
Observation
Did you learn anything new from the sermon this week? If so, what?
Who do you go to for advice? What makes that person worthy of seeking their advice?
1The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, ⁵for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
⁸Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. ⁹They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. —1 Timothy 3:1-13
Interpretation
What is the office of overseer? What do the list of qualifications all have in common?
Of the listed qualifications, what do you see yourself doing well? Which do you need to improve upon?
What is a deacon? What are the differences in a deacon and an overseer? In responsibilities and qualifications?
What does it mean to ‘hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience’? What do the verses say that the person must first do to let them serve as a deacon?
How can we take some wisdom out of these verses? What makes someone wise in their understanding of Scripture?