Qualifications of Overseers

3 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a ^[a]bishop, he desires a good work. ² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³ not ^[b]given to wine, not violent, ^[c]not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not ^[d]covetous; ⁴ one 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?); ⁶ not a ^[e]novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷ Moreover 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

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

The Great Mystery

¹⁴ These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ^[h]ground of the truth. ¹⁶ And without controversy great is the ^[i]mystery of godliness:

Journeys in Greece

20 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and ^(A)departed to go to Macedonia. ² Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to ^(B)Greece ³ and stayed three months. And ^(C)when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. ⁴ And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also ^(D)Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and ^(E)Gaius of Derbe, and ^(F)Timothy, and ^(G)Tychicus and ^(H)Trophimus of Asia. ⁵ These men, going ahead, waited for us at ^(I)Troas. ⁶ But we sailed away from Philippi after ^(J)the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them ^(K)at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Ministering at Troas

⁷ Now on ^(L)the first day of the week, when the disciples came together ^(M)to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps ^(N)in the upper room where ^[a]they were gathered together. ⁹ And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, ^(O)fell on him, and embracing him said, ^(P)“Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. ¹² And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had ^[b]given orders, intending himself to go on foot. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for ^(Q)he was hurrying ^(R)to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on ^(S)the Day of Pentecost.

The Ephesian Elders Exhorted

¹⁷ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, ^(T)from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me ^(U)by the plotting of the Jews; ²⁰ how ^(V)I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, ^21 (W)testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, ^(X)repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And see, now ^(Y)I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(Z)the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ^24 [c]But ^(AA)none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, ^(AB)so that I may finish my ^[d]race with joy, ^(AC)and the ministry ^(AD)which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am ^(AE)innocent^[e] of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have not ^[f]shunned to declare to you ^(AF)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AG)Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit ^(AH)has made you overseers, to shepherd the church ^[g]of God ^(AI)which He purchased ^(AJ)with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure ^(AK)savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also ^(AL)from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking ^[h]perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that ^(AM)for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

³² “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and ^(AN)to the word of His grace, which is able ^(AO)to build you up and give you ^(AP)an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. ^34 [i]Yes, you yourselves know ^(AQ)that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, ^(AR)by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ Then they all ^(AS)wept ^[j]freely, and ^(AT)fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.