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| 1 Timothy 3:6 |
Not a novice, lest being lifted up
with pride he fall into the condemnation of the
devil.
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Note:
before doing a study on any
single verse, read all the verses from the beginning
of the chapter to this point and maybe a verse or
two beyond. Do this so you have the verse in context
before you begin.
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We will begin by continuing in the Barclay
Commentary at the point we left off with our study
in verse five:
The one who is so¯phro¯n
is in perfect control of every emotion and instinct,
which is to say that the person who is
so¯phro¯n is the one in
whose heart Christ reigns supreme. The companion
word is kosmios, which
we have translated as well-behaved. If someone is
kosmios in all outward
behaviour, it is because that person is
so¯phro¯n in the inner
life. Kosmios means
orderly, honest, respectful. In Greek, it has two
special usages. It is common in tributes and in
inscriptions to the dead. And it is commonly used to
describe the person who is a good citizen. Plato
defines the man who is kosmios
as ‘the citizen who is quiet in the land, who duly
fulfils in his place and order the duties which are
incumbent upon him as such’. This word has more in
it than simply good behaviour. It describes the
person whose life is beautiful and in whose
character all things are harmoniously integrated.
The leader of the Church must be a man who is
so¯phro¯n, his every
instinct and desire under perfect control; he must
be a man who is kosmios,
his inner control being reflected in outward beauty.
The leader must be one in whose heart Christ’s power
reigns and on whose life Christ’s beauty shines.
~Barclay Commentary
Now to the commentaries...
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.
~Barnes Notes
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.
~Barnes Notes
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” (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.
~Barnes Notes
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, "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,
~John Gill
Quoted verse:
Job 14:9
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and
bring forth boughs like a plant.
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 ~John
Gill
that he fall into the
condemnation of the devil - or "of the
slanderer", as the word is rendered in 1Timothy 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 condem-nation 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.
~John Gill
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 3:11
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers,
sober, faithful in all things.
Fifteenth - It is required
that he be not a novice - Not a young plant,
not recently engrafted, 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 entrusted to his government. The
apostle’s term, 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.”
~Adam Clarke
Clearly the central issue or element of this
admonition in choosing elders and leaders is pride.
Let us take a look at several scriptures on the
subject. Let us see why pride is such a
negative element to the firstfruit and to the
church.
Proverbs 16:5
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination
to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not
be unpunished.
To explain the second part of this verse, notice the
commentary:
though hand join in hand, he
shall not be unpunished - though he
endeavours with both hands, with all his might and
main, to secure himself and prevent his ruin, he
shall not be able to do it; though he enters into
confederacy with, and calls in the kings of the
earth to his assistance, it will be of no avail,
both he and they shall be destroyed; or out of hand,
immediately, his destruction will come upon him.
~ John Gill
Proverbs 29:23
A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall
uphold the humble in spirit.
Proverbs 26:12
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is
more hope of a fool than of him.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the
lowly is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty
spirit before a fall.
Notice the commentary on the first part of the
verse:
Pride goeth before destruction
- As it did in the angels that sinned, who, through
pride, fell into condemnation, not being able to
bear the thought that the human nature, in the
person of the Son of God, should be advanced above
theirs; and as it did in our first parents, who, not
content with their present state and circumstances,
and ambitious of being as gods, knowing good and
evil, ruined themselves and all their posterity; and
as it has done in many of their sons, as in Haman,
Nebuchadnezzar, and others.
~John Gill
Proverbs 27:1-2
1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest
not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own
mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Proverbs 25:27-28
27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to
search their own glory is not glory.
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like
a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Notice verse 27 from the commentary.
It is not good to eat much honey -That is too much
otherwise it is good to eat, Proverbs 24:13; but too much
is hurtful, it surfeits the stomach increases choler
(e) and creates loathing; and indeed, too much of
anything is bad (f);
so for men to search their own
glory is not glory - to set forth their own
excellencies, to sound forth their own praises to
seek honour of men, to use all methods to gain
popular applause; this is not glorious and
praiseworthy, but dishonourable; or it may be
rendered as it literally lies in the original, "but
to search out", or "the searching out of their glory
is glory" (g); either the glory of righteous men, as
Aben Ezra interprets it, such as stand and do not
fall before the wicked; to search out their
excellencies and virtues, and follow their example,
is glorious and honourable: or to search the glory
of the knowledge of divine things, comparable to
honey, is commendable and glorious; for though a man
may eat too much honey, yet he cannot have too much
knowledge of divine and spiritual things, or be
satiated and overfilled with them; to which the
Septuagint version agrees, "but we ought to honour
glorious words": the glorious truths of the word of
God ought to be had in great esteem, and to search
out the glory of them is honourable; our Lord
directs to a search of the Scriptures, because they
testify of him, John 5:39; and we can never know too
much of him, or of the precious doctrines of the
Gospel. To which sense agrees the Vulgate Latin
version,
"so he who is the searcher of majesty shall be
oppressed by glory;'' ~John
Gill
Proverbs 16:5
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination
to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not
be unpunished.
To explain the second part of this verse, notice the
commentary:
though hand join in hand, he
shall not be unpunished - though he
endeavours with both hands, with all his might and
main, to secure himself and prevent his ruin, he
shall not be able to do it; though he enters into
confederacy with, and calls in the kings of the
earth to his assistance, it will be of no avail,
both he and they shall be destroyed; or out of hand,
immediately, his destruction will come upon him.
~ John Gill
Quoted verse:
John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Galatians 6:3
For if a man think himself to be something, when he
is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
James 4:1-17
...the entire chapter
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you?
come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in
your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to
have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,
that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is
the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The
spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your
laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to
heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and
he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that
speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his
brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the
law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer
of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we
will go into such a city, and continue there a year,
and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we
shall live, and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such
rejoicing is evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and
doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Just a few more scriptures on the subject.
There are so many.
2 Timothy 3:1-2
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and
arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth,
do I hate.
1 Timothy 6:3-6
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to
godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
What do we want of the would-be elder?
Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but
in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better
than themselves.
Romans 12:15-16
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with
them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not
high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be
not wise in your own conceits.
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
The church desires a person who is living 2
Corinthians 3:18 and using the power of the Holy
Spirit is going from "glory to glory." Such a
person is devoid of the problems of pride.
All these things are learned by veterans of the
Salvation Process over time. Those new to the
process have not had the time to immerse themselves
into the scriptures and hence we have in all these
guidelines for choosing elders, verse 6 of 1 Timothy
3.
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