< 1 Timothy 3 >

Paul instructed Timothy whom to appoint to serving positions within the congregation. “Bishops” (overseers in Greek) were those who were given the Spiritual gift of rulership (which is not available today and none can now be bishops in the New Testament sense), and “deacons” were assistants. Overseers were to be of good report but not novices, avoiding the “condemnation or the snare of the devil”.vs.6-71 Timothy 3:6-7XWaiting for response As we have seen throughout the New Testament, the word devil means “false accuser” and, significantly, the same Greek word is used concerning wives of deacons - that they should not be “slanderers”.v.111 Timothy 3:11XWaiting for response The greatest slanderer of all is our sinful flesh, the snare of which Paul is referring to here.

A “mystery” is a “secret known only to the initiated”, and the disciples were privileged to know the “secret of the faith” v.91 Timothy 3:9XWaiting for response and the “secret of godliness”.v.161 Timothy 3:16XWaiting for response Jesus was a manifestation of God and showed men and women what God was like, first in his character and then, after resurrection, as a partaker of the divine nature. Thus, “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels [i.e. messengers, the apostles who witnessed his resurrection and change to divine nature], preached unto the Gentiles [by the apostles], believed on in the world, received up into glory [when Jesus went to heaven]”.v.161 Timothy 3:16XWaiting for response