1 Timothy 3:3

Contextual Overview

¹ It is a true statement that anyone whose goal is to serve as an elder has his heart set on a good work. ¹ The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task. ¹ This is a true sayinge. Yf a ma covet ye office of a bysshope he desyreth a good worke. ¹ This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. ¹ It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ¹ What I say is true: Anyone wanting to become an overseer desires a good work. ¹ Faithful is the saying, If a man seeks the office of overseer, he desires a good work. ¹ This [is] a true saying, If a man desireth the office of a bishop, he desireth 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 faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Not given to wine: or, Not ready to quarrel, and offer wrong, as one in wine, 1 Timothy 3:8, Leviticus 10:9, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:12, Isaiah 28:1, Isaiah 28:7, Isaiah 56:12, Ezekiel 44:21, Micah 2:11, Matthew 24:45-51, Luke 12:42-46, Luke 21:34-36, Ephesians 5:18, Titus 1:7, Titus 2:3

no: 2 Timothy 2:24, 2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 1:7

not greedy: Proverbs 1:19, Proverbs 15:27, Isaiah 56:11, Jude 1:11

filthy: 1 Timothy 3:8, 1 Samuel 8:3, Titus 1:7, Titus 1:11, 1 Peter 5:2

patient: 1 Timothy 6:11, Ecclesiastes 7:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 2 Timothy 2:24, Revelation 1:9

a brawler: Titus 3:2, James 4:1, *marg.

not covetous: 1 Samuel 2:15-17, 2 Kings 5:20-27, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10, Micah 3:5, Micah 3:11, Malachi 1:10, Matthew 21:13, John 10:12, John 10:13, John 12:5, John 12:6, Acts 8:18-21, Acts 20:33, Romans 16:18, 2 Peter 2:3, 2 Peter 2:14, 2 Peter 2:15, Revelation 18:11-13

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:21 - hating Leviticus 21:18 - a blind man Judges 18:4 - hired me Nehemiah 6:12 - hired him Isaiah 23:17 - and she shall Ezekiel 22:12 - greedily Ezekiel 44:15 - the sons Matthew 26:15 - What 1 Corinthians 5:11 - or covetous Ephesians 4:31 - clamour Ephesians 5:3 - covetousness Philippians 4:17 - because 1 Thessalonians 2:5 - a cloak 1 Timothy 5:23 - General 1 Timothy 6:5 - supposing Hebrews 13:5 - conversation

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it."

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman, whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:12
And Adam seide, The womman which thou yauest felowe to me, yaf me of the tre, and Y eet.

Genesis 3:12
and the man saith, `The woman whom Thou didst place with me -- she hath given to me of the tree -- and I do eat.'

Genesis 3:12
And the man answered, "The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Not given to wine,.... One that does not sit at it, or is continually drinking it, and is intemperate in the use of it; otherwise it is lawful for persons in such an office to drink wine, and sometimes absolutely necessary; see 1 Timothy 5:23 it signifies one that is not given to much wine, as in 1 Timothy 3:8 is not addicted to it, or a follower of it; the Syriac version renders it, "who does not transgress over wine", or go beyond due bounds in the use of it, who is not immoderate in it; the Arabic version renders it, "not insolent through wine", as one that is heated with it is fierce and furious, and wrangling and quarrelsome, and often very mischievous and injurious; and this sense is followed by some.

No striker; either with his hands, so the Syriac version, "whose hand is not swift to strike"; not one who is nimble and ready at it, who no sooner is abused or injured, but he lifts up his hands and strikes; is but a word and a blow: or with his tongue; so the Arabic version, "not wounding with his tongue"; being too sharp and severe in the admonitions and reproofs of weak brethren, or fallen believers; and especially, he ought not to use scurrilous, reproachful, and contumelious language to any; see Jeremiah 18:18.

Not greedy of filthy lucre; not covetous of getting money, of amassing wealth and riches together; or desirous of popular applause and glory from men. This clause is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in five of Beza's manuscripts and other copies, nor is it in the Vulgate Latin version, nor in any of the Oriental versions; it seems to be transcribed from Titus 1:7. And indeed it is unnecessary here; since the same is expressed by the word "covetous", at the end of the verse, and makes that a tautology; and moreover, by leaving out this clause, the opposition appears more manifest, between "no striker" and what follows,

but patient; one who patiently bears all reproaches and injuries, puts up with affronts, and gives up what is his right and due, rather than contend, quarrel, and strike; who is patient towards all men, and does not bear hard on those that have offended, but is moderate and mild, and gentle in his censures, reproofs, and admonitions:

not a brawler; not a quarrelsome litigious person, given to fighting, either with the fist or sword, or any other weapon:

not covetous; or a lover of money in an immoderate way, greedy of worldly substance and riches, and insatiable in his desires after them; niggardly, sordid, and illiberal; acting a mercenary part; seeking his own things, and not the things of Christ; his gain from his quarter, and not the good of souls; and withholding from himself, from his family, and the poor, what ought to be enjoyed by them. Whereas, on the other hand, he ought to be generous and liberal, hospitable and charitable, and ready to communicate on all occasions, according to his abilities.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Not given to wine - Margin, “Not ready to quarrel and offer wrong, as one in wine.” The Greek word (πάροινος paroinos) occurs in the New Testament only here and in Titus 1:7. It means, properly, “by wine;” i. e., spoken of what takes place “by” or “over” wine, as revelry, drinking songs, etc. Then it denotes, as it does here, one who sits “by” wine; that is, who is in the habit of drinking it. It cannot be inferred, from the use of the word here, that wine was absolutely and entirely prohibited; for the word does not properly express that idea. It means that one who is in the habit of drinking wine, or who is accustomed to sit with those who indulge in it, should not be admitted to the ministry. The way in which the apostle mentions the subject here would lead us fairly to suppose that he did not mean to commend its use in any sense; that he regarded its use as dangerous, and that he would wish the ministers of religion to avoid it altogether. In regard to its use at all, except at the communion or as a medicine, it may be remarked, that a minister will do no injury to himself or others by letting it entirely alone; he may do injury by indulging in it. No man is under any “obligation” of courtesy or Christian duty to use it; thousands of ministers of the gospel have brought ruin on themselves, and disgrace on the ministry, by its use; compare Matthew 11:9 note, and 1 Timothy 5:23 note.

No striker - He must be a peaceable, not a quarrelsome man. This is connected with the caution about the use of wine, probably, because that is commonly found to produce a spirit of contention and strife.

Not greedy of filthy lucre - Not contentious or avaricious. Greek, Not desirous of base gain. The desire of this is condemned everywhere in the New Testament; but it is especially the duty of a minister of the gospel to be free from it. He has a right to a support (see the notes on 1 Corinthians 9:0); but there is nothing that more certainly paralyzes the usefulness of a minister of the gospel than the love of money. There is an instinctive feeling in the human bosom that such a man ought to be actuated by a nobler and a purer principle. As avarice, moreover, is the great sin of the world - the sin that sways more hearts, and does more to hinder the progress of the gospel, than all others combined - it is important in the highest degree that the minister of religion should be an example of what men “should” be, and that he, by his whole life, should set his face against that which is the main obstruction to the progress of that gospel which he is appointed to preach.

But patient - Modest, mild, gentle. See the word (Greek) in Philippians 4:5; Titus 3:2; James 3:17, and 1 Peter 2:18, where it is rendered “gentle.” The word means that the minister of the gospel should be a man of mild and kind demeanor, such as his Master was.

Not a brawler - compare 2 Timothy 2:24. That is, he should not be a man given to contention, or apt to take up a quarrel. The Greek is, literally, “Not disposed to fight.”

Not covetous - Greek, “Not a lover of silver;” that is, of money. A man should not be put into the ministry who is characteristically a lover of money. Such a one, no matter what his talents may be, has no proper qualification for the office, and will do more harm than good.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 3:3. An eighth article in his character is, he must not be given to wine; μηπαροινον. This word not only signifies one who is inordinately attached to wine, a winebibber or tippler, but also one who is imperious, abusive, insolent, whether through wine or otherwise. Kypke contends for this latter acceptation here. See his proofs and examples.

Ninth. - He must be no striker; μηπληκτην, not quarrelsome; not ready to strike a person who may displease him; no persecutor of those who may differ from him; not prone, as one wittily said,

"To prove his doctrine orthodox

By apostolic blows and knocks."

It is said of Bishop Bonner, of infamous memory, that, when examining the poor Protestants whom he termed heretics, when worsted by them in argument he was used to smite them with his fists, and sometimes scourge and whip them. But though he was a most ignorant and consummate savage, yet from such a scripture as this he might have seen the necessity of surrendering his mitre.

Tenth. - He must not be greedy of filthy lucre; μη αισχροκερδη, not desirous of base gain; not using base and unjustifiable methods to raise and increase his revenues; not trading or trafficking; for what would be honourable in a secular character, would be base and dishonourable in a bishop. Though such a trait should never appear in the character of a Christian prelate, yet there is much reason to suspect that the words above are not authentic; they are omitted by ADFG, many others, the Syriac, all the Arabic, Coptic, (and Sahidic,) AEthiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, (but it appears in the margin,) the Vulgate and Itala, and by most of the Greek fathers. Griesbach has left it out of the text, in which it does not appear that it ever had a legitimate place. The word covetous, which we have below, expresses all the meaning of this; and it is not likely that the apostle would insert in the same sentence two words of the same meaning, because they were different in sound. It appears to have been borrowed from 1 Timothy 3:8.

Eleventh. - He must be patient; επιεικη, meek, gentle; the opposite to πληκτην, a quarrelsome person, which it immediately follows when the spurious word αισχροκερδη is removed. Where meekness and patience do not reign, gravity cannot exist, and the love of God cannot dwell.

Twelfth. - He must not be a brawler; αμαχον, not contentious or litigious, but quiet and peaceable.

Thirteenth. - He must not be covetous; αφιλαργυρον, not a lover of money; not desiring the office for the sake of its emoluments. He who loves money will stick at nothing in order to get it. Fair and foul methods are to him alike, provided they may be equally productive. For the sake of reputation he may wish to get all honourably; but if that cannot be, he will not scruple to adopt other methods. A brother heathen gives him this counsel: "Get money if thou canst by fair means; if not, get it by hook and by crook."