1 Timothy 3

1 This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.

下面这句话值得我们相信：“如果有人希望成为长者，这也是可以做的善行。”

2 The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;

一个长者必须无可指摘，只娶一名妻子，有节制，保持平衡、庄重、款待他人、善于教导。

3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;

他应该不好酒、不暴力，而是要温和，与人无争或者不贪财，

4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;

他必须能管好自己的家，他让儿女做的事情，儿女必须敬重顺服。

5 (but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

（因为一个男人如果不知如何管好自己的家，怎能管理上帝的教会？）

6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

他不应该是一个新加入的信徒，否则他可能会骄傲，这就落入与魔鬼相同的惩罚之中。

7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap of the devil.

他在教会以外也应有个好名声，这样他就不会被人毁谤，从而落在魔鬼的陷阱。

8 Deacons, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;

同样，执事也必须庄重、不伪善、不酗酒、不骗取不义之财。

9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

他们必须用纯粹的良心信上帝，坚持显示关于上帝真想。

10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are blamesless.

他们首先应去尝试一段时间，如果没有错误，然后才让他们担任执事。

11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

他们的妻子也要庄重，不应用闲话中伤他人，应该有节制，所做的一切都应该值得信任。

12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

执事只应娶一个妻子，善于管理儿女和自己的家。

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.

那些表现优秀的执事，为自己赢得好名声，也因相信基督耶稣而获得更多自信。

14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;

尽管希望尽快见到你，我仍把这些写给你，

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.

万一我拖延了，你也可以知道人们在上帝的家中应该做出怎样的行为。这是永生上帝的教会、真理的柱石和根基。

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.

关于上帝所显化的真相真惊人，这一点毫无疑问。他以人的形态让我们知道他，灵是他的证明，天使看到他，向各国宣布，世界相信他，他为此获得荣耀。