Practical Advice for the Ministry (I Timothy)
| Command others to teach no other doctrine than the doctrine of Christ (1:3) | Do not listen to fables or endless genealogies, which cause disputes (1:4) |
| Pray and intercede for everyone (2:1) | Do not neglect your gift (4:14) |
| Choose church leaders who are worthy of the office (3:1–15) | Do not rebuke older men, but exhort them (5:1) |
| Instruct others with sound doctrine (4:6) | Do not receive and accusation against an elder unless there are two witnesses (5:19) |
| Train others in Godliness (4:7, 8) | Do not govern the church with prejudice; be impartial (5:21) |
| Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity (4:12) | Do not hastily lay hands on anyone (5:22) |
| Honor widows (5:22) | Withdraw from those who reject sound teaching (both Paul’s and others) and are constantly arguing over words (6:4, 5) |
| Stay Pure (5:22) | Flee from those who are greedy and want to become wealthy from the ministry (6:5–11) |
| Pursue righteousness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness (6:11) | Avoid profane and idle talk, which is falsely called knowledge (6:20) |
I Timothy’s (and Titus’) Qualifications
| Blameless, above reproach TT | Reverent, worthy of respect |
| Must have only one spouse TT | Sincere, not fork-tongued |
| Temperate | Not a drunk |
| Self-controlled TT | Not greedy, a lover of money |
| Respectable | Hold the deep truths with a clear conscience |
| Hospitable TT | Tested |
| Able to teach | Blameless |
| Not a drunk TT | Spouses are to be worthy of respect |
| Not violent, but gentle TT | Spouses cannot be slanderers |
| Not quarrelsome | Spouses are to be temperate and trustworthy |
| Not greedy, a lover of money TT | Must have only one spouse |
| Must take care of one’s family | Must take care of one’s family |
| One’s own children must be respectful TT | One must be a good servant |
| Not a recent convert / novice | |
| Have a good reputation with outsiders | Italics denote both deacons and overseers |
Notes:
I Thessalonians
1:3 “Labor of Love” ≠ work of love. Labor = hard, strenuous effort to the point of fatigue.
1:10 Deliver from the wrath to come… Because Jesus took God’s wrath upon him, (Perhaps?) we do not have to experience it.
1:6 Followers of us and the Lord… everyone needs teachers (especially new converts) Paul encourages the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitates Christ (I Cor. 11:1). We need to reflect His image to others (II Cor. 3:8).
Timothy
Timothy was a young minister, appointed to lead the apparently contentious church in Ephesus. He had already learned the essentials of the gospel; now he had to lead. In this letter, Paul was passing on all the wisdom he had accumulated in his years of ministry. His insights are extremely practical, and valuable even today.
The difference between deacons and elders
The differentiation between where deaconry and eldership lies. It is quite clear that deacons did not have a teaching function, for the requirement "able to teach" is prescribed only for overseers, elders, and not for deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13). Stephen and Philip, two of the seven men found in Acts 6, did preach, but it is not clear whether they were ordained as deacons, as was mentioned earlier. Deacons are mentioned alongside the bishops in Philippians 1:1, but this does not mean that the deacons were teachers along with the bishops.
However one thing seems to be very clear: elders formed a college distinct from the deacons in the church. The elders of the Church of Ephesus formed a council of elders (presbyterium) that laid their hands on Timothy for ordination (1 Timothy 4:14). When Paul called the elders of the Church of Ephesus to him at Miletus, he merely called the elders, not the deacons as well. The contents of his speech was suited only to the elders as overseers of the flock and guardians of the delivered gospel. It was the elders who carried out an authoritative ceremonial act of ordination and exercised authoritative teaching and corrective discipline in the church. No evidence can be found that deacons were involved in this authoritative act.
The word diakonoV means "one who serves," "servant," or "minister." Hence deacons were really servants who served the congregation just as the word meant. Every believer is living under the command of love and of service (John 15:12). A true Christian serves because the Lord Jesus Christ came to serve in this world (Mark 10:45). The Christian community is a community of love, a community of serving. The Lord wanted to have an office whose leading role was serving in His Church; so He instituted the office of deacon. The prototype of the deacon was Christ. Thus the deacon can be seen as a representative of the serving role of the congregation.
Deacon: Greek word diakonos (διάκονος), which is often translated servant or more specifically waiter. Originated in Acts (selection of the seven in Acts 6)
Presbyters or elders: Used in Titus 1:5, 7; I Timothy 3:1, 4:14, 5:17, 19 (refers to their age and place in the church.)
Abbreviation of Greek episkopos Bishop = overseer (refers to their position in the church.)