What does 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 11 mean?

Answer 1

Quick reference 1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; In the NIV version it renders it as 'not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.' These are the qualifications for a bishop, or church overseer.

Answer 2

Titus 3: 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

It proclaims what we do without the salvation of God, serving "divers lusts and pleasures", and that salvation is completely up to God, not from anything that we do.

Answer 3

A:

We first need to recognise the context in which First Timothy was written. It is one of the 'Pastoral Epistles', so called because it was written during the first part of the second century to deal with pastoral issues that had arisen with the growth of the Church, using Paul's name to ensure acceptance of the messages in the epistle.

The reference is to Christian slaves, euphemistically translated into English as 'servants'. Slaves who are under the yoke of masters are to honour their masters and not curse them. If their masters are also Christians, the slaves must do them willing service and not despise them. This was used in later centuries to justify the enslavement of African-Americans, among others.

Answer 4

First Timothy is written as if from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, whom he was appointing as bishop in Ephesus. Burton L. Mack (Who Wrote the New Testament) says the letter was undoubtedly written during the first half of the second century, to offer pastoral advice to the Christian community, hence the term Pastoral Epistles, as applied to 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 are concerned with the proper conduct of deacons, so the reference to women in verse 3:11 is either to women deacons or to the wives of male deacons. They should be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in everything. By choosing to identify these requirements specifically for women, the author seems to believe that women have greater difficulty in meeting these standards than do men.

For more information, please see: http://christianity.answers.com/bible/pauls-first-epistle-to-timothy-explained

Answer 5

By the time 1 Timothy was written, early in the second century, the church had grown to such an extent that it was becoming necessary to appoint bishops, or 'overseers', to oversee the presbyters and deacons in each city. Verse 3:1 introduces what follows as the requirements of a bishop: "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work ..."

Some of these requirements are given in verse 3:3, which says he must not be someone who is greedy for money, drinks to excess or fights.