76 The office of a bishop (1) Geoff Henstock If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work (1 Tim. 3:1). THE APOSTLE Paul in 1 Timothy 3 gives advice regarding the qualifications required of those who would serve the ecclesia as bishops. Ecclesiastical use of this word naturally leads to nervousness about the meaning of the term and what constituted the office of a bishop. In this study we have two objectives: 1 To examine the meaning of bishop ; 2 To consider the qualifications of bishops. These objectives will be pursued sequentially. In doing so we hope to demystify both the term and the office. Introduction The verse quoted at the head of this article reveals that bishops had a role in the ecclesia. The phrase which forms our title translates the Greek word episkopē (1984). 1 Literally it means visitation, and is so translated in Luke 19:44. Vine says it denotes overseership. Bullinger says that it has the dual sense of oversight and guardianship. A slightly different, though related, word is used in verse 2: A bishop then must be.... Here the word for bishop is episkopos (1985), meaning overseer. The word is used only five times in the New Testament. Its first use relates to the elders of the Ephesian ecclesia (the city in which Timothy was resident when Paul wrote to him): Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers [episkopos], to feed the church [ecclesia] of God... (Acts 20:28). In Ephesus there were a number of bishops Divinely appointed to have the oversight of the ecclesia. Notice that there is a plurality of bishops in one place, not one bishop as modern ecclesiastical practice might lead one to expect. 2 Elders and bishops The men to whom this exhortation is addressed are described in Acts 20:17 as elders, Greek presbuteros (4245). This suggests that elders and bishops may be identical. Further evidence that elders and bishops are one and the same is found in Titus. Paul instructs Titus to ordain [NIV, appoint] elders in every city (1:5). He then lists the attributes elders should possess, and in doing so describes the role as that of a bishop (v. 7). The identity of the two terms is further implied in a passage in 1 Peter, which is very similar to Acts 20:28: The elders [presbuteros] which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ... Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [episkopeō] thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind (5:1,2). The word episkopeō (1983) is clearly related to episkopos; Strong says it means to oversee. 3 Thus, as in Acts 20:28, the work of the elders is here described as oversight of the ecclesia. Brother J. B. Norris sums up the matter as follows: The fact is that in the first century meetings bishops and elders were largely interchangeable terms, elder (or presbyter) having reference rather to the status of the serving brother, and bishop to the nature of the work done. 4 Both Bullinger and Vine agree with Brother Norris s conclusion. Willingness Peter exhorts the elders to undertake their responsibilities as overseers willingly and of a ready mind. This brings us back to Paul s words in 1 Timothy 3:1, where he speaks of a man having a desire for the work of a bishop. Rotherham renders desire as eager, the idea being that the man is willing and ready to accept the responsibility, rather than covetous of the prestige associated with the office. 1. Greek words are taken from Strong s Concordance, with the Strong s word number given in brackets. 2. A similar plurality is evident in Philippians 1:1. 3. In Hebrews 12:15 (its only other use) it is translated looking diligently. 4. The First Century Ecclesia, The Christadelphian, Birmingham, 1970, pp. 75,76.
77 Qualifications In 1 Timothy 3:2-7 the Apostle Paul lists sixteen qualifications for a bishop. At the outset it must be said that the list is significant as much for what it omits as for what it includes. Paul does not require an overseer to be highly educated, professionally qualified, commercially competent or even highly skilled in management. None of the qualities the world might look for in an overseer are found in this list. What 1 Timothy 3:2-7 does require of one who would be overseer is good character. All sixteen prerequisites listed by Paul are concerned with behaviour and character. As we examine these items one by one we will find that the potential overseer s character had to be able to withstand external scrutiny, even scrutiny from outside the ecclesia (v. 7). The qualities of a bishop (v. 2) The qualities that a bishop must have are given in verse 2: A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach. We will look at these in turn. Blameless The first quality listed is blameless. In Greek the word is anepilēptos (423), 5 which Vine defines as meaning that cannot be laid hold of, hence, not open to censure, irreproachable. The word is used only three times in the Scripture, all in 1 Timothy (3:2; 5:7; 6:14). On each occasion the RV renders the word without reproach. This rare word is borrowed from the vocabulary of pugilism. It was used of a wrestler or boxer who so effectively defended himself that his opponent could not penetrate. Of course this prevented the opponent from overcoming or overpowering the fighter, or even scoring points in the contest. The implication is that the bishop must be irreproachable. He must be so guiltless that it is impossible to find any fault or flaw that may be used to drag him down. The blows of his opponents must glance off him, unable to penetrate his tight defence. Paul used such an expressive term to underscore the vital importance of extremely high standards of behaviour in those who would assume leadership roles. As the Preacher said: Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour (Eccl. 10:1). The elder must be blameless; it is a necessary prerequisite, not just a qualification that is desirable. Interestingly, it is the only qualification that carries the qualifier must. The husband of one wife This next requirement has generated extensive debate. On the surface, this phrase appears to be susceptible to at least three possible meanings: 1 a bishop could not be polygamous 2 a brother could not be a bishop if he had remarried following the death of his wife 3 a brother could not be a bishop if he had remarried following divorce from his wife. Let us briefly consider these options. 1 All the evidence makes it very unlikely that Paul was referring to polygamy. Although permissible at the time for both Jews and Gentiles, polygamy was extremely rare. There is no recorded case of polygamy among the first-century ecclesias. An almost identical phrase is used in a female context when Paul writes about the criteria for accepting a widow into the number : Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man (1 Tim. 5:9). It is reasonable to assume that the basic implications of husband of one wife and wife of one man are identical. Polyandry (female polygamy) was not permitted in either Jewish society or the secular world at this time. This phrase cannot, therefore, relate to a woman having more than one husband at the same time. On this basis it is unreasonable to conclude that the corresponding phrase applied to men would be designed to ban polygamous brethren from the office of bishop. 2. Some commentators have thought that Paul was recommending that brethren who had been widowed and had subsequently remarried should not be selected as elders. 6 From 1 Corinthians 7:39 and Romans 7:3 it may be surmised that remarriage after 5. The main concordance entry under blameless gives the number as 483. 6. Bro Alfred Nicholls supports this view. See Letters to Timothy and Titus, The Christadelphian, Birmingham, 1991, pp. 110-112.
78 widowhood was acceptable. In spite of that fact, this rather strict interpretation was popular with many of the so-called Church Fathers, such as Tertullian. It is noteworthy that Brother Thomas specifically criticises Tertullian for this view. 7 Although popular with some commentators, there are a number of problems with this view. It is close to the ascetic apostasy described in the next chapter, one of whose hallmarks was forbidding to marry (4:3). It also seems to fly in the face of Paul s advice that young widows should seek opportunities to remarry (5:14). It is hard to understand why remarriage would be appropriate and even advisable for young widows and yet may be inappropriate for young widowers. 3. This interpretation is favoured by Brother John Carter, 8 although he appears to have reached this conclusion on the basis that the alternatives we have considered already were even less attractive. This approach is really only a version of the previous view. I believe that both interpretations based on remarriage require the reader to read into the text more than the Spirit left on record. There is a fourth alternative, one based solely on the words in the text. The phrase, the husband of one wife, could be rendered literally, a man of one woman. Weymouth renders it as true to his one wife, and in the margin suggests the more literal alternative, one woman s man. In modern terms, Paul is saying that a bishop must not be a womaniser. Although these renderings may appear a little colloquial, they capture the spirit of the phrase. Of course it goes without saying that a brother should be faithful to his wife. This term actually requires more than faithfulness. It speaks of a brother who is unmistakably and unambiguously faithful, in whom there is not even a hint of lax marital standards. Unmarried brethren would also be covered by this requirement, for the Greek word translated husband, anēr (435), has no specific relationship to marital status. It would more correctly be rendered man. A single brother may with impunity seek a wife, but he must not acquire a reputation as one who plays the field, or as one who is loose with his affections. In the decadent society of Ephesus (in which Timothy resided) little importance was placed on faithfulness and fidelity. A bishop must avoid giving even the appearance of immoral or improper behaviour (a position also in accordance with 1 Thessalonians 5:22). This interpretation of the phrase could also be applied to the female version in 1 Timothy 5:9. Vigilant The next quality listed is translated misleadingly in the AV. The word in the Greek is nēphalios (3524), and means circumspect or sober. The word is used only three times, all of them in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim. 3:2,11; Tit. 2:2). In the other cases it is translated sober. The RV renders it temperate, which appears to be accurate. Sober This is a most important quality, especially when serious problems threaten ecclesial stability. The Greek is sōphrōn (4998), meaning safe or sound in mind, serious and earnest. It is the opposite of flippant. As with the previous word, this word is used only in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:8; 2:2,5). There are a number of related words derived from sōphrōn, such as sōphroneō (4993), sōphronizō (4994), sōphronismos (4995), sōphronōs (4996) and sōphrosunē (4997). A number of these are also found only in the Pastoral Epistles. The characteristic described by this term is expounded by Brother L. G. Sargent in his essay A Sound Mind, published in the book of that name. 9 He summarises the quality in words that are apposite to an overseer: This soberness is a moral and spiritual quality as well as an intellectual. A mind is sound when it is humbled and brought into subjection by being centred on One outside itself. That alone can give at the same time both balance and intensity. He goes on to discuss the attributes of an unsound mind: Dominance by desire for praise, for power or for gain are all marks of unsoundness. Each is to begin with a moral unbalance, but if it gains through emotional force it may disturb the balance not only of judgment but of reason itself. On a different level, a man hag-ridden by a fad is not of sound mind, because he has 7. Eureka, Vol. 1, p. 437. 8. Marriage and Divorce, The Christadelphian, Birmingham, 1967, p. 7. 9. A Sound Mind, The Christadelphian, Birmingham, 1971, pp. 9-13.
79 not kept his mind in control. His one idea gains over him not only a mental but an emotional dominance, until he can see and think nothing else. The same is true of a man ruled by prejudice: a hidden and perhaps disguised emotion has seized the helm of his discernment. Perhaps the truest definition would be that wherever a false centre is set up in the mind, attracting to that spot more than its due share of emotional energy, the mind is unsound. 10 The soberness of which Paul speaks is described as self-controlled by the NIV. It is developed by allowing the Word of God to dominate the mind and the emotions. Of good behaviour As the margin suggests, this phrase means modest. The word in the original is kosmios (2887), meaning orderly. The only other use of this word in Scripture is in 1 Timothy 2:9, where it is used to describe the apparel of sisters. (It is used once in the Septuagint, in Ecclesiastes 12:9, where the AV is, set in order many proverbs.) From the limited use of the word we may suppose that it relates primarily to externals, although modesty in all things certainly would be appropriate. The primary meaning appears to be that the overseer must be restrained in appearance and behaviour, not flaunting himself. Given to hospitality In Greek the word is philoxenos (5382). The literal meaning is lover of strangers. It is the opposite of the common human weakness of xenophobia, a fear or distrust of strangers. The Law of Moses compelled Israel to be generous to strangers; see, for example, Leviticus 19:10,33,34 and Deuteronomy 10:19. God describes Himself in the Law as the protector of strangers (as well as the fatherless and the widowed; see Deuteronomy 10:17,18). In the context of the Law the stranger was a person who was not part of the community of Israel. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord exhorts us to love our enemies. He condemns those who are kind merely to people with whom they feel comfortable (Mt. 5:43-47). This means that the saints should demonstrate love and compassion towards all people, regardless of their relationship to one another. The attribute to which Paul is referring probably is something slightly different. In 3 John, Gaius is commended for assisting itinerant preachers in their travels to spread the gospel (vv. 5-8). In verse 5 these people are described as brethren and strangers. The fact that both types are engaged in preaching leads us to conclude that brethren refers to saints known to Gaius, whereas strangers refers to saints who were unknown to him. Both were the recipients of the generosity of Gaius. Putting all this together, Paul is recommending that a bishop must be hospitable to all, especially to visiting brethren. Many brethren can testify to the joy they have experienced as recipients of hospitality often from brethren previously unknown to them when visiting another city or country. In the first century such kindness was particularly important. The Roman Empire made travel much easier than it had ever been in history. Roman roads to this day are renowned for the way in which they facilitated trade and communication. The Pax Romana imposed for the first time on the Mediterranean region an environment that was relatively safe and secure. Apostles and other saints took advantage of these conditions to preach the Truth widely. In spite of the advantages delivered by the Roman authorities, there were still many threats to travelling preachers. Apart from the risk of bandits on the roads and storms at sea, the saints had to endure the problem of hostile Jews, who were often quite prominent in the communities they visited; note the experiences Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. In the cities of the pagan Roman Empire moral standards were quite low. A visiting preacher often would be unable to find lodgings in a place morally conducive to his calling. The travails to which travelling preachers were exposed meant that any hospitality offered by the saints was a vital and welcome service. The Didache, otherwise known as The Teaching of the Twelve, is a document discovered in Constantinople in 1875. Its provenance and date of writing are matters of dispute. It purports to outline apostolic practice in the early ecclesias. Without entering into the debate on the authenticity or historicity of the Didache, its comments on hospitality towards visiting brethren are of interest: Now as concerning the apostles and the prophets, according to the teaching of the 10. Ibid., p. 11.
80 gospel, so do ye; and let every apostle that cometh to you be received as the Lord... (Chapter XI); Let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received... If he that cometh be a passer-by, give him all the help ye can... (Chapter XII); But every true prophet that willeth to abide with you is worthy of his food. In like manner a true teacher is also, like the labourer, worthy of his food (Chapter XIII). 11 In conclusion on this point, it should be recognised that all brethren were to be given to hospitality (Rom. 12:13). This fact may suggest that the elder was expected to express this general characteristic in an official capacity on behalf of the ecclesia. Apt to teach The final quality in verse 2 is, apt to teach. This phrase represents one Greek word, didaktikos (1317), meaning instructive (the origin of the English word didactic ). It occurs only twice in the New Testament. The other is 2 Timothy 2:24, where all the servants of the Lord are required to be apt to teach. Paul s reference to all servants of the Lord (that is, brothers and sisters, young and old) being required to be apt to teach proves that this word does not mean that an elder must be a skilled speaker. In his demeanour and behaviour the elder must be one who imparts lessons readily and effectively. Elders who were also speakers were especially to be valued: Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine (1 Tim. 5:17). Again, this verse, by use of the word especially, suggests that the teaching skills of an elder were not necessarily required to be manifested in oratory skills. Teaching in the ecclesia is not confined to the platform or the Bible Class. In their teaching role the elders assumed one of the roles of the priests in the Mosaic order (Mal 2:7). A sensitive reading of the Law will show that the priests taught the lessons of the gospel through direct exposition and through example and action. Conclusion of verse 2 Brethren Haltom and Booker suggest that the order of qualities in verse 2 may be sequential: The bishop must first be vigilant, sober, and of a good behaviour. The development of these qualities is not the only preparation for teaching. But he must not begin teaching without these qualifications. 12 In spite of the omission of given to hospitality from the sequence, this comment is worth considering. Of course all the qualities listed by Paul will be generated and promoted by one another, as the saint develops greater spiritual maturity. (To be concluded) 11. Quoted in Documents of the Christian Church, second edition, edited by Henry Bettensen, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1967, pages 64-5. 12. Godliness With Contentment, 1978, p. 57. From Sinai to Jerusalem The above is the title of a book by Brother Leen and Sister Kathleen Ritmeyer. The following is taken from their description of the book: The wonderful story of the Wanderings of the Ark of the Covenant has fascinated Bible Readers for generations. It is one of the most exciting events recorded by man and vividly described in the Bible. The authors offer a wide-ranging and possible scenario with the region as a backdrop, by combining original photographs, interpretive full-colour drawings, and reconstructions based on archaeological evidence together with contemporary finds. A rich source of reference, this handy 72-page volume provides a fount of knowledge accumulated over time for the enjoyment of the reader. Scholars, teachers and students may use it as a stepping stone for further reading and research. Available at 9 (US$15; CA$20; AU$20) inclusive of postage (surface mail overseas) from Ritmeyer Archaeological Design, 50 Tewit Well Road, Harrogate, HG2 8JJ; Fax 01423-504921; e-mail ritmeyer@dial.pipex.com. For details of other publications, including a new slide set Worship and Ritual in Herod s Temple, visit their website: http:// www.ritmeyer.dial.pipex.com/.