Qualifications Serious When Flying 5000’ Over California Serious When Selecting Leaders For The Church

Baptist ‘Bishops’ Must Be … [Qualifications For Pastors] 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Baptist ‘Bishops’ Must Be … [Qualifications For Pastors]

I. Review 1 Timothy 1 Timothy address problem of false teachers

II. Baptist ‘Bishop’s 1 A faithful saying 1:15; 4:9; 3:1 What is the faithful saying? Man – Desires – Bishop – He desires a good work – Baptists and ‘Bishops’ Testimony

III. Baptist ‘Bishops’ Must Be 2-7 Qualifications for Bishops/Overseers 2-7 General qualification 2a Specific qualifications 2b-7 The husband of one wife 2 A] must be married B] only 1 wife entire life C] monogamy D] faithful to wife in marital and sexual realm from time of conversion, i.e. one woman man “a man who having contracted monogamous marriage is faithful to his marriage vows” Theodore [Bishop of Mopsuestia ~AD400]

III. Baptist ‘Bishops’ Must Be 2-7 C. Specific qualifications – continued 2b-7 The husband of one wife 2 Temperate – clear headed, self controlled 2 Sober minded – thoughtful aspect of self controlled 2 Of good behavior – orderly, well behaved, virtuous, respectable 2 Hospitable – friend to strangers, Ro 12:13, Hb 13:2 2 Able to teach – skillful in teaching, 2Ti2:24,25, Titus 1:9 2

III. Baptist ‘Bishops’ Must Be 2-7 C. Specific qualifications – continued 2b-7 7. not given to wine – not addicted to wine, see v8 3 8. not violent – combatative, pugnacious, quarrelsome 3 9. not greedy for money 3 10. but gentle – kind 3 11. not quarrelsome – contentious, fighter 3 12. not covetous – content with what you have 3 13. good leader of his family 4-5 14. not a novice – a mature Christian 6 15. good testimony with those outside the church 7 D. Taken together – man of high integrity Applications 1. Qualifications of Baptist ‘Bishops’ [i.e. Pastors] 2. Good qualifications for all Christians