1 Timothy 3:1
1 Timothy 3:1
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul affirms that to desire the office of overseer is to desire a good work.
What Does 1 Timothy 3:1 Mean?
Paul introduces the qualifications for leadership with a trustworthy saying. To long for the work of overseeing the church is, in itself, a worthy aspiration.
Notice that the office is called a 'good work,' not a place of honor or power. Leadership in the church is labor on behalf of others. Paul affirms the desire while preparing to show what kind of person such work requires.
In the Original Language
episkope (ἐπισκοπή), 'office of a bishop' -- the work of overseeing and caring for the church.