This message was presented on February 23, 2014 as part of the series on 1 Timothy.

Last week we began looking at the qualifications of the elder and I wanted to make sure we understood that first verse. Paul said, “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” (1 Tim. 3:1 NKJ) I emphasized that word “if” and said it was not a Third Class Condition as it was in 1 Tim. 2:15, but a First Class Condition, which means the phrase is a statement of fact. In other words, it is not saying, “if a man desires the position (maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t).” Continue reading →