1Timothy 3 KJV.
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
On my office door, there is a writing which reads “the office of a Bishop”. I am Bishop Paul.
Who is a Bishop?
For those of you having problems getting the difference between a Bishop, a Pastor or an Elder; a Bishop is a Pastor, a Pastor is an elder and an elder is a Bishop. All these titles refer to one person in the office of God. If you like you can just call me brother Paul because I’m a believer like you but if you have to look at me with respect to the responsibility God has put on my shoulders, you will be not wrong to call me Bishop Paul or Pastor Paul or Elder Paul. What you can never call me is Apostle Paul.
In the world’s religious system, a bishop is this guy who has many churches under him/her and has employed different pastors and they give him/her money every Sunday in the name of tithes. So, he/she is like a landlord/lady collecting money from every church in name of “I’m the one who started the church in Uganda and I have a pastor over there. I also have a church in Busia and I have assigned a Pastor to it”.
Back to 1Timothy 3 KJV.
The bible says…. “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
Keep Note: Apostle Paul did not desire to become an Apostle. He became an apostle by the will and power of God and he even says he did not deserve to called an Apostle.
1Corinthians 1 KJV.
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God,
1Corinthians 15 KJV.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
On matters becoming a bishop/Pastor/Elder, one has to desire or develop an interest for it. The bible says “If a man desire the office of a bishop he desireth a good work”. It is not a good work in the sense of making good money, but in the sense of being a servant of God working for God’s people.
Back to 1Timothy 3 KJV.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
An apostle has a free choice to make whether to get married or not. For a man to become a pastor and lead the church; he must marry and therefore called a husband of one wife. As a matter of fact, the bible never said, “the wife of one husband” neither did it say, “If a woman desire the office of a bishop”.
So, you know what this means? If you have a woman who’s calling herself a pastor. That’s strange. A pastor must be a married man and not just a single dude nor a husband of two wives.
The Bible says verses 4… “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
The bishop; the husband of one wife; must have authority in his house. He is the leader first in his house before he leads the church of God. He must be leading his wife and his children must be in subjection with all gravity.
Facts;
- any church you go to and you find a man without a wife in the capacity of a Pastor, you are in a wrong place.
- any church you go to and you find a woman behind the pull pit in the name of a bishop you are in a wrong place it should never skip your mind
- any church you go to and you find a man behind the pulpit in the name of an apostle you are in a wrong place (Apostle Paul was one born last in the order of apostles).
More bible reading from Titus.
Titus 1 KJV.
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
To be a Deacon; one should also have the biblical qualifications.
Where I come from, we have what we call deaconesses. Is this even a biblical name?
1Timothy 3 KJV.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
There’s nothing like deaconesses in the scriptures. So, if you go to a church and it is having deaconesses, never settle there. Deacons are to be married men with well-behaved children. There wives are serious Christians who mean business.