Paul sets out the qualifications for those who oversee and serve in the household of God. The assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth. At the centre stands the great mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
1 This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work. 2 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; 3 not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; 5 (for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?) 6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless. 11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things. 12 Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly, 15 but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
Source: ebible.org
The one who aspires to oversight desires a good work. The list is character-first: without reproach, temperate, hospitable, able to teach, not violent or greedy, ruling his own house well, not a recent convert, and having a good testimony from outsiders. The care of God’s assembly requires proven domestic leadership and freedom from the devil’s snares of pride and reproach.
Servants must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to wine or greedy, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. They are to be tested first. Their wives must likewise be reverent and faithful. Those who serve well gain standing and boldness in the faith.
Paul writes so that Timothy may know how one ought to behave in God’s house — the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The great mystery of godliness is then confessed: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory. The entire arc of the incarnation, vindication, proclamation, and exaltation is already complete.
The assembly is already the pillar and ground of the truth. The mystery of godliness has been revealed and completed. We order the household according to the character that matches the finished work of the One who was revealed in the flesh and received up in glory.
How does the confession that God was revealed in the flesh and received up in glory shape the way you view both leadership qualifications and the ordinary life of the household of God?