How does 1 Timothy 3:8 connect with the qualifications for elders in Titus?

Setting the Verse in Context

1 Timothy 3:8: “Deacons likewise should be dignified, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money.”

Paul has just listed overseer (elder) traits in vv. 2-7; now he turns to deacons, yet keeps many of the same moral anchors.

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Shared Moral Core with Elders

Titus 1:7-8 gives parallel expectations for elders:

• “an overseer must be above reproach—not self-willed, not easily angered”

• “not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money”

• “Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.”

Notice the overlap:

• Above reproach / dignified

• Not self-willed or double-tongued (truthful, consistent speech)

• Not given to drunkenness / not given to much wine

• Not greedy for money / not greedy for money

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Point-by-Point Parallels

• Dignity & Blamelessness

– Deacon: “dignified”

– Elder: “above reproach” (Titus 1:7)

Both roles must inspire trust by steady, honorable conduct.

• Integrity of Speech

– Deacon: “not double-tongued”

– Elder: “not self-willed… not easily angered” (Titus 1:7)

Honest, calm words mark leaders who protect unity.

• Temperance

– Deacon: “not given to much wine”

– Elder: “not given to drunkenness” (Titus 1:7)

Self-control over appetites signals Spirit-filled maturity.

• Financial Purity

– Deacon: “not greedy for money”

– Elder: “not greedy for money” (Titus 1:7)

Stewardship demands freedom from material covetousness.

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Distinct Roles, Common Character

• Deacons serve practical needs (Acts 6:3: “select… men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom,”).

• Elders oversee doctrine and shepherding (Titus 1:9 stresses holding “to the trustworthy word”).

Yet both offices require the same inner life—because credibility in ministry flows from Christlike character, not merely from titles.

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Implications for Local Leadership Today

• Churches guard the gospel when every layer of leadership mirrors these shared standards.

• Overlapping qualifications ensure no “second-tier” morality; whether teaching publicly or serving behind the scenes, God’s servants model the same holiness.

• Evaluating potential leaders: start with 1 Timothy 3:8, then read it through the lens of Titus 1—looking for the consistent, Spirit-shaped life Paul describes.