1 Timothy 3
1 Faithful is the saying, If any man aspires to supervision, he desires a good work.
This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.
2 The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 no drunkard, not a fighter, not greedy of base gain, but gentle, noncontentious, no lover of money,
not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 a man who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all propriety
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 (but if any man knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of a congregation of God?),
(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 And he must also have good testimony from those outside, lest he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Helpers likewise, be honorable, not double-tongued, not attending to much wine, not greedy of base gain,
Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proven, then being blameless, let them serve.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 The wives likewise, be honorable, not slanderous, sober, faithful in all things.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 Let helpers be husbands of one wife, ruling children and their own houses well.
Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those who serve well will acquire to themselves a good standing, and much boldness in the faith in Christ Jesus.
For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee sooner,
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 but if I delay, that thou may know how it is necessary to live in a house of God, which is a congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of piety. God was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by agents, proclaimed among nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory.
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
