Qualifications of Bishops and Deacons.

1 Timothy 3:1-13.

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

Bishops were equivalent to being a Church elder or pastor, responsible for preaching, teaching, and managing Church operations. Deacons were basically the assistants of the Bishops.

Bishops.
“This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” 1 Timothy 3:1 

Desiring to be a leader over a gathering of Christians is to be desirous of doing good work in the name of Jesus Christ. This means being entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and shepherding others according to the word of God. Being a shepherd means to keep people walking in belief in God the Creator, to acknowledge that Jesus gave His life on the Cross to atone for sin, and help people to live the life of Holiness through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach…” 1 Timothy 3:2

To be blameless is to always glorify God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God considers us to be blameless when He sees Jesus in us through the Holy Spirit. In the eyes of today’s culture, a Christian will never be blameless because today’s culture lives by the standards of the beast that gives people what to feel, think, do, and speak. They fill the congregation of the churches and assigns blame to anyone leading people to God through Jesus Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus Christ came, He led people away from having multiple wives, concubines, mistresses, affairs, etc. Faithfulness to one wife became essential, even as faithfulness to one God is essential.

Moderation and self-control are essential to lead people away from a life of self-indulgence, gluttony, and destructive excesses.

Having a clear, rational, and sensible mind is essential in bringing the truth of Jesus Christ to the people. Our Lord Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Light that leads us through the darkness of this world. A sober mind is essential for showing others how Jesus makes a way through the wilderness of the world, how His word is the truth that this world never talks about, how Jesus offers life in a world that is filled with death and destruction, and how Jesus is the light shining in a world that prefers to keep people in the dark.

Good behavior is to not blaspheme God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, nor to indulge in sexual promiscuity, nor to live excessively, nor to be irrational, nor to be unfriendly, unwelcoming, or difficult, nor to indulge in substance abuse, nor to be violent, nor greedy for money, nor argumentative, nor to covet the things of this world, nor to be an abusive husband or father.

Being friendly, welcoming, and easy-going is essential for those who want to be a shepherd for Jesus Christ.

Being able to teach refers to having a born-again experience and being able to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ from that. Being able to teach how Jesus is the Christ and Son of God as prophesied about in the Old Testament. Being able to teach others about the process of sanctification leading us in the walk of Holiness. Being able to teach doe snot come by having a degree from a Bible school.

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

“…not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous…” 1 Timothy 3:3

“…one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)…” 1 Timothy 3:4-5

In today’s world, the Christian family structure is being destroyed by the culture that lives for the beast who gives them what to feel, do, think, and speak. Relationships are being formed by the bonds of 6-6-6 which is unbelief in God [6], the disregard for Jesus Christ [6], and opposition to the presence of the Holy Spirit [6]. Marriages bonded by faith in God through Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, are becoming extinct. Children, from the every youngest, are under the influence of the beast that has power over physiology to live and speak through them. Children can be extremely difficult for Christian parents to handle. Even then, its essential for parents not to be abusive to the children and to learn how to manage the home.

“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work…” Titus 3:1

Needless to say, in the same way that Christian marriages and homes are being brought to ruin , the churches are being brought to ruin.

“…not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” 1 Timothy 3:6

Experience is essential. If we want to lead others through this atheistic world, we have to have experience in the spiritual warfare. That spiritual warfare involves having awareness and experience with the beast that manipulates feelings and thoughts to influence what people say and do. We have to have experience with the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through all of our weaknesses and failures, it’s essential to continue in our belief in God the Creator, our Savior Jesus Christ, and continue to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit.

A novice might mingle his leadership role in the church with the uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, extraordinary skills and talents, uncanny authority over others etc. with the beast that grants those physiological “gifts” [gifts that cost you your soul]. People who are shepherds in the churches who credits the beast as being God falls into the same condemnation as Satan, eternal hell.

“Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” 1 Timothy 3:7

In today’s culture, those who live for Jesus Christ will never be given a good testimony because they serve the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel about Christians and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As quoted, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:7-8 The “him” in that verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

Today, we hear about leaders in the churches falling into disrepute of the community culture and into the snare of Satan. They are exposed as being child molesters, involved in extra-marital affairs, thievery of church funds, living luxuriously, illegally using narcotics etc.

Deacons.
What applies to Bishops also apply to Deacons.

“Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” 1 Timothy 3:8-9

The mystery of faith is explained inthis way, “…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26-27

Being reverent means to be respectful of others, not speaking flatteries to their face then speaking malice towards them in the ears of someone else. Substance abuse and greed for money must not be a part of who we are. The “mystery of the faith” is the revelation of the coming of Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be held with a pure conscience. The beast that gives people what to feel, think, say, and do pollutes the conscience. The conscience is polluted so that the beast can give life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people. When that happens within people trying to be a leader of the Church, then the Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes polluted by what they are given to say and do.

“But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.” 1 Timothy 3:10 

Every Christian leader must be tried in this atheistic world and found true to Jesus Christ. Those trials come by living in the spiritual warfare brought on by the beast that opposes God and Jesus Christ to give people what to speak, do, think, and feel. When we are found to be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who strengthens us, then we will be able to shepherd others in the way of Jesus Christ. By standing true in Jesus Christ, God counts us as being blameless through His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

“Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.” 1 Timothy 3:11 

As a wife of a Christian leader, she must not be disrespectful of the way of Jesus Christ, not speaking false statements to harm the reputation of others, not living extravagantly, and not to be untrustworthy and disloyal. A pastor’s wife who sexually cheats with members of the congregation is a disgrace. She must be reverent, temperate, and faithful in all things.

“Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 3:12-13

As also stated for the Bishops.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1