Something Greater

Managing A Household 1 Timothy 3:4-5 What has gone before... Paul warned Timothy to guard against relying upon leaders who were "lovers of silver", people who sought "sordid gain". The Greek word for "sordid" includes the idea of shame. Shame is the emotion a person feels when they are disfigured or disgraced in the eyes of other people. Yet the leaders of the church in Ephesus felt no shame for their greedy, contradictory teaching and control. God, through the ministry of Paul and Timothy, was demonstrating His knowledge of the shameful, sordid leadership in Ephesus, and He was providing a way of rescue for the church. Moving on... 1 Timothy 3:4-5 (ESV) "He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" Managing a household well, supporting a family, loving a wife and children, requires th...

Hospitable and Able to Teach 1 Timothy 3:2 What has gone before... Paul's description of a person suitable for consideration as overseer of a church began with one who was above reproach: faithful in marriage, sober-minded, self-controlled and respectable. Moving on... "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable..." 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV) HOSPITABLE: philoxenos "fil-OX-en-os" (fond of guests); from philos (dear, as a friend; fond or friendly, referring to an associate or neighbor) and xenos (foreign, as alien or novel; a guest or entertainer) "Hospitable" seems to provide at the same time the means and the motive for spending time with new acquaintances: treat them as friends and regard their quirks as entertaining. The word, "hospitable" is found three times in the Bible: used twice by Paul in similar directions to Timothy and Titus concerning overseers....