Keys of Truth: First Timothy (Chapter 3)

1) The believer that sets their heart on becoming a leader desires something excellent.
2) The person in leadership must have a good reputation. If he or she is married, they must honor and respect the vows of marriage.
3) The person that desires to lead must be serious, use good judgment, be respectable, be kind, and able to teach.
4) A person in leadership should not drink excessively or be a person of violence, but gentleness.
5) A person in leadership should not be argumentative or a lover of money.
6) The leader must manage his or her own family well, being respected and obeyed by their spouse and children, if this is the structure of their family.
7) The leader that cannot manage his or her own family cannot be trusted to manage and care for God’s church.
8) New converts should not be put in positions of leadership. The appointment to leadership could lead to arrogance (pride), which was the sin of the devil causing his condemnation.
9) People that are not Christians should speak well of us (leaders and laity). This way we will not become victims of disgraceful insults, which sometimes become traps set by the devil.
10) The believer (leader) must have good character; not be two-faced or addicted to intoxication.
11) The believer (leader) cannot seek to make money in ways that are shameful.
12) Those in leadership must have a clear conscience concerning the mystery of the Christian faith.
13) The person who desires a position of leadership should be evaluated first. If the person is found to have godly character, and a good reputation, then an appointment to leadership can be made.
14) If a person in leadership is married, their spouse must also have a good reputation. The spouse cannot be a gossiper and unable to control their temper. They must be trustworthy.
15) Those that serve well will gain an excellent reputation and will have confidence as a result of their faith in Christ Jesus.
16) As God’s family, we must live a certain way. God’s family is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
17) This is the great mystery of our faith that causes us to worship God:
• Jesus was a man; having a human nature
• was approved by the Spirit of God
• was seen of angels
• was preached throughout the nations
• was believed in the world
• was taken to heaven in glory