Lectionary Calendar
Friday, March 29th, 2024
Good Friday
There are 2 days til Easter!
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

1 Timothy 3:6

This verse is not available in the !

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bishop;   Church;   Commandments;   Minister, Christian;   Pride;   Satan;   Thompson Chain Reference - Condemnation;   Leaders;   Ministers;   Religious;   Salvation-Condemnation;   The Topic Concordance - Bishop;   Drunkenness;   Sobriety;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Condemnation;   Devil, the;   Pride;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Novice;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Church, the;   Elder;   Ministry, Minister;   Overseer;   Timothy, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Deacon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bishop;   Devil;   Satan;   Synagogue;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bishop;   Church;   Devil;   Elder;   Novice;   Offices in the New Testament;   Pride;   Titus, Epistle to;   1 Timothy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bishop;   Church Government;   Deacon;   Devil;   Minister;   Temperance;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels;   Bishop, Elder, Presbyter;   Clement of Rome, Epistle of;   Condemnation;   Devil ;   Novice;   Ordination;   Pride;   Timothy and Titus Epistles to;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bishop;   Novice;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Condemn;   Highminded;   Novice;   Spiritual Gifts;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for December 1;  

Contextual Overview

1 Here is a statement you can trust: anyone aspiring to be a congregation leader is seeking worthwhile work. 1 The word [is] faithful: if any one aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work. 1 This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. 1 This saying is trustworthy:[fn]Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:12; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:15;">[xr] The one who would an elder be, A noble task desires he. 1 1 This saying is faithful, that if a man desire the presbyterate, [fn] a good work he desireth. 1 It is a faithful saying, that if a man desireth the eldership, he desireth a good work. 1 Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 1 This is a true saying, A man desiring the position of a Bishop has a desire for a good work. 1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 1 This is a true saying, If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a worthie worke.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
novice or, one newly come to the faith.
1 Corinthians 3:1; Hebrews 5:12,13; 1 Peter 2:2
lest
Deuteronomy 8:14; 17:20; 2 Kings 14:10; 2 Chronicles 26:16; 32:25; Proverbs 16:18,19; 18:12; Proverbs 29:23; Isaiah 2:12; 1 Corinthians 4:6-8; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Peter 5:5
the condemnation
Isaiah 14:12-14; Luke 10:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6
Reciprocal: Numbers 4:3 - thirty years;  Numbers 4:35 - GeneralEzekiel 28:2 - Because;  Daniel 5:23 - lifted;  Daniel 11:12 - his heart;  Matthew 4:9 - if;  Matthew 13:52 - scribe;  1 Corinthians 4:1 - the ministers;  Ephesians 4:14 - tossed;  1 Timothy 3:10 - let these;  1 Timothy 5:22 - suddenly;  1 Timothy 6:4 - He;  Revelation 12:9 - the Devil

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
And the serpent was more crafty than any animal of the field which Jehovah Elohim had made. And it said to the woman, Is it even so, that God has said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:1
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Yes, has God said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'"
Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman: 'Yea, hath God said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'
Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden?
Genesis 3:1
And the serpent was suttiller then euery beast of the fielde which ye lord God hadde made, and he sayde vnto the woman: yea, hath God saide, ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:1
Nowe the serpent was more subtill then any beast of the fielde, which the Lord God had made: and he said to the woman, Yea, hath God in deede said, Ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:1
NOW the serpent was more subtle than all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, Truly has God said that you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:1
And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Not a novice,.... Or one newly planted, the Arabic version adds, "in the faith"; meaning not a young man, for so was Timothy himself; but a young professor and church member; one that is lately come to the knowledge of the truth, and has just embraced and professed it, and become a member of a church, a new plant there: so the Hebrew word נטע, "a plant", is by the Septuagint in Job 14:9 rendered by this very word. The reason why such a person should not be a bishop, elder, or pastor of a church, is,

lest being lifted up with pride; through the dignity of the office he is advanced to, and the high opinion of men he stands in, and the great gifts qualifying him for such a place, he is supposed to have: for pride on account of these is apt to creep in, and swell and elate the minds of young professors especially; so that there is danger

that he fall into the condemnation of the devil; or "of the slanderer", as the word is rendered in 1 Timothy 3:11 and the sense then is, lest he should be censured and condemned by such who are given to calumny and detraction, and are glad of any opportunity to reproach and vilify the ministers of the word: but it is better to understand it of Satan; and then the meaning is, either lest such an one fall under the censure and condemnation of the accuser of the brethren; or rather lest he fall into the same condemnation and punishment the devil is fallen into, their crimes being alike. For it seems from hence, that pride was the first sin of the devil, and the cause of his apostasy from God; being elated with his own knowledge, strength, and dignity; and not being able to bear it, that the human nature should be advanced above that of angels.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Not a novice - Margin, “one newly come to the faith.” The Greek word, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, means, properly, that which is “newly planted.” Thus it would mean a plant that was not strong, or not fitted to bear the severity of storms; that had not as yet struck its roots deep, and could not resist the fierceness of a cold blast. Then the word comes to mean a new convert; one who has had little opportunity to test his own faith, or to give evidence to others that he would be faithful to the trust committed to him. The word does not refer so much to one who is young “in years,” as one who is young “in faith.” Still, all the reasons which apply against introducing a very recent convert into the ministry, will apply commonly with equal force against introducing one young in years.

Lest being lifted up with pride - We are not to suppose that this is the only reason against introducing a recent convert into the ministry, but it is a sufficient reason. He would be likely to be elated by being entrusted at once with the highest office in the church, and by the commendations and flattery which he might receive. No condition is wholly proof against this; but he is much less likely to be injured who has had much experience of the depravity of his own heart, and whose mind has been deeply imbued with the spirit of the gospel.

He fall into the condemnation of the devil - That is, the same kind of condemnation which the devil fell into; to wit, condemnation on account of pride. It is here intimated that the cause of the apostasy of Satan was pride - a cause which is as likely to have been the true one as any other. Who can tell but it may have been produced by some new honor which was conferred on him in heaven, and that his virtue was not found sufficient for the untried circumstances in which he was placed? Much of the apostasy from eminent virtue in this world, arises from this cause; and possibly the case of Satan may have been the most signal instance of this kind which has occurred in the universe. The idea of Paul is, that a young convert should not suddenly be raised to an exalted station in the church. Who can doubt the wisdom of this direction? The word rendered “lifted up” ( τυφωθὲις tuphōtheis), is from a verb which means to smoke, to fume, to surround with smoke; then to “inflate” - as a bladder is with air; and then to be conceited or proud; that is, to be “like” a bladder filled, not with a solid substance, but with air.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Fifteenth - It is required that he be not a novice - Νεοφυτον· Not a young plant, not recently ingrafted, that is, one not newly converted to the faith; (old MS. Bible); one who has been of considerable standing in the Christian Church, if he have the preceding qualifications, may be safely trusted with the government of that Church. It is impossible that one who is not long and deeply experienced in the ways of God can guide others in the way of life. Hence presbyters or elders were generally appointed to have the oversight of the rest, and hence presbyter and bishop seem to have been two names for the same office; yet all presbyters or elders certainly were not bishops, because all presbyters had not the qualifications marked above. But the apostle gives another reason: Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. It is natural for man to think himself of more importance than his fellows when they are intrusted to his government. The apostle's term τυφωθεις, puffed up, inflated, is a metaphor taken from a bladder when filled with air or wind. It is a substance, has a certain size, is light, can be the sport of the wind, but has nothing in it but air. Such is the classical coxcomb; a mere puffball, a disgrace to his function, and despised by every intelligent man. Should we not say to those whom it may concern,

"From such apostles, O ye mitred heads,

Preserve the Church; and lay not careless hands

On skulls that cannot teach, and will not learn."

From these words of the apostle we are led to infer that pride or self-conceit was the cause of the devil's downfall. In Ecclus. 10 there are some excellent sayings concerning pride: "Pride is hurtful before God and man." "Why is earth and ashes proud?" "The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God." "For pride is the beginning of sin; and he that hath it shall pour out abomination." "Pride was not made for Men." See verses 7, 9, 12, 13, and 18, of the above chapter.


adsFree icon
Ads FreeProfile