Προς Τιμοθεον Α΄ 3
1 Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.
This is a true saying, If any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a worthie worke.
2 δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικόν·
A Bishop therefore must be vnreproueable, the husband of one wife, watching, temperate, modest, harberous, apt to teache,
3 μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, ἀλλὰ ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον,
Not giuen to wine, no striker, not giuen to filthy lucre, but gentle, no fighter, not couetous,
4 τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος·
One that can rule his owne house honestly, hauing children vnder obedience with all honestie.
5 (εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ἐκκλησίας θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται; )
For if any cannot rule his owne house, how shall he care for the Church of God?
6 μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου.
He may not be a yong scholer, lest he being puffed vp fall into the condemnation of the deuill.
7 δεῖ δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου.
He must also be well reported of, euen of them which are without, lest he fall into rebuke, and the snare of the deuill.
8 διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς,
Likewise must Deacons be graue, not double tongued, not giuen vnto much wine, neither to filthy lucre,
9 ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει.
Hauing the mysterie of the faith in pure conscience.
10 καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες.
And let them first be proued: then let them minister, if they be found blameles.
11 γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν.
Likewise their wiues must be honest, not euill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in all things.
12 διάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων.
Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as can rule their children well, and their owne housholdes.
13 οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται, καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐν πίστει τῇ ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.
For they that haue ministred well, get them selues a good degree, and great libertie in the faith, which is in Christ Iesus.
14 Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρός σε ἐν τάχει·
These things write I vnto thee, trusting to come very shortly vnto thee.
15 ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία θεοῦ ζῶντος, στύλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.
But if I tary long, that thou maist yet know, how thou oughtest to behaue thy self in ye house of God, which is the Church of the liuing God, the pillar and ground of trueth.
16 καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστή ριον, ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ.
And without controuersie, great is the mysterie of godlinesse, which is, God is manifested in the flesh, iustified in the Spirit, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, beleeued on in the world, and receiued vp in glorie.
