1 Timothy 3
1 How true is this saying: “To aspire to be to be a supervisor in the church is to be ambitious for a noble task.”
This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.
2 The supervisor should be of blameless character; a faithful partner; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skilful teacher,
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 not addicted to drink or brawling, but of a forbearing and peaceable disposition, and not a lover of money;
not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 they should provide for their own household well, and their children should kept under control and be well-behaved.
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 If someone does not know how to provide for their own household, how can they take charge of the church of God?
(for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 The supervisor should not be a recent convert, or they might become blinded by pride and fall under the same judgement as the devil.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 They should also be well spoken of by outsiders, so that they may not incur censure and so fall into the devil’s trap.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 So, too, assistants should be serious and straightforward, not given to taking much drink or to questionable money-making,
Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 but people who hold the deep truths of the faith and have a clear conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 They should be tested first, and only appointed to their office if no objection is raised against them.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 It should be the same with the women in this office. They should be serious, not gossips, sober, and trustworthy in all respects.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 Assistants should be faithful partners who manage their children and their households well.
Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 Those who have filled that post with honour gain for themselves an honourable position, as well as great confidence through the faith that they place in Christ Jesus.
For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Messiah Yeshua.
14 I am writing this to you, though I hope that I will come to see you before long;
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 but in case I should be delayed, I want you to know what your conduct ought to be in the household of God, which is the church of the living God – the pillar and stay of the truth.
but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 Yes, and undeniably wonderful are the deep truths of our religion; for – “He was revealed in our nature, pronounced righteous in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up into glory.”
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached amongst the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
