Here are the specific verses I have started looking at and are some initial observations on this verses.
1. There is clear difference between overseer and deacons. The way I read this passage is that the overseer is more an authoritative/investigative body. Whereas a deacon is more servant. In many ways this would make sense in that within a church you would have a group of leaders who serve as the administrative leaders and another group who would serve as more of the doer type of leaders.
2. Why does Paul switch from the feminine to the masculine forms of the Greek word we translate overseer? He could have used the masculine in both cases right so why didn't he? If you have some insight on this I would sure appreciate it.
2. Why does Paul switch from the feminine to the masculine forms of the Greek word we translate overseer? He could have used the masculine in both cases right so why didn't he? If you have some insight on this I would sure appreciate it.
4 comments:
Dtboy, I'm certainly not a Greek expert, but I think I can offer some helpful thoughts here. Episcope (feminine) in verse 1 is not the same word as episcopos in verse 2. Lenski, Meyer, and the BAGD lexicon all say that episcope refers to the office of overseer/bishop, whereas episcopos refers to the bishop himself. The fact that episcope is feminine has no significance for women. The word episcope is also used in Acts 1:20: "For it is written in the book of Psalms, `LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT'; and, `LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE .'" Notice that it is translated here in the NASB as "office." The key Greek clue for me in 1 Timothy 3 is the word "hosautos" ("likewise"). We see the word in verses 8 and 11. The word indicates different categories. Thus, the first category is overseer (all men). The second category is deacon (all men). The third category is women. I think Paul was intentionally vague here about the role of women. In his context, women on the church staff (so to speak) were older widows supported by the church who were one-man kind of women (5:9) which is parallel for the one-woman kind of men (overseers and deacons).
Checking with Vicky--of course...
The first verse is talking about overseers the Concept while the second
verse is talking about a specific, individual overseer.
Apparently that's a Greek issue. Whenever they talk about things
abstractly or conceptually they use the feminine. Whenever they get
specific, they use masculine or gender appropriate.
She told me that and of course, my mind went straight to the whole
passage with Peter and the "You are Peter (petros--masculine--specific
individual), and upon this rock (petra--feminine--concept idea) I will
build my church." That would be much less complicated if we interpreted
that passage in these terms.
Kelly
The comment above is from my Pastor. I had sent him an email wanting his thoughts on this post.
Good thoughts. . . . In the NASB in verse 1, episcope is translated as "office of overseer" while in verse 2 episcopos is translated as "overseer."
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