) Office. There is no Greek word for office in the original text because there are no offices and no ranks within the church. The church has only one Head and no hierarchy (Matt. 20:25–26, Eph. 1:22).
(c) Overseer. Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders (Tit. 1:5) and then gave him instructions on how to appoint overseers (Tit. 1:7). An elder is an overseer. There is no difference. An overseer, or elder, is responsible for shepherding the church, a role they fulfil primarily by setting a good example, by teaching and praying for the sick (Tit. 1:9, 1 Pet. 5:1-3, Jas. 5:14).
1 Timothy 3:2
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
The husband of one wife. In other words, don’t appoint polygamists or philanderers. A man who had multiple wives, or who acted like he had multiple wives, was a faithless man. Such a man could not be trusted to care for the bride of Christ. “Instead, recruit reliable people. Choose those who are faithful, not philandering; steady, not shifty; loyal, not lascivious.”
Some use this verse to disqualify women from eldership. They seem to miss the female elders and deacons named in the Bible. Paul was not disqualifying unmarried or divorced men from eldership, nor was he ruling out women. He was speaking against the practice of polygamy.
Further reading: “If a woman can’t be a husband, she can’t be a pastor. Right?”
1 Timothy 3:4
He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
Manages. The original word (proistemi) is translated in some older Bibles (and in 1 Tim. 5:17) as “ruleth” giving the impression that fathers are to rule their houses like kings. This may be the way of the world, but it is not the way of the kingdom (Matt. 20:25–25). The original word means to stand before in the sense of watching over. Fathers watch over their children in the same way elders or overseers watch over the flock (see entry for 1 Tim. 5:17).
1 Timothy 3:8
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
(a) Deacons. Having outlined the qualifications of an elder, Paul turns his attention to deacons. What is the difference? While elders oversee or lead the church, deacons serve as ministers.
(b) Men of dignity. Some Bible translations include gender-specific terms (man, he, his, etc.), which are not in the original text. The addition of these masculine words has led some to conclude that women cannot be deacons. This conclusion cannot be supported by this text. A more accurate translation of Paul’s words would be, “Deacons likewise must be dignified.” Paul was not opposed to women being deacons. He named and praised Phoebe, a female deacon, in Romans 16:1.
1 Timothy 3:9
but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
(a) The mystery of the faith, also known as the mystery of the gospel, refers to God’s long secret plan that had been fully revealed in Jesus Christ, namely that God is with us and for us and desires to be in spiritual union in us (see Col. 1:27). Religion portrays God as distant and aloof, but Jesus Christ reveals a God who loves us like a Father and wants to share his life with all of us, both Jew and Gentile alike (Eph. 3:4–6). See also the entry for Romans 16:25.
(b) A clear conscience is one that has been washed by the blood of Christ and is yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit. See entry for Conscience.
1 Timothy 3:10
These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
(a) These men. The word men is not in the original text. Paul took extraordinary care to include gender neutral terms when listing the qualifications for elders and deacons. A more accurate interpretation would be, “let them also be tested first.”
(b) First be tested. What is the deacon test? You’re reading it. In these verses Paul lists the desirable attributes of a deacon. Someone who does not possess these attributes will probably not make a good deacon.
(c) Deacons; see entry for 1 Tim. 3:8.
1 Timothy 3:12
Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
Husbands of only one wife. In other words, don’t appoint polygamists or philanderers.
A man who had multiple wives, or acted like he had multiple wives, could not trusted to care for the bride of Christ. Paul was not ruling out unmarried or divorced men, nor was he ruling out women. Indeed, he names and praises Phoebe, a female deacon, in Romans 16:1. See also the entry for 1 Tim. 3:2.
1 Timothy 3:13
For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Great confidence in the faith. Those who serve well become respected and acknowledged leaders in the community of faith.
1 Timothy 3:16
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
(a) The mystery of godliness, a.k.a., the mystery of Christ or the mystery of the gospel; see entry for Rom. 16:25.
(b) He who was revealed in the flesh. The Son of God appeared as a human being.
The Grace Commentary is a work in progress with new content added regularly. Sign up for occasional updates below. Got a suggestion? Please use the Feedback page. To report typos or broken links on this page, please use the comment form below.
“The Grace Commentary is full of God’s love notes to us.” We’re building the world’s first grace-based Bible commentary. Join the team and your support will help us complete the Grace Commentary and offer versions in multiple formats and languages.
Chapter Navigator
- 1 Timothy 3:1
- 1 Timothy 3:2
- 1 Timothy 3:4
- 1 Timothy 3:8
- 1 Timothy 3:9
- 1 Timothy 3:10
- 1 Timothy 3:12
- 1 Timothy 3:13
- 1 Timothy 3:16
Bonsoir HDD Paul Ellis, Je suis vos enseignements depuis maintenant cinq ans et ils m’édifient à plus d’un titre. Surtout merci pour votre commentaire biblique qui est un vrai chef-d’œuvre. Soyez-en remercié et à Dieu seul soit la gloire! Cependant, je n’arrive pas à comprendre un sujet qui taraude mon esprit. Il s’agit de la polygamie. Est-ce que la Bible interdit la polygamie à la lumière des Saintes Ecritures (Ancien comme Nouveau Testaments)?
Merci de me revenir et que Dieu vous bénisse!
Hi Alexis. Google Translate tells me you are asking what the Bible says about polygamy. The early church was very much against it. Jesus opposed polygamy by rebuking men who remarried without divorcing their wives. Similarly, Paul opposed the practice of polygamy by insisting elders have only one wife. It wasn’t just elders. “Each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).
In the ancient world it was not uncommon for widows to be taken on as second wives. Polygamy was seen as a solution to the need to provide for women who had lost husbands to warfare and disease. But in the early church, widows were cared for by the church community. If you have ever wondered why the New Testament says so much about widows, this is why. To preserve the sanctity of marriage, Paul and the apostles had to offer a radical alternative to polygamy (e.g., Acts 6:1–4, 1 Tim. 5:5-16).