1 Timothy 3
1 This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of overseer, 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 The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;
A bishop then must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, temperate, sagacious, respectable, hospitable, well qualified for teaching;
3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
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 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
presiding over his own family with propriety, having his children under subjection with all gravity of behaviour:
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 a man knoweth not how to order his own family, how shall he take proper care of the church of God?
6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
Not a new convert, lest he be puffed up, and fall into the devil’s crime.
7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap 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 Deacons, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;
The deacons also in like manner must be grave, not doubletongued, not addicting themselves to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
holding 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 these also be first proved, and if found blameless, then let them enter on the deacon’s office.
11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
Their wives in like manner must be grave women, not addicted to scandal, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their 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 served well as deacons gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Messiah 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 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
These things I write to thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
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 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 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 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.
