1 Timothy 3
English Standard Version Anglicised
Qualifications for Overseers
3 The saying is (A)trustworthy: If anyone aspires to (B)the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore (C)an overseer[a] must be above reproach, (D)the husband of one wife,[b] (E)sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, (F)hospitable, (G)able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but (H)gentle, not quarrelsome, (I)not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity (J)keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for (K)God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may (L)become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by (M)outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into (N)a snare of the devil.
Qualifications for Deacons
8 (O)Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,[c] (P)not addicted to much wine, (Q)not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must (R)hold the mystery of the faith with (S)a clear conscience. 10 And (T)let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 (U)Their wives likewise must[d] be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, (V)faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be (W)the husband of one wife, (X)managing their children and their own households well. 13 For (Y)those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Godliness
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
(Z)He[e] was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated[f] by the Spirit,[g]
(AA)seen by angels,
(AB)proclaimed among the nations,
(AC)believed on in the world,
(AD)taken up in glory.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 3:2 Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1
- 1 Timothy 3:2 Or a man of one woman; also verse 12
- 1 Timothy 3:8 Or devious in speech
- 1 Timothy 3:11 Or Wives, likewise, must, or Women, likewise, must
- 1 Timothy 3:16 Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which
- 1 Timothy 3:16 Or justified
- 1 Timothy 3:16 Or vindicated in spirit
1 Timothy 3
The Message
Leadership in the Church
3 1-7 If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
8-13 The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church: serious, not deceitful, not too free with the bottle, not in it for what they can get out of it. They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. No exceptions are to be made for women—same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine. Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs. Those who do this servant work will come to be highly respected, a real credit to this Jesus-faith.
14-16 I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I’m delayed, I’m writing this letter so you’ll know how things ought to go in God’s household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:
He appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
believed in all over the world,
taken up into heavenly glory.
1 Timothy 3
New Living Translation
Leaders in the Church
3 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader,[a] he desires an honorable position.” 2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife.[b] He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker[c] or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.[d] 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.
8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, their wives[e] must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Truths of Our Faith
14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith[f]:
Christ[g] was revealed in a human body
and vindicated by the Spirit.[h]
He was seen by angels
and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world
and taken to heaven in glory.
Footnotes
- 3:1 Or an overseer, or a bishop; also in 3:2, 6.
- 3:2 Or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; Greek reads must be the husband of one wife; also in 3:12.
- 3:3 Greek must not drink too much wine; similarly in 3:8.
- 3:6 Or he might fall into the same judgment as the devil.
- 3:11 Or the women deacons. The Greek word can be translated women or wives.
- 3:16a Or of godliness.
- 3:16b Greek He who; other manuscripts read God.
- 3:16c Or in his spirit.
1 Timothy 3
New International Version - UK
Qualifications for overseers and deacons
3 Here is a trustworthy saying: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
8 In the same way, deacons[b] are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, the women[c] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Reasons for Paul’s instructions
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing to you with these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,[d]
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 3:4 Or him with proper
- 1 Timothy 3:8 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in verse 12; and in Romans 16:1 and Phil. 1:1.
- 1 Timothy 3:11 Possibly deacons’ wives or women who are deacons
- 1 Timothy 3:16 Or vindicated in spirit
1 Timothy 3
Darby Translation
3 The word [is] faithful: if any one aspires to exercise oversight, he desires a good work.
2 The overseer then must be irreproachable, husband of one wife, sober, discreet, decorous, hospitable, apt to teach;
3 not given to excesses from wine, not a striker, but mild, not addicted to contention, not fond of money,
4 conducting his own house well, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (but if one does not know how to conduct his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of God?)
6 not a novice, that he may not, being inflated, fall into [the] fault of the devil.
7 But it is necessary that he should have also a good testimony from those without, that he may fall not into reproach and [the] snare of the devil.
8 Ministers, in like manner, grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not seeking gain by base means,
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these be first proved, then let them minister, being without charge [against them].
11 [The] women in like manner grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let [the] ministers be husbands of one wife, conducting [their] children and their own houses well:
13 for those who shall have ministered well obtain for themselves a good degree, and much boldness in faith which [is] in Christ Jesus.
14 These things I write to thee, hoping to come to thee more quickly;
15 but if I delay, in order that thou mayest know how one ought to conduct oneself in God's house, which is [the] assembly of [the] living God, [the] pillar and base of the truth.
16 And confessedly the mystery of piety is great. God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in [the] Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among [the] nations, has been believed on in [the] world, has been received up in glory.
Titus 1
English Standard Version Anglicised
Greeting
1 Paul, a servant[a] of God and (A)an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and (B)their knowledge of the truth, (C)which accords with godliness, 2 (D)in hope of eternal life, which God, (E)who never lies, (F)promised (G)before the ages began[b] 3 and (H)at the proper time manifested in his word (I)through the preaching (J)with which I have been entrusted (K)by the command of God our Saviour;
4 To Titus, (L)my true child in (M)a common faith:
(N)Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Qualifications for Elders
5 (O)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and (P)appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 (Q)if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[c] and his children are believers and not open to the charge of (R)debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[d] (S)as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not (T)be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent (U)or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, (V)and disciplined. 9 He must (W)hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in (X)sound[e] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, (Y)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of (Z)the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since (AA)they are upsetting whole families by teaching (AB)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 (AC)One of the Cretans,[f] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”[g] 13 This testimony is true. Therefore (AD)rebuke them (AE)sharply, that they (AF)may be sound in the faith, 14 (AG)not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and (AH)the commands of people (AI)who turn away from the truth. 15 (AJ)To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and (AK)unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both (AL)their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 (AM)They profess to know God, but they (AN)deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, (AO)unfit for any good work.
Footnotes
- Titus 1:1 Or slave; Greek bondservant
- Titus 1:2 Greek before times eternal
- Titus 1:6 Or a man of one woman
- Titus 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos
- Titus 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13
- Titus 1:12 Greek One of them
- Titus 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete
Titus 1
The Message
1 1-4 I, Paul, am God’s slave and Christ’s agent for promoting the faith among God’s chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn’t break promises! And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I’ve been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself. Dear Titus, legitimate son in the faith: Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you!
A Good Grip on the Message
5-9 I left you in charge in Crete so you could complete what I left half-done. Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. As you select them, ask, “Is this man well-thought-of? Is he committed to his wife? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?” It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it.
10-16 For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. They’ve got to be shut up. They’re disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck. One of their own prophets said it best:
The Cretans are liars from the womb,
barking dogs, lazy bellies.
He certainly spoke the truth. Get on them right away. Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules so they can recover a robust faith. Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words. They’re real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings.
Titus 1
New Living Translation
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to[a] those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 3 And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.
4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
Titus’s Work in Crete
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife,[b] and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 A church leader[c] is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker,[d] violent, or dishonest with money.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. 11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. 12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”[e] 13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. 14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.
15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Titus 1
New International Version - UK
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness – 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour,
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Appointing elders who love what is good
5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Rebuking those who fail to do good
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach – and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’[c] 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
Footnotes
- Titus 1:5 Or ordain
- Titus 1:6 Or children are trustworthy
- Titus 1:12 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
Titus 1
Darby Translation
1 Paul, bondman of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ according to [the] faith of God's elect, and knowledge of [the] truth which [is] according to piety;
2 in [the] hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time,
3 but has manifested in its own due season his word, in [the] proclamation with which *I* have been entrusted, according to [the] commandment of our Saviour God;
4 to Titus, my own child according to [the] faith common [to us]: Grace and peace from God [the] Father, and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
5 For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou mightest go on to set right what remained [unordered], and establish elders in each city, as *I* had ordered thee:
6 if any one be free from all charge [against him], husband of one wife, having believing children not accused of excess or unruly.
7 For the overseer must be free from all charge [against him] as God's steward; not headstrong, not passionate, not disorderly through wine, not a striker, not seeking gain by base means;
8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, discreet, just, pious, temperate,
9 clinging to the faithful word according to the doctrine taught, that he may be able both to encourage with sound teaching and refute gainsayers.
10 For there are many and disorderly vain speakers and deceivers of people's minds, specially those of [the] circumcision,
11 who must have their mouths stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which ought not [to be taught] for the sake of base gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, has said, Cretans are always liars, evil wild beasts, lazy gluttons.
13 This testimony is true; for which cause rebuke them severely, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not turning [their] minds to Jewish fables and commandments of men turning away from the truth.
15 All things [are] pure to the pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing [is] pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but in works deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.
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