1 Timothy 3
1 This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.
Faithful is the saying, "If any one is eager to have the oversight of a Church, he desires a noble work."
2 The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;
A minister then must be a man of irreproachable character, true to his one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable to strangers, and with a gift for teaching;
3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
not a hard drinker nor given to blows; not selfish or quarrelsome or covetous;
4 one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
but ruling his own household wisely and well, with children kept under control with true dignity.
5 (but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)
(If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)
6 not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
He ought not to be a new convert, for fear he should be blinded with pride and come under the same condemnation as the Devil.
7 Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap of the devil.
It is needful also that he bear a good character with people outside the Church, lest he fall into reproach or a 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;
Deacons, in the same way, must be men of serious demeanour, not double-tongued, nor addicted to much wine, nor greedy of base gain,
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are blamesless.
And they must also be well-tried men, and when found to be of unblemished character then let them serve as deacons.
11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.
12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
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 those who have filled the deacon's office wisely and well, are already gaining for themselves an honourable standing, and are acquiring great freedom of speech in proclaiming the faith which rests on Christ Jesus.
14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
All this I write to you, though I am hoping before long to come to see you.
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, for fear I may be hindered, I now write, so that you may have rules to guide you in dealing with God's household. For this is what the Church of the ever-living God is, and it is the pillar and foundation-stone 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, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion-- that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.
