THE CHURCH OFFICIALS

1 TIMOTHY 3                                                                      

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE OFFICE OF THE PASTOR [v. 1-7]

1. Bishops are the same as Pastors/Elders]Overseers [v. 1]

“bishop” (Greek episkope), “overseers” in Acts 20:28 followed by “to shepherd” which is the word for pastor(Greek poimen), “elders” (Acts 20:17) (Greek presbuteros),. Similarly Peter, addressing the “elders” (Greek presbuteros), signifying older men, or at least older in the faith in the churches to whom he was writing, urged them to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). The elders thus are shepherds (which is the same word as pastors) to the flock, consisting of the constituents of their local church [from The Defender’s Study bible]

2. Their Positive Qualifications [v. 2, 4-5, 7]

3. Their Negative Qualifications [v. 3, 6; Pr. 20:1, 23:29-35]

II. THE OFFICE OF THE DEACON [v. 8-13]

1. A Pure Life [v. 8-9]

2. A Proven Life [v. 10-12]

3. A Purchased Life [v. 13]

III. THE OFFICIAL DOCTRINES [v. 14-16]

1. The Inscripturated Word of God [v. 14-15a]

2. The Indwelt Church of God [v. 15]

3. The incarnate Word of God [v. 16]