1 Timothy 3
1 This is a faithful saying, "If any man is seeking the office of a minister he is aspiring to a noble task."
This is a faithful saying: If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.
2 The minister should be a man of blameless character; he should be husband of but one wife; he should live a sober, self-restrained, orderly life; he should be hospitable, skilled in teaching;
The overseer, therefore, must be beyond criticism, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, good at teaching;
3 no drinker or brawler; but forbearing, peaceable, and no money- lover;
not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money;
4 he should be a man who rules his own household well, and keeps his children ever under control and thoroughly well behaved.
one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence;
5 For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he take charge of a church of God?
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)
6 He must not be a recent convert, lest he be blinded with pride, and incur the doom of the devil.
not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7 He should also have a good reputation among outsiders, lest he fall into reproach, and into 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, likewise, must be serious, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of gain,
Deacons, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not devoted to a lot of wine, not greedy for money;
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 They should first be tested, and after that, if they are found irreproachable, let them serve as deacons.
Let them also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, if they are blamesless.
11 Deaconesses likewise must be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12 Let deacons be the husband of but one wife, men who rule their children and their household properly.
Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those who have well discharged the duties of a deacon are gaining an honorable position for themselves, as well as much fearless confidence in the faith of Christ Jesus.
For those who have served well as deacons gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 Although I am hoping to come to you before long,
These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
15 I am writing this to you in case I should be detained, to let you see how you ought to behave in the household of God - the Church of the everliving God, the pillar and mainstay 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 church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 Yes! without contradiction, great is the mystery of godliness!
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He was revealed in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
