Read chapter 3
"Faithful saying" is repeated various times throughout the letter of 1st Timothy and here is the second occurrence (the first occurrence was in 1:15, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."). The faithful saying here in verse one has to do with desiring the position of a bishop. Well lets stop right there and figure out what even is a bishop. Right away most of our minds go to the catholic church and the people with the big white cone hats.
The Church of England was largely a church run by bishops, who were the officers in charge of multiple churches. These bishops had control of the local vicars and their parishes. This institution of bishops was therefore extremely important in the Church of England, and yet it should be clear to any real student of the Bible that there is nothing like the office of a bishop in the Word of God. Therefore the English translators of the Bible, translating to English long before even the King James Version, had picked out the Greek word episkopos and its related words, and had translated these words, whenever it seemed beneficial to them to do so, by using the word “bishop.” This gave a Biblical justification for their organization and use of bishops within their church structure. However, it did absolutely nothing to set forth the real truth of God.
The Greek word for bishop is episkopos and means "over-watcher." In the following six verses we see the criteria for being an "over-watcher." Just because one desires the position doesn't always mean God will give them the position automatically. As you read the list of what the job entails, how does it change your view when you hear the word bishop? Which criteria do you appreciate and which ones do you have a hard time with? Is a bishop a position you desire? Why or why not?
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