This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer{Or, bishop}, he desires a good work.
In Paul’s day, there, no doubt, was not a surplus of candidates for the office of bishop. Bishops would likely be viewed as ringleaders of that "sect everywhere spoken against"; therefore, they would be "sitting ducks" and might very well be in real danger of severe persecution or even death. Thus, in the early days of the church, men with pure hearts and pure motives "desired" the office of bishop. The same thing is true today, for only men with spiritual ambition desire to "oversee" the affairs of the church.