The Good Work of the Bishop

# 75 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 3:1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. The Apostle Paul knows the end is near for him and so he continues to pass instructions along to Timothy as to “how to do church.” Local congregations that Timothy and others will be planting, must have overseers, and these overseers must meet certain qualifications. The first thing Paul does is underline the fact that a desire to be a bishop is a good thing! This desire is a God-given yearning. The word “desire” here means to “stretch oneself for.” I get the picture of a child reaching out for a cookie that is barely within reach. There is a certain degree of difficulty involved but once grasped it is certainly worth the effort. But what exactly is this yearning for? It is for the position or office of bishop. Say the word “bishop” and it will conjure up all sorts of images and ideas about what a bishop is, but what does the Bible say a bishop is? The word is first used in the New Testament church in Ac 1:20 as Peter was addressing the matter of replacing Judas. He said, "For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'” The King James says “his bishopric.” What was Judas' office? His office was one of the twelve Apostles. These Apostles were men that had been with Jesus from the time He was baptized by John until His death and resurrection. They, along with the Apostle Paul had received face to face teaching from Jesus and these Apostles would “oversee” Christ's church on earth and pass along His teachings to others. This was one of the charges that Paul gives to Timothy in 2Ti 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. These faithful and qualified men would then be ordained by the symbolic act of the laying on of hands and was not to be done in haste. (1 Tim 5:22) The man who's heart longs for (desires) this occupation (good work) desires a good thing, but that desire must be matched with certain criteria, and we'll look at this criteria in the days ahead.