Gary Gleans

Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor,   so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.    Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are   brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Our work is important to God and how we work is important as well.  Even if our work conditions are as difficulty as enslavement, as believers, we have an opportunity to bring glory to God and growth to the kingdom.  Whether we work for believers or unbelievers, God is our true employer.  We work to please Him, and our true and eternal compensation will come from Him.  No matter the injustice we might experience on earth; God is just and will reward justly. WORK FOR UNBELIVERS WITH HONOR: When a believer is working for an unbeliever, it is important to maintain a g...

Let the elders   who rule well be considered worthy of   double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.    For the Scripture says,   “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and,   “The laborer deserves his wages.”    Do not admit a charge against an elder except   on the evidence of two or three witnesses.    As for those who persist in sin,   rebuke them in the presence of all,   so that the rest may stand in fear.    In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels   I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging,   doing nothing from partiality.    Do not be hasty in the   laying on of hands, nor   take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.    (No longer drink only water, but   use a little wine   for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) . The sins of some people are consp...

Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been   the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has   shown hospitality,   has washed the feet of the saints, has   cared for the afflicted, and has   devoted herself to every good work.    But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when   their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry   and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.    Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also   gossips and   busybodies, saying what they should not.  So I would have   younger widows marry, bear children,   manage their households, and   give the adversary no occasion for slander.    For some have already strayed after Satan.    If any believing woman has relatives who are ...

Honor widows   who are truly widows.    But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn   to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for   this is pleasing in the sight of God.    She   who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and   continues in supplications and prayers night and day,   but   she who is self-indulgent is   dead even while she lives.    Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.    But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for   members of his household, he has   denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. The church has a responsibility to care for the widows that are in their midst.  However, the primary responsibility falls to family members who are of the faith.  It important for the testimony of the church and the Christian f...

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father,   younger men as brothers,   older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Teaching is an important part of ministry as we saw in the previous passage.  However, another important part of ministry or a different aspect of teaching is encouraging.  All believers on this side of eternity require confrontation and correction of sin.  However, we also need to be given hope and be encouraged in the Lord.  Churches are made up of a wide variety of ages as well as men and women.  The wise minister will understand how to distinguish between how they will serve these different groups most effectively. ENCOURAGING MEN:  Timothy is a young man but was called to minister to older men.  As a minister of God’s Word, he has the authority to teach God’s Word and to exhort these older men.  However, this must be done with the pro...

Command and teach   these things.    Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers   an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.    Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you   by prophecy when the council of elders   laid their hands on you.  Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that   all may see your progress.    Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save   both yourself and   your hearers. Teaching the Word of God to the people of God is key component to effective ministry.  It is a privilege to be able to devote oneself to studying the Bible and proclaiming what we learn to others.  It is also a huge responsibility and can expose us to being criticized or even rejected....

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have   followed.    Have nothing to do with irreverent,   silly myths. Rather   train yourself for godliness;   for while   bodily training is of some value, godliness   is of value in every way, as   it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.    The saying is   trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.    For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God,   who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Job descriptions are important to the success of every leader.  The minister of the Gospel needs to understand what is expected of him.  Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands what his ministry should entail.  These same responsibili...

Now   the Spirit expressly says that   in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to   deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,   through the insincerity of   liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and   require abstinence from foods   that God created   to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.    For   everything created by God is good, and   nothing is to be rejected if it is   received with thanksgiving,   for it is made holy   by the word of God and prayer. One of the reasons it is so important to keep the church in good working order and have qualified leaders for the church is the certainty of false prophets coming on the scene.  The church is to faithfully proclaim and defend the truth of God’s Word so the false teachers will not be able to gain a foothold.  Satan is always striving to make us turn from faith...

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,   if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.    Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:    H e  was manifested in the flesh,   vindicate d  by the Spirit,   seen by angels,   proclaimed among the nations,   believed on in the world,   taken up in glory. The church is the institution created by God for the advancement of His mission in the world.  We all belong to the Church as the Body of Christ that is basically invisible.  However, we are called to be part of local churches that gather as visible bodies of believers in Christ.  Each church is unique and has a role to play in the outworking of God’s will.  However, there are certain truths that are essential to every church.  Paul write...

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine,   not greedy for dishonest gain.  They must   hold the mystery of the faith with   a clear conscience.    And   let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.    Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded,   faithful in all things.    Let deacons each be   the husband of one wife,   managing their children and their own households well.    For   those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Paul continues his instructions concerning the officers of the church.  Deacons serve an important role in the life of the church.  They have many of the same qualifications as the elders but they are not required to possess the gift of teaching....

The saying is   trustworthy: If anyone aspires to   the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.    Therefore   an overseer must be above reproach,   the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable,   hospitable,   able to teach,   not a drunkard, not violent but   gentle, not quarrelsome,   not a lover of money.    He must manage his own household well, with all dignity   keeping his children submissive,   for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for   God's church?    He must not be a recent convert, or he may   become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.    Moreover, he must be well thought of by   outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into   a snare of the devil. One of Timothy’s jobs while he was in Ephesus was to establish leadership in the church that would serve ...