Hi guys,

Great to see you here again. Take care and have a blessed Bible study.

Here you can find the transcript of the video:
------------------------
1 Timothy 3:12, “A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.”

Interesting points:
1. In this verse, Paul returns to the qualifications of a deacon. Like the overseer, the deacon is expected to manage and care for his family. If married, he should have no more than one wife and be faithful to her.

2. Families in Ephesus during the First Century Ephesus consisted of several generations and the deacon would be responsible for caring for his parents, grandparents and wife and children, if he had any. If he had servants or owned slaves, he was expected to care for them. Naturally, others would take into account whether he had a solid reputation in caring for his extended family and managing his household.

3. A man that properly cares for and loves his family has learned to place their needs over his own. The term “deacon” literally means “servant”, driving the point that he places the needs of other believers above his own.

Application.
Brothers, this is a great reminder of what it is to be the “head of a family”: it is an exercise of self-sacrifice, ensuring that the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each member are met. It is a daunting task that we cannot hope to do properly on our own, no matter how much we love our family.

For today, let’s set aside some time to take stock of how we are doing and where we can improve. If we don’t have a clear picture of how we are meeting the needs of each member of our household, let’s make some time to speak with each person and ask how we could (better) lift them up and make a plan and pray over it for God’s wisdom and discernment.