ܐ-ܛܝܡܬܐܘܣ 3

1 ܡܗܝܡܢܐ ܗܝ ܡܠܬܐ ܕܐܢ ܐܢܫ ܪܐܓ ܩܫܝܫܘܬܐ ܥܒܕܐ ܛܒܐ ܪܐܓ

How true is this saying: ‘To aspire to be to be a supervisor in the church is to be ambitious for a noble task.’

2 ܘܠܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܐܝܢܐ ܕܡܘܡܐ ܠܐ ܡܫܬܟܚ ܒܗ ܘܗܘܐ ܒܥܠܐ ܕܚܕܐ ܐܢܬܬܐ ܐܝܢܐ ܕܥܝܪ ܪܥܝܢܗ ܘܢܟܦ ܘܡܛܟܤ ܘܪܚܡ ܐܟܤܢܝܐ ܘܡܠܦܢ

The supervisor should be of blameless character; a faithful partner; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skillful teacher,

3 ܘܠܐ ܥܒܪ ܥܠ ܚܡܪܐ ܘܠܐ ܪܗܛܐ ܐܝܕܗ ܠܡܡܚܐ ܐܠܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܡܟܝܟ ܘܠܐ ܢܨܝ ܘܠܐ ܪܚܡ ܟܤܦܐ

not addicted to drink or brawling, but of a forbearing and peaceable disposition, and not a lover of money;

4 ܘܡܕܒܪ ܒܝܬܗ ܫܦܝܪ ܘܐܚܝܕ ܒܢܘܗܝ ܒܫܘܥܒܕܐ ܒܟܠܗ ܕܟܝܘܬܐ

they should provide for their own household well, and their children should kept under control and be well-behaved.

5 ܐܢ ܓܝܪ ܒܝܬܐ ܕܢܦܫܗ ܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܕܢܕܒܪ ܫܦܝܪ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܡܫܟܚ ܥܕܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܕܢܕܒܪ

If someone does not know how to provide for their own household, how can they take charge of the church of God?

6 ܘܠܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܛܠܐ ܬܘܠܡܕܗ ܕܠܐ ܢܬܪܝܡ ܘܢܦܠ ܒܕܝܢܗ ܕܤܛܢܐ

The supervisor should not be a recent convert, or they might become blinded by pride and fall under the same judgment as the devil.

7 ܘܠܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܐܦ ܤܗܕܘܬܐ ܫܦܝܪܬܐ ܐܝܬ ܠܗ ܡܢ ܒܪܝܐ ܕܠܐ ܢܦܠ ܒܚܤܕܐ ܘܒܦܚܐ ܕܤܛܢܐ

They should also be well spoken of by outsiders, so that they may not incur censure and so fall into the devil’s trap.

8 ܘܐܦ ܡܫܡܫܢܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܕܟܝܢ ܘܠܐ ܢܡܠܠܘܢ ܬܪܬܝܢ ܘܠܐ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܨܠܝܢ ܠܚܡܪܐ ܤܓܝܐܐ ܘܠܐ ܢܪܚܡܘܢ ܝܘܬܪܢܐ ܛܢܦܐ

So, too, assistants should be serious and straightforward, not given to taking much drink or to questionable money-making,

9 ܐܠܐ ܢܐܚܕܘܢ ܐܪܙܐ ܕܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܒܬܐܪܬܐ ܕܟܝܬܐ

but people who hold the deep truths of the faith and have a clear conscience.

10 ܘܗܢܘܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܢܬܒܩܘܢ ܠܘܩܕܡ ܘܗܝܕܝܢ ܢܫܡܫܘܢ ܟܕ ܐܝܬܝܗܘܢ ܕܠܐ ܪܫܝܢ

They should be tested first, and only appointed to their office if no objection is raised against them.

11 ܗܟܢܐ ܐܦ ܢܫܐ ܢܗܘܝܢ ܢܟܦܢ ܘܢܗܘܐ ܥܝܪ ܪܥܝܢܗܝܢ ܘܢܗܘܝܢ ܡܗܝܡܢܢ ܒܟܠ ܡܕܡ ܘܠܐ ܢܗܘܝܢ ܐܟܠܢ ܩܪܨܐ

It should be the same with the women in this office. They should be serious, not gossips, sober, and trustworthy in all respects.

12 ܡܫܡܫܢܐ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܐܝܢܐ ܕܚܕܐ ܐܢܬܬܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܗ ܘܕܒܪ ܒܢܘܗܝ ܘܒܝܬܗ ܫܦܝܪ

Assistants should be faithful partners who manage their children and their households well.

13 ܐܝܠܝܢ ܓܝܪ ܕܫܡܫܘ ܫܦܝܪ ܕܪܓܐ ܛܒܐ ܩܢܝܢ ܠܢܦܫܗܘܢ ܘܡܓܠܐ ܐܦܐ ܤܓܝܐܐ ܒܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ

Those who have filled that post with honor gain for themselves an honorable position, as well as great confidence through the faith that they place in Christ Jesus.

14 ܗܠܝܢ ܟܬܒ ܐܢܐ ܠܟ ܟܕ ܡܤܒܪ ܐܢܐ ܕܒܥܓܠ ܐܬܐ ܐܢܐ ܠܘܬܟ

I am writing this to you, though I hope that I will come to see you before long;

15 ܘܐܢ ܗܘ ܕܝܢ ܕܡܘܚܪ ܐܢܐ ܕܬܕܥ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܘܠܐ ܠܡܬܗܦܟܘ ܒܒܝܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܕܐܝܬܝܗ ܥܕܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܚܝܐ ܥܡܘܕܐ ܘܫܬܐܤܬܐ ܕܫܪܪܐ

but in case I should be delayed, I want you to know what your conduct ought to be in the household of God, which is the church of the living God – the pillar and stay of the truth.

16 ܘܫܪܝܪܐܝܬ ܪܒ ܗܘ ܐܪܙܐ ܗܢܐ ܕܟܐܢܘܬܐ ܕܐܬܓܠܝ ܒܒܤܪ ܘܐܙܕܕܩ ܒܪܘܚ ܘܐܬܚܙܝ ܠܡܠܐܟܐ ܘܐܬܟܪܙ ܒܝܬ ܥܡܡܐ ܘܐܬܗܝܡܢ ܒܥܠܡܐ ܘܐܤܬܠܩ ܒܫܘܒܚܐ

Yes, and undeniably wonderful are the deep truths of our religion; for – ‘He was revealed in our nature, pronounced righteous in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up into glory.’