Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Nov 26, 2024 - The Character of Overseers”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsThe Character of Overseers
Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
As Timothy works with the church at Ephesus, Paul wants him to seek out, develop, and appoint men to oversee the group. Here he gives guidelines for the type of man he should look for. “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task”(1 Tim 3:1). Though some are improperly ambitious, Paul stresses that it is still good and appropriate for men to seek spiritual leadership. “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money”(1 Tim 3:2-3). Each of these characteristics implies a good man who has disciplined himself over a period of years. These traits—from self-control to hospitality to gentleness—are not something he occasionally does, but have become who he is.
His character is also shown by his role as a father. “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?”(1 Tim 3:4-5). God expects an overseer to have children who respect and obey him. This is a proving ground for his ability to lead. Paul also adds that “he must not be a recent convert”(1 Tim 3:6) and that “he must be well thought of by outsiders”(1 Tim 3:7), which both imply that he has some time in the faith under his belt. Timothy should look for men who are not a flash-in-the-pan, but whose faith and character are stable and proven.
Paul is guiding Timothy to the kind of character he should seek as he builds the leadership at Ephesus. Character is not revealed in a moment, but over long periods of time in a variety of areas. A man who can teach well but is a drunkard does not have the character needed for the role. A man whose family obeys him but who leads by violence and harshness does not have the character needed for the role. No man is perfect, but we can all seek to develop this type of character in our personal lives and homes.
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One Thing to Think About: How might these verses create an unrealistic expectation of overseers?
One Thing to Pray For: God to continue to raise up men of character to lead his people
