< 1 Timothy 3 >

1 This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a good work.
It is a faithful saying, that if a man desireth the eldership, he desireth a good work.
2 The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;
And an elder ought to be such, that no blame can be found in him; and he should be the husband of one wife, with a vigilant mind, and sober and regular in his habits, and affectionate to strangers, and instructive;
3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
and not a transgressor in regard to wine, and whose hand is not swift to strike; but he should be humble, and not contentious, nor a lover of money;
4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
and one that guideth well his own house, and holdeth his children in subjection with all purity.
5 (but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)
For if he knoweth not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the church of God.
6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
Neither let him be of recent discipleship; lest he be uplifted, and fall into the condemnation of Satan.
7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap of the devil.
And there ought to be good testimony of him from those without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of Satan.
8 Deacons, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;
And so also the deacons should be pure, and not speak double, nor incline to much wine, nor love base gains;
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
but should hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are blamesless.
And let them be first tried, and then let them serve, if they are without blame.
11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
So also should the wives be chaste and of vigilant minds; and they should be faithful in all things; and they should not be slanderers.
12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
Let the deacons be such as have each one wife and guide well their children and households.
13 For those who have served well as deacons gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
For they who serve well as deacons, procure for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in the faith of Jesus the Messiah.
14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
These things I write to thee, while hoping soon to come to thee;
15 but if I wait long, that you may know how people ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
but if I should delay, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. The pillar and the foundation of the truth,
16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He was revealed in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
and truly great, is this mystery of righteousness, which was revealed in the flesh, and justified in the spirit, and seen by angels, and proclaimed among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, and received up into glory.

< 1 Timothy 3 >