The objective of this lesson: to challenge Christians to realize that 1 Timothy 3:1-7 does not include all to considered in looking at the spiritual maturity of the person who is to be recognized as an elder (overseer) of a congregation.
It is a significant challenge to place ourselves in the geographical, social, and spiritual context of 2000 years ago. Most of us have never lived in a context where the principal spiritual concepts are tied to forms of idolatry. None of us have ever lived in a geographical context of an empire with a Caesar as ruler, nor have we existed in the social context of the first-century world.
It is demanding to many Christians to understand that if today's Christians achieved complete restoration according to today's restoration criteria, congregations would not look like the congregations of the first century. The social and cultural realities of the first century would give us a different "look," a different focus, and a different thrust than Christians in the first century had.
Ephesus was a major port city with direct access to Rome. Asiatic caravans brought their goods to Ephesus to be placed on ships. A city of around 250,000 people, Ephesus was the Roman Empire's fourth largest city. The city housed the principal Temple of Artemis (Diana), a virgin goddess worshipped throughout that world. That temple was one of their world's wonders, a significant economic influence empire-wide, and a site of pilgrimages. It was claimed that Artemis answered prayers, had power over other spiritual forces, and served in roles of savior and lord.
By their criteria, Ephesus was a "modern" city with amazing advances. Its access to markets in Rome, its political prominence in Asia, its economic power, its religious prominence, and its development made Ephesus one of "the places to be" in the Roman empire. If a person wanted to be in one of the places where significant things happened, Ephesus was one of those places. The Temple of Artemis and the worship of Artemis definitely made a major contribution to the prominence of the city, economically and religiously.
For reasons of size, commerce, economic significance, and religious significance, Ephesus was important. The city was the site of a theater, baths, a library, an incredible marketplace, a magnificent paved road that led to the harbor, three temples dedicated to the Roman emperor, and the Roman political center for Asia. Ephesus was a prosperous, "happening" place known for its sophistication in the Roman world. It was definitely a place with a "who's who" society. It was not an insignificant place that served a single function located in oblivion whose "claim to fame" was in its past.
A person who came to Ephesus from a rural environment or a small town would be awed by Ephesus' commonplace sights. To those who saw Ephesus and had not been to other major cities, they would not (could not) imagine anything being superior to what existed in Ephesus. The developments in Ephesus would make smaller places in rural areas seem undeveloped and socially inferior (unsophisticated).
Evidently Paul located his work there for over two years (Acts 19:8-10) because Ephesus provided him opportunity to evangelize Asia. Paul's work in Ephesus was so powerful that Christianity (known as "The Way") had an economic impact on the influence of Artemis [incredible] (Acts 19:24-27). Paul also established a respectful relationship with some of the Asiarchs [powerful political figures who were not Christians but who had province-wide influence] (Acts 19:31).
Paul seemingly evangelized an entire province and many lesser cities by teaching in the major city, by training teachers, and by working through the people he taught.
In this city of status, economic influence, and political influence, Paul said the following regarding congregational overseers in 1 Timothy 3:
Note the qualities that would (hopefully) exist in any mature Christian. The emphasis is on the matter of maturity (degree) of the qualities, not the mere existence of the qualities. Also note the qualities that have nothing to do with being a Christian, but should exist in an overseer.
Many approach finding elders or overseers for a congregation as a matter of (a) defining the meaning of those terms and (b) finding men in the church who fit that description.
The emphasis of the lesson is not on the unimportance of the qualities given, but on the fact there is more to be considered than just those qualities.
You are asked to note some things. (a) Note that with the exception of marriage and family considerations, a description of a mature Christian is given. The qualities given in I Timothy 3:1-7 are the qualities that every Christian seeks as a personal expression of spiritual development. (b) Note the requirements of being respectable, and a person of dignity in his family relationships. (c) Note he is to have a good reputation outside the Christian community. Suggestion: all these qualities would have significant meaning in places like Ephesus.
A Christian who violated social norm or who ignored social expectations in Ephesus would not receive serious consideration in that society. It was not a matter of allowing local criteria to be more significant than spiritual values in Christ. It was a matter of not creating unnecessary barriers to placing faith in Jesus Christ. In some instances, a person does not have to offend social expectations in order to represent Jesus Christ. It is one thing to believe in one God. It is quite another to be deliberately obnoxious and offensive in behavior.
Also consider several things. Nothing is said about his faith, his willingness to repent, or his baptism. Nothing is said about the fruit of the Spirit which are to possess the life of the person in Jesus Christ. Read Galatians 5:22-24, and consider the contrast between deeds of the flesh (verses 19-21) and the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is not presented as an optional life focus. Also, consider it says nothing about the Christian graces (2 Peter 1:5-8). The Christians who do not have this life focus (a) do not partake of the divine nature (verse 4), are blind or short-sighted (verse 9), have forgotten purification (verse 9), and are likely to stumble (verse 10).
This merely points out some things that are important in considering a spiritual leader in the congregation that are not a part of the qualities of 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
The point: there are more things to consider than the qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 to determine the spiritual maturity of the men who will shepherd the congregation.
Our thinking should not be confined to the lists of qualities in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
When spiritually immature men who are not held in honor by the congregation and who are not open to God's Spirit seek to provide shepherding in the congregation, both they and the congregation will experience the pain of hurt.
Two considerations important to a shepherding congregational leadership are (a) the sense of honor the congregation has for its leaders and (b) the men's openness to God's guidance.
For Thought and Discussion
It is a significant challenge for today's Christians to place themselves in the geographical, social, and spiritual context of 2000 years ago.
The discussion should include the city's size, development, and significance in the first century.
The discussion should include the idol's religious prominence and its economic influence.
He saw it as the means of telling all of Asia about Jesus Christ.
Christianity was referred to as "The Way."
Christianity impacted (lessened) the sale of objects associated with Artemis. That was socially and economically significant to the craftsmen and economically significant to the temple.
The qualities are: above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money, management of family with dignity, not a new convert, and of good reputation among those who are not Christians.
They seek to define those terms and find men who match those descriptions.
There are more things to consider than just the qualities in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Spiritual maturity involves the qualities in those passages, but it involves more than that.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 8