1 Timothy 3:1-13

New King James Version

Qualifications of Overseers

3 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a ^[a]bishop, he desires a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³not ^[b]given to wine, not violent, ^[c]not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not ^[d]covetous; ⁴one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence ⁵(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); ⁶not a ^[e]novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the ^(A)snare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons

⁸Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, ^(B)not given to much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹holding the ^[f]mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. ¹¹Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not ^[g]slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹²Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons ^(C)obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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Footnotes

1 Timothy 3:1 Lit. overseer
1 Timothy 3:3 addicted
1 Timothy 3:3 NU omits not greedy for money
1 Timothy 3:3 loving money
1 Timothy 3:6 new convert
1 Timothy 3:9 hidden truth
1 Timothy 3:11 malicious gossips

Titus 1:5-16

New King James Version

Qualified Elders

⁵For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should ^(A)set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— ⁶if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, ^(B)having faithful children not accused of ^[a]dissipation or insubordination. ⁷For a ^[b]bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, ^(C)not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

The Elders’ Task

¹⁰For there are many insubordinate, both idle ^(D)talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, ^(E)for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹²^(F)One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³This testimony is true. ^(G)Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not giving heed to Jewish fables and ^(H)commandments of men who turn from the truth. ¹⁵^(I)To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess to ^(J)know God, but ^(K)in works they deny Him, being ^[c]abominable, disobedient, ^(L)and disqualified for every good work.