1 Timothy 3:13

3:8-13 The deacons were at first appointed to distribute the charity of the church, and to manage its concerns, yet pastors and evangelists were among them. The deacons had a great trust reposed in them. They must be grave, serious, prudent men. It is not fit that public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any, till they are found fit for the business with which they are to be trusted. All who are related to ministers, must take great care to walk as becomes the gospel of Christ.

Purchase to themselves a good degree; a good degree of honour, so that none hath reason to decline or to despise that office. This seems rather to be the sense, than what pleaseth some better, viz. that they purchase to themselves a higher degree in the ministry of the church; for though it be very probably true, and but rational, that the primitive church did out of their deacons choose their higher officers for the church, yet neither was this done universally as to all persons chosen into those high employments, nor as to all those that used the office of a deacon well, there doubtless being many who had done so, who yet were not didaktikoi, fitted with an ability sufficient to be preachers, without which fitness the primitive church would not choose any to such employment. And great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus; by the well performance also of the office of a deacon, many obtained a great liberty, or freedom of speech, parrhsian, as to the doctrine of the faith of Christ. For by the exercise of the deacon’s office, they had much converse both with the pastors and members of the church; which converse did not only improve their knowledge in the doctrine of faith, but took off that excessive bashfulness which possesseth many till they come to be fully acquainted with the thing of which, and the persons before which, they are to speak, which we see by daily experience. Or, the apostle intends that courage that arises from a good conscience.

1 Timothy 3:13 . Βαθμὸν ) a degree , from the humble deaconship to the higher offices in the church. He who is faithful in an inferior degree, is promoted to a higher station.— ἑαυτοῖς , to themselves ) They do not merely promote the interests of others.— πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ) great boldness with regard to God and man, from being well exercised.— ἐν πίστει , in the faith ) that they may perceive that they are made most richly partakers of His faith and benefits.

Purchase (περιποιοῦνται) Only here, Luke 17:33, and Acts 20:28 on which see note. Purchase is unfortunate from the point of modern usage; but it is employed in its original sense of to win, acquire, without any idea of a bargain. So Bacon, Ess. iv. 14: "There is no man doth a wrong for the wrong's sake; but thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or honor, or the like." And Shakespeare: "Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition Worthily purchased, take my daughter." Temp iv. 1, 14 Rend. acquire or obtain for themselves. A good degree (βαθμὸν καλὸν) Βαθμός, N.T.o. Primarily, a step. In lxx, 1 Samuel 5:5; Sir. 6:36, a threshold: 2 Kings 20:9, a degree on the dial. In ecclesiastical writers, order, grade, rank: see, for instance, Eusebius, H. E. vii. 15. Also degree of relationship or affinity. Here the word apparently means a position of trust and influence in the church; possibly a promotion from the diaconate to the episcopate. Others (as De Wette, Ellicott, Pfleiderer) refer it to a high grade in the future life, which Holtzmann sarcastically describes as a ladder-round in heaven (eine Staffel im Himmel). John the Scholar, known as Climacus, a monk of the latter half of the sixth century, and Abbot of the Sinai Convent, wrote a mystical work entitled Κλίμαξ τοῦ Παραδείσου the Ladder of Paradise. The ladder, according to him, had thirty rounds. Boldness (παρρησίαν) Primarily, free and bold speaking; speaking out every word (πᾶν, ῥῆμα).

Its dominant idea is boldness, confidence, as opposed to fear, ambiguity, or reserve. The idea of publicity is sometimes attached to it, but as secondary. Only here in the Pastorals: several times in Paul, as 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4; Philippians 1:20. The phrase πολλή παρρησία much boldness is also Pauline. An assured position and blameless reputation in the church, with a pure conscience, would assure boldness of speech and of attitude in the Christian community and elsewhere. In faith Connect with boldness only. It designates the boldness as distinctively Christian, founded on faith in Christ

13. purchase to themselves a good degree—literally, "are acquiring … a … step." Understood by many as "a higher step," that is, promotion to the higher office of presbyter. But ambition of rising seems hardly the motive to faithfulness which the apostle would urge; besides, it would require the comparative, "a better degree." Then the past aorist participle, "they that used the office of deacon well," implies that the present verb, "are acquiring to themselves boldness," is the result of the completed action of using the diaconate well. Also, Paul would not probably hold out to every deacon the prospect of promotion to the presbytery in reward of his service. The idea of moving upwards in Church offices was as yet unknown (compare Ro 12:7, &c.; 1Co 12:4-11).

Moreover, there seems little connection between reference to a higher Church rank and the words "great boldness." Therefore, what those who have faithfully discharged the diaconate acquire for themselves is "a good standing-place" [Alford] (a well-grounded hope of salvation) against the day of judgment, 1Ti 6:19; 1Co 3:13, 14 (the figurative meaning of "degree" or "step," being the degree of worth which one has obtained in the eye of God [Wiesinger]); and boldness (resting on that standing-place"), as well for preaching and admonishing others now (Eph 6:19; a firm standing forth for the truth against error), as also especially in relation to God their coming Judge, before whom they may be boldly confident (Ac 24:16; 1Jo 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; Heb 4:16). in the faith—rather as Greek, "in faith," that is, boldness resting on their own faith. which is in Christ Jesus—resting in Christ Jesus.

Verse 13. - Served well as deacons for used the office of a deacon well , A.V.; gain to themselves a good standing for purchase to themselves a good degree , A.V. Served... as deacons ( διακονήσαντες ); as in ver. 10. In this technical sense only found in these two passages; which well agrees with the late date of this Epistle, when the technical sense of διάκονος was established. Gain to themselves a good standing. The sense of the passage depends a good deal upon the exact meaning of βαθμός . In 1 Samuel 5:4, 5 , in the LXX., βαθμός is the rendering of מִפְתָּן (rendered αἴθριον in Ezekiel 9:3 ; Ezekiel 10:4 ), a somewhat unusual word for a "threshold." In 2 Kings 20:9, 10, 11 , it is the rendering of מַעֲלָה , "a degree on the sun-dial." This latter seems to suit better the verb περιποιοῦνται , they gain or acquire, which suggests the idea of advancement . It does not follow that St. Paul had in his mind their advancement from the " inferior office" to " the higher ministries in the Church" (Ordination Service); he may merely have meant to say that the discharge of the duties of a deacon in an efficient and exemplary manner raised a man to high estimation in the Church, and so gave him confidence in confessing the faith of Jesus Christ both by word and deed. Gain to themselves ( περιποιοῦνται ); acquire by purchase or otherwise. Frequent in the LXX.; but only elsewhere in the New Testament in Acts 20:28 . Boldness ( παρρησίαν ); very common in the New Testament (comp.

Acts 4:13, 29, 31 ; Ephesians 6:19 ; Philippians 1:20 , etc.), where it is especially applied to boldness in preaching the gospel of Christ. This seems to imply that St. Paul contemplated preaching as a part of the deacon's work. We know that Philip the deacon and Stephen the deacon were both preachers. 1 Timothy 3:13

13 . purchase to themselves a good degree ] The word for ‘degree’ occurs only here in N.T., having been used in LXX. for a ‘step’ or ‘threshold,’ e.g. 1 Samuel 5:5 , ‘the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod.’ It may be compared with 1 Timothy 6:19 , ‘a good foundation,’ and may, from the drift of that phrase, be interpreted so as to combine something of all the three most general explanations, ( a ) a better degree or post, promotion to the priesthood; ( b ) esteem and regard from the Church for good service; ( c ) honour and promotion from God in the final day of reckoning. In 1 Timothy 6:19 the right use of wealth by the wealthy is the best basis for the whole of the life ‘which is life indeed’ to be gradually built up on, in the days yet to come on earth, and the unending day after: no spiritual life can be sound that is not built in and upon the faithful doing of our duty in that state of life to which it may please God to call us. An illustration of the metaphor may be taken from the building of Smeaton’s Eddystone Lighthouse and all lighthouses of the kind since. ‘All the lower courses of stone were joggled and morticed into the rock , hewn for that purpose into a series of six steplike courses .