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.’
Faithful is the saying, "If any one is eager to have the oversight of a Church, he desires a noble work."
2 The supervisor should be of blameless character; a faithful partner; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skillful teacher,
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 addicted to drink or brawling, but of a forbearing and peaceable disposition, and not a lover of money;
not a hard drinker nor given to blows; not selfish or quarrelsome or covetous;
4 they should provide for their own household well, and their children should kept under control and be well-behaved.
but ruling his own household wisely and well, with children kept under control with true dignity.
5 If someone does not know how to provide for their own household, how can they take charge 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 The supervisor should not be a recent convert, or they might become blinded by pride and fall under the same judgment 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 They should also be well spoken of by outsiders, so that they may not incur censure and so fall into the devil’s trap.
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 So, too, assistants should be serious and straightforward, not given to taking much drink or to questionable money-making,
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 but people who hold the deep truths of the faith and have a clear conscience.
but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 They should be tested first, and only appointed to their office if no objection is raised against them.
And they must also be well-tried men, and when found to be of unblemished character then let them serve as deacons.
11 It should be the same with the women in this office. They should be serious, not gossips, sober, and trustworthy in all respects.
Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.
12 Assistants should be faithful partners who manage their children and their households well.
A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
13 Those who have filled that post with honor gain for themselves an honorable position, as well as great confidence through the faith that they place 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 I am writing this to you, though I hope that I will come to see you before long;
All this I write to you, though I am hoping before long to come to see you.
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, 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 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.’
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.
