1 Timothy 3:1

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Translations sourced from the public-domain WEB, KJV, and ASV. See all sources.

“This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer,or, superintendents, or bishops he desires a good work.”

— WEB

“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

— KJV

“Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

— ASV

Bible Verses About Leadership

Cross-references

Related verses via the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Titus 1:7 "For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy f…"
Acts 20:28 "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of t…"
1 Peter 5:2 "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, bu…"
1 Peter 2:25 "For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer“Overseer” is from the Greek episkopon, which can…"
James 5:19-20 "Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,"
1 Timothy 1:15 "The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
1 Timothy 4:9 "This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance."
1 Timothy 3:2-7 "The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;"

Commentary

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 character of a gospel minister, whose office it is, as a bishop, to preside in a particular congregation of Christians: If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work, Ti1 3:1. Observe, I. The ministry is a work. However the office of a bishop may be now thought a good preferment, then it was thought a good work. 1. The office of a scripture-bishop is an office of divine appointment, and not of human invention. The ministry is not a creature of the state, and it is a pity that the minister should be at any time the tool of the state.

— Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary (public domain)

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