1 Timothy 3:1-7
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul reminds us here that what God has given us extends to more than just the financial and material resources at our disposal. We are also responsible for “people resources” in general and family members in particular.
In the world of Paul’s times, churches were basically house churches, and households included children, slaves, and even other relatives. It does make sense, then, that Paul sees a direct relationship between the ability to “manage” such extended households and the ability to care for churches that had a similar structure.
What Paul is saying is that our call to be followers of Jesus and ministers of the gospel demands that we become good stewards of the family relationships that God has entrusted us with, and thus, that we invest time and resources to care well for them.
We must first learn to love and serve in the complex, messy but beautiful context of our family. Only then can we be effective witnesses in the world and the community of faith.
Author: Davide Cantarella
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