1 Timothy 3

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 3:11

3:11 In the same way, the women must be dignified; they must not be given to slanderous gossip; they must be sober; they must be in all things reliable. As far as the Greek goes, this could refer to the wives of the deacons, or to women engaged in a similar service. It seems far more likely that it refers to women who are also engaged upon this work of charity. There must have been acts of kindness and of help which only a woman could properly do for another woman. Certainly in the early... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 3:14-15

3:14-15 I am writing these things to you, hoping, as I write, to come to you soon. But I am writing, so that, if I am delayed, you may know how to behave yourselves in the household of God, which is the assembly of the living God, and the pillar and buttress of the truth. Here in one phrase is the reason why the Pastoral Epistles were written; they were written to tell men how to behave within the Church. The word for to behave is anastrephesthai ( Greek #390 ); it describes what we... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 3:16

3:16 As everyone must confess, great is the secret which God has revealed to us in our religion: He who was manifested in the flesh: He who was vindicated by the Spirit: He who was seen by angels: He who has been preached among the nations: He in whom men have believed all over the world: He who was taken up into glory. The great interest of this passage is that here we have a fragment of one of the hymns of the early Church. It is a setting of belief in Christ to poetry and to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY 3 In this chapter the apostle treats of the qualifications of officers of churches, bishops and deacons, and of their wives; and points at the principal reason of writing this epistle to Timothy: and first, he commends the office of a bishop, as a good and desirable one; and asserts it to be such in the strongest manner, 1 Timothy 3:1 and then follow the qualifications for it, some of which are of the economical or domestic kind, and regard him as an husband and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:1

This is a true saying ,.... Some think this clause belongs to the last verse of the preceding chapter; and then the sense is, this is a doctrine that is true, and to be believed, that there is salvation through the birth of a Son, or through the incarnate Son of God, for men and women that believe in him, and continue in the faith of him, and love to him, joined with works of righteousness and holiness. And so the same phrase seems to belong to what goes before in 1 Timothy 4:8 . Though it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:2

A bishop then must be blameless ,.... Or "an elder", as the Syriac version renders it; not that it can be expected that such an one should be entirely free from sin, or be blameless in the sight of God; but that he should be one, who is so before men, and has not been guilty of any notorious and flagitious crime; and particularly, is not chargeable with the vices hereafter mentioned or hinted at. So the priests under the law were to be without blemish, even in their bodies, Leviticus 21:17 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:3

Not given to wine ,.... One that does not sit at it, or is continually drinking it, and is intemperate in the use of it; otherwise it is lawful for persons in such an office to drink wine, and sometimes absolutely necessary; see 1 Timothy 5:23 it signifies one that is not given to much wine, as in 1 Timothy 3:8 is not addicted to it, or a follower of it; the Syriac version renders it, "who does not transgress over wine", or go beyond due bounds in the use of it, who is not immoderate in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:4

One that ruleth well his own house ,.... His family, wife, children, and servants; and is not to be understood of his body, and of keeping of that under, and of preserving it chaste and temperate, as appears from what follows: having his children in subjection with all gravity ; keeping a good decorum in his family; obliging his children to observe his orders, and especially the rules of God's word; and not as Eli, who did not use his authority, or lay his commands upon his sons, nor... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:5

For if a man know not how to rule his own house ,.... Which is an affair of less importance, and more easy to be done; not requiring so much resolution, prudence, care, and thought: how shall he take care of the church of God ? preside over it, rule in it, provide for it, and see that everything is in its proper place, and done according to the will of God. The argument is from the lesser to the greater. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:6

Not a novice ,.... Or one newly planted, the Arabic version adds, "in the faith"; meaning not a young man, for so was Timothy himself; but a young professor and church member; one that is lately come to the knowledge of the truth, and has just embraced and professed it, and become a member of a church, a new plant there: so the Hebrew word נטע , "a plant", is by the Septuagint in Job 14:9 rendered by this very word. The reason why such a person should not be a bishop, elder, or pastor of... read more

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