Tuesday with Timothy #21 A Good Work

I Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

This is a true saying,

This is a true saying, so that is always a good thing to know. Not that the Bible isn't true but this is a truth that resonates with Paul as he contemplates the office of elder in the Lord's church. Paul knows experimentally the goodness of the office and affirms this truth from his own life. I knew marriage was good because the Bible said it is good. I knew marriage was good experimentally because I'm married and have experienced its goodness first hand. My experience of this truth doesn't make it true, but I can attest to its truthfulness. 

if a man desire the office of a bishop,

A man's desire is not always in conflict with God's will. I worry that men think that in order to be a pastor, God has to make you miserable and drag you kicking and screaming behind the pulpit. A man should not start preaching or pastoring if he doesn't want to do it because it certainly is not an easy task for the man or his family. You should desire to do the work when you start and not feel forced to keep it up once you get going (I Peter 5:2).  Certainly this should not be looked at lightly but if God has given a man a desire to do a good work, whether he goes with much fear or much excitement, he is going forward with desire that God has put in his heart. As we will see in the coming chapters, that desire will set a fire in the man and cause him to discipline himself for the task. This is not a desire of a young man watching a football game and wishing he was Peyton Manning. This is the desire of a young man that wakes up at 5:00 am to train before school because he is going to be the next Peyton Manning. 

To desire the office is something to be reached for -- a goal to stretch yourself out for the position. It is a higher position than you are currently residing, if you are desiring it. If the ladies didn't like the authority at the end of chapter two, the men can now join their angst because it is at this point we see the office of bishop has authority. To reach up and desire an office of overseer (which is what the word means) tells us that there is authority with the position. In churches that hold to congregational polity (as I believe the Bible teaches) the church member must voluntarily submit themselves to those that are the overseerers of the church. Let's step it back for a moment and consider why the women can't teach. Because of authority. If a woman cannot be pastor because that role gives her authority over men in the church, obviously when a man does take the office of overseerer, he steps into that authoritative office. To call a man to be your pastor is to call a man into a position of authority. 

he desireth a good work.

It really is a good work. It is work though, don't be mistaken about that. It is hard work. And, for this present time, usually a thankless task. But it is a good work. It is a noble work that must be done in faith, knowing that the reward is not in this life, but when the Chief Shepherd appears (I Peter 5:4). Paul doesn't hide the fact that this is a war and if you are going to enter the ministry, it is going to be a battle. God calls a man, I believe, by putting a desire in him to do the good work. However; the desire and longing for pastoral ministry does not mean that a person should be or even can be a pastor just because they want to be. There are two calls in the call to the ministry that I believe are both the work of the Holy Spirit and both must be present. One, the internal call which I believe is God putting into the heart of a man the desire to preach the Word and serve Christ in the church. But the church is not to be subject to a man just because he says he was called into the ministry. I mean...what if he isn't? What if he is lying? What if he had just watched Braveheart and wants to do something different with his life? What if he isn't a he, but a she and she has "heard the call" and desires to preach? That is the ultimate trump card, is it not? A person says "God called me and if you don't recognize my calling, then you are opposing God. Trust me, I didn't eve want to preach, but God made me and you better not go against me because God called me." Well, it doesn't work that way. We are subject to God's Word.

The second calling is what comes in the next verse - the calling of the church to confirm and recognize that calling. The man has a inward desire but the church has a more practical view in discerning the call. Churches would do well to study what God expects of a pastor before they ordain a man or call a man to be their pastor. The church looks at the man and discerns whether or not he fits the bill. In reality, what is supposed to happen is that the church grows her own men to stand up and take over the leadership of the church. 

**Update**
I changed the link to a different article on pastoral statistics. It was the same stats, just from the original source.