<p>3:6- see on Lk. 12:49.</p><p><i>Not a new convert, lest being puffed up with pride </i><i>he fall into the condemnation of the devil</i>- There is a word play here, because &quot;new convert&quot; translates a Greek word literally meaning one newly sprouted or puffed up. Seeing Paul is in the first instance writing to Timothy, perhaps he is warning him that as a new convert, he must be aware that he will be prone to pride in his new conversion.</p><p>A new convert should not be made an elder because he may fall into &ldquo;the condemnation of the devil&rdquo;. This may refer to the Jewish 'devil' eagerly waiting to accuse the leadership of the Christian ecclesia in Ephesus. But <i>diabolos</i> is often used in the pastorals in relation to gossipers (1 Tim. 3:6,7,11; 2 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 2:3). Gossip is the clearest manifestation of the &lsquo;devil&rsquo; within our natures, and we should be aware of this. &ldquo;The condemnation of the devil&rdquo; may therefore mean that the gossipers, whether within or outside the ecclesia, will more easily condemn a novice. If a brother has behind him all the qualifications listed in 1 Tim. 3, of faithful children, a reputation as stable, patient etc., then such gossips will have less power to condemn him in the eyes of others. Paul indicates that he understands the power of gossip in the church- he knew that a spiritually young elder was going to face slander, as sure as day follows night. And therefore, young elders aren&rsquo;t a good idea, he concludes. We too need to face up to the reality of gossip, that it will happen, and we need to seek to protect those vulnerable to it before it starts. &nbsp;</p>