to stand before · verb — second aorist active infinitive
own
ἰδίουidiou
G2398
pertaining to self · adjective — genitive singular masculine
house
οἴκουoikou
G3624
a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — genitive singular masculine
how
πῶςpōs
G4459
an interrogative particle of manner · particle — interrogative
care
ἐπιμελήσεται;epimelēsetai
G1959
to care for (physically or otherwise) · verb — future middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
church
ἐκκλησίαςekklēsias
G1577
a calling out · noun — genitive singular feminine
God
θεοῦtheou
G2316
figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Samuel 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he re…
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,…
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, t…
1 Samuel 2:29-30 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yo…
1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:1-7
The two epistles to Timothy, and that to Titus, contain a scripture-plan of church-government, or a direction to ministers. Timothy, we suppose, was an evangelist who was left at Ephesus, to take care of those whom the Holy Ghost had made bishops there, that is, the presbyters, as appears by Act 20:28, where the care of the church was committed to the presbyters, and they were called bishops. It seems they were very loth to part with Paul, especially because he told them they should see his face no more (Act 20:38); for their church was but newly planted, they were afraid of undertaking the care of it, and therefore Paul left Timothy with them to set them in order. And here we have the chara…
For--Greek, "But."
the church--rather, "a church" or congregation. How shall he who cannot perform the lesser function, perform the greater and more difficult?
Adam Clarke on 1 Timothy 3:5
For if a man know not - Method is a matter of great importance in all the affairs of life. It is a true saying, He that does little with his head must do much with his hands; and even then the business is not half done for want of method. Now, he who has a proper method of doing business will show it in every affair of life, even the least. He who has a disorderly family has no government of that family; he probably has none because he has no method, no plan, of presiding. It was natural for the apostle to say, If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Look at a man's domestic arrangements; if they be not good, he should not be trusted with any…
For if a man know not how to rule his own house,.... Which is an affair of less importance, and more easy to be done; not requiring so much resolution, prudence, care, and thought:
how shall he take care of the church of God? preside over it, rule in it, provide for it, and see that everything is in its proper place, and done according to the will of God. The argument is from the lesser to the greater.
The Church Fathers
Therefore he asks, "if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?" For the Church is, as it were, a small household, and as in a house there are children and wife and domestics, and the man has rule over them all; just so in the Church there are women, children, servants. And if he that presides in the Church has partners in his power, so hath the man a partner, that is, his wife. Ought the Church to provide for her widows and virgins? so there are in a family servants, and daughters, to be provided for. And, in fact, it is easier to rule the house.
If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? Whatever the bishops commanded in these strict matters, not drunkenness, not being violent, but moderation and the like, he who commanded the disciples, "Put to death the members of your body on the earth;" (Col. 3:5) and, "Are some who crucified the flesh of Christ?" (Gal. 5:24) And Christ commanded to take up the cross and follow Him for all. (Matt. 16:24) For why did he not rather command those to be angels, as if according to the measure of mortals? And we say that the highest virtue is of few: but it was necessary to have many bishops, one for each church. Therefore, lest he make the office of bishops, which was necessary, rare or impossible, Paul commands moderate virtue, making the matter itself easy to approach: how will he care for the church of God. Where there are greater and more numerous affairs.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Bishop — An overseer. In apostolic times, it is quite manifest that there was no difference as to order between bishops and elders or presbyters (Acts 20:17-28; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3). The term…
Deacon — Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Bishop · (An overseer, a supervi — (An overseer, a supervi
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Families · Should: Be duly regulated — Should: Be duly regulated
Family · .Be duly regulated — .Be duly regulated
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on 1 Timothy 3:1-7
1. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1. Certus sermo, si quis episcopatum appetit, praeclarum opus desiderat.
2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
2. Oportet ergo Episcopum irreprehensibilem esse, unius uxoris maritum, sobrium, temperantem, compositum, (vel, honestum,) hospitalem, aptum ad docendum.
3. Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3. Non vinolentum, (vel, ferocem,) non percussorem, non turpiter lucri cupidum, sed aequum, alienum a pugnis, alienum ab avaritia.
4. One t…
The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.
