Leadership is not simply about being knowledgeable in the word of God. Leadership is to set an example in the character and way of Christ to inspire those they lead to do the same. Much of Paul’s instruction to his spiritual son Timothy had to do with a personal maturity in the character of Christ. Timothy was to set an example that others could follow in pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
True righteousness involves a love relationship with God and with others. True godliness requires sacrificial acts of love towards others. Faith comes by hearing someone, and it is made manifest through works of love towards them. This is true in our relationship toward God and toward one another. Love is not merely an emotion or a personal gratification of some kind. It is a will, a mind, an emotion, an imagination, and an action towards another for their wellbeing. It is covenantal in nature, and it seeks to give life to others and never takes it. Patience is a willingness to endure, suffer, and wait upon another. Gentleness is a gift of love to another in a kind and tender way. None of these attributes are for personal gain, but for the benefit and life of another. Leaders must be an example in these things and lead others to live their lives in the same way.
Timothy was to set an example in fighting the fight of faith and embracing the eternal life of God. True eternal life is a knowing of God the Father and an intimate knowledge of the Jesus the Son (Jn. 17:3). Eternal life is not just the promotion to glory when we die; it is living in a personal relationship with God throughout our lives for the glory of His name. Leaders must set an example that others can follow in living their everyday lives with an intimate relationship with God in all things.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Relationship with God was to be first and foremost in all things. Leaders must know that the foundation of their leadership grace is in a personal relationship with God. This is the kind of people we are to be! This is the kind of community we are in the earth for the communities of men to see! We must inspire others to see, experience, and walk in the life that God has for all men!
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Please help us complete our Mission:
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
Paul charged Timothy to take care of those who were under his care. Good Leadership must guard the community of God from the disputes and arguments that come over foolish words. Those words are expressions of envy, strife, evil speaking, evil suspicions, or simply useless words that hurt people because of corrupt thinking and not understanding the truth. People enter into such things for their own gain. Paul’s instructions to Timothy reveal that leadership was to separate from such people and teach the believers to do the same. This is not the way Christ-like humans act and to associate with such people is a waste of time and a blemish in the community of God. We can expect sinners to act such and we seek to reach out to them in love, but we do not condone these character attributes in a covenant community of God. The best thing to do when people seek to act in divisive ways is to avoid entering into their divisiveness with them. It is a waste of time to get into disputes that don’t lead to life. We are the community of God and we must seek the things that make us be known as people of God.
1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Leaders don’t lead ministry; they lead people who serve in the ministry of Christ in the earth. Leaders help those they lead to become a community that expresses Christ’s character, nature, way, power, and authority to the world. Leadership must set the example of being a Christ community person and they must accept the responsibility of leading those in their care to become a testimony of the same. We are not to be expressions of worldly communities doing Christian things. We must desire for and allow the Holy Spirit to make us become expressions of Christ-like communities doing the things required of us in an everyday world.
Paul told Timothy to set an example of a godly and content life and to teach others to live godly and content lives. God-sent leaders teach godliness with contentment in the community of their planting. They must guard against the love of things by promoting the more important things before, to, and in the lives of those they lead.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Money or things are not the roots of evil. It is the love of money and things that reveals an evil root in our hearts. People who do not know God are looking to find love in the world and especially the things of the world. In their confusion they often turn to the things the world provides to find their contentment. The result is the manifestation of a worldly, greedy character. These things do not produce true life. The community of God is to be a life-giving community in and to the world they live in. Leaders must set an example that others can follow in the midst of everyday realities in our world. Godliness is to seek to be a giver of life as God is a giver of life. Contentment is to embrace a satisfaction with what every day brings and to live to be a giver of life in every circumstance, situation, and day of our lives. We are children of God, and we live to give the life of God and to be the life of God every day. We don’t seek to gain possessions for our one self-seeking ways, but we use everything that God gives us to be a life-giving son or daughter of God in our world.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:www.ted4leaders.comwww.ted4you.com orwww.houseofbreadministry.org.Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is:House of Bread Ministry3210 Meridian St.Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
In my first years of ministry I was very serious about my responsibility of leadership. I put my whole energy into ministry and leading others. I had virtually no time to do anything that was of a personal pleasure nature. I didn’t have time for such things! In truth, I was overweight, overtired, overworked, and unbalanced in my personal humanity. When I turned 50 a friend of mine encouraged me to take some personal time to bless my own soul. When I was young I used to hunt and I enjoyed it very much, but a life of ministry focus gave me no time for such personal pleasure. My friend gave me a hunting rifle and encouraged me to go hunting again. He also gave me an archery bow and encouraged me even more! When I was young I used to hunt with an archery bow and the thought of being able to easily go to the woods and use a silent weapon for practice enticed me enough to take the challenge. For the past twenty years I have taken personal time to hunt, and it has enriched my soul and empowered me to have a healthier perspective on life and ministry. It has also provided some great grocery supplies of an organic nature! I have had many God experiences in the woods, but just the health that has come to my soul has enriched my abilities as a leader.
About the same time in my life I began to do a morning run and do some physical exercise. In previous years I always gave the excuse of being too busy to do such a thing, but I discovered that waking a bit earlier in the morning gave me all the time I needed. At age 50 I began to become considerably healthier spiritually, emotionally, and physically than I was at age 40. At age 60 it was even better! This is now my 70th year and I continue with my daily exercise. I begin my day stirring up my spirit, soul, and body. I pray in the Spirit while I exercise in the natural. I set my thoughts, reasoning, imagination, emotions, and desires upon God and upon living life and being life to my world. I eat to be healthy, and I enjoy some time in the woods now and then. For me, these things are the same as ‘drinking a little wine’. These are practical things I do that empower me to be a healthy leader and thus I can continue in my responsibilities of life in a healthy way for the sake of those who look to me as a leader. As a spiritual father in the lives of others, I say to them, take care of your life. A ‘little wine’ is good for the stomach!
In addition to taking care of himself, Timothy was to be aware of the condition of the lives of those in his charge. He was to even be aware of men’s sins. He was to be aware that some sins are easily seen ahead of time while others are revealed later. Leaders lead a community of people to be a testimony of the character, nature, way, power, and authority of Christ. This means they must inspire, challenge, and lead those in the care to embrace the testimony of Christ in their personal lives.
1 Timothy 5:24-25 some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.
Timothy was to teach those in his care how to be good servants. In modern terms this would be to teach people how to be good employers and employees in the everyday world. People who are part of the community of Christ must represent the family well in the communities of the world. It is part of the responsibility of leadership to instruct those in their care in the way to live as family members in Christ. This include teaching them to be good, honest, diligent, and hard workers in their jobs and responsibilities of service in life.
1 Timothy 6:1-2 let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
The role of leadership is very practical. It is not about leading others in church programs, church ministry, or church projects. It is about leading others in a way of life. It is about leading others in being a testimony of Christ’s community in the communities of the world. For a leader to be concerned about the personal lives of those they lead is part of a leader’s business! They must set an example to follow and also take charge to lead those in their care into the testimony of Christ in all things!
Food For Thought
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:www.ted4leaders.comwww.ted4you.com orwww.houseofbreadministry.org.Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is:House of Bread Ministry3210 Meridian St.Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
Paul’s letter to Timothy was a letter to a pastor. It was meant to make Timothy aware of his responsibilities as a leader and also to give instruction for leaders to come. It was meant to be read by the church so that all are aware of the gift of leadership given by God to the church. Leadership is a calling, an appointment, and anointing given by God for the guidance and empowerment of the church.
Timothy was to lead without prejudice. He was to accept his responsibility of leadership, not merely for those he liked, but for every person given to his charge. All leaders must understand that their role of leading is not something they have chosen, but a role assigned to them by God for the sake of those they lead. Their responsibilities of leadership must be carried out in a manner that shows God’s love and care for each and every person in the community under their care. That love is the testimony of our Father’s love for each of His children.
1 Timothy 5:21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
The responsibility of leading is not just meant to be carried by one. God chooses others to partner together for His purpose and will in every sphere of His family. Authority gives life and authority is a grace gift of responsibly for the sake of those to whom they have been sent. Timothy was to give authority to others in a careful manner. Authority is not something taken lightly or given away quickly. Leaders must understand that the authority they walk in is a substance given to them by God. To give that substance to another is a decision led by God and it must be given to those who qualify for such responsibility. It is a serious thing to represent God in some way before others. When a leader lays hands upon someone for leadership the authority given to that person authorizes them to be a representation of the authorizing leader. If they are found to be lacking in character that testimony becomes one that affects the delegating authority as well. A leader must be aware of the gravity of giving authority to others. They must never shy away from giving authority to others, but they must also not be hasty in giving authority to them. The need for gifts of ministry can never outweigh the need for properly discerning who is qualified to receive authority and who is not. That qualification is given by God and directed by God at all times.
1 Timothy 5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.
The role of leadership is a gift to those they lead, and it is a responsibility entrusted to a leader of great importance. Every leader must know that being a leader is not a position of hierarchy, but one of service. It is an honor to serve those you lead. For a leader to lead well, a leader must stay in relationship with God and others well. A leader must love well. They must care for themselves, their family, ant those in their care.
It is important for a leader to take care of his or her life – spirit, soul, and body. Paul told Timothy to take care of himself physically. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he wrote to him in regard to drinking a little wine for the sake of his stomach. I don’t believe that Paul was merely giving Timothy instructions about wine. It was not meant to be a license for drinking or a law against it. These were the words of a spiritual father to a spiritual son as a matter of love and concern for his wellbeing.
1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
This verse of Scripture implies that Paul was aware of a digestive problem that Timothy struggled with. Paul was concerned for the health of his spiritual son Timothy. Paul was telling Timothy to be sure to take care of himself physically. Let’s consider an even greater scope of possibility here. In Scripture wine is also a metaphor for a happy and prosperous soul. It is not about drinking wine, it is about living with a happy and prosperous soul. I like to hunt. In the forest I spend time with God, but the forest also rejuvenates my soul.
Psalms 104:15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.
I believe that it is important for a leader to take care of themselves. Life is not about ministry, it is about relationship and when we are not healthy in spirit, soul, or body we are often hindered in our ability to lead. Being unhealthy in any aspect does not disqualify us from leading; it merely creates a personal challenge in our ability to lead. Surely there are many times in life where the circumstance and situation causes us to have to press through hard times, but we should not seek to religiously inflict pain upon ourselves. If we seek to live godly lives we will suffer persecution, but we must not be lazy, negligent, or irresponsible in taking care of our own spirit, soul, or body in our walk in life. When we experience the consequences of not taking care of ourselves we can hardly blame the devil or some sort of tribulation when things go awry. In such cases we can only blame our own foolishness. If we take care of our own lives, spirit, soul and body, we can lead others in doing the same.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
When Paul wrote his letters to Timothy he was dealing with Timothy’s responsibility as a leader and the responsibility of leaders that would follow in the footsteps of the sending grace for leadership in the body of Christ. The letters to Timothy are Scripture to be read by every member of the church, but they are letters written specifically to leaders. Members reading these letters receive a perspective of what the responsibility their leaders hold and what type of culture they are required to cultivate in the church. Ruling elders were to be considered worthy of both the honor of submission to who they were as authorities and also by way of provision in their lives. Leadership is not to demand these things, but a culture of honor in the church must be developed that considers honor to leaders an important and even essential element in kingdom life. This was not to be a license for leaders to take advantage of church members in the name of honor. It was simply meant to be a guideline for the character of the family of God. Leaders honor those they lead by freely giving them the word and helping them walk a Christ led life. Members honor leaders by making sure they are provided for in practical ways.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
These words of Paul to Timothy were not meant to create laws concerning required wages by clergy, but they did set a principle, pattern, and even a value for the generations of the church of the centuries to embrace in the function of the church. Those who are called by God to give their lives to develop and lead the church in a spiritual way are worthy to be taken care of in practical ways. Leaders minister the word and help others to embrace the character and way of Christ in their path of life, and the financial care of those who give their lives to lead are all aspects of spiritual ministry in the church. A healthy Christ life community fulfills the spiritual and practical aspects of life for those in the community to the best of their ability.
Keep in mind, that these things are also relevant to the circumstances of any given situation. In some parts of the world providing for those who lead is easy. In other parts of the world, it is necessary that leaders seek additional provision since the situation of the culture and circumstance do not warrant a practical ability for the full provision to come from those they lead. The apostle Paul worked with his hands, when necessary, even though he was worthy of being provided for as one who labored in the word for the sake of the body.
Acts 18:3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
1 Corinthians 4:12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure…
Accusations against leadership were to be at the mouth of two or three witnesses. These would not be false accusations, but ones proven in regard to legitimate issues of sin. It is common for people to misunderstand authority and to even bring false accusations against them when they choose to be offended in some way towards leaders. Any accusations against a leader must prove to be valid if they are to be accepted. If there is a valid cause of accusation against a leader the responsibility for that flaw must be accepted for the sake of setting an example in the true character of leadership. A leader in sin was to accept the responsibility of their failures before others so the character and responsibly of godly leadership can be maintained in the generations of the church. A team of leaders must never seek to cover up issues of sin, but they must also protect one another from false accusations that simply serve to falsely legitimize a resistance to the authority given by God to leadership for the sake of leading in the church. The accusation against an elder was not to be an accusation spoken about them as a malicious act of gossip to other members of the church, but an accusation that was believed to be a legitimate one and brought to the other leaders in the church. The issue, even in accusation, is a culture of honor and love for the sake of Christ’s name.
1 Timothy 5:19-20 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
In all these things, Leaders lead in love as an example of love to create a culture of love in the community expression of Christ that they lead.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
Church elders are not leaders because of skills they have learned regarding leading. They are leaders because God has granted them a grace to lead for His purposes in His family in the earth. They have been called, appointed, and anointed for the responsibility of leading in the body of Christ. There is a substance of heaven deposited in a God-appointed leader that is a part of a grace given to them by God to lead in the way that He has ordained each leader to lead. It is not a matter of hierarchy or position of control. It is a matter of heaven’s grace and heavenly responsibility for a heavenly purpose in the earth. When Paul wrote his letters to Timothy, he charged Timothy to pay attention to the gifts given him through the prophetic word of God and the impartation of the Spirit. He was to meditate on the things spoken and given to him by God. He was to give his life entirely to them.
1Timothy 4:14-16 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
A leader in the church must recognize that the gift of leadership does not belong to them because of their personal knowledge, skill, or performance. It has been entrusted to them because of God’s doing. It is an authority given to bring the life of God to a purpose of God in the earth. It is not given to simply maintain an operation of ministry or to teach a group of people to adhere to a written code of life. It is a gift from God to lead God’s people forward in His plan and purpose in all things. It is about a change of life, a way of life, and a purpose of life in all things. Again, the instructions of Paul to Timothy were very practical. They involved everyday life, in an everyday world, with everyday responsibilities. The main issue was not to do works of ministry, but to become transformed by God to become a testimony of His divine nature in the earth.
The responsibility of leadership is a responsibility of family relationships. It involves a culture of connection and honor. Timothy was to set an example in treating older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers and younger women as sisters. This is a responsibility of all the members of God’s family, but leaders set an example that others can follow.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
Practical things, like the care of widows, were part of his responsibility as a leader. Paul did not give Timothy an instruction of law concerning taking care of widows. He wrote to him regarding a practical responsibility in the family of God and how children of God should take care of one another according to their own responsibilities. Timothy was to teach those who are responsible to be responsible for others, but to see to it that everyone is cared for. He was not to rob anyone of his or her own family responsibilities. No one was to become an irresponsible burden upon others.
1 Timothy 5:3-16 Honor widows who are really widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. And these things command, that they may be blameless. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some have already turned aside after Satan. If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
Paul’s instruction concerning the care of widows was not meant to be a legalistic rule for widows in the doctrine of the church. It was not about ridged rules of religious discipline or some magic age for qualification of entitlements. It was merely an example of relational and practical responsibilities in the family of God. Timothy was to teach families to be responsible for their own family members, but that everyone in the community of God should be cared for. No one should put their burden upon those who are not legitimately responsible for them. Anyone who is able to care for themselves should do everything to care for themselves. Anyone who has a needy family member should accept the responsibility of the needs in their own family. The community of God must also accept its responsibility as a community so that everyone is cared for, but no one is to take undue advantage of another. Everyone has been given a life to live, with a ‘cup to drink’ and everyone must accept their own life, including its family responsibilities. Everyone must drink the cup that is set before him or her. This is part of being a responsible and healthy family in God. Leaders must lead for a culture of responsible, loving, caring, and diligent people for a community of life. The objective is not to recognize the entitlements of the community but to equip the community and its members to seek the fullest potential of empowerment in their lives.
When we look at the instructions of Paul to Timothy we see an example in principle, pattern, and value regarding the responsibility of leaders in the church. These things are about life! They are about living as the community of God in the earth to reveal the goodness of God to the world!
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:www.ted4leaders.comwww.ted4you.com orwww.houseofbreadministry.org.Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is:House of Bread Ministry3210 Meridian St.Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
I have been addressing the instructions given by Paul as an apostle, to Timothy as a pastor in the church. I believe that the principals, patterns, and values found in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus are kingdom realities for leaders in the church today. It is not the legalism of Paul’s words, but the substance of his words that reveals key elements in the responsibility of leaders in any church in any time.
Paul instructed Timothy to be aware that people would depart from the faith and would give heed to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons. They would speak lies in hypocrisy, have hardened consciences, forbid to marry, and command legalistic rules concerning what to eat, what not to eat, what to do, and not to do as a matter of religious rules or superstitions. These were realities at the time of Timothy and church history reveals that these things continued as patterns of heresy in the church in successive generations. These were real deceptions at the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. These things are dangers in every church, and they are often the default mode of people in their efforts to do works to justify their faith rather than works as expressions of faith as a testimony of an intimate relationship with God in Christ. Leaders must give sound teaching and set a good example in being free from religious, demonic heresy.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Paul’s instructions to Timothy reveal that leaders are not to just warn those they lead concerning things that lead to demonic deception. Leaders must set an example of the proper use of all things. Their example is one of receiving all things from God with thanksgiving as long as its use or function is true to God’s word and a testimony of a relationship with God. The written word of God is the grounds for legitimacy of all things and an intimate conversation with God is what confirms that word to be true and interpreted correctly. The word of God and prayer are the ingredients for proper use of all things. For something to be a true word from God it must be true to the principles, patterns, and values of Scripture as well as true to the Spirit – the character of God. Some things are meant to be left alone, not because of some religious law but because their use does not fulfill a life-giving purpose.
1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
Again, leaders have a role of assisting those they lead in the practical areas of life. Good doctrine is simply a good way of life. It is not about what we believe, but how we live our lives. Jesus came to give us life and believers must seek to live in the liberty of the Spirit with a testimony of the life and peace that is found in Christ.
1 Timothy 4:7-11 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.
Leadership must instruct believers in regard to living a godly lifestyle. They are to reject useless things that do not pertain to true godliness. Leaders must teach believers, by word and example, to trust God, labor, and endure in all things. As Paul instructed Timothy, leaders are to both command and teach these things.
Timothy was not to let anyone despise him because of his youth. He was not to allow anyone to accuse him of being unqualified or inexperienced. Leaders must accept their God-given responsibility to lead, and they must be confident in who God has declared them to be. They cannot allow people to intimidate them in their God-ordained responsibility as a leader.
1 Timothy 4:12-13 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Timothy was to be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. Timothy was to give his attention to speaking the word of God, exhorting the believers, and to both live and charge others to live godly lives. Leaders set an example in continually growing and becoming what God is making them all become for His glory. This is not merely memorizing what the word says so we can tell others what to do. This is becoming what the word says we are to be. Leaders must be an example to those they lead so they can follow with God’s transforming grace at work in their own lives. Leadership responsibility is about helping people in their everyday lives become examples of Christ and His family in all things.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:www.ted4leaders.comwww.ted4you.com orwww.houseofbreadministry.org.Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is:House of Bread Ministry3210 Meridian St.Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
I am continuing to write in regard to Paul’s instructions to Timothy. These were the instructions of a spiritual father to His spiritual son. It was a letter of apostolic authority to the authority of a local church in regard to the responsibilities of leadership in the community of God. I have presented that an overseeing leader in the community of God was, and is, to be an example of the character of the family of God.
In the family of God there are leaders who are apt to teach, they are apt to set direction for the community of God in the direction that God is leading them and in the character that God is creating in their midst. There are other kinds of leaders in the church as well. Some leaders are not apt to teach, but they are graced and gifted to facilitate the things implemented by the overseeing leaders. They have a grace to keep in motion what has been put in motion by the overseeing leaders of the community. These types of leaders are referred to in the Scripture as deacons. The word deacon is a transliterated word from the Greek language that simply means to serve. God has put a grace upon some leaders to activate the spirit of serving in the community of God. They are elders by character, but deacons by gifting. They don’t merely do the practical things of ministry; they lead to see to it that members of the community do all of the practical things in the family of God. This includes practical duties like laying hands on the sick, ministering deliverance to those who are bound, feeding the poor, teaching children, or tending to any of the practical everyday needs of community life.
Paul gave instructions to Timothy that he was to expect the same character requirements for those who would be appointed into the responsibility of deacons as facilitating leaders as was also expected of the overseeing leaders. The character requirements for elders, both bishops and deacons, are not given as a measuring tool to see who fails the test. They were instructions given by Paul to a church leader concerning the criteria to look for in seeking to recognize those God was appointing to those areas of responsibility. The overseeing elders and deacons were to be examples of faith and exhibit a godly lifestyle in their own households so they could serve in the same type of responsibility in the household of God – the church. The leaders were to conduct themselves as examples to those they lead.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 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. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, 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.
Again, failure in the past is not the measurement of those in these areas of responsibility. It is a testimony in the present that qualifies those who lead to be examples to others in the practical realities of life. The objective was not to seek out people who could obey the rules of character, but to look for those who had discovered the life-changing power of God’s grace in their lives. All people have faced challenges of failure in their lives and the community of God needs examples of people who know how to pass the tests of adversity in order to prevail with the testimonies of God’s grace in an everyday world. The community of God is one of grace and not law. It is one of victory; therefore it is also one of challenges, tests, failures, mercy, triumph, and glory. Leaders must be an example to the community of God in the everyday realities of family and life. The body of Christ is a community of heaven, not merely a ministry of works!
Paul was writing to Timothy in regard to a leader’s responsibility in the church. Those responsibilities were a matter of relationship, not gift and function. Paul demonstrated that in his own letter to his spiritual son, Timothy.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Paul’s charge to Timothy as a leader included an example of the way of Jesus in the flesh. Just as Jesus was manifest in the flesh, Christ must be manifest in the life of each leader to lead all to discover the testimony of Christ in them. Just as Jesus was empowered by the Spirit, witnessed by heavenly powers, revealed as truth to those who had not known truth, believed by those who had not known God’s glory, and received to God’s glory; A leader must live in the justice of the Spirit, know the power of the Spirit, reveal God to others by the testimony of the Spirit, experience the fruit of the work of the Spirit in the lives of others around them, and live for the full hope of the glory of the Spirit.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.
Leadership is a matter of being an example of the life and power of God’s Spirit in and to the community of God. It is not about seminary degrees, skills of ministry, preaching abilities, or detailed strategies of vision. It is about a testimony of something of heaven upon the earth. Leaders lead the community of God for the testimony of communion with God and one another as His family upon the earth. This includes an authority, anointing, and a transformed character by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through their lives.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he addressed some qualifications for leaders. Leaders are examples to those they lead, and leading God’s people is a grace given by God for the sake of the maturation and growth of the body of Christ.
1 Timothy 3:3-5 …not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 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?)…
Paul’s words to Timothy were not intended to be a legalistic law concerning things you can do and things you cannot do. They were instructions concerning good character that others can emulate and follow. A leader must not be given to wine. Practically speaking, being in bondage to alcohol is to be enslaved to a lord of the flesh. Paul also instructed Timothy that a glass of wine is good for the stomach.
1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
In Scripture, wine is used to symbolize life. There is a life of the Spirit, but there is also the life of the flesh. I believe that in 1 Tim. 3:3, Paul was referring to not being in bondage to things that merely inspire the desires of the flesh. I believe that this is a testimony concerning human desires or personal indulgences. Leaders don’t seek their own pleasures but live to help others be free from things that produce bondages in people’s lives. Surely a leader must not be a drunkard, but it includes the principle, pattern, and value of living for others and not their own personal indulgences.
A leader must not be violent, but demonstrate a spirit and actions of kindness, peace, and love. They are not greedy for money – simply stated they must not lead for personal gain at the expense of others. They must be gentle, demonstrating a willingness to care for others above themselves. Leaders avoid quarrels and do not demonstrate an aggressive attitude towards others. They must be content with what God has given to them, and they must not be covetous of what belongs to someone else. They lead their own personal lives well, because they are required to seek God’s direction and grace to lead His house. They set an example of tending to the business of family so that others can follow their example, also tending to the business of their own families. Surely children are responsible to make their own decisions in life and the children of a leader may decide not to walk in their ways. This does not disqualify a leader. If a leader is doing their best to lead in the path of life and they demonstrate the character of Christ in that process they are not to be held accountable if their children choose a path of failure. God is a good Father and sets an example for His children to follow yet many choose not to walk in the path of His way. This does not disqualify God from being Father. The scrutiny is not upon what the children do, but upon how a leader leads. People are imperfect living in imperfect situations with imperfect realities. No one is measured by the choices that others make, but they are measured by their own personal example, attitude, and actions in regard to their willingness to live for the sake of their families. Knowing how to rule in your household is a testimony of character, not one of legalistic law. A leader must know how to walk through difficult and challenging things so they can lead to help others walk through all that they must walk through in life.
1 Timothy 3:6 …not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
A leader is not a novice in the matters of family, relationships, and walking through the challenges of relationship in life. Most of life is about relationships, not works of ministry. The pressures of life and having to walk through the difficult matters of human connections are a prerequisite to qualifying a leader to lead. They must not be prideful and fall into the deception of the devil who thought his gifting and independence was more important than his relationship with God and his responsibilities before God.
A leader must also have a good testimony to people who do not know God. How do they present themselves in the world they live in? They set an example that others desire to follow, and they are not insecure in their pursuit of life. They don’t live for the desires of the world, but for the will of God in every aspect of their daily lives.
1 Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
Today I will continue to address the topic of leadership responsibility in the church. I am writing concerning Paul’s letters to Timothy in regard to his responsibility as a leader. This letter to Timothy included Timothy’s role in responsibility as well as those leaders affiliated with Timothy in the work of ministry. These letters establish a principle, pattern, and value for us as leaders in the church today. Timothy was to set order for honor and submission in the church. He was to understand his responsibilities as an overseeing elder and require the same of others appointed to the same call of apt to teach, or administrative, leadership.
1 Timothy 3:1-2 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach…
The term ‘bishop’ is a term for someone who has been given the responsibility of being an overseeing leader for the sake of the church. It is not a position of hierarchy. It is a position of serving the body of Christ and it is a great honor and a good work. An overseeing leader must understand that the role of leadership is one of responsibility and not a position of greater value. The role of an overseer is not one merely based upon charismatic gifting, administrative skill, qualification of education, or mere experience in ministry. It is one of character. A leader’s personal life is directly connected to their ability to lead. They must seek to be blameless. This doesn’t mean that they are perfect, but it does mean that they seek to do their best in all things. When faced with things that need to change in their own lives they willingly embrace the process of change. They know their righteousness is in Christ and they depend upon the power of Christ in them to empower them to not only grow in their ability of gifting but also their testimony of character. They are the husbands of one wife. This is not meant to be a law concerning marriage and divorce, nor do I believe that it is only inclusive to men in ministry, it is a present quality of character in leadership. Whether it is a man or a woman in a position of leadership; the principle, pattern, and value to be gained from these verses is one of covenant. It is not meant to be a legal requirement for leadership. We have all had failures in our past in some way; the question is where are we in the present? A leader must know that their ability to keep covenant in their own family relationships is directly connected to their ability to lead others in the church to know how to stay at the table of covenant. When faced with challenges in their personal lives they willingly seek the empowerment of God’s grace to give them a testimony of a growing, maturing, life-giving covenant. This takes both a man and a woman working together for the greater testimony of the two as one. This gives a leader the grace to empower others in the matters of relationship in life.
A leader is to be temperate – a term for being vigilant, circumspect, and self-controlled. A leader knows how to be heedful of their circumstances with a view towards the potential outcome of any situation in their lives. They are dependent upon Christ in them to give them the needed testimony for the sake of others. They must be sober-minded – to be modest, chaste, and discrete in their way of life. They must demonstrate good behavior to others. They must be hospitable, demonstrating that they willingly live for the wellbeing of others. An overseeing leader (bishop) must be able to teach. I don’t believe that this is merely teaching Scripture. Anyone should be able to teach Scripture in some way. A leader must be able to hear the direction of God for the church and set the direction that others can follow. They are like a dad or a mom in the family that is capable of teaching the children the way in which they must live. They know the family values of Christ and they lead others to embrace the attributes of the family of God, the desires of the family of God, the vision of the family of God, and the destiny of the family.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Donations can be made at the link on the home site of:
Checks can be made payable to House of Bread Ministry and sent to:
House of Bread Ministry, 3210 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225
To avoid us paying a transaction fee from your donation, you can also set up a payment or an automatic payment from your bank to House of Bread Ministry. Just set it up as a ‘bill pay’ through your online bank account and your bank will mail a check to House of Bread Ministry. We will record your payment as a donation to House of Bread Ministry (E.I.N. 91-2009037) and we will send you a contribution receipt at the close of the year.
Our Ministry Information Is: House of Bread Ministry 3210 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
Thank you so much for your donations to House of Bread Ministry. Your commitment to House of Bread helps us serve the Body of Christ with the ministry of life.
