1 Timothy 3
1 It is a faithful saying: if a man desires the episcopate, he desires a good work.
IT is a true saying, If a man seeks the office of a bishop, he desireth a laudable employment.
2 Therefore, it is necessary for a bishop to be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, gracious, chaste, hospitable, a teacher,
A bishop then must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sagacious, respectable, hospitable, well qualified for teaching;
3 not a drunkard, not combative but restrained, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
not addicted to wine, not using hard words or blows, not greedy of base gain; but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
4 but a man who leads his own house well, having children who are subordinate with all chastity.
presiding over his own family with propriety, having his children under subjection with all gravity of behaviour:
5 For if a man does not know how to lead his own house, how will he take care of the Church of God?
for if a man knoweth not how to order his own family, how shall he take proper care of the church of God?
6 He must not be a new convert, lest, being elated by pride, he may fall under the sentence of the devil.
Not a new convert, lest he be puffed up, and fall into the devil’s crime.
7 And it is necessary for him also to have good testimony from those who are outside, so that he may not fall into disrepute and the snare of the devil.
He must also have a fair character from those who are without, that he may not fall into reproach, and into the snare of the devil.
8 Similarly, deacons must be chaste, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not pursuing tainted profit,
The deacons also in like manner must be grave, not doubletongued, not addicting themselves to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 holding to the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
10 And these things should be proven first, and then they may minister, being without offense.
And let these also be first proved, and if found blameless, then let them enter on the deacon’s office.
11 Similarly, the women must be chaste, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Their wives in like manner must be grave women, not addicted to scandal, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Deacons should be the husband of one wife, men who lead their own children and their own houses well.
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ordering well their children and their own families.
13 For those who have ministered well will acquire for themselves a good position, and much confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
For they who discharge the office of a deacon with propriety, acquire to themselves a respectable station in the church, and great boldness in the faith which is in Jesus Christ.
14 I am writing these things to you, with the hope that I will come to you soon.
These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15 But, if I am delayed, you should know the manner in which it is necessary to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of truth.
but should I be delayed, that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the pedestal of truth.
16 And it is clearly great, this mystery of piety, which was manifested in the flesh, which was justified in the Spirit, which has appeared to Angels, which has been preached to the Gentiles, which is believed in the world, which has been taken up in glory.
And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen of angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
