Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 1st Letter Volume 29

Paul Details to Timothy the Qualifications of Leaders in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ Part 6

1 Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. KJV

The Apostle Paul had just finished telling Timothy that the prospective Deacons and Deaconesses were to be of the kind of person who believed the Gospel of Christ just as it had been handed down from the very first Disciples/Apostles, that is, the twelve (12) (minus the traitor Judas of course) who walked with our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ for a little over three (3) years while He was on the earth before His Ascension back to Heaven. So, now immediately Paul declares to Timothy that the Deacons and Deaconesses must be proven to believe 'The Faith once and for all handed down from these first disciples' and he writes such with these words, "And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless." (1 Timothy 3:10) (KJV). The little English phrase 'be proved' is translated by one Greek word dokimazō which means to test (literally or figuratively); by implication to approve: - allow, discern, examine, or try. In the days during the Gold Rush out in California those who purchased or paid for gold prospected by someone, first had to have their rocks authenticated before any transaction could take place, for the deceitful worker could easily get a bunch of worthless rocks and paint over them attempting to deceive the buyer.

In like manner, the devil can transform himself into an angel of light coming in the form of a true believer when that person is really a deceitful worker planted there by the devil attempting and intending to destroy the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ from the inside out, just as Paul warned the Corinthian Church to beware of with these peircing, penetrating, and powerful words, "I wish you would bear with me while I indulge in a little [so-called] foolishness. Do bear with me! For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness {and} a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted {and} seduced from wholehearted {and} sincere {and} pure devotion to Christ. For [you seem readily to endure it] if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the [Spirit] you [once] received or a different gospel from the one you [then] received {and} welcomed; you tolerate [all that] well enough!" (2 Corinthians 11:1-4) (Amplified Bible).

When we drop down later on in this very same Chapter Paul begins to be specific about want and who was responsible for these men who came to them as sheep, but were really wolves clothed in sheep skin and wool, as he said with these words, "But what I do, I will continue to do, [for I am determined to maintain this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who would like [to find an occasion and incentive] to claim that in their boasted [mission] they work on the same terms that we do. For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15) (Amplified Bible). The idea Paul is trying to get over to Timothy is that it is his responsibility and other leaders in the Churches like him to do a searching inquiry, interrogation, or interview of these men and women before just appointed anyone to these positions. It must be proven that they are in fact true believers holding the mystery of the faith, fighting for the faith, and even enduring persecutions for their faith because of their love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John spoke and wrote of this trying and testing concerning true faith in Christ with these words, "Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges {and} confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man {and} has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; And every spirit which does not acknowledge {and} confess {that} Jesus {Christ has come in the flesh} [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3) (Amplified Bible), for the Mormons will come to you speaking of Jesus Christ, their Church even bears His name, but they do not believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (that is, that He is God and Man, the God-Man) and count Him as just a man endowed with power from God, this is the spirit of anti-christ wrapped up in a nice sweet little package with a bright red bow on top that looks beautiful on the outside, but inside the package is a heeping pile of horse shit. Here is what Matthew Henry had to say concerning the proving of potential Deacons or Deaconesses, "It is not fit that the public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any, till they have been first proved, and found fit for the business they are to be entrusted with; the soundness of their judgments, their zeal for Christ, and the blamelessness of their conversation, must be proved." For the explanation of being found blameless see the commentary for Bishops found in Volume 24.

"Younger men, referred to as deacons, were appointed to subordinate tasks, especially the relief of the poor, Acts 6:1-15. Though their service was less important, their character must be of the highest quality. The strength of a Church is as much in the godliness of those who fill subordinate offices, as in its acknowledged leaders. The caretaker of a Church should be a man of as high ideals as its chief pastor. Nothing is common or unclean, nothing trivial and unimportant, where Christ’s honor and glory are concerned. In the prophet’s vision the very snuffers of the candlestick were of gold." F. B. Meyer

"If entire Church/Religious organizations can be founded by one man who has been infused with the lie of the devil (such as Joseph Smith with Mormonism and the Arab Prophet Muhammad with Islam) then surely Paul's idea of testing the faith, that is, what does the professing Christian believe about Jesus Christ, Christ virgin birth, Christ death on the Cross, Christ resurrection from the dead, Christ ascension back to Heaven, Christ Deity, and Christ second coming to the earth to judge sin is not something that must be taken lightly, but must be met with all sincerity, soberness, and seriousness of mind, for the way the devil is working now to hinder the work of our Lord Jesus Christ (for he can never stop it) is by infiltrating the Church with deceitful workers or false believers meant to hurt and harm the work of our Lord Jesus, even just as Paul warned Timothy of in his second (2nd)  letter to him with these words, "But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving {and} leading astray others and being deceived {and} led astray themselves." (2 Timothy 3:13) (Amplified Bible), therefore, it should make us all the more diligent to test and try a person or persons profession of faith in Jesus Christ just as He does in heaven as King David declared with these words, "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; His eyelids test {and} prove the children of men. The Lord tests {and} proves the [unyieldingly] righteous, but His soul abhors the wicked and him who loves violence." (Psalms 11:4-5) (Amplified Bible)." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…