WEEK 4 HOOK 1 Timothy 3:1 13 Current Event: David Dotlich, a former Honeywell executive, and Peter Cairo offer 11 cogent reasons of failure in their book, Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top and How to Manage Them. Most of the reasons have to do with hubris, ego and a lack of emotional intelligence. Below they describe the most common characteristics of derailed top executives: 1. Arrogance you think that you re right, and everyone else is wrong. 2. Melodrama you need to be the center of attention. 3. Volatility you re subject to mood swings. 4. Excessive Caution you re afraid to make decisions. 5. Habitual Distrust you focus on the negatives. 6. Aloofness you re disengaged and disconnected. 7. Mischievousness you believe that rules are made to be broken. 8. Eccentricity you try to be different just for the sake of it. 9. Passive Resistance what you say is not what you really believe. 10. Perfectionism you get the little things right and the big things wrong. 11. Eagerness to Please you try to win the popularity contest. Which leaders can you think of who lost their position of influence due to a lack of consistency in the characteristics shown above? Class Discussion: Have your class discuss what happens to a family, business or church when leaders fall due to one of the above characteristics. List the types of collateral damage that occurs and takes years, money and energy to repair. Encourage your class members to place a high priority on their personal integrity and actions to protect those they love.
WEEK 4 BOOK 1 Timothy 3:1 13 Background: After dealing with issues that arise from corporate worship, including the barring of women from the role of teaching and authority over the assembled congregation, Paul now discusses who should exercise these roles. 1 Timothy 3:1 7 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, soberminded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. ESV Study Bible: Paul does not give a job description of the pastor but instead describes the character of one who would serve in this office. The list of qualities is not intended to be exhaustive but pictures a person of mature Christian character, one whose faith has had tangible impact on his behavior (unlike Paul s opponents). The management of one s own household is highlighted as a qualification for eldership by the greater amount of discussion given to it. The home is the proving ground of Christian character and therefore the preparation field for ministry. This makes further sense in light of the picture of the church as the household of God (v. 15). What does it mean to be above reproach? Why is being above reproach the first description of a leader? How are leaders proven by their families? If a son or daughter is not a believer, does it disqualify the leader? Why or why not? Why is it important that those in authority not be recent converts? What harm could recent converts do to the Church?
1 Timothy 3:8 13 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. ESV Study Bible: Along with elders (vv. 1 7), deacons are officers of the NT church (cf. Phil. 1:1). Likewise (1 Tim. 3:8) suggests a link between the lists of qualifications, and indeed there are striking similarities. Deacons, like overseers, are to exhibit lives shaped by the gospel. One key distinction is that deacons are not required to be able to teach. This list, like the one for the overseers, focuses on character rather than duties. The NT contains little explicit discussion of the role of deacons (unless Acts 6 is understood to refer to the installation of the first deacons; see note on Acts 6:6), but the Greek word diakonos means servant, so the office probably involved being responsible for various areas of service in the church. Paul highlights the value and importance of deacons by stating two results of good service in this role: (1) good standing refers to respect and appreciation from the church to one who serves in this way; and (2) great confidence probably refers to the increase in confidence that comes from seeing the power of the gospel regularly proven in ministry. What is the purpose of a deacon according to the word s Greek roots? Why must a man who holds the office of deacon be held to standards like overseers? How can someone be tested as blameless? Would his or her family life show this? What does serving well gain someone among his or her peers and their God?
Another Perspective: Bible Knowledge Commentary: More is required of an overseer than mere willingness to serve. In verses 2 7 Paul listed 15 requirements for a church leader: (1) above reproach. He must be blameless in his behavior. This Greek word anepilēmpton, above reproach, is used in the New Testament only in this epistle (v. 2; 5:7; 6:14). It means to have nothing in one s conduct on which someone could ground a charge or accusation. It differs slightly in meaning from its synonym anenklētos in 3:10 (see comments there). An overseer must (13) manage his own family well. Paul s specific focus here was on the children. The most reliable (though not infallible) means of determining the quality of one s potential leadership is by examining the behavior of his children. Do they respect their father enough to submit to his leadership? With proper respect (lit., with all gravity ) may refer, however, not to the children s submission, but to the manner in which the father exercises his authority, that is, without due fuss or clamor. 1 Class Discussion: Have your class discuss what makes a great leader. Share names of people your class members have been inspired by and look up to in work, life and faith. List the qualities of those leaders and why they have left such an impact in the lives of the class members. Holman New Testament Commentary: The word deacon means servant. Paul discussed what sort of character and lifestyle deacons were to maintain; he did not precisely define what deacons did, their particular tasks or duties. This leaves a lot of room for flexibility in this office. The men chosen in Acts 6 to wait on tables and see that the widows were not being overlooked are often considered the first deacons. Some churches apply the title of deacon to any person who holds an office or has a job responsibility in the church. Others believe deacons are responsible for managing church property and supervising the pastoral care of the congregation. In some churches the deacons function as the governing board. The main issue here, however, is that God has strong views about what kind of people he wants to represent and lead the church. Those who desire to lead in the church and those responsible for enlisting leaders should follow these qualifications. 2 Class Discussion: Have your class discuss whom they are serving at Prestonwood. Note that serving others is not the calling of a select few but the responsibility of every believer. Share how you as the teacher serve the class by teaching, and others ways in which you use your spiritual gifts for Christ. Have class members commit to use their gifts as well. 1 A. Duane Litfin, "1 Timothy", in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1 Ti 3:4 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985). 2 Knute Larson, vol. 9, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Holman New Testament Commentary, 186 87 (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000).
WEEK 4 TOOK 1 Timothy 3:1 13 In Today s World: CITRS, a non-profit teacher training organization, noted the importance of character in its article Why Is Character So Important? It stated: Character is a pattern of behavior, thoughts and feelings based on universal principles, moral strength, and integrity plus the guts to live by those principles every day. Character is evidenced by your life s virtues and the line you never cross. Character is the most valuable thing you have, and nobody can ever take it away Your good character is the most important asset you have. It takes a lifetime to build but can be lost in an instant. Once lost, it is difficult to regain. Your true character is revealed when no one else is looking. Often, people decide to act based on short term gain, or an easy fix to a problem and end up doing the wrong thing. 3 How can we help our family members develop their character? What specifically do we need to ask God to help us with concerning our integrity? Challenge: When it comes to rising to the top, it has been said that talent can get you there, but character and integrity will keep you there. Charge your class members to use this week to take an inventory of their lives. Ask, Are you operating each area of your life according to the principles found in 1 Timothy 3? Note that not everyone is called to be an overseer in the church but all of us have influence with others. Remind your class, whether in the business world or our home life, it is important to God that we are leading correctly with character and integrity. 3 CITRS Group, What Is Character, Why Is Character So Important, www.citrs.org