1 Timothy 3
1 This saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a good work.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach;
3 not given to wine, not violent, but gentle, peaceable, not a lover of money;
4 one who manages his own household well, keeping his children submissive with all dignity.
5 If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and fall into the devil’s condemnation.
7 He must also have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.
8 In the same way, deacons must be dignified, not double-tongued, not devoted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 These men must also be tested first; then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, women must be dignified, not slanderers, sober-minded, faithful in everything.
12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife and manage their children and their own households well.
13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon.
15 But if I am delayed, you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
16 And without question, great is the mystery of godliness: He was revealed in the flesh, declared righteous in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
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