1 Timothy 3
1 Faithful is the saying, "If any one is eager to have the oversight of a Church, he desires a noble work."
ⲁ̅ⲟⲩⲡⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲉⲣⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉϥⲉⲡⲓⲑⲩⲙⲓ ⲉⲩϩⲱⲃ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ
2 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;
ⲃ̅ϣϣⲉ ϭⲉ ⲉⲡⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲙⲡⲟⲩⲧⲁϩⲟϥ ϩⲛ ⲗⲁⲁⲩ ⲛϩⲱⲃ ⲉⲁϥϫⲓ ⲛⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲉϥⲧⲟⲣϩ ⲛⲣⲙⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉϥⲕⲟⲥⲙⲓ ⲙⲙⲁⲓϣⲙⲙⲟ ⲛⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ
3 not a hard drinker nor given to blows; not selfish or quarrelsome or covetous;
ⲅ̅ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯϩⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϣⲥϥ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲁⲗⲗⲁ ⲉⲩϩⲁⲕ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉϥⲙⲓϣⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁⲓϩⲟⲙⲛⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ
4 but ruling his own household wisely and well, with children kept under control with true dignity.
ⲇ̅ⲉϥⲡⲣⲟϩⲓⲥⲧⲁ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲉⲩⲛⲧⲁϥ ⲛⲉϥϣⲏⲣⲉ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲩⲡⲟⲧⲁⲅⲏ ⲁⲩⲱ ϩⲛ ⲙⲛⲧⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲓⲙ
5 (If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he have the Church of God given into his care?)
ⲉ̅ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲟⲩⲁ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲛϥⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲙⲡⲣⲟϩⲓⲥⲧⲁ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲏⲉⲓ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ϥⲛⲁϥⲓⲡⲣⲟⲟⲩϣ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ
6 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.
ⲋ̅ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲱϭⲉ ⲛⲃⲣⲣⲉ ⲁⲛ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲛⲛⲉϥϫⲓⲥⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲛϥϩⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲩⲕⲣⲓⲙⲁ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ
7 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.
ⲍ̅ϣϣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉⲩⲛⲧⲁϥ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲛⲧⲙⲛⲧⲣⲉ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲛⲉⲧϩⲓⲃⲟⲗ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲛⲛⲉϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉⲩⲛⲟϭⲛⲉϭ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩϭⲟⲣϭⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲇⲓⲁⲃⲟⲗⲟⲥ
8 Deacons, in the same way, must be men of serious demeanour, not double-tongued, nor addicted to much wine, nor greedy of base gain,
ⲏ̅ⲛⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ⲛⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲙⲉⲩϫⲉ ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲉⲟ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲣⲉϥⲥⲉ ϩⲁϩ ⲛⲏⲣⲡ ⲉⲛϩⲉⲛⲙⲁⲓϩⲏⲩ ⲛϣⲗⲟϥ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ
9 but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
ⲑ̅ⲉⲩⲛⲧⲁⲩ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲡⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲩⲛⲓⲇⲏⲥⲓⲥ ⲉⲥⲧⲃⲃⲏⲩ
10 And they must also be well-tried men, and when found to be of unblemished character then let them serve as deacons.
ⲓ̅ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩⲇⲟⲕⲓⲙⲁⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲱⲥ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲉⲓ ⲉⲙⲛⲛⲟⲃⲉ ϫⲓ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲣⲟⲟⲩ
11 Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.
ⲓ̅ⲁ̅ⲛⲉϩⲓⲟⲙⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲓϩⲉ ⲛⲥⲉⲙⲛⲏ ⲉϩⲉⲛⲣⲉϥϯ ϣⲧⲟⲩⲏⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲉⲩⲛⲏⲫⲉ ⲉⲩⲟ ⲙⲡⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ ϩⲛ ϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ
12 A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
ⲓ̅ⲃ̅ⲛⲇⲓⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲙⲁⲣⲟⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲉⲁⲩϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲱⲧ ⲉⲩⲡⲣⲟϩⲓⲥⲧⲁ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲛ ⲛⲉⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲩⲏⲉⲓ
13 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.
ⲓ̅ⲅ̅ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲇⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲕⲁⲗⲱⲥ ⲉⲩϫⲡⲟ ⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲟⲩϣⲓ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ ⲙⲛ ⲟⲩⲡⲁⲣϩⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲉⲛⲁϣⲱⲥ ϩⲛ ⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲭⲥ ⲓⲏⲥ
14 All this I write to you, though I am hoping before long to come to see you.
ⲓ̅ⲇ̅ⲛⲁⲓ ϯⲥϩⲁⲓ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲉⲓϩⲉⲗⲡⲓⲍⲉ ⲉⲉⲓ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϭⲉⲡⲏ
15 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.
ⲓ̅ⲉ̅ⲉϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲉⲓϣⲁⲛⲱⲥⲕ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲕⲉⲉⲓⲙⲉ ⲉⲑⲉ ⲉⲧⲉϣϣⲉ ⲉⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ ϩⲙ ⲡⲏⲉⲓ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲓ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉⲕⲏⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϩ ⲡⲉⲥⲧⲩⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲧⲁϫⲣⲟ ⲛⲧⲙⲉ
16 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.
ⲓ̅ⲋ̅ⲁⲩⲱ ϩⲟⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛⲱⲥ ⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲙⲛⲧⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ ⲧⲥⲁⲣⲝ ⲁϥⲧⲙⲁⲓⲟ ϩⲙ ⲡⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲁϥⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲛⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲧⲁϣⲉⲟⲉⲓϣ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ϩⲛ ⲛϩⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ ⲁⲩⲧⲁⲛϩⲟⲩⲧϥ ϩⲙ ⲡⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲁⲩϥⲓⲧϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲟⲟⲩ
