Balanced approach
- I Timothy 3:2 – “an overseer, then, must be …”
- I John 1:8 – “If we say that we have no sin …”
- It’s possible to be too lenient or too strict.
- I Peter 5:1 – Peter was writing this as an elder. Yet Jesus at one point called him Satan and also rebuked him. Peter also denied Christ.
- People grow over time.
- ~ 30s A.D. – impetuous, immature
- ~ 48 A.D. – Acts 15 – Has grown, taken stands
- ~ 50 A.D. – Galatians 2 – Hypocrisy
- ~ 60 A.D. – I Peter – Elder
“above reproach” (blameless)
- I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6
- Colossians 1:21-23
“the husband of one wife”
- I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6
| “the husband of one wife” | My thinking |
|---|---|
| if he has a wife; can be a bachelor | No. We would need more evidence to interpret it this way. |
| in his whole lifetime, can’t be remarried | No. We would need more evidence to interpret it this way. (I Timothy 5:9) |
| can’t be a bachelor, polygamist, or adulteress | Yes. He’s married and there’s nothing amiss about his marriage. |
| he’s a one-woman type of man; focuses on his character instead of current marital status, may allow for widower or divorce | Maybe, but I’m still skeptical. (Consider I Timothy 3:4.) |
“temperate” (vigilant, sober-minded)
- I Timothy 3:2
“prudent” / “sensible” (sober-minded, self-controlled)
- I Timothy 3:2
“respectable” (orderly, of good behavior)
- I Timothy 3:2
“hospitable” (given to hospitality)
- I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8
- The root word behind “hospitality” means “love of strangers.”
- Hebrews 13:2
“able to teach” (apt to teach, skillful in teaching)
- I Timothy 3:2
