Bishop is an old English word meaning overseer, church official, and leader. The business equivalent is middle management. Just as companies, organizations, and governments have people responsible for overseeing the daily, weekly, and annual functions of a corporation, so congregations and denominations have people responsible for such things. Some responsibilities include managing people, finances, operations, press, and production.
Unlike the secular world, the body of Christ must first and foremost consider a person’s qualification for such an important position. The consideration is based on their character and social and spiritual health (2-4). A congregation’s decision is not the same as judging a person. Judging implies punishment. Assessing someone for the position of a bishop is determining in order to help and improve the health of the body of Christ. (Some bishops may consider it punishment; this meant in humor.)
Verses 6 and 7 bring up an easily overlooked fact, an overseer may be a good candidate at first, but can easily become subject to the same judgment as of the devil. And like the devil often pastors and congregations find it hard to remove the devil’s bishop from positions of importance not because they can’t, but because selfish reasons and lack of faith make it hard for them to let go of the deceptive influence. Indeed, I have seen and experienced many birds in the mustard plant.
