1 Tim. 4:1-5 - Some will stray

1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,
2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.
3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For every creation of God is good and no food is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.
5 For it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer.

Vs. 1: - Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,

"the Spirit explicitly says" - The previous verse (3:16) just said Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit of God. Jesus' claim to be the Son of God, to have come to save the world from sin has been validated. It is proved beyond a doubt by His resurrection from the dead and His ascension to heaven. The Spirit of God (God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:23, 24) raised Him because He was worthy and fulfilled every requirement.

The Spirit has a Word of Warning for Us.

"in the later times" - We might be tempted to think Paul, by the guiding of the Holy Spirit, is addressing us in particular. Actually, the "later times" happened within 30-60 years from the time of Christ's resurrection. We still are in the "later times".

"desert the faith" - By that time, there were several heresies that were invading the belief systems of the church. For example - Gnosticism had gained strength in the church. Briefly, Gnosticism is very 'Oriental' in nature beginning with the idea that 'material nature’ is bad or evil, and the spiritual is good. The heresy in this case is that Jesus could NOT have been a real human since that would make Him material, physical and so, evil. Therefore Jesus' death on the cross was not real. Whether it was a substitute on the cross, or only a figment of imagination - both are heresies that deny the sacrifice of Jesus our Lord and Savior. A good source for further study is "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey. (See Note 1)
Another problem arose as the church spread across the land: the Jews had tried to make Christianity an adjunct of Judaism (for example: the Pharisees and Sadducees were "denominations" of the Jewish faith, and Christians would be also). There was great concern in the Jewish-Christian community that abandoning the Jewish religious culture may be blasphemy. It was an insult to the Jewish faith. How do you step from Judaism with all the sacrifices, holy days, festivals and rituals into Christianity where the main sacraments were baptism and communion without feeling disobedient and sinful?
Paul's letter to the Colossians deals with this issue. (Col. 2:16-23) He also deals with almost any teaching that would have you concentrate on rituals, holidays, sacred days, what you eat or drink. Some leaders in the local churches were advocating retention of Jewish traditions and practices. This happened in Jerusalem also. The Holy Spirit, through Paul warns us not to focus on works for the basis of salvation. Paul is emphasizing Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2), and resurrected, and at the right hand of God the Father - ONLY. Moving away from salvation by faith in Christ alone is 'deserting the faith'. The Gospel is Christ alone, not 'Christ plus...'

"deceiving spirits and demonic teachings" - Teachings which draw you away from salvation through Christ alone, are from the DEVIL. Do not think for a moment they are not. The Devil has used the idea "God really didn't mean that..." Look at the Garden of Eden, and Eve's encounter with Satan. (See: Gen. 2:25-3:8) Satan's basic message was, "God is lying to you. It can't be that simple. He is hiding something from you."
This is the same message from the people teaching "Christ plus..." You will know them by the list of things they would have you do to be classified as 'saved'. Note: Few of these 'additional' activities are sins. For example, ‘you must go to church’; or ‘you must be baptized’; or ‘you must take communion’. (None of those activities are bad. They are good.) Church attendance is good - Christianity is not a hermit faith. It is designed as a community to build each other up in the faith. Baptism is a command of our Lord - it is a public proclamation of your commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ - so baptism is good. Jesus instructed us to remember and reminded each other of His blood shed for us, and His body broken for us in the communion service - so communion is good.
These things, plus piling on restrictions in food, or drink, or 'festivals', celebration of 'new moons', or 'holy days' are all designed to take our attention off of Christ. That is why some of these teachings are demonic and are sourced from deceiving spirits.
The phrase "reasonable people can agree" may be a lead-in to teachings that will draw us away from Christ. Who wants to be thought of as unreasonable? Test the spirits, the teachings - do they match the scriptural teachings of the New Testament, or the words of Christ, or the writings of Paul, Peter, James and John to the churches? If they do not, reject them. If you are not sure, find a pastor or a fellow Christian you can trust and ask for help to understand.

No one says, "Let's go commit adultery in the name of the Lord." We all recoil in disgust at that. "Let's go beat up some non-Christians!", says no one, ever. Never is it said, "Sexually abusing children serves the cause of Christ." Anyone who would say those things should be immediately be thrown out of our midst (perhaps beating them to a pulp, first.) It is obvious these are evil and have no place in our faith. You KNOW these are evil, and the people saying them are evil. You would never follow the teachings of such a person.
Do not be deceived, your salvation is found only in Christ. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8,9, Acts 4:12). Do not be deceived, Jesus wants you to live your life for Him, as an outward display of the inner reality. "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure". (Phi. 2:12, 13). There is no separation of spiritual truth (you are saved by grace) from physical truth (live your life for Christ). There is only one truth - spanning both spiritual and material. Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27, Rom. 5:2)

Vs. 2: - influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.

"influenced by the hypocrisy of liars" - The demonic teachings are lies. This is saying those who teach these things are not simply deluded people. They are not confused, or misunderstand what they are saying. They KNOW they are lying.
This partial passage, "paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars" could also be saying that believers will be lost to the teachings of demons whose consciences are seared. I am not sure that demons have consciences. Since they rebelled against the Lord, their consciences would be permanently damaged. Angels rebelling against the Lord is several quantum leaps above human rebellion. The angels were in the presence of the Lord Almighty, seeing His glory and power - yet they turned on Him. In comparison, we are relatively ignorant (we are 'simple', or 'naive'). They should have known better. We can receive instructions, turning us from naive to prudent. That prudence saves us, because we listened and believed in Him.

I do not think Paul is talking about simple delusion or misinformation by some teachers. We are taught by others. If we are led down the wrong path, away from faith in Jesus by these others, we will have been deceived. Because Satan is hard at work to keep people from giving their life to Jesus, or keeping them from living abundantly, there will be false teachers that arise. These will know the truth, but reject it and try to suck others into the same errors. When they know the truth and reject it, they are spiritually foolish. They know the right thing to do, but choose to do otherwise. They no longer listen to the Holy Spirit, sealing off their conscience from His healing power. Their consciences have been seared. The NASB adds "as with a branding iron" at the end of this verse. A branding iron leaves a permanent mark. A cow is not damaged by the branding iron. The owner is identified by the brand. A seared conscience also identifies the owner - it isn't Jesus - however it may be permanently damaged, having no salvation.
On the other hand, it is clear that people can make mistakes, and teach the wrong things if they have not heard the truth. We see this in Acts 18:24-19:6. Apollos was teaching, but not teaching the right stuff. He was pulled aside by Priscilla and Aquila, got a 'hardware update' and began to be a powerful evangelist for the Lord. He was not lying, but was inadequately informed, ignorant of some vital information. Notice he did not continue in his error once he learned the truth. A teacher who continues the error after it has been made known is following the ‘hypocrisy of liars.’

Vs. 3: - They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

"prohibit...require..." - These are made-up rules that have little to do with faith in Christ. Prohibit marriage? Really, where do you think that comes from? God has commanded and blessed marriage between man and woman. Why would anyone prohibit what God has blessed? There was no blanket prohibition against marriage outside of Judaism, except for the Canaanites (See: Deut. 7:3, 4; 23:3, 7, 8; Exod. 34:15). Remember the incident of Jesus and the 'woman at the well'? She was a Samaritan, and she KNEW that "good" Jews despised the Samaritans. Why? The remnants of the Ten Northern tribes of Israel intermarried with the refugees imported by the Assyrians. The Northern Kingdom was invaded in 845 BC, and totally wiped out in 721 BC. The Assyrians took away many of the able-bodied inhabitants and forced other conquered peoples to move to the new conquered territories. To survive, the remnant Israelites married those the Assyrians dropped there. The Jews that were captured and taken away never came back, nor did their descendants. The proud Judeans, the Southern Kingdom, hated them for doing that. (Never mind that they suffered the same fate at the hands of the Babylonians, and the Medes and Persians.) The majority of the Jews in captivity in Babylon stayed there rather than return to Jerusalem. So it appears the command to not mingle with the Canaanites (because the false religion in that area would cause the Jews to fall away - and it did) morphed into a prohibition to not marry Gentiles.

A big question came up early: Must Gentile believers first become Jews before they can be considered a member of the church? This question was answered in Jerusalem. See: Acts 15:1-26. Gentiles may become Christians without converting to Judaism, or following the rituals and sacrifices of the Jewish faith. They were admonished to give up some of their pagan practices. This ruling by the apostles in Jerusalem meant that both Jews and Gentiles would be meeting and worshipping together. Marriages would be bound to happen. The ugly prejudice against Gentiles sprung up and became a problem.
Paul's answer: God called both Gentiles and Jews into His church. God created and blessed marriage. If both Gentiles and Jews are both called, there is no difference (See: Col. 3:10, 11). Marriage cannot and is not a problem. This 'rule' is a heresy.
Forbidden foods? Again, this is a remnant of the Jewish law (and adjunct of the Law). It was being forced on the believers. This rule too, had been dealt a death blow by the Lord. (See: Acts 10:9-16; 11:2-18) Peter was told that all food was given by God and could be eaten. Peter also understood that those who ate food forbidden by the Law were not forbidden to be Christians. That is, Gentiles were welcomed by God (even though they ate forbidden foods). Paul, being called to evangelize the Gentiles, understood that not only the Gentiles were acceptable to Jesus, but there were no more restrictions on food. It is easy to see how these habits and rituals can be a stumbling block. For example: how long have we had fish the primary food served on Fridays? This was s rule from the Catholic Church. The first time I encountered the Fish on Friday rule was when I entered high school. (I lived in a tiny town in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I didn’t know any Catholics until then.) These rules about food are 'heresy'.

"thanksgiving... believe and know... " - Since God created both marriage and the food, those who believe Him, and know that truth can freely and thankfully accept both. There is no condemnation. Rejoice and be glad. See Gal. 5:1. We are free. Free from the slavery to sin. Free from the slavery to rules. This is not a call to lawlessness - which is slavery to sin. This is a call to live in the control of the Holy Spirit, to live in the power of Holy Spirit. Abundant living! See: John 10:10.
Do you see rules - Don't eat this, or that, or that. Don't marry. Don't go to movies. Don't enjoy life - as abundant living. Neither do I. Be thankful to God, and live!

Vs. 4: - For every creation of God is good and no food is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

"every creation of a God is good" - All food is acceptable. Give thanks for it and eat.

Vs. 5: - For it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer.

"sanctified" - Set apart. Made holy. Cleansed and purified. Because God said it was okay to eat, then go ahead, eat. But first, prepare yourself by being thankful to God - pray over the food, pray for yourself. Is it hard to visualize a hamburger and fries as holy? Me, too. Do it anyway, as part of your obedient Christian life. Warning: praying before you get drunk, or high, or loaded, or buzzed is not acceptable! Do not offend God by trying to do this.

Note 1: Pearcey, Nancy. “Total Truth”. Crossway Books. 2004.
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1 Timothy 3:16 - Compact Gospel

16 And we all agree, our religion contains amazing revelation: He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Vs. 16: - This verse is the ‘Cliff Notes’ of the life and work of the Messiah. This verse is similar to 1 Cor. 15:3-4 - "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

I like the NASB wording: "By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness" of this verse more than the New English Translation (NET) version shown above. The NASB is more poetic. Nothing can be more amazing than the mystery revealed - God loves you, and He Himself paid the price for your sins. This is the Gospel laid out in a few words. We can also see the gospel laid out in "Four Spiritual Laws" (by Campus Crusade for Christ), another version is ‘Roman Road to Salvation’ (the Letter to the Romans is the source material) .

"And we all agree, our religion contains amazing revelation" - Perhaps this NET version is clearer and more understandable, yet is weaker. There is no controversy here; no one disagrees - We have an amazing God, who through His amazing grace has saved us from the penalty of our sins. If we reject Christ and Lord and Savior, the wrath of God remains on us - not anger, not revenge but execution of His clearly defined justice. See: John 3:36.

The NET turns 'godliness' into 'our religion'. It is not entirely wrong, but the word 'religion' has all kinds of baggage loaded on it. Things like: Ecclesiastical church, denominations, popes, cardinals, cathedrals, etc. (Not picking on the Catholic Church, here - just using one of the largest denominations in the world as an example.) 'Religion' also includes Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Greek and Roman gods (not a big factor in our time, but huge in the first century A.D.).

The word Paul uses in 'godliness', not 'religion', which are different Greek words rather than different meanings for the same word.
“Godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16) refers to piety pertaining to God, or ‘holiness’.
“Religion” (James 1:27) refers to ceremonial observances and practices.
Paul is not talking about religious practices and rituals, but the miracle of Jesus Christ - His incarnation, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His ascension into heaven. Those facts are AMAZING!
Paul, after all the time he spent being a missionary for the faith, was still amazed and astounded that God dealt with us through Jesus. Godliness - God exercising His grace and mercy in order to bring us to Him, holy and without blemish or spot - is an amazing revelation. (Jude 1:24)

"He was revealed in the flesh" - Jesus, is God and man, wholly and fully both. This is another 'mystery'. (See: Matt. 1:18, Luke 1:27-35) We humans have trouble visualizing abstract things. (Side note - for example: how many people do you know that can look at construction plans and drawings and have no idea what it will look like when built? There are people who can 'see' the object in their minds in 3-D, and get it on paper for the construction contractor to build.) God is Spirit, and His true worshippers will worship Him in Spirit and truth. (John 4:23, 24) We cannot imagine what a Spirit looks like. We cannot imagine fully how a omnipotent, omniscient Spirit can know us and love us. Jesus came to show us, in actions, in His sacrificial death and resurrection. Would you give your life to save your children whom you love? Of course.

"vindicated by the Spirit" - In short, the resurrection!

1. If Christ's life was not sinless, the sacrifice would not be acceptable.
2. If His sinless life and death was not sufficient, there is no resurrection.
3. If no resurrection , there is no eternal life.
4. His life is acceptable, the vindication is Jesus is in Glory, heaven right now, with the Father, preparing heaven for our arrival.

"seen by angels" - He was announced by the archangel Gabriel (one of the few angels with names!). HIs birth was heralded by angelic hosts ('Angels We Have Heard on High'). Luke 2:18-25.

"proclaimed among Gentiles" - This was Paul's calling. (Acts 9:15, 26-31) Peter also shared the gospel with Gentiles, Acts 10:1-48.

"believed on in the world" - Jesus was followed by his disciples, some of whom became His apostles. After 'Easter' and then Pentecost they became proclaimers of the grace of our Lord. In an incident in Acts, the apostles were warned to no longer preach Christ and Him crucified. "We must obey God, rather than man," was their response. (Acts 5:29) Thousands believed and were saved through their ministry. (Acts 2:24, 4:4)

"taken up in glory" - Not long after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples to 'prove' his resurrection. He had defeated death. That is our hope. We have seen the resurrected Christ! We have seen Him taken up into glory. We, too, shall be like Him! After a short time with the disciples, Jesus ascended into heaven to be with the Father, to advocate for us. (Acts 1:8-11).

How cool is that?!

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*** End of Chapter ***

1 Tim. 3:14-15 - Desire to come to you

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you
15 in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

Since I Can’t Come to Ephesus...

Vs. 14: - I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you

"hope to come to you" - Most likely, Paul was in Rome. Timothy had been dispatched to the Ephesus church to teach, and correct some doctrinal errors that had cropped up. It is believed Paul might have been released from prison, but was required to remain in Rome. Later, he was arrested again, and executed. The desire to come to Ephesus to talk and mentor Timothy was tempered by Paul's situation.

"writing these instructions" - This is an instructional letter to correct problems in the local church. If left alone, the problems will destroy the church from within. Sometimes heresies are subtle, and seem to make some sense. One such is about the Law (from the Torah) and its relevance to Christianity. Jesus was/is a Jew, and all the first disciples and apostles were Jews. The Christian faith has its roots in the Jewish Law and Scripture. It could make sense that Christians should follow the Law in their behavior and worship. (In our time, the Seventh Day Adventists come closest to this way of thinking.)

I do not say 'it does make sense', but there is enough logic there to sort of make sense. Jesus came to fulfill the Law and prophecies, not to abolish the Law. See: Matt. 5:17. Now, in some ways, Jesus fulfilling the Law has the effect of abolishing it. (That is a discussion for another time.)

Some heresies are so beyond the pale they can be rejected outright. For example: Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child together. (This was part of the book 'Davinci Code', by Dale Brown.) Another is that Jesus did not really die. The problem here: No death equals no sacrifice equals no salvation! Another: Jesus was not really a human (what then, a hologram, a ghost that merely looks human?). This has the same error as claiming Jesus did not die.

Paul is emphatic. The people who are trying to get the Ephesus church to fall back into following the strictures of the Law don't know what they are talking about. He deals with the heresy of the Law in the first chapter of this letter, urging them to get back to the true gospel - Christ died for your sins, was buried, and resurrected, resides in glory. Then Paul spends the rest of the letter dealing with the church family members.
The interpersonal relationships of a group of people is complex. Even though we are 'new creations, all things have become new' (2 Cor. 5:17), our personalities, needs, and wants are all thrown into the church membership pot and stirred. The administration of a group of people requires planners and doers, servants and the served, leaders and followers. I believe the Holy Spirit leads Paul to lay out a local church hierarchy, and guidelines for dealing with the believers. The apostles named some men to help them with growing church membership. It seems that no decisions were made for the long term growth of the church. Paul codifies local church structure in this letter.

Go through the letter, and see how God wants us to treat and work with each other in the church.

Who will lead us? Elders.
Who will serve us, help us in need? Deacons.
Who should do these jobs? Upstanding citizens.
Who should they serve? Widows. Old people. Slaves, Masters, Young men. Young women. Those who are in need.
You know who they are. Just look around you. They are your fellow believers. You see them every day, every church gathering.

How Believers Should Conduct Themselves

Vs. 15: - in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

"to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves" - This is the purpose of the letter.

"the household of God" - Remember the Pointer Sisters song, 'We Are Family!"? That's us - 'my brothers, my sisters, and me.' We are children of God. See: 1 John 3:1-3. We serve the Living God! We are His children! We are no longer enemies because of our sins that separate us from His righteous holiness. We are more than friends, more than slaves. See: John 15:15.

"church of the living God" - We are the family of believers - the church. This is not a NGO - 'non-government organization. We are not the Elks Club, Rotary, Red Cross, or the Beaver Fan Club. We are the Bride of Christ. We are God's ambassadors to a lost and hopeless world. “The Holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says, ‘I am the Lord your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go’.” (Isa. 48:17)

"support and bulwark of the truth" - This is our job! Support the truth. Defend the truth. This is why you must know what you believe. "Be ready at all time to give an account of the hope that is in you." See 1 Pet. 3:15. There will be myriad messages out there designed to draw people away from salvation in Christ alone. There is salvation in no one else. See: Acts 4:12.

*** End of Chapter ***

1 Tim. 3:8-13 - Rules for Deacons

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not two-faced, not given to excessive drinking, not greedy for gain,
9 holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 And these also must be tested first and then let them serve as deacons if they are found blameless.
11 Likewise also their wives must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in every respect.
12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife and good managers of their children and their own households.
13 For those who have served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

6 Desireable Character Traits for Deacons

Vs. 8: - Deacons likewise must be dignified, not two-faced, not given to excessive drinking, not greedy for gain,

"Deacons" - Deacons are chosen to serve by working in the body, whereas elders are called to lead the church (not rule it, but lead by service). The deacon is the implementer of the service the church needs. 'Deacon' is a different church office than 'Elder'. The list of attributes for a deacon is just as daunting as it is for an elder. Does it seem unreasonable to have such high standards for church leaders? Does that sound like a dumb question?

As the church matured, women were called deacons (deaconess sounds stuffy). They served in the local body and were honored because they stepped up. Why are women deacons and not elders? I think the following list plus the admonition in chapter 2:12 will help us understand. Deacons are not teachers (called as such), they are workers. I know that some deacons have also the gift of teaching. So a deacon could well be a teacher.
To clarify, the scriptural description of deacon is a person who serves the needs of the members of the church. In the very early church there was no government organization that provided for the physical welfare of citizens (No ‘Department of Human Services’, no ‘Welfare’ nor ‘Social Security’). Even though God told the Jews to care for the widows and orphans (Zech. 7:8-11) their obedience was spotty at best. There appears to be no functionary within the Jewish religion to take care of the needy. This is something new - people called and appointed to provide for the needs of the church. The supplies are not coming from the pocketbook of the deacons only, but from the tithes and offerings of the church.

There are eight (8) attributes for deacons listed in these verses, and four (4) for the deacon’s wives.

(1) "dignified" - honest and trustworthy. Deacons are to be honorable in deeds and with people.

(2) "not two-faced" - No accomplished liars need apply. Someone who is honest and trustworthy (see above) will not be one person with you, and a different person with someone else. You can trust this person when he gives his word. No written contracts are necessary - his word is his bond.

(3) "not given to excessive drinking" - not a drunkard. This is not a admonition to refrain from alcoholic beverages. A little later in this letter (5:23), Paul instructs Timothy to drink a little wine for his ailments. There are plenty of warnings about getting drunk, and using too much wine, especially in Proverbs and some of the prophets. Too much wine (alcoholic beverages, in general) dulls the senses, clouds the judgment.

(4) "not greedy for gain" - not out for 'filthy lucre' (KJV), not out to make money off the church from funds intended for the needy of the church. The idea of getting rich from the church not only seems wrong - it is wrong. The duty of the deacon is to take the offerings, whether cash or goods, and distribute these to those in need. I think, but am not sure, that many of the first believers were not the wealthy, but the downtrodden, the widows and orphans. Also, after a few years the church would begin to acquire widows by attrition. More on this later. The deacons were to distribute the offerings to those who need it. Money would be passing through the deacons to the church members. The deacons must be honest, and not skimming a percentage for themselves.
The Bible has plenty of warnings about riches. Usually in reference to depending on riches instead of the Lord. (For example: Luke 12:15; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 19:20-24) On the other hand, the apostles were not called to a life of poverty. Those who dedicated their full time to studying the scripture, teaching and preaching were to be considered worthy of wages. (1 Tim. 5:17, 18)

Vs. 9: holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

(5) "holding to the mystery of the faith" - a firm and steady believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This has been said before, 'mystery' in the Biblical sense does not mean the 'Hound of the Baskervilles', or a Robert B. Parker, or Edgar Allen Poe type mystery. In the NT, a mystery is new revelation regarding Jesus' work for us or the church. The redemptive work of Jesus on the cross was foretold, but not understood by the Jews (or anyone else for that matter). The resurrection was not understood, even when Jesus told his disciples it would happen.
The disciples were totally surprised at Jesus being alive. They had watched him die! Their surprise is evident when we see the response to the women returning from the open tomb. How about 'Doubting Thomas'? "I won't believe unless I touch His nail scarred hands," followed by "My Lord and my God!" when Thomas’ eyes were opened (John 20:24-29). It is not that Thomas didn’t see Jesus, but his mind could not accept this information as true!
Prophecies concerning the church are harder to find in the OT. The church is the Bride of Christ - surprise! That Gentiles would be part of the church without being Jewish first - Surprise! Gentiles being brought into the kingdom of God was prophesied, but not understood. (See: Isa. 60:1-14; Hos. 1:10, 2:23; Amos 9:12) All these new things including, but not limited to, Christ living in me, being reborn (See John 3:1-9), the Holy Spirit teaching and leading from within - Surprise!
This is the mystery that deacons are to know and understand. If you don't understand and know this deep within yourself so that you are completely confident, how can you help others understand and know the wonder of Jesus loving you.

Vs.10: - And these also must be tested first and then let them serve as deacons if they are found blameless.

(6) "tested" - The local church body needs to check out the people who are aiming to be deacons. Are they believers? What is their reputation in the community? Will they be a credit to the church - will the community have positive or negative impressions of the church because of the life of the deacon in that same community? Do the deacons know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Are they living accordingly?

4 Desireable Character Traits for a Deacons‘ Wife

Vs. 11: - Likewise also their wives must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in every respect.

"wives" - The wives of the deacons are part of the criteria? Wives are not mentioned in the rules for elders (see verses 1-7 above). The roles of deacons and elders/overseers are different. There is the aspect of authority and teaching for the elder position that is not evident for the deacon. The wives of the deacons may be more involved in their husbands 'work' than for the elders. The deacon is dealing with church member needs, and perhaps the informal network of wives will be more aware of needs, than would the men. The women may be co-workers in meeting the needs. If so, the wives should be of the same temperament and moral standing as the deacon husband.

(1) "dignified" - This is the same description as for the deacon. (See 1 Tim. 3:8 above).

(2) "not slanderous" - The wife is not to participate in gossip, especially gossip that damages someone's character. (See: 2 Cor. 12:20; Col. 3:8; Tit. 2:8) The sense of the word is that a 'slanderous' person by opposing God's will is taking the devil's "side" on things. The devil is described as a liar and a slanderer. He is the one who accuses you before God. Jesus is the one who stands for you and declares you innocent. You are His, and no one, not even Satan, can take you away.

Satan says, "Sinner! Loser! Deserving of death!" Jesus says, "I have paid the price. They have believed and placed their trust in Me. They now have My life." God the Father says, "Why, yes they do. Their name is written in the book of life. Enter into My peace. Welcome, child, welcome."

Spreading gossip is slandering people, just as does Satan.

(3) "temperate" - A sober woman, not emotionally, but figuratively. This person does not over-indulge in alcohol (commentaries say moderate use of wine, but I suspect beer and distilled spirits fall into the same category.) Temperate can also mean to be in control of yourself, and capable of devoting your will and actions to accomplish a desired end, serving God and Jesus to further the kingdom. Although that is a valid goal, that word is not the one used here.

(4) "faithful" - That is faithful in all things. This can mean that whatever she is given to do, it gets done. She is dependable for every task. This can also mean that she has accepted and believes that Jesus is the Son of God who came to die for our sins. She has placed her life in His hands.

2 More Desireable Character Traits for Deacons

Vs. 12: - “Deacons must be husbands of one wife and good managers of their children and their own households.”

(7) "one wife" - Back to the characteristics of the deacon, the male part of the equation. This is a simple declarative: married; one man to one woman. In many cultures the idea of one man/one woman marriage is too restrictive. See the discussion of 1 Tim. 3:3 above.

(8) "good managers" - The deacon is to be 'fine, upstanding, citizen'. Not only is his public persona real and respected, but his home - wife and family - is also fine and upstanding. The reputation of this man is known throughout the community.

Vs. 13: - For those who have served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

An old aphorism says, “The proof is in the pudding.” The result of a faithful servant will be reflected back from the community and spur others to serve boldly for Christ as well.

"served well" - When the legacy of the deacon is reviewed, it will be apparent. See also 1 Cor. 3:11-15.

"good standing" - Jesus will say to the deacon who has served well, "Well done, My good and faithful servant." (Matt. 25:21,23) See also 1 Cor. 3:11-15. No other declaration need be made.

"great boldness in the faith" - How does serving the believers in the church equate to great boldness in the faith? The deacon is sharing the gospel without needing to go door-to-door, meetting people, or sharing the Four Spiritual Laws. The deacon is sharing the command of Jesus to "Love one another, as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Why does the deacon do these deeds? Because the love of Jesus fills and controls him. As the deacon sees lives changed, his life is filled with joy because he knows that it Jesus working in him and through him. He will not want to stop.

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