King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 6 notes
1This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One 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?)
And his own house, and by extension his body, which is God's house 🏡.
So the requirements for housekeeping are stated in the verse before.
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Deacons must be worthy of respect; the ability to teach was not required, but the ability to hold true the tenets of the faith was required.
The bishops were to be teachers and the deacons offer support.
11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For 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.
14These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15But 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.
Ah, yes indeed, the church ⛪ is the ground and pillar of the truth.
16And 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 always has a way of linking 🔗 instructions to some bigger spiritual truth.
Seen of angels? 😇. You know, we presume angels see God all the time, but here we see otherwise.
Yes, angels are in God's presence, but he lives in an unapproachable light.
When Christ was manifested, now the angels saw God's form in the flesh.
A great mystery indeed.