1 Timothy 3:1-16 How God wants the church to be established, maintained, and to endure

This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; (but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?) not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil. Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless. 11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly; but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory. Paul is establishing guidelines for the church in his older years. Truthfully his teaching can be summed up in the 10 commandments: I am the Lord your God You shall have no other gods before me You shall not make for yourself an idol Do not take the name of the Lord in vain Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy Honor your father and mother You shall not kill/murder† You shall not commit adultery You shall not steal†† You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor You shall not covet‡ your neighbor's wife You shall not covet‡ anything that belongs to your neighbor God wants someone who has a good heart manifested by good management of his own family. He wants someone who is temperate, not self motivated, not addicted to wine, and one who does not covet. He wants a shepherd over his sheep and not a slave driver. In the same way, God wants the flock to obey their master and not be quarrelsome, remembering that the obedience is to God and not man. This is the way the church should be established, maintained, and endure.