ⲦⲒⳘⲞⲐⲈⲞⲤ Ⲁ ̅ 3
Faithful is the saying, "If any one is eager to have the oversight of a Church, he desires a noble work."
2 ⲃ̅ ϣ̅ϣⲉ ϭⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲙⲡⲟⲩⲧⲁϩⲟϥ ϩⲛ̅ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ϩⲱⲃ. ⲉⲁϥϫⲓ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲉϥⲧⲟⲣϩ̅ ⲛ̅ⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧ. ⲉϥⲕⲟⲥⲙⲓ. ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲓ̈ϣⲙ̅ⲙⲟ. ⲛ̅ⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ.
A minister then must be a man of irreproachable character, true to his one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable to strangers, and with a gift for teaching;
not a hard drinker nor given to blows; not selfish or quarrelsome or covetous;
but ruling his own household wisely and well, with children kept under control with true dignity.
5 ⲉ̅ ⲉϣϫⲉⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲁ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲛϥ̅ⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲙ̅ⲡⲣⲟϩⲓⲥⲧⲁ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϫⲙ̅ⲡⲉϥⲏⲉⲓ ⲛ̅ⲁϣ ⲛ̅ϩⲉ ϥⲛⲁϥⲓⲡⲣⲟⲟⲩϣ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲙ̅ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ.
(If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)
He ought not to be a new convert, for fear he should be blinded with pride and come under the same condemnation as the Devil.
7 ⲍ̅ ϣ̅ϣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲣⲉ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲛⲉⲧϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲁⲥ ⲉⲛⲛⲉϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲩⲛⲟϭⲛⲉϭ ⲙⲛ̅ⲟⲩϭⲟⲣϭⲥ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ·
It is needful also that he bear a good character with people outside the Church, lest he fall into reproach or a snare of the Devil.
8 ⲏ̅ ⲛ̅ⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲟⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲓ̈ϩⲉ ⲛ̅ⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲙⲉⲩϫⲉϣⲁϫⲉ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ. ⲛ̅ⲥⲉⲟ ⲁⲛ ⲛ̅ⲣⲉϥⲥⲉϩⲁϩ ⲛ̅ⲏⲣⲡ̅. ⲉⲛϩⲉⲛⲙⲁⲓ̈ϩⲏⲩ ⲛ̅ϣⲗⲟϥ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ.
Deacons, in the same way, must be men of serious demeanour, not double-tongued, nor addicted to much wine, nor greedy of base gain,
but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
And they must also be well-tried men, and when found to be of unblemished character then let them serve as deacons.
Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.
12 ⲓ̅ⲃ̅ ⲛ̅ⲇⲓⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉⲁⲩϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲱⲧ. ⲉⲩⲡⲣⲟϩⲓⲥⲧⲁ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϫⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ. ⲙⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲩⲏⲉⲓ.
A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
13 ⲓ̅ⲅ̅ ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲉⲩϫⲡⲟ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩϣⲓ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ. ⲙⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲡⲁⲣϩⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲉⲛⲁϣⲱⲥ ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲓ̅ⲥ̅·
For those who have filled the deacon's office wisely and well, are already gaining for themselves an honourable standing, and are acquiring great freedom of speech in proclaiming the faith which rests on Christ Jesus.
All this I write to you, though I am hoping before long to come to see you.
15 ⲓ̅ⲉ̅ ⲉϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲉⲓϣⲁⲛⲱⲥⲕ̅ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲕⲉⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲑⲉ ⲉⲧⲉϣϣⲉ ⲉⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲏⲉⲓ ⲙ̅ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ. ⲉⲧⲉⲧⲁⲓ̈ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲕⲏⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲙ̅ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϩ̅. ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲧⲁϫⲣⲟ ⲛ̅ⲧⲙⲉ.
But, for fear I may be hindered, I now write, so that you may have rules to guide you in dealing with God's household. For this is what the Church of the ever-living God is, and it is the pillar and foundation-stone of the truth.
16 ⲓ̅ⲋ̅ ⲁⲩⲱ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛⲱⲥ. ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ. ⲡⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲥⲁⲣⲝ̅. ⲁϥⲧⲙⲁⲓ̈ⲟ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅. ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ. ⲁⲩⲧⲁϣⲉⲟⲉⲓϣ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ ϩⲛ̅ⲛ̅ϩⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ. ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲛϩⲟⲩⲧϥ̅ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϥⲓⲧϥ̅ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ϩⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲉⲟⲟⲩ·
And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion-- that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.
