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."
This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of an overseer, he desires a good work.
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;
The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 not a hard drinker nor given to blows; not selfish or quarrelsome or covetous;
not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
4 but ruling his own household wisely and well, with children kept under control with true dignity.
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
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?)
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the congregation of God?)
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.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
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.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into disgrace and the trap of the devil.
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,
Shammashim, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;
9 but holding the secret truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And they must also be well-tried men, and when found to be of unblemished character then let them serve as deacons.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as shammashim if they are blameless.
11 Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12 A deacon must be true to his one wife, and rule his children and his own household wisely and well.
Let shammashim be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
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.
For those who have served well as shammashim gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Messiah Yeshua.
14 All this I write to you, though I am hoping before long to come to see you.
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
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.
but if I wait long, that you may know how people ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
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.
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He was revealed in the flesh, justified by the Ruach, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
