1Timothy 3: Traits of True Christian Leaders and Sound Doctrine
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Kato Mivule | August 9, 2009
If there has to be anyone held responsible for permitting the False Teachings and Heresy we see today in our Christian Churches, it is the current lethargic Church Leadership...
Leadership Central to Sound Bible Doctrine…
There is absolutely every reason to believe that Paul the apostle in communicating to Timothy and Titus sought to make the point clear: that Leadership was central to the keeping of The Faith and Sound Bible Doctrine in the local Church.
One of the things that Satan has done in the past 2000 years to this day is to fill the local Church with Leaders who are totally given to the things and cares of this world and leaders that see the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a means to gain.
After writing on Evangelical Christianity for sometime now, some folks think that we are anti-leadership and kind of a people who believe in disorder and anarchy. Yet such assumptions are far from the truth and a mere expression of sentimentalism that some folks feel when their so-called Christian leaders are sincerely and objectively critiqued.
I do believe in godly Christian Leadership and we strongly believe at Yesu Mulungi in Christian Leadership given to the Teachings and Sayings of Jesus Christ – Christian Leaders given to Sound Bible Doctrine.
Christians Leaders should be held accountable to God’s Word…
I believe that Christian Leaders need to be held accountable to God’s Holy Word and to Sound Doctrine otherwise we stand to see the appearance of Pseudo-Christianity as it is already happening in many Christian Evangelical assemblies.
If we believe that the sayings of Jesus Christ and His lifestyle are true, then we ought to hold our leaders accountable to the Teachings of Jesus Christ. I have not so much consideration for so-called Christian Leaders who desire for Leadership in the Christian Church yet make it their trademark to trample down on the teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ.
Such leaders tend to be narcissistic and with passion for dominion and control… Sound Bible Doctrine and a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ is not their concern… If it is, then it is only a means to an elite lifestyle.
Yet Christians who seek to walk in a daily relationship with Jesus Christ must take a look at what Paul wrote to Timothy concerning Christian Leaders and in turn hold their Christian Church leaders accountable to the writings and teachings in the New Testament.
Have Christians lost their basic reasoning?
The trouble in with most Christians is that they tend to misplace their reasoning and thinking when they get to Church and bogus and fake Church Leaders keep taking advantage of them.
This is widely happening in Africa especially in Uganda. So-called Church Leaders steal from Church Members, they defraud their followers, and they rape them, sodomize them, sexually abuse them, extort from them, and force them to support a profuse lifestyle of riches and materialism. Yet Ugandan Christians still pay homage to such leaders.
Yet still what is most disturbing in the Ugandan case is that most of the followers of the so-called Men of God are educated and at least with a College Degree according to Ugandan standards.
I took note of a number of followers of a certain Mega Church Prosperity Preacher in Kampala, Uganda…most of the followers I happened to know and come across attended Makerere University and Nkumba University – Uganda’s two major Institutions of Higher Education.
Yet these followers of the Mega Church Prosperity Preacher had no sense of reason, logic, and discernment and could not figure things out even when you presented to them the facts that they had been openly lied to by their Mega Church Prosperity Preacher.
The Office of a Bishop – a Good work…
1 Timothy 3:1
(1) This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
Paul the apostle writes that if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work… The Office of a Bishop represents an overseer and superintendent. The Greek term for Bishop is…
G1984 | episkopē | ep-is-kop-ay'
From G1980; inspection (for relief); by implication superintendence; specifically the Christian “episcopate”: - the office of a “bishop”, bishoprick, visitation.
Superintendent…
Inspection – Inspector…
Episcopate…
Bishop…
Overseer…
The first point that we see here is that Paul the apostle is not anti-leadership… Paul the apostle also knew that he could not do all things alone but had to delegate duties to proven Christians who would ensure the continuation of the Christian faith.
Secondly there are those who would be called to the noble duty of Christian Leadership and they should not be mistaken for narcissists but rather Paul gives us clues or test marks to help us discern true Christian leaders from those who are not.
The prayer point here is that The Lord will raise True Christian Leaders in His Church today, leaders who truly love Jesus Christ and are committed to keeping the sayings, teachings, and living the lifestyle of Jesus Christ.
Of course the ‘Bishop’ here seemed to be a higher office than that of a Deacon and that is why Paul makes a distinction between the two in 1Timothy 3… Yet still the character traits that Paul the apostle lays out are applicable to all Christian Leaders in the Church…
One of the main duties of the Bishop – Superintendent, was to make sure that the Church kept to Sound Bible Doctrine and Faith in Jesus Christ… We see the term ‘inspection’ as in to inspect as one of the Greek definitions of the term ‘Bishop’.
Therefore Christian Teaching insofar as Faith in Jesus Christ was concerned was supposed to be in accordance to the Teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ. If anyone calls themselves Bishop yet their teachings and lifestyle contradict those of Jesus Christ, then such is not a Bishop but their ministry is a true red herring.
Qualities of the Christian Leader…
Christian Leaders must be Family centered…
1 Timothy 3:2
(2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
It is interesting to note that the office of the Bishop is accorded to men according to 1Timothy 3… There are those who claim to be women Bishops or women superintendents in the Church, yet this would totally contradict scripture and 1Timothy 2.
As I discussed in my previous article on the subject, the issue is not ministry but Leadership and Authority which The Lord out of His Wisdom and order of things has seen it fit to have Leadership and Authority be headed by men.
Back to the subject of qualifications of a Christian Leader, we see Paul mention the following traits in this verse concerning the qualification of a Bishop…
A Bishop must be blameless…
Not in scandals… Sometimes people will blame leaders falsely but a true Christian Leader should avoid placing themselves in settings that cause them to be in scandals in the first place… One Preacher was accused of being engaging in sodomy but he kept walking and “paling around” with many young boys some of whom later accused him of sodomy…
A Bishop must be Husband to one wife…
Family is important here and certainly marriage. The Bishop must be husband to one wife and not multiple wives. This is one area that has been greatly abused by so-called Church leaders who see it fit to throw out their wives and run for younger women in their congregations. A certain Bishop on TBN TV divorced his long time wife and headed to marry quickly another woman of his choice, then quickly assumed office as Bishop again. Such are pseudo bishops and only consumed with narcissistic egos.
A Bishop must be Vigilant…
That is they must be watchful and discerning, they must be on the look out for false teachers who might try to come into the flock by stealth and deposit deception into the flock… They must also be watchful for The Lord’s Second Coming as The Lord commanded His Church to be watchful till He comes.
A Bishop must be Sober…
That is they must be clear-headed so that they can think with clarity and objectively look at things… Many so-called bishops today in the Evangelical Church are drunk with the love for things of this world and more materialism…
A Bishop must be of Good behavior…
Character is important here… We also notice that all these traits of a Christian Leader take time to develop and so is the reason why ‘newbies’ should be allowed into positions of Christian Leadership…
A Bishop should be given to Hospitality…
Yes, they should be hospitable and that means approachable but with discernment…love with all discernment so that you don’t be taken advantage of. Yet still many so-called leaders of our day are unapproachable and live like Presidents and Hollywood Movie Stars… One “Christian Leader” in Kampala, Uganda moves around with a security detail accorded to him by the President…why would a Christian leader need bodyguards with guns while he preaches on the pulpit?
A Bishop/Christian Leader is able to teach…
This is one of the most important traits of a Bishop…he must be able to teach Sound Bible Doctrine… He must be able to give a defense for The Faith to those who seek to derail the Faith of many in the Church… He must be able to instruct the believers in the scriptures. Yet many so-called Bishops in Christendom cannot explain simple scriptures to the believers, many cannot teach and instruct believers in the teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ…
A Bishop – not greedy for money…
1 Timothy 3:3
(3) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
We basically see that verse 3 is a continuation of the character traits that a bishop must have…
Not given to wine… Not a drunkard…
Not a Striker… Violent…or given to Violence…
Not greedy for money - filthy lucre… Many Bishops I see on Christian TV today are champions of the gospel of greed and materialism a.k.a. the Prosperity Gospel… This goes out for all Christian Leaders… The Love of money and materialism has derailed the faith and ministries of many Christian Leaders…
Patient… A call for patience is key… Patience in Trails and Tribulation… Remember that the Church then in Paul’s times was undergoing heavy persecution and this called for Christian Leaders who had to display patience and endurance as an example to other Christians, especially those ‘young’ Christians in the faith… Yet still patience was key when it came to teaching Sound Bible Doctrine as different folks take different times to come to understanding…
Not a Brawler… Not given to violence…
Not Covetous… Not given to greed and love for materialism…
Christian Leaders should rule their house well…
1Timothy 3:4-5
(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?)
Family is important and a trait that Christian Leaders must have… If one cannot rule their house well, then how do they expect to take care of the Church of God? This involves raising Children who are well disciplined in Christian Family values; children who respect their parents and are not in rebellion.
I know one Pastor who claimed that since he is not a Bishop, he is not accountable to this verse…this Pastor did not care about the example he was setting for his flock…
Yet still ruling ones’ house also involves a respectful and loving relationship between the Christian leader and his wife… Many preachers of the gospel spend hours and days in the field and neglect their wives and children…this ought not to be so… One minister when confronted over the issue of not spending time with his family gave a lame excuse and claimed that his wife is a ‘Jezebel’…
Christian Leaders must not be Novices…
1Timothy 2:6
(6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
One of the things that Paul warns about is the appointing of leaders in churches who are young spiritually and novices.
The main reason is if you study the traits that Paul outlines to Timothy, you find out pretty soon that a Bishop’s Character is developed over time and not in a fortnight.
A Bishop’s Character takes time to be proven…it takes time raising a family for example; and therefore a novice would not have had the time to develop character.
It takes time to develop patience and endurance. Life’s experiences are used by The Lord to shape the character of His Leaders and therefore novices are still wanting.
Secondly, if a novice is selected as a Christian Leader, then they risk falling into temptation of pride and aloofness, falling into condemnation of the devil.
Many Church Leaders have fallen into temptation for money, wealth, riches, infidelity, and heresy because of being catapulted to leadership while spiritually immature. As such many leaders in the church today are novices who are self appointed and go along with the various winds of doctrine…
A Christian Leader not filled with scandals…
1Timothy 3:7
(7) Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
I have no need to write more about the scandals that are rocking the Evangelical Church today… The Local Newspapers are full of such reports… Yet the Bible is clear that Bishops or Christian Leaders for that matter must be of good report among the none Christian Community.
Of course we know that some Christian Leaders are falsely accused and scandalized but yet this should be because of your Faith in Jesus Christ and not because you are a thief, a tax cheat, a sodomite, wife snatcher, liar etc…
It is sad that many “Christian Leaders” today in Christendom are rightly accused of the evils that they do… Many engage in all sorts of vices and evils, taking advantage of their flock.
Yet what such a testimony does is to negate the True Testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
There is no reason why any married Christian Leader should ‘pal around’ with young women in the evenings and then complain when he is accused of infidelity…
Godly character is imperative and goes along with Sound Bible Doctrine… The two cannot be separated and any Christian desiring leadership should seek the two by the grace of The Lord… Paul the apostle seems to address the two issues to Timothy is his letters to Timothy – Sound Bible Doctrine and Godly Character in the Church.
Traits of a Deacon - Minister…
1Timothy 3:8-13
(8) Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
(9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
(10) And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
(11) Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
(12) Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
(13) For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
G1249 | diakonos | dee-ak'-on-os
Probably from διάκω diakō (obsolete, to run on errands; compare G1377); an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant.
Paul the apostle makes a turn here in his letter and begins to address the issue of appointing Deacons. Deacons were like assistants to the Bishop and the distinction here makes it clear that the Bishop was of more authority than the Deacon in the Local Church. The Bishop was the overseer yet the Deacon was the Teacher and Pastor… Sometimes referred to as associate Pastor or assistant Pastor though the term assistant/associate Pastor is not found in the Bible.
Yet I believe that the Bishop was not alone, we still see a five fold ministry in play here as Paul was the Apostle, then we had the Bishop and then the Deacons… The important point is not the Titles but the office that these folks occupied. I believe it was all a team effort and never a ‘One Man’s Show’.
There could have been multiple bishops/overseers in a local church locality and multiple deacons depending on the geographical size of the Church. Many Churches have a one man ministry headed by a single Pastor which I find troubling and disturbing as the Pastor is always the main guy and always turns out to be a ‘One Man’s Show’ ministry.
Ephesians 4:11-14
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
There were the five-fold ministers in the Church too, perhaps not in one local Church but a local geographical area… It is the Holy Spirit who gives gifts as He desires…Yet still all the five-fold ministers were given to Sound Bible Doctrine and Godly Character just like the Bishops and Deacons were called to.
The point is not who is greatest but ministry to the saints…so that they are grounded in The Lord and not swept by various winds of false doctrines… I know many ministers who waste time indulging in titles but care little about the office and ministry to the saints…
Women Deacons or Deaconess…?
It is at this point that I believe there could be ‘Women’ Deacons/Deaconess perhaps in charge of Women’s ministry (which is a very big duty as the number of women way outnumbers men in population)… However, I still believe that the Authority and Leadership was ordered for men in the Local Church according to The Lord’s Wisdom, mind and will…
Romans 16:1-2
(1) I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
(2) That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.
G1249 | diakonos | dee-ak'-on-os
Probably from διάκω diakō (obsolete, to run on errands; compare G1377); an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant.
We see that Phoebe was a minister at the local Church in Cenchrea… Paul the apostle refers to her as a servant of the Church at Cenchrea… From the Greek word servant, we see that she was a deaconess…
In summary, deacons must be…
Grave… Honorable, Respectable to the outside none Christian world…
Not Doubletongued… Not Liars…
Not given to much wine… Not drunkards…
Not Greedy for Filthy Lucre… Not greedy for money…
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience… Loving Jesus Christ purely…
They have to be proven…tested and being blameless…
Their wives must be honorable, and respectable, not slanderers but faithful…
They must be husbands of one wife…not two or three…
They must rule their children and houses well…
Order in the House of God…
1Timothy 3:14-16
(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.
Paul’s writing to Timothy was to help Timothy have some order in the local church. He was to avoid any disorder and anarchy but have leadership that was central to grounding believers in the Faith in Jesus Christ and not to be swept away by false doctrines.
Paul writes to Timothy that without controversy is the mystery of godliness… Interesting that Paul uses the phrase ‘without controversy of godliness’ yet earlier Paul writes to Timothy that he might know how to behave in the house of God…
In other words, there should be no confusion when it comes to Faith in Jesus Christ. Truth in Jesus Christ should be clear and precise without any controversies and complications attached to it as many Theologians try to do today.
It is Paul who wrote that God is not the author of confusion. Yet still the Theology and character of many so-called Christian leaders today is one of confusion, controversy, and scandals.
What we have today is ‘organized spiritual anarchy’ in Christendom as much as it might sound as an oxymoron but it is the truth… To elaborate, you have for example so-called organized leaders who trample down on Sound Bible Doctrine and live very ungodly lives given to materialism, greed, and sexual perversion…
Such leaders are a hindrance to the True Gospel of Jesus Christ and have created controversy when it comes to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ because of their hypocritical character.
In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
