Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Timothy 3:1

"Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." — 1 Timothy 3:1 (ASV)

“Sets his heart on” (GK 3977) means “aspires to.” The word “overseer” (GK 2175) is based on a verb that means “to look upon,” and so “to oversee, care for.” The reference here is to the office of overseer in the church (elsewhere, an overseer is identical to an “elder”; see comment on Tit 1:6). Anyone who aspires to such a position “desires a noble task”—and, we might add, a place of heavy responsibility. One needs to be sure that such a desire is not an expression of pride, but rather that it reflects a deep commitment to the work of the church.