Chapter Three

On church organization: the qualities of bishops (1–7), deacons and deaconesses (8–13). The concept of the Church as the standard by which shepherds should be guided in their work (14–16).

1 Timothy 3:1. The saying is reliable: if someone desires the office of bishop, they desire a good work. “The saying is reliable,” that is, this is truly spoken. The apostle is likely citing a proverb that had formed among Christians in his time. “Office of bishop” (episcope). The apostle refers to the service of the leader of the church by this name. The word comes from “bishop” (episkopos), which appears twice in the pastoral epistles—in the next, second verse of the chapter under consideration, and in the letter to Titus (Titus 1:7). By the literal translation, “bishop” means overseer, and among the Greeks this name was applied to various prominent state officials. In the Christian Church, as is evident from the chapter under consideration and also from the letter to Titus, this name denoted people who oversaw order in the Church, the most important persons in the Church, continuing the work of the Great Bishop of souls (1 Pet 2:25)—Christ. According to the interpretation of the holy fathers, such a ministry appeared simultaneously with the beginning of Christianity and is a divine institution. But the same holy fathers acknowledge that in the early church even simple presbyters were sometimes called bishops, as they also supervised church order in their parishes (just as bishops were sometimes called presbyters, for example, Titus 1:5), although, undoubtedly, according to the fathers’ understanding, the episcopate was even in apostolic times the highest hierarchical rank, while the presbytery was subordinate to the episcopate. In the passage under consideration, the name “office of bishop” encompasses both ministries—both the specifically episcopal and the presbyterial; if it were otherwise, that is, if the apostle intended to indicate only the qualities of bishops, then it would be unclear why he overlooked the duties of presbyters. After all, he speaks about deacons here with sufficient detail... “They desire a good work,” that is, they strive toward good, morally speaking, service (compare 1 Thess 5:13).

1 Timothy 3:2. But a bishop must be above reproach, a man of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, “But”—more accurately: therefore (oun). “Above reproach.” In the height of his moral qualities, a bishop must be a person whom the enemies of Christianity—Jews and pagans—could not reproach in anything. “A man of one wife.” Here it is not polygamy that is meant, which was not customary even among the pagans of Greece and Rome, much less among the Jewish people, but rather entering into a second marriage after the death of the first wife. From a candidate for bishop (and presbyters), therefore, it was required as a necessary condition that he be married only once—a second marriage is viewed by the apostle as something degrading for a person who claims to be a teacher of morality for believers. Later the Church held the same view. Though some Church fathers (for instance, Theodoret) did permit the ordination of the remarried as bishops, this was an exception to the general rule. “Sober”—not only regarding wine, but regarding any intoxication by passion. “Self-controlled,” that is, capable of governing his mental faculties (sophron). “Respectable” (kosmion)—maintaining measure and dignity in all his dealings with people (respectable is another translation of the same word kosmion that is rendered as respectable). “Hospitable.” In apostolic times many Christians, expelled from their cities, had to seek refuge in others, and therefore bishops had to care for strangers. “Able to teach.” The work of teaching requires considerable effort and sufficient moral excellence. Therefore, in the concept of “teaching ability” is implied indication of both the intellectual and moral lofty qualities of the bishop.

1 Timothy 3:3. not a drunkard, not prone to violence, not quick-tempered, not eager for money, but peaceful, gentle, not a lover of money, “Prone to violence”—a person who in anger is inclined to give free rein to his hands.

1 Timothy 3:4. managing his own household well, keeping his children under control with complete dignity; 1 Timothy 3:5. for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s Church? The Church, according to the apostle, is as it were a large family in which the bishop is father and ruler. It is harder to govern a large family than a small one, and whoever cannot properly organize his own family will be a poor bishop. “With complete dignity.” A father of the family is required to have dignity (semnotis), that is, to maintain his standing.

1 Timothy 3:6. He must not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and fall under the judgment of the devil. A newly converted Christian, immediately elevated to the rank of bishop, can easily become conceited and fall into pride—and in so doing become subject to punishment from God, as the devil once became, having grown conceited (krima—judgment, judicial sentence). According to Wollenberg’s opinion, the genitive case of the devil (kata tou diabolou, in Russian: “with the devil”) should be understood as a subjective genitive and the whole expression: “so that he may not fall” should be rendered thus: “and so that he may not fall under God’s judgment,” which God ordains to be carried out over a person by the devil, which (judgment) is like the trials that, for example, God allowed to befall Satan with Job (Job 1:12). And a bishop who is newly converted and inexperienced can easily be subjected to temptation and even persecution from the enemy of Christ’s Church—the devil.

1 Timothy 3:7. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s snare. Not only Christians should see in their bishop a person above reproach, but also pagans (“outsiders”). Otherwise the bishop will be subject to reproach from the unbelieving, which will place him in a difficult position, deprive him of the necessary self-control, and again give the devil an opportunity to catch him in his nets, that is, to drive him to some improper actions, resulting in his complete downfall.

1 Timothy 3:8. Deacons likewise must be respectable, not two-faced, not devoted to much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, After the bishops the apostle turns to the deacons (about them see Acts 6:1 and following; Phil 1:1). As persons holding a hierarchical rank, deacons must conduct themselves worthily of their office. They must guard against the same things that bishops guard against—the apostle does not consider it necessary to speak of this again—but, besides this, they must necessarily have special qualities needed in their service. “Respectable” (semnous), that is, they must comport themselves with dignity. “Not two-faced,” that is, they should not speak now one way, now another about the same matter, which they could be easily prompted to do by the necessity of entering into constant relations with those in need of help from the Church. “Not devoted to much wine.” Deacons had to constantly have wine supplies in their hands for love feasts. “Not pursuing dishonest gain.” Deacons had monetary sums under their management.

1 Timothy 3:9. holding the mystery of the faith with a clean conscience. The conscience of deacons must be clean—this is a conclusion from what was said in verse 8—so that its state corresponds to true faith, which by its nature is a mystery, that is, something wonderful, incomprehensible to a simple mind, alien to Christianity. The apostle wishes to say that only a clean conscience and a life consistent with it give outsiders some understanding of that great invaluable treasure—faith, which lies hidden in the depths of the Christian soul.

1 Timothy 3:10. And such people must first be tested, then, if they are above reproach, let them serve. Apparently, in apostolic times the church community and its representatives—the bishops—conducted a careful investigation regarding persons designated for the deaconate.

1 Timothy 3:11. Their wives likewise must be respectable, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. “Their wives likewise” (the addition of “their” is unnecessary according to the text). Here it is most natural to see deaconesses, not wives of deacons, because it would be strange if the apostle set forth certain requirements only regarding the wives of deacons and said nothing about the requirements to which the spouses of bishops and presbyters should conform. The rank of deaconess is not hierarchical. A deaconess was simply an assistant to a presbyter or bishop, though she did receive special solemn ordination to this service. The first mention of a deaconess we find in Romans (Rom 16:1), where she is given the name deacon (diakonon), but the term “deaconess” came to be used in later times—around the 4th century. “Not slanderers.” Women are particularly prone to the passion for gossip and slander. Deaconesses must refrain from this.

1 Timothy 3:12. A deacon must be a man of one wife, managing his children and his household well. See 1 Tim 3:2 and 1 Tim 3:4.

1 Timothy 3:13. For those who serve well gain a high standing and great boldness in faith in Christ Jesus. Some understand by the word “standing” (bathmon) the position of a person in society and translate: “a deacon, in performing his duty well, achieves universal respect.” But such an interpretation is too far from the direct meaning of the expression “good standing.” The interpretation of some holy fathers is more natural, who consider the expression “good standing” to be a technical term for designating the rank of bishop. And indeed, this expression resembles the expression in the first verse: “if someone desires the office of bishop, they desire a good work.” “And great boldness in faith in Christ Jesus,” that is, they become internally satisfied, feel special spiritual joy, which comes from the consciousness of faithfully fulfilling the service entrusted to them by Christ.

1 Timothy 3:14. I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, A parenthetical thought. The apostle, fearing that Timothy might think the apostle is writing to him because he himself no longer hopes to meet him in Ephesus, says that he will come to Timothy and perhaps sooner than he expects (tachion—in Russian not quite accurately: “soon”).

1 Timothy 3:15. but in case I am delayed, so that you may know how one should conduct oneself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. But the apostle may be delayed in arriving in Ephesus. Therefore, he now wishes to give Timothy written instructions on how to conduct himself in God’s household, or in the church. “Which is the church”—more correctly: the community or assembly (ekklesia) belonging to the living God. God is called “living” here in contrast to dead idols, which the Asian communities honored, and as giving life to his worshipers. Timothy and every other leader of the church should keep this in mind when carrying out his service. “The pillar and ground of the truth.” These words are an appositive to the preceding expression and express the same idea, namely, that the Church, as an assembly of believers, represents a firm foundation for gospel truth: if the Church falls, gospel truth will also disappear (which, however, according to Christ’s word, Matt 16:18, will never happen). From this it should be clear to Timothy how much he needs to care for maintaining order in the Church.

1 Timothy 3:16. And undeniably, great is the mystery of godliness: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. To further instill in his student a reverent care for maintaining good order in the whole ecclesiastical structure, the apostle reminds Timothy of the most important truth preserved in the Church: about God’s incarnation and the accomplishment of salvation for humanity by the incarnate Son of God. In this truth, says the apostle, is undoubtedly contained the great mystery of Christian piety, the mysterious and highest foundation of all pious Christian life (compare John 3:33). “As the strongest evidence of God’s love for humanity, it arouses in us love for God, and love is the foundation of all piety” (Polansky, p. 414). Next the apostle depicts all the main events in the historical manifestation of this mystery: “He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit...” First of all, the correct reading of this passage must be established. In many ancient manuscripts and in some of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church, instead of the expression God (Theos), the expression “who” (hos) appears, and in some even the neuter form of the pronoun “who.” Therefore, most modern interpreters favor the reading: “who appeared in the flesh” and place this clause in relation to either the word “mystery” or “God’s household” (the latter Polansky defends). But we adhere to the reading of such respected fathers as Chrysostom, Theodoret, John of Damascus, and others, who all read here: “He appeared...” Moreover, even if we agree with the reading of ancient manuscripts reading: “Who appeared,” we must nevertheless, of necessity, refer the word “who” to an implied noun, because all attempts to relate this pronoun to other preceding words appear extremely unsuccessful (this must be said also of the extraordinarily unnatural interpretation offered by Polansky). So here we are speaking of God’s incarnation. God appeared in the flesh, that is, he took on human nature. “Was vindicated by the Spirit,” that is, confirmed that he is the true God—though having taken on human nature—by means of the Holy Spirit, whom he sent to believers and by whom he himself, during his earthly life, performed various miracles (Matt 12:28). “Seen by angels”—after his ascension to heaven, when the angels met him and submitted to him (Heb 1:6; 1 Pet 3:22). “Proclaimed among nations”—of course, after the ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on believers. “Believed in throughout the world”—the apostle prophetically beholds what will come to pass in time. “Taken up in glory.” About the ascension of Christ, this last glorious event from Christ’s earthly life, the apostle speaks at the very end of his hymn (the whole verse is indeed a Christian hymn in praise of Christ) because the glorious ascension was clear proof of the accomplished redemption of people. It was enough for the witnesses of this event to recall it so that joy and confidence awakened in their hearts that Christ is truly the Savior of the world and that one can build one’s whole life upon him.