Προς Τιμοθεον Α΄ 3
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος: “Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.”
This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work.
2 Δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν,
The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, ἀλλὰ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον,
not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ, μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 (εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας ˚Θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται; )
(for how could someone who does not know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?)
6 Μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς, εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Δεῖ δὲ καὶ, μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ, καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου.
Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς,
Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν, ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.
12 Διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων.
Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 Οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες, βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται, καὶ πολλὴν παρρησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν ˚Χριστῷ ˚Ἰησοῦ.
For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σὲ ἐν τάχει,
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly,
15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ ˚Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία ˚Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.
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 Καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον: “Ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν ˚Πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ.”
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
