Lesson 4
The Foundation of Our Faith-The Books of I & II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon
Responsibility in the Church
June 22, 2003

Focus Thought
Every person in the church should accept responsibility toward doing
something for God. He should do his duties faithfully toward God and be
accountable to those who are over him in the Lord.

Scripture Reference
Leviticus 21:7, 17
Matthew 25:21
I Timothy 3:1-13; 4:11-16
Titus 1:5-9
I Peter 5:1-3

Expositional Passage
I Timothy 3:1-7, 10, 14-16
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth
a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober,
of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient,
not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with
all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care
of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he
fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
 . . . . .
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a
deacon, being found blameless.
. . . . .
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
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.
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.

Focus Verse
I Timothy 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.

LESSON OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
I. OVERSEEING THE WORK OF GOD
 A. Desiring an Office
 B. Becoming a Leader
 C. Maintaining a Home
 D. Influencing Their World
II. ACCEPTING AND MAINTAINING RESPONSIBILITY
 A. Spiritual Qualifications
 B. The Principle of Accountability
III. IMPROVING ORDER IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
 A. Preparing for Long-term Delay
 B. Maintaining System and Order
 C. The Place and Message of the Church
CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
      This lesson endeavors to explore briefly the qualifications of those
who want to serve as leaders in the church. Our Lord did not give us an
exact organizational chart for organizing His kingdom on earth. However, the
Scriptures do give some general considerations. God wants us to use our
God-given ability to organize and lead His church to achieve His purpose on
earth.
      God has always worked through people to spread His message. From
Moses, the deliverer of the Israelites, to Ananias, the disciple in
Damascus, to His people today, God works through people to spread the gospel
of Jesus Christ. (See Acts 9:10-12.)
      The Book of I Timothy was written approximately a.d. 65 by the apostle
Paul to an aspiring church leader, Timothy. We refer to the Books of I and
II Timothy as the Pastoral Epistles since they contain much instruction on
church leadership and government. From these words of Paul in I Timothy 3 we
will consider the subject of responsibility and leadership in the church.

I. OVERSEEING THE WORK OF GOD
A. Desiring an Office
      After the initial experience of salvation, a new believer should not
just sit down and hope to stay saved. There is much work to be done. After
the initial salvation experience we should become workers for God. Faith
without works is a dead spiritual experience (James 2:17). On the other
hand, bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) comes by being
involved in the work of God. How does one know he has the true fruit of the
Spirit unless he is involved with the work of God's church-working with
people? Love, joy, longsuffering, and the other fruit of the Spirit are
cultivated in one's life by active involvement with God's family.
      God places a burning desire in every new believer's heart to propagate
the gospel of Jesus Christ. God calls all Christians into ministry, but not
all will minister in highly visible places of prominence, for God has not
called all people to minister through preaching or teaching. Many people
perform other ministries and services in the body of Christ. Still, there is
nothing wrong with a person desiring an office of ministry in the church-as
long as he understands that it is God who gives the call, and as long as he
is willing to perform whatever tasks God makes available to him, without
envy or jealousy of others.

B. Becoming a Leader
      The ability to lead in God's kingdom requires more than talent. It is
a higher calling than the ability to organize and motivate people. A godly
leader's lifestyle is an example for people to follow to be ready for the
kingdom of heaven. The pureness needed to fully lead people to heaven can
only come from a soul truly dedicated to God.
      A bishop is one who has a responsibility of oversight within the
church. We generally think of this today as pastor. Bishop translates from
the Greek word episcope, which means "investigation, inspection, visitation"
(Thayer's Greek Lexicon).
      The emphasis is not on a person's ability but on his spiritual and
moral character. Consequently, some essential elements must be present for
one to become a leader in God's church. Faithfulness to essential, "small
things" leads to rulership in God's kingdom (Matthew 25:21).
      The first qualification listed in I Timothy 3:2 is being "blameless."
This quality sums up all the qualifications because it means "unrebukeable"
or "irreproachable" (Strong's Concordance and Thayer's Greek Lexicon). (See
Philippians 2:15-16.)

C. Maintaining a Home
      One of the first qualifications for leadership deals with a person's
moral character: "the husband of one wife." This qualification certainly
refutes the teaching of celibacy for church leadership. An old Jewish
teaching indicated that priests should be neither unmarried nor childless
for they would be unmerciful. Certainly a man's family gives insight into
the character of the man. Paul's mentioning this qualification to Timothy is
noteworthy, especially in light of his dissertation on marriage and the
ministry (I Corinthians 7:8). The ability to maintain a peaceful and
successful home is truly a trait of a leader.
      A leader's ability to direct his children and lead them to serve
Christ exemplifies leadership skills that he also could put to work in the
church. Paul stated that an aspiring bishop is one who "ruleth well his own
house" (I Timothy 3:4). His children are certainly a heritage of the Lord
(Psalm 127:3). The way he "rules his house" should reflect in his leadership
of the church, for he is not to be as a lord "over God's heritage" (I Peter
5:1-3).

D. Influencing Their World
      The church is in this world but it is not to be of this world.
Therefore, a bishop should be able to influence his world and not let his
world influence him. This is truly a test of character (John 15:19).
      The fact that a bishop is not to be a "novice" has to do with the
length of time he has been a Christian. It means that he is not to be a new
convert; he needs an indeterminate period of time to grow and mature in his
faith and experience. The ability to remain steadfast despite hardships,
disappointments, and temptations is an important quality that is desirable
for every Christian and Christian leader, but it requires time to develop.
God is looking for bishops who will not fall.
      That an aspiring bishop should have a good reputation and rapport with
ones outside the church speaks of the importance of one's influence in the
world around him. The verse warns that in the absence of such, an ambitious
leader could "fall into reproach." The fall described here is one that
brings shame on the church and also on the aspiring leader. Moreover, it
could affect his eternal destiny.

II. ACCEPTING AND MAINTAINING RESPONSIBILITY
A. Spiritual Qualifications
      There must be inward spiritual qualities that motivate a leader for
the best in God's kingdom.
      Vigilance. The quality of being vigilant will protect one from the
onslaught of the devil. To be vigilant literally means to be circumspect;
that is, "heedful of circumstances or future consequences" so that no evil
befalls one. A man must be able to discern what is good and what is evil.
(See Hebrews 5:14.)
      Good Behavior. A leader should be modest and temperate in his
lifestyle and actions. Good behavior requires inner or self-control. Any
person who is to be a master is to be temperate in all things (I Corinthians
9:25).
      Given to Hospitality. This phrase literally means "fond of guests"
(Strong's Concordance). A minister should be hospitable not only in his home
but in his community. Kindness toward others goes along with winning souls.
Jesus was called a "friend of publicans and sinners" (Matthew 11:19). He was
hospitable to them and willing to communicate with them.
      Ability to Teach. The ability to teach is a necessary quality. The
phrase "apt to teach" carries with it the ability to convey truth through
speech as well as by being an example.
      Not Given to Wine. The term "not given to wine" means to stay away
from wine. It is scriptural advice both to aspiring church leaders and
laymen alike.
      One might think Paul's admonitions concerning wine to be
contradictory, for later in the same book he wrote, "Drink no longer water,
but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" (I
Timothy 5:23). There he spoke of wine as a medicine to be used in a "little"
portion, which was indicative of the medical knowledge of his day. They did
not understand all about alcohol and its properties, but they had a limited
recognition both of its harmful and healing effects. They understood, as the
Scriptures teach, that it can be destructive and harmful to a person. They
also recognized that there was a limited healing attribute in small amounts
of alcohol.
      We are fortunate today to have both better quality of water and better
medical knowledge. Some medicines may include small amounts of alcohol, but
it is a measured and controlled amount. On the other hand, the use of wine
should be altogether rejected because of the detrimental effects of drinking
alcohol on the human body.
      No Striker. Not being a "striker" means not to be pugnacious or
quarrelsome. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit and certainly should be manifest
in the life of a church leader as a true saint of God.
      Not Greedy. The phrases, "not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not
a brawler, not covetous" all are associated closely in the original Greek
text of I Timothy 3:3. The translation of the list of terms gives different
hues to the idea that Paul was communicating-the lack of greed or avarice.
First, the phrase "not greedy of filthy lucre" was added by the translators
for clarity; it does not appear in the Greek text. Then, the other three
terms are connected in a serial phrase: 1. "Patient," translated from
epieikes, which means "appropriate, i.e. (by implication) mild: KJV-gentle,
moderation, patient"; 2. "Not a brawler," translated from amachos, meaning
"peaceable"; 3. "Not covetous," translated from aphilarguros, "unavaricious:
KJV-without covetousness, not greedy of filthy lucre" (Strong's
Concordance). They all are good qualities in and of themselves, but they
were not necessarily meant to be separated in their context of meaning. The
words "patient" and "not a brawler" were meant to modify or describe the
phrase "not covetous," and all three were summed up in the added phrase:
"not greedy of filthy lucre." A similar phrase also appeared in the list of
qualifications for a deacon in I Timothy 3:8, making it even more important
as a quality for a bishop.
      Certainly a minister should have control of his desire for money. "For
the love of money is the root of all evil" (I Timothy 6:10). Money has been
the "dart" that has pierced the soul of many leaders and defiled them. We
must be careful to reject the temptation to be greedy or covetous of money
or material things.

B. The Principle of Accountability
      God puts leaders in our lives to lead us to salvation and to assist us
in developing our potential abilities for the work of God. Authorities in
our lives are there to help us, not hurt us. There is a great advantage and
protection available to us through making ourselves accountable to
others-both in vertical relationships of authority and also in horizontal
relationships of friendship. (See I Thessalonians 5:12, Hebrews 13:17.)
      In addition to submitting to figures of authority, every person should
have a special friend in whom he can place full trust and confidence. He
should make himself accountable to this friend through both counsel and
regular, mutual prayer. Each will discover that it is an invaluable source
of help and strength through difficult times of life and times of
temptation.
      Elisha followed Elijah faithfully before being able to take up the
mantle of Elijah. In the same way, every aspiring church leader needs to
follow the "Elijahs" in his life. He should not become impatient and try to
force open doors of opportunity in God's work. Patience is part of the
process of developing character.
      Anyone who desires to lead must first be a follower. One must be
faithful in church attendance, prayer, study of God's Word, giving of tithes
and offerings, and show loyalty and respect to the authority placed over
him. These may seem like "little" things, but they are major considerations
to God.
      If we do what is right, God will lift us up to the place of His
intentions in His time. That is true success.
      "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men"
(Proverbs 18:16).
      Internship and Experience. Being an assistant to the pastor or an
assistant pastor, a youth leader, or some other position under the pastor is
a wonderful way to make "full proof" of one's ministry. Every wise pastor
sees the blessing of nurturing ministries around him.
      We must grow in grace and in knowledge. We can take experiences, good
or bad, and grow from them.
      The word "deacon" translates from the Greek word, diakonos, which
means "an attendant, i.e. (genitive case) a waiter (at table or in other
menial duties); specially, a Christian teacher and pastor (technically, a
deacon or deaconess): KJV-deacon, minister, servant" (Strong's Concordance).
There arose murmuring between the Grecian widows and the Jewish widows in
Acts 6. The apostles said, "It is not reason that we should leave the word
of God and serve tables." The word serve is the verb form of the same word
that is translated "deacon." In other words, their primary function was to
wait upon or serve tables. But, of course, it took on a much broader
application in helping in many ways to lighten the hands of the ministry.
      Leaders who have oversight of the work of God should not get bogged
down with the menial tasks in the church. There are others who can and
should do those necessary things so that the ministry may focus on the
spiritual advancement of the church.
      In his epistle to the Christians at Philippi, the apostle Paul
referred both to deacons and bishops as leaders in the New Testament church:
"Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in
Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons"
(Philippians 1:1). That "bishops and deacons" are mentioned with the
 "saints" at Philippi suggests that more than one person served in each of
these two offices in this congregation. However, Epaphroditus was their
chief overseer or "messenger" (Philippians 2:25).
 The Greek word translated "messenger" in Philippians 2:25 is apostolos,
which is the same word that is translated "apostle." Apostolos means "a
delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner
of Christ ["apostle"] (with miraculous powers): KJV-apostle, messenger, he
that is sent" (Strong's Concordance). Thayer defines the word as follows: "a
delegate, a messenger, one sent forth with orders; a) specifically applied
to the twelve apostles of Christ; b) in a broader sense, applied to other
eminent Christian teachers: 1) Barnabas; 2) Timothy and Silvanus" (Thayer's
Greek Lexicon).
      Titus and others also were given the same title of "messengers" to the
churches by the apostle Paul (II Corinthians 8:23).
The writings concerning the qualifications for holding the office of a
bishop or a deacon in the church reveal that a person must be proven and
possess clear qualifications to attain offices of leadership. Moreover, it
also shows that there are some who will not qualify for leadership in the
church. We all have different roles to fulfill as God directs. God calls,
each person qualifies himself, and the church sends.
      Paul seems to imply that if a man performs well in the office of a
deacon, he may become eligible for further attention and promotion. Both
Stephen and Philip were deacons before they received prominence in ministry
(Acts 6:5). Stephen went on to become noted as a worker of miracles and he
was the first martyr (Acts 6:8-9; 7:59). Philip became a mighty evangelist
(Acts 8). Evidently, faithful service-even in menial works-deserves honor
and consideration for further service and possibly promotion.
      Barnabas apparently had a ministry of mentoring young ministers. He
was the one who hand-picked Paul and helped him to be accepted by the
churches (Acts 9:2; 11:25). Perhaps he sensed greatness in the lives of the
inexperienced and therefore made a place for them to grow in the kingdom of
God. He also greatly influenced and guided the ministry of John Mark (Acts
12:25).

III. IMPROVING ORDER IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
A. Preparing for Long-term Delay
      Paul hoped to return to the church at Ephesus soon, but he realized
that circumstances could prevent his soon return. (See I Timothy 3:14-15.)
He therefore gave direction that would assist Timothy in his relationship
with the church and carry the church forward even though he was not there.
      A church must have a long-term vision or it will perish. (See Proverbs
29:18.) The work of ministry in a church is progressive and ongoing. First,
there is ministry to the children so that they will grow up in the church
and grow to be strong Christians as adults. Clearly, the work of the Sunday
school in a church is profitable and adds to the life span of the assembly.
      This principle is carried on into the youth program of a church. A
good youth program will help to develop strong Christians as young married
couples.
      Finally, the youth eventually become adults. The long-term goal of the
church is to develop adults who are strong in their faith and involvement in
the ministry of Christ in this world. Clearly, it is an ongoing cycle that
never ends but grows increasingly when there is a clear vision and burden
for long-term ministry and growth.
The physical building, the long-range goals of the church, and the
willingness of the people to sacrifice to see accommodations that will
facilitate growth are telling features of the effectiveness of that church
in its community. The longer a church serves its community for God, the
greater is its influence.

B. Maintaining System and Order
      God has placed bishops and deacons in the church to maintain system
and order. Let us look briefly at the responsibility of the bishop and the
deacon.
      The word "bishop" comes from the Greek word episkopos. It means "a
superintendent, an overseer, or an officer in charge of a church." This word
was used in secular Greek writing to refer to the inspectors sent from the
capital, Athens, to the subject states. These inspectors were to notify the
ruling Greeks of the affairs in each state as they applied to Grecian rule.
This word episkopos first appears in the New Testament in Acts 20:28 where
it is translated "overseers."
      According to New Unger's Bible Dictionary, the terms "presbyter" or
"elder" were generally used in churches that were primarily of Jewish
ancestry, whereas churches of Gentile origin seemed to favor the term
"bishop." Unger further observed, "There is no specific account of the
origin of the eldership in the apostolic church. We find officers called
interchangeably elders or presbyters and bishops (Grk. episkopos,
"superintendent"). This office pertained to local congregations, was
extended as the churches multiplied, and was distinguished from that of
deacon. . . . The 'elders' of the NT church were the 'pastors' (Ephesians
4:11), 'overseers' (Acts 20:28; etc.), the leaders who 'have charge'
(Hebrews 13:7; I Thessalonians 5:12; etc.) of the flock. They were also the
regular teachers of the congregation, whose duty it was to expound the
Scriptures and administer the sacraments (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9)" (New
Unger's Bible Dictionary). In the New Testament these terms, as well as the
term pastors, describe those in pastoral leadership.
      That Paul appointed Titus to "ordain elders in every city" of Crete
and interchangeably used the word "elder" with "bishop" (Titus 1:5-7) shows
that both mean "overseers." He gave the same criterion to Titus as to
Timothy in ordaining leaders to serve in the church.
      A bishop, elder, or pastor is to be in charge of the oversight of the
church and spiritual matters. A deacon could be either one who is aspiring
to the ministry or one who helps in caring for the material aspects of the
church to relieve the pastor of some duties and to allow him to spend more
time in prayer and the study of God's Word.

C. The Place and Message of the Church
      The church is a place of the living God; He is not dead. It is a
living, moving, growing organism rather than just an institution set in
stone. A building will not make a church; only a living God will make a
church!
      The church is called the "pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy
3:15). That is, it is built on rock-solid principles of truth. It is no
wonder that Jesus stated, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew
16:18). The thing that keeps the church stable is its foundation of biblical
truth.
      Peter called Jesus Christ the "Bishop of your souls" (I Peter 2:25).
He is the "overseer" of our souls. As the King of kings and Lord of lords,
He alone is able to know and guide the true state of our eternal soul.
Moreover, as God He is the Savior. We can be confident in His hands!
      On one hand, it might seem out of place that Paul would conclude this
chapter with a verse that proclaims the oneness of God, but on the other
hand, it makes perfect sense. In his final remarks in chapter 3, Paul spoke
both of his desire to soon return to the church at Ephesus and also of the
reality that his return could be delayed. Consequently, in the final few
verses of chapter 3 Paul wanted to strengthen both Timothy and the Ephesians
by emphasizing that the church has a living God, a sure foundation of truth,
and a glorious message of the Incarnation! Moreover, he was setting the
stage for the principles that he would communicate in the remaining chapters
of the epistle.

CONCLUSION
      Leadership is vital to the church. God has chosen to use men and women
to lead His church and to maintain its system and order. However, to be a
leader in God's church is not just a vocation for a person to choose; it is
a calling from God. Still, Paul wrote that to desire an office of church
leadership is a worthy desire.
      One should recognize, however, that becoming a leader in God's church
requires time, training, maturity, and faithfulness to present areas of
responsibility. Moreover, to become a bishop, which is comparable to pastor,
requires meeting certain predetermined qualifications. Paul also enumerated
the qualifications for serving the church as a deacon, which involves
serving in the more mundane and menial tasks of the daily operation of the
material concerns of the church. But whether as deacon or as pastor, to
serve the church is an honorable and worthy work and calling. With every
person fulfilling his responsibility faithfully, the church is ready to have
the revival that God desires to give it.

REFLECTIONS
. Is it acceptable to desire to become a leader in the church? Discuss.
. To what would we liken the office of bishop in the church? Discuss.
. Discuss some of the qualifications for being a bishop in the church.
. What are the qualifications for serving the church as a deacon? Discuss.
. Discuss some of the responsibilities that a deacon might fulfill in the
church today.

Open your ears to God before you open your mouth to others.
Isaiah 50:4
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue
of the learned, that I should know how to
speak a word in season to him that is weary:
he wakeneth morning by
morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
YBIC, THOMAS AND YSIC, LINDA.
pofm@...